French supply latest lead on missing jetliner

Malaysia’s transportation ministry on Sunday said it had received new satellite pictures from French authorities that may show debris in the southern Indian Ocean, the latest development in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

“This morning, Malaysia received new satellite images from the French authorities showing potential objects in the vicinity of the southern corridor. Malaysia immediately relayed these images to the Australian rescue co-ordination centre,” the ministry said in a statement.

{mosads}Officials said two Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft have arrived in Perth, Australia, and will join the search and rescue operation on Monday. Two Japanese P-3 Orion aircraft are on the way to Perth, the ministry added.

The ministry said the Australian rescue coordination center will deploy four military and four civilian aircraft to the southern search corridor.

“Ocean Shield,” an Australian Navy ship with a sub-sea remotely operated vehicle, also is currently en route to the southern corridor.

The ministry said an Indian navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft and an Indian air force C-130 aircraft left the Subang airport on Sunday to join the search and rescue operation in the northern part of the southern corridor.

Bad weather caused by tropical cyclone Gillian forced the cancellation of a number of search missions from the Subang airport, the ministry said.

The ministry said all countries involved are “displaying unprecedented levels of co-operation.”

Malaysian officials briefed relatives of passengers on board flight MH370 on Sunday in Beijing for more than six hours, the ministry added.