Weather forces suspension of search for missing aircraft

(Vatican Radio) China this morning demanded that Malaysia turn over the satellite data used to conclude that the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made the announcement late Monday, saying the jet had gone down in the sea with no survivors among the 239 passengers and crew on board, 2/3 of whom were Chinese.

Australia's Defence Minister, David Johnston, has said he is “confident” in Malaysia's assessment that the plane ended its journey in the southern Indian Ocean. Speaking to reporters in Perth after inclement weather forced a suspension of the search effort, Johnson explained the massive scope of the recovery mission. “[It is] a massive logistical exercise,” he said.

Flight MH370 vanished from radar screens less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8.

No confirmed sighting of the plane has been made since. Listen: