New satellite images from France show potential objects

Malaysia on Sunday received new satellite images from the French authorities showing potential debris along the southern corridor missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 might have taken, according to a statement of Malaysian Ministry of Transport.

The French satellite imagery was released a day after China said its satellite spotted a 22-meter-long and 13-meter-wide floating object in southern Indian Ocean, about 120 km southwest of the objects Australia announced Thursday.

All these objects remain to be located and confirmed if they are related to the missing MH370.

Australian, New Zealand and U.S. military and civil aircraft have searched the relevant area approximately 2,500 km southwest of Perth for four days but failed to find any suspicious objects shown on the satellite imagery.

Two Chinese Air Force Ilyushin IL-76 planes will start search operation Monday from Perth, the statement said, adding that two Japanese P3 Orions departed from Subang airport in Malaysia for Perth on Sunday.

According to the statement, India's two aircraft also left Subang airport Sunday to join the search and rescue operation in the northern part of the southern corridor.

Due to bad weather caused by tropical cyclone Gillian, a number of other sorties from Subang airport to the southern corridor were canceled Sunday, it added.

The statement also said a briefing was given by the Malaysian high level team in Beijing Sunday morning for relatives of those on board the missing plane, during which information was presented to the relatives and their questions were answered.

As to the ACARS transmission, it said the last ACARS transmission, sent at 1:07 am, showed nothing unusual but a normal routing all the way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

The MH370 operated on a Boeing 777-200 with 239 people on board has gone missing since March 8.