Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 found update: Families to receive advanced payments, told to go home by airline

Families of Flight 370 passengers Wochit video screenshot

On May 1, Malaysia Airline officials told families of the missing Flight 370 passengers to go home, and that an advanced payment would be made to them soon.

The airline put the grieving relatives in hotels in various countries to better notify them when updates were made. Malaysia Airlines will close its "family assistance centers" on May 7.

In a statement, an airline rep said the families should seek comfort in their hometowns.

"Instead of staying in hotels, the families of MH370 are advised to receive information updates on the progress of the search and investigation and other support by Malaysia Airlines within the comfort of their own homes, with the support and care of their families and friends," the statement read.

The announcement comes after a hostage situation last week, when 10 Malaysia Airline employees were held against their will for 10 hours at Beijing's Lido Hotel by angry family members of the missing passengers.

The relatives were angry after a Malaysian government official did not show up for a scheduled meeting with them.

Malaysia Airlines also announced that a final financial compensation package will be given to families at a later date, but an advanced payment will be made soon. The amount of the payment was not specified.

Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China. Neither a crash site nor confirmed wreckage have been discovered as of yet.

Relatives of the passengers have been frustrated by what they consider a slow search effort, misinformation and a lack of communication from government and airline officials during the search and recovery effort, and overall ambiguity as to what happened on the doomed flight.

Although rumors persist, no evidence or explanation of the plane's disappearance have been discovered.

News
Street preacher arrested in Watford
Street preacher arrested in Watford

Footage has circulated online of a Christian pastor being arrested while street preaching at the weekend.

US monitoring case of pastor arrested in abortion clinic buffer zone
US monitoring case of pastor arrested in abortion clinic buffer zone

Pastor Johnston made no mention of abortion while within the zone.

Pastor killed after Russian strike on Baptist church during prayer meeting
Pastor killed after Russian strike on Baptist church during prayer meeting

Russia struck a Baptist church in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia during a prayer meeting this week, killing at least one person, a minister, and injuring at least eight others. 

Reflections on turning 75
Reflections on turning 75

Jewish academic and Hebrew scholar Irene Lancaster shares her reflections and wisdom of the years as she turns 75.