MH370 search at 'critical juncture'

An underwater drone is continuing its Indian Ocean search for the Malaysia Airlines plane wreck. Source: AAP

THE effort to find missing flight MH370 is at a "very critical juncture", Malaysia's transport minister says as authorities mull whether to reassess a challenging search of the Indian Ocean seabed that has so far found nothing.

"The search for today and tomorrow is at a very critical juncture. So I appeal for everybody around the world to pray and pray hard that we find something to work on," Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday.

The jet is believed to have crashed in deep and remote waters far off Western Australia.

But with no results from the multi-national search operation for the Boeing 777, which vanished on March 8 carrying 239 people, Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday set a one-week deadline to locate the plane by mini-submarine.

The Australian-led search effort is relying on a single US Navy submersible sonar scanning device to scour an uncharted seabed at depths of around 4,500 metres or more.

Technical hitches, including the fact that the torpedo-shaped Bluefin-21 is operating at the extent of its depth limit, made for a slow start to the search.

Launched from an Australian naval vessel, the device has so far made six deep-sea scanning runs but has detected nothing.

"We have pursued every possible lead presented to us at this stage, and with every passing day the search has become more difficult," Hishammuddin, who is heading up the Malaysian government's response to MH370, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

As the search and rescue effort expected to be the costliest in aviation history wears on, authorities have indicated alternative methods may be needed, including possibly deeper-diving devices.

Hishammuddin said adjustments "may include widening the scope of the search and utilising other assets that could be relevant in the search operation", but he stressed the search would not be abandoned.

Earlier on Saturday Australian officials said experts were analysing data relayed by the underwater drone on its sixth mission and it had embarked on its seventh.

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NSW deaths push road toll to seven

THE nation's Easter road toll stands at seven following two fatal NSW collisions.

The latest death was that of a cyclist, killed instantly when struck by a car on Sydney's north shore on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the male driver of the Mercedes sedan was uninjured but had been taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Two-and-a-half hours earlier, a man was killed when his car and a truck collided in the state's north at Tyndale.

The deceased driver is yet to be identified, while the man behind the wheel of the truck and his passenger both suffered non life-threatening injuries and were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and witnesses are urged to come forward. A report will also be prepared for the Coroner.

The deaths follow tragedies in Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland over the holiday period.

Three of the fatalities were on WA roads and involved young men aged 17-20.

A Chinese tourist was killed in Tasmania and a Queensland woman died after being struck by a car.

The 67-year-old woman died on the way to hospital on Thursday after she was hit by a station wagon while crossing the road in Beaudesert, south of Brisbane.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the West Australian town of Carnarvon.

The East Carnarvon boy was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when his Ford Falcon ute hit a tree on Collie-Williams Road near Collie.

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday night, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

Also on Thursday, a 32-year-old Chinese tourist died following a head-on collision on a Tasmanian highway.

The woman from China was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband.

Their Volkswagen hatchback collided with the Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Brisbane lines up to greet royalty

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in Brisbane to another strong crowd reception. Source: AAP

ONE could have been forgiven for thinking One Direction was in town.

Queenslanders haven't turned out to see a youthful royal couple woo a crowd since the early years of Charles and Diana's marriage some 31 years ago.

In true style, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge won the hearts of 10,000 people along the streets of Brisbane's South Bank precinct under a clear blue sky and 28C heat.

Adoring royal watchers offered flowers and soft toys for nine-month old Prince George, who was absent on the couple's fourth day in Australia.

In some areas, 20-deep crowds lined the streets and held up their mobile phones hoping for a glimpse of his glamorous parents.

Brenda Stephens, a 73-year-old former British Air Force nurse, was among those who shook hands with Prince William, a former RAF pilot, after an eight-hour wait in the sun.

"I've just had a triple bypass so it was really special to me to shake the Duke's hand," she told AAP.

"He's a very charming man."

The avid royal watcher also managed to see the couple from a front row vantage point, with tears in her eyes, despite passing out earlier in the day waiting for their arrival.

Even republicans were enthralled, with Agnes Delos Santos happy to wait hours.

"This is history ... their visit to Brisbane," she said.

Inside Brisbane's Convention and Exhibition Centre starstruck rugby league greats Johnathan Thurston and Jharal Yow Yeh nodded seriously as they briefly chatted with the duke.

But as Prince William moved to greet another dignitary, the beaming sporting heroes high-fived each other and fist-pumped like school boys.

In the same room, the youngest person to sail around the world solo, Jessica Watson, was impressed by the duchess.

"You feel like you know them, and they treat you like you do," she told AAP.

But not everyone was so welcoming, with a crowd of about 30 Aboriginal rights activists chanting "No treaty, no peace" and "Always was, always will be Aboriginal land" before police disbanded them.

Outgoing Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley and Premier Campbell Newman had dashed back to Brisbane from Amberley, near Ipswich, to greet the royal couple for the second time in a day.

Afterwards, as they walked outside, cheers and shrieks followed them as the royals made a street walk, stopping to chat to the old, young and everyone in between.

Sue Gillies was there with her daughters Rebecca Gillies, 27 and Jodie Taranto, 34 from 7.30 in the morning.

"It was worth it," Rebecca said.

"It would have been nice if they'd sent Harry."

The duchess needed an army of helpers to pass on the gifts handed over security barricades - everything from modest posies of carnations, to stuffed kangaroos, chocolate bunnies, and a soccer ball bearing a map of Australia.

After more than half an hour greeting the crowds, the royal couple then climbed into a car, bound for the airport and a full schedule of events in Sydney on Easter Sunday.

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Off-duty policeman over the limit

AN off-duty policeman has been caught drink driving in Victoria.

The officer encountered a random breath testing site on the Old Princes Highway, at Beaconsfield in Melbourne's south-east, just after 8pm (AEST) on Friday.

The Leading Senior Constable is alleged to have recorded a blood alcohol level of .077 per cent, which is mid-range offence.

The officer was issued a penalty notice for $433, which also carries a loss of license for six months.

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Speeding man overtakes Vic police car

A YOUNG man in Australia on a student visa allegedly drove his hire car more than 150km/h on a Victorian highway in peak Easter holiday traffic.

Police say the Chinese man was observed overtaking a tourist bus and numerous cars, including an unmarked police car, at high speed on the Bass Highway on Friday afternoon.

He was intercepted by highway patrol officers just before 5pm (AEST) after driving in holiday traffic and in excess of the highway's 100km/h speed limit.

The 22-year-old allegedly told officers he was "running late to get to Phillip Island".

Police did not impound the vehicle as it was a hire car, however, the man is facing multiple charges including driving at a dangerous speed.

He will face court on a date to be set.

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Cambridges wow a stunning Sydney

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will join thousands of Australians at the Royal Easter show. Source: AAP

IT'S been a very Good Friday for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and for their host - Sydney.

The bright young stars of the British royal family have attracted thousands to every event they've had since arriving in Australia on Wednesday, and this perfect, autumn day was no different.

From their visit to the Royal Easter Show to stepping onto the famous sands of Manly beach, there was no let up in the enthusiasm.

Kate wowed by wearing a white cotton lace dress by Australian designer sisters, Nicole and Simone Zimmermann to Friday's events.

But it wasn't just about cheering crowds. The royal couple also spent an hour with sick children and their families at the Bear Cottage hospice in Manly, one of only two such hospices in Australia and a cause very close to Kate's heart.

The duchess, who is royal patron of the East Anglia Children's Hospice in the UK and has also visited children's hospices in Malaysia and New Zealand.

In her first speech of the Australian visit, the duchess told parents, staff and kids, it was "wonderful to be here today".

"The haven that you have created here is inspirational, and there is so much that you can share with each other as you continue to support and nurture those in your care," the duchess told the packed room that included Prime Minister Tony Abbott and NSW Premier Mike Baird.

She also used the opportunity to thank Australia for their welcome.

"To be here together as a family has been very special and we will always remember it with fond and happy memories," she said.

"Thank you for inviting us here and for such a generous welcome."

Everyone who has had the chance to say hello to Kate or William - or just catch a glimpse of them - has been delighted.

Sophie Martyr, 16, was still shaking after making the presentation to the royal pair at Bear Cottage.

"It was amazing, it was unforgettable," she told AAP.

At the show, Margaret Bryant and her pals Margaret Wright and Marie Whiteman - all in their 80s - arrived in Sydney from Cowra at 3am (AEST) to see the Cambridges.

"They're such a lovely couple. They're so much in love," Ms Bryant from Cowra told AAP.

"I thought they were spectacular and I'm glad they've come," Ms Wright said.

Kate and William took in some displays at the show, with Kate light-heartedly ribbing her husband when inspecting a display featuring alpaca wool.

"The princess said (the Duke) should put some on his head," said Lyn Cregan, 67, from Glen Innes.

"She pointed at him and said 'You need it more than me.' He laughed."

However, like many eight-month-olds, Prince George was deemed too young to see the show - but it didn't mean he was forgotten.

A trolley was brought to cope with number of presents being offered by the crowds - including books, Possum Magic and Peppa Pig toys and bouquets.

At Manly, there was barely room to move behind the cordoned-off areas. The royal couple were delighted with the late afternoon surf lifesaving display. There was also another present for George - a surfboard.

Kate told former world ironwoman champion Naomi Flood that she was loving being in Australia.

Prince William chimed in: "We are just trying to see more."

That will happen on Saturday, when for the first time they head interstate to Amberley RAAF base and Brisbane.

On Sunday, they'll visit Taronga's Zoo before moving camp to Canberra. Next week, Uluru and Adelaide are on the itinerary.

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Kate delights kids during hospice visit

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have visited Bear Cottage as part of their visit to Sydney. Source: AAP

IT was the simple things that the Duchess of Cambridge did that made the difference. A personal greeting and chat, a smile, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star alongside small children facing the biggest fight.

There were no airs and graces, just a young mother bringing smiles to sick young children being cared for at Bear Cottage in Manly, one of only two children's hospices in Australia.

The palliative care of sick children is a cause close to Kate's heart, as she is the royal patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices in the UK and has visited similar centres in Malaysia and New Zealand.

While Kate toured the centre's playroom, quiet room and music therapy garden, meeting with children some of whom were wheelchair bound or confined to stretchers, Prince William met privately with families.

Wearing a cream lace Zimmermann dress, Kate sat on a wooden garden bench and played a drum, singing the nursery rhyme with the children taking part in music therapy.

During an informal afternoon tea attended by families and centre staff as well as NSW Premier Mike Baird and Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the duchess made her first speech of the visit.

"It really is wonderful to be here today - having the chance to meet you all and to see the incredible work of Bear Cottage," the duchess said.

"The haven that you have created here is inspirational, and there is so much that you can share with each other as you continue to support and nurture those in your care."

There was a special moment for 16-year-old Daniel Howarth, who suffers from a lung disease and had a Union Jack flag strapped to his wheelchair.

"Very nice to meet you, Daniel," Kate said.

His dad Adam, 44, said it was amazing for Daniel to meet the duchess.

"We explained to Kate that Daniel's got chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy and we've been coming here for 10 years after major surgery," said Mr Howarth, who was at the centre with his wife Deborah, 43, Daniel, and 10-year-old son Lachlan.

"Daniel likes sport, Chelsea, so she was asking us all about sport and telling us her husband supports Aston Villa, and we talked a little about the English Premier League. She's so natural, engaging and friendly."

Sophie Martyr, 16, wearing a red bandanna after undergoing cancer treatment, was still shaking after presenting the couple with an artwork painted by Bear Cottage kids.

"It was amazing, it was just unforgettable," Ms Martyr told AAP.

"He (William) asked me about how I'm going and how I'm feeling."

Bear Cottage nurse Philly Smith, 44, talked with the duke in the garden.

"I think he made the families feel very special," Ms Smith said.

"One of the children is a similar age to his so he talked about that."

The royals then left - 20 minutes late - but before getting in the royal motorcade, Kate thrilled the crowd by meeting a number of fans and receiving flowers and a toy footy.

On his way out, Mr Abbott said it was a "fabulous afternoon for Bear Cottage".

"These are magnificent people here. There are some very special and brave kids here," Mr Abbott told AAP.

"To get this visit from Prince William and the duchess is just extraordinary."

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Easter road toll stands at four lives lost

AUSTRALIA'S Easter road toll now stands at four after a tragic opening to the holiday long weekend in both Western Australia and Tasmania.

Young men aged 17 to 20 account for three of the deaths, all in WA, and the fourth fatal crash involved a Chinese woman who was on holiday in Tasmania.

All of the fatal crashes occurred on Thursday and authorities have not reported a road death on Good Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy died after being thrown from a car which rolled several times on the Gnaraloo-Quobba Road near the WA town of Carnarvon.

Police said the East Carnarvon boy was a passenger in a Nissan Patrol when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

People who had been following the vehicle stopped and performed CPR on the boy until ambulance crews arrived. He was taken to Carnarvon Regional Hospital but was unable to be revived.

The 17-year-old male driver was treated for cuts and bruises.

Hours later, a 20-year-old man was killed when a Ford Falcon ute he was driving hit a tree on the Collie-Williams Road near Collie at about 3pm (WST).

His passenger, a 22-year-old man from Bunbury, was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a passing motorist pulled him from the burning wreckage.

On Thursday evening and again in WA, a 19-year-old Bruce Rock man died after his car hit a large tree on Narembeen Rd near Bruce Rock east of Perth.

In Tasmania, the 32-year-old Chinese woman was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her 30-year-old husband, also a Chinese national.

Their Volkswagen hatchback was involved in a head-on collision with a Hyundai delivery van on the Bass Highway, west of Port Latta, on Thursday afternoon.

The couple were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where the woman died. The man has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a serious condition.

A 31-year-old Burnie man who was driving the van suffered minor injuries but has been released.

(EDS: The Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 17 to 2359 April 21)

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Call for sanctions against N. Korea

Michael Kirby, the head of a special UN inquiry, has urged the UN to slap sanctions on North Korea. Source: AAP

THE United Nations Security Council should slap targeted sanctions on North Korean officials responsible for grave human rights abuses, the head of a special UN inquiry says.

Michael Kirby told an informal meeting of the Security Council convened by Australia, France and the US that he also wanted the reclusive regime hauled before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution.

"More monitoring and engagement alone cannot suffice in the face of crimes that shock the conscience of humanity," said Kirby, a former Australian High Court justice. "Perpetrators must be held accountable, it is necessary to deter further crimes."

North Korea did not send a representative and the meeting was snubbed by China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, and Russia.

"A new generation of senior officials now surround the supreme leader Kim Jong-Un," Kirby said.

"They must be made to understand that they will themselves face personal accountability if they join in the commission of crimes against humanity or fail to prevent them where they could.

"The commission of inquiry therefore recommends to the Security Council the adoption of targeted sanctions against those individuals most responsible for crimes against humanity."

Kirby said the proposal to refer North Koreans to the ICC had found favour with most countries present, but UN diplomats said any move would likely face fierce opposition from China, the North's economic lifeline.

In March, the UN's top rights body also called on the Security Council to act against officials responsible for a litany of crimes against humanity in North Korea.

Kirby's commission of inquiry on North Korea released a hard-hitting report on the nuclear-armed totalitarian state in February that documented a range of gross human rights abuses, including extermination, enslavement and sexual violence.

North Korea refused to co-operate with the probe and said the evidence was "fabricated" by "forces hostile" to the country.

After the meeting, US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power praised council members for joining other countries for the first time to discuss the North's "tragic human rights situation in North Korea".

"We heard directly from the authors of a thorough, objective and credible UN report, and from victims of North Korean atrocities themselves," she said.

"These firsthand accounts - horrific stories of torture, rape, forced abortions and forced infanticide, extermination and murder - paint a chilling picture of the regime's systematic and remorseless repression of its citizens."

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Christians mark Good Friday in Jerusalem

The crucifixion of Jesus is being remembered in prayers and processions throughout Jerusalem. Source: AAP

LOCAL Christian Arabs and pilgrims from around the world have made their way down the cobbled Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, where Jesus is believed to have walked to his crucifixion.

Thousands of worshippers, some bearing wooden crosses, walked through the walled Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where they believe Jesus was crucified and buried before rising from the dead three days later.

The city was also busy on Friday with Jewish worshippers celebrating the week-long festival of Passover, which commemorates the Exodus of the biblical Israelites from captivity in Egypt.

Israeli police meanwhile limited access to Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque compound, fearing more unrest after days of clashes.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said men under the age of 50 were barred, but there were no restrictions on women.

Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in clashes with police at the site on Wednesday and Sunday after Jewish visitors were allowed onto the compound.

Jews believe the mosque compound is on the site of the first and second biblical temples, their holiest place, and refer to it as the Temple Mount.

Today the site hosts the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosques, and is the third holiest site in Islam.

It has frequently been a flashpoint in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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