It's the latest sign of hope in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.
"We have a number of very credible leads. There is increasing hope, no more than hope, that we might be on the road to discovering what did happen." (Via BBC)
That was Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. In what officials are calling a "possible new lead," a civilian aircraft spotted a wooden pallet, along with other debris, in the search zone Saturday. (Via CNN)
According to Fox News, while wooden pallets are often used in shipping, they're also used in the cargo containers on planes.
According to the Australian government, while an exact location for the pallet hasn't been pinpointed, a search crew sent to the area reported seeing only a clump of seaweed Saturday. (Via Australian Maritime Safety Authority)
Malaysian authorities say France has also released newly-analyzed satellite images showing possible debris in th ocean's southern cooridor and passed it along to the Australians coordinating the search.
And another possible clue from China — state-run media released this image showing what some experts said looked to be plane wreckage — but search teams Saturday were not able to find the objects. (Via Twitter / @cctvnews)
Sunday the search effort was stepped up considerably. Two Chinese aircraft joined six jets already looking for missing debris in the Indian Ocean, just southwest of Perth. (Via CCTV)
Of the 239 passengers on board the plane, more than two-thirds were Chinese nationals. China has repeatedly accused the Malaysian government of dragging its feet on the investigation. (Via CBS)
But it's Australia now taking the lead on the international search. Australian authorities say they're using mostly human spotters with binoculars, instead of radar, to scan the ocean. But rough winds and sea fog have reportedly complicated their efforts. (Via 9 News)
And time is of the essence. The plane's lithium-ion batteries are expected to run out by April 6 — making it impossible for satellites to pick up any pinging from the plane's flight recorders after that point.
