The second "black box" from a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 has been found, raising hopes it might shed light on why the passenger plane nosedived into a remote mountainous area in southern China last week, killing all 132 people on board.

Firefighters taking part in the search found the flight data recorder on a mountain slope about 40m from the point of impact and 1.5m underground, state media said.

Experts confirmed it was the second black box. The impact of the crash created a 20m deep pit in the side of the mountain and scattered debris widely.

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Searchers had been looking for the data recorder after finding the cockpit voice recorder four days ago.

The two black boxes should help investigators determine what caused the plane to plummet from 8800m about one hour into the flight and shortly before it would have begun its descent.

The remote setting and rainy and muddy conditions have complicated the search for the black boxes and wreckage.

Images posted by CGTN, the international arm of CCTV, showed an official holding an orange cylindrical object on site with the words "FLIGHT RECORDER" and "DO NOT OPEN" written on it. It appeared slightly dented but intact.

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The search was paused on Sunday afternoon for a three-minute moment of silence for the 123 passengers and nine crew members.

Emergency workers took off their helmets and police and soldiers their caps. Standing in groups in formation, they bowed their heads as sirens blared.

Flight MU5735 crashed on Monday en route from the city of Kunming in south-eastern China to Guangzhou, a major city and export manufacturing hub near Hong Kong.

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An air traffic controller tried to contact the pilots several times after seeing the plane's altitude drop sharply but got no reply, officials have said.

The cockpit voice recorder, also an orange cylinder, was found two days later on Wednesday.

It has been sent to a Beijing lab for examination and analysis, and the flight data recorder was also being sent to the Chinese capital for decoding.

Search teams have been combing the site outside the city of Wuzhou for days with shovels and other hand tools.

Construction excavators have been brought in to remove earth and clear wider passageways to the site, and pumps are being used to drain collected water from the rain.

Officials said monitors have been installed to detect possible landslides from the rain and search activity that could endanger the workers.

Officials announced late Saturday that there were no survivors. DNA analysis has confirmed the identities of 120 of the people on board, they said. Searchers have found ID and bank cards belonging to the victims.

The Boeing Company said in a statement that a Boeing technical team is supporting the US National Transportation Safety Board and the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which will lead the investigation into the crash.

China Eastern, one of China's four major airlines, and its subsidiaries have grounded all of their Boeing 737-800s, a total of 223 aircraft.

The carrier said the grounding was a precaution, not a sign of any problem with the planes.

It's been 30 years since the original Sid Meier's Civilisation, a game that launched a genre and changed the way games were made forever.

Sid Meier, the man behind the name synonymous with gaming, tells 9News.com.au being in the title is both an honour and big responsibility.

There's no sign of slowing down for Mr Meier, 68, who still has ambitions to create his "holy grail" dinosaur game, which has been on the cards now for more than 20 years. 

9News.com.au's Julian Price spoke with Sid Meier about his life's work, achievements, and what's still to come from the "Godfather of gaming".

Your name in itself is synonymous with the category, the genre of strategy gaming, it instils trust in people, and not many games have that. How does it make you feel? 

"It's an honour and a responsibility. Hopefully, that's true, because people have enjoyed the games that we've (Sid Meier the studio) put out. They've respected the player's time, they've respected the player's intelligence, they've given the player a fun experience but also one that they feel is worth the time investment that they put into it." 

While it is your name, the way you describe it, you are a team?

"Oh, very much so I mean, yes, we have five or six people who worked on the original Civilization, we're now talking close to 100 people working on our game, so it is very much a team effort."

What's changed since the beginning and what has stayed the same?

"Well, a lot has changed, but certainly the technology. The original Civilization had a CGA graphics mode which had four colours. We had to do it all with four colours and we didn't have CD ROMs, there was 640k of memory in the computer – that was all we had to work with. 

"So the technology has made awesome strides obviously in the last 30 years. What hasn't changed is kind of the core gameplay, of not only Civ (Civilization), but the idea that the gameplay is what makes us unique, our industry unique, and Civilization gameplay seems to have stood the test of time in terms of turn-based exploration and 4X gameplay.

"A little bit of learning in there, some history, real learning about real leaders – learning about real civilisation. Then giving the player the opportunity to create their own story within that world and each game of Civilization is unique. Each player tells their own story. They did that in Civ 1 and they continue to do that now. So I think something that's stayed the same is the fundamental bottom of playing the game."

In your career, is there a moment that you're most particularly proud of?

"There was certainly a time culminated in the original Civilization where we were really exploring a lot of new ideas, really making it up as we went along. Working closely with Bruce Shelley (Age of Empires) and we created Railroad Tycoon, Pirates, then Civilization, and those are all games that, in a way, stretch what we thought was possible with game.

“So there's a time I think, when we didn't really know that there were things called genres that you had to stick to. 

"We didn't accept that there were limitations. We just kind of tied into the player's imagination, which was basically unlimited reports, and made games that you know, a year or two before we might have thought couldn't have been done."

I bet you never imagined it would get to where it is today.

"It was hard to project that. I think we try to manage that in a kind of an evolutionary way. I think we've always tried to make sure it was playable on a broad variety of platforms and didn't kind of, you know, out-technology our players. But, you know, the way graphics does improve the way sound has improved, the way UI has improved. It really takes a team of specialists to bring that to life."

Is there a genre of game that you haven't created that you've always wanted to, or maybe haven't had the chance to?

"I've talked about the dinosaur game that is my holy grail, my white whale of a game that I've not been able to figure out how to make. Probably one of the game ideas that I think has a lot of potential that I haven't really been able to figure out how to take the right approach to it. 

"You know, the kinds of games that I write are often the kind of games that I like to play. So certainly, I've had the opportunity to do a wide variety of strategy games. There’s nothing really that I haven’t done yet, but there are certainly some ideas for example, a dinosaur thing – I really hope I get to do that. Figure that one out before it's too late."

I hope you do too. That sounds awesome. 

Game development is now running in your family. You've passed it down to your son, is that right?

"That's right. We're actually working together. He's a really smart guy. And he's helping me out with some technology things. He knows some of the systems better than I do. So yeah, we're working as a team at the moment and wonderful."

Hopefully, one day you can make this dinosaur game together. What's next for Sid Meier?

"Well, I have probably the world's best job here at Firaxis. Kind of experimenting with new ideas, prototyping games and things. You know, not many of them turn into finished products, but it's really trying to represent the idea of gameplay and prototyping here. 

"We are kind of thinking of new ideas, not just the topics, but how to bring them to life, how to find the fun, you know. Where are those interesting decisions, so that we have kind of a solid foundation to think about new game ideas."

Parts of northern NSW devastated by floods just weeks ago have been warned of more storms and rain which could see flash flooding hit are on the way.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast widespread rain across northeast NSW including the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast, from tomorrow.

The wet weather may extend further south as the week goes on.

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Rain falls of of 10-40mm a day are likely, but up to 50-150mm is possible.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the land around Northern Rivers remains "saturated."

"I understand you have been through a hell of a lot already, the next few days are going to be particularly challenging," she said.

A total of 22 people died in the floods in south-east Queensland, northern New South Wales and the Sydney area at the end of last month and early this month.

More than 20,000 homes and businesses were flooded in Queensland, and more than 5,000 homes were damaged in NSW.

More than 3,600 homes in the NSW northern rivers region were deemed uninhabitable.

The New South Wales State Emergency Service addressed claims they twice "rejected" offers of help from the army.

https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1507884219128848384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Acting Premier Paul Toole said the news would be "tough" for those communities.

"There are many people that aren't going to welcome the news that we are going to be talking about," he said.

"But I want them to know that we will stand side by side with them once this weather event has gone through.

"It's going to take years, and we are going to stand side by side with those communities as they rebuild."

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan warned of flash flooding and landslips.

"Our catchments are very wet, and our dams are full, so it will not take a lot for floods to occur," Ms Hogan said.

"We need people to be mindful of their flood risks and be prepared."

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https://twitter.com/NSWSES/status/1507868342782070787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"In some areas floods may be different than previous or expected flooding due to the impact of recent events. People need to monitor the weather conditions closely and be prepared to act early."

Over the last few days, some places in the Northern Rivers have already seen up to 100-200mm of rain.

BoM's Jane Golding said most of that rainfall fell in just a few hours.

"That's a marker of how much moisture the atmosphere is holding at the moment," she said.

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There could finally be some relief in sight at the petrol pump, with the Federal Government planning to reduce the fuel excise in Tuesday's budget.

It's not the only cost of living "cash splash" but Treasurer Josh Frydenberg denies the Coalition is trying to buy an election win.

Speaking with Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann, Mr Frydenberg said it would be "a budget for the times," including for families.

READ MORE: Flood-hit parts of northern NSW told to brace for more rain

"Australian families will see cost of living relief," he said.

The Treasurer said the government recognised fuel prices — driven up by Russia's invasion of Ukraine — were at the forefront of many peoples' concerns.

"The barrel of oil is up by 50 per cent since the start of the year, that's flowing through to the bowser here at home," he said.

"We recognise that pressure, we will be providing relief for cost of living on Tuesday night."

But he denied that the budget was focused on "buying" voters ahead of the upcoming Federal election.

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"The measures to provide cost-of-living" relief will be targeted, they will be temporary, they will be proportionate," Mr Frydenberg said.

Initiatives focusing on the sky-high cost of housing also look set to get attention.

One-off payments for people on lower incomes are also expected.

But this will be the last year low- and middle-income workers will be able to claim up to $1080 in a tax offset.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has left Australia in a financial black hole following massive relief funding over two years, with the national deficit spiralling.

Grilled by Uhlmann, Mr Frydenberg acknowledged the Coalition had jettisoned "ideology" to help Australians.

But he maintained the party had been "rightly critical" of similar mass spending measures taken by the then-Labor government during the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009.

"We've responded in a very responsible and targeted way," he said.

He wouldn't be drawn on when Australians could expect to next see a surplus in the budget, but said there were promising signs.

"What I do project in Tuesday night's budget is a material improvement to the bottom line, which we are banking," he said.

Speaking in Western Australia today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison would also not be drawn on specifics of the budget, but said the cost of living measures would be in place across the entire community.

He deflected suggestions this budget was the most important one of his political career.

"Every single budget, every decision we take as a government is important," he said.

"(Budgets) are not about me, they're not about Josh Frydenberg, they're not about (Opposition Leader) Anthony Albanese, or anybody else that sits in the parliamentary chamber."

He said the government would continue to tackle inflation through "strong financial management".

In apparent campaign mode despite the federal election not yet being called, Mr Morrison made another pitch to the electorate on his government's economic record.

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers accused the government of trying to gain votes.

"The budget needs to help Australian families through difficult times and not just help the government through an election," he said.

"We think there is a place for cost of living relief in the childcare system, we think there is a place for cost of living relief when it comes to power bills."

Australians living with the debilitating disease cystic fibrosis will soon have access to a new treatment on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

From April 1, new drug Trikafta will be available for the first time for Australians aged 12 years and older with cystic fibrosis.

"Without PBS subsidy, around 1900 Australians would pay more than $250,000 a year for access to Trikafta," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

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"This treatment is out of reach for most Australians, and now that it will be available on the PBS, patients will only pay a maximum of $42.50 per script, or as little as $6.80 with a concession card."

One in 2500 Australian babies are born with cystic fibrosis and there is currently no cure.

The average life expectancy for Australians with cystic fibrosis is just 47 years — significantly lower than average.

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Jess Ragusa is a 27-year-old woman who has been waiting for this day.

"Not only is this changing my life, it's changing my mum's as well," she said.

"The risk of having to sell our family home is gone."

The life-changing move was recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

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President Joe Biden delivered a forceful and highly personal condemnation of Russia's Vladimir Putin on Saturday, summoning a call for liberal democracy and a durable resolve among Western nations in the face of a brutal autocrat.

As he capped a four-day trip to Europe, a blend of emotive scenes with refugees and standing among other world leaders in grand settings, Biden said of Putin: "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power."

It was a dramatic escalation in rhetoric — Biden had earlier called Putin a "butcher" — that the White House found itself quickly walking back.

Before Biden could even board Air Force One to begin the flight back to Washington, aides were clarifying that he wasn't calling for an immediate change in government in Moscow.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly denounced Biden, saying "it's not up to the president of the US and not up to the Americans to decide who will remain in power in Russia."

While Biden's blunt language grabbed headlines, in other pieces of his roughly 30-minute speech before Warsaw's iconic Royal Castle he urged Western allies to brace for what will be a turbulent road ahead in a "new battle for freedom."

He also pointedly warned Putin against invading even "an inch" of territory of a NATO nation.

The address was a heavy bookend to a European visit in which Biden met with NATO and other Western leaders, visited the front lines of the growing refugee crisis and even held a young Ukrainian girl in his arms as he sought to spotlight some of the vast tentacles of the conflict that will likely define his presidency.

"We must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after, and for the years and decades to come. It will not be easy," Biden said as Russia continued to pound several Ukrainian cities.

"There will be costs, but the price we have to pay, because the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere."

Biden also made the case that multilateral institutions like NATO are more important than ever if the West and its allies are going to successfully push back against autocrats like Putin.

During his campaign for president, Biden talked often about the battle for primacy between democracies and autocracies. In those moments, his words seemed like an abstraction. Now, they have an urgent resonance.

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Europe finds itself ensconced in a crisis that has virtually all of Europe revisiting defense spending, energy policy and more, and so does the US.

Charles Kupchan, who served as senior director for European affairs on the White House National Security Council during the Obama administration, called the invasion a "game-changer" that left Atlantic democracies with "no choice" but to bolster their posture against Russia.

But the path ahead for Biden — and the West — will only grow more complicated, Kupchan said.

"The challenges Biden's presidency faces have just grown in magnitude," said Kupchan, now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"He now needs to lead the West's efforts to protect the West from the pressing external threat posed by Russia. And he needs to continue strengthening the West from within by countering the illiberal populism that still poses internal threats to democratic societies on both sides of the Atlantic."

In one of the most poignant moments of his trip, Biden on Saturday bent down and picked up a young girl, a Ukrainian refugee in a pink winter coat, and spoke of how she reminded him of his own granddaughters.

"I don't speak Ukrainian, but tell her I want to take her home," Biden asked a translator to tell the smiling child.

Hours later, Biden was in front of a crowd of a 1,000 — including recent Ukrainian refugees — at the Royal Castle, a Warsaw landmark that dates back more than 400 years and was badly damaged in World War II.

He made clear that the West would need to steel itself for what will be a long and difficult battle.

READ MORE: Queensland man returns home after mission to rescue family in Ukraine

"We must commit now, to be this fight for the long haul," Biden said.

The Biden administration, which has been selective about putting too great of importance on any single policy speech, sought to elevate what White House officials billed as a major address.

Biden spoke with grand palace behind him to an invited audience — one bigger than just about any he's spoken to during his presidency.

He singled out Lech Walesa, the Polish labor leader who led the push for freedom in his country and was eventually elected its president, and connected the moment to the former Soviet Union's history of brutal oppression, including the post-World War II military operations to stamp out pro-democracy movements in Hungary, Poland and what was then Czechoslovakia.

READ MORE: Ukraine says 300 died in theatre attack as hunger grips cities

And he urged Europe to heed the words of Pope John Paul II, the first pontiff from Poland: "Be not afraid."

Biden's trip has reaffirmed the importance of European alliances, which atrophied under former President Donald Trump.

He's worked with his counterparts to marshal an array of punishing sanctions on Russia, and placed the continent on a course that could eliminate its dependence on Russian energy over the next several years.

The collective response to the invasion of Ukraine has little parallel in recent history, which has been more characterised by widening divisions than close coordination.

But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed that dynamic, with European nations stepping up defense spending and imposing crushing sanctions against Moscow, and some taking initial steps to reorient their energy needs away from Russia.

"I'm confident that Vladimir Putin was counting on dividing NATO," Biden said during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Friday.

READ MORE: Inside a rare US meeting with a Russian general in Moscow

"But he hasn't been able to do it. We've all stayed together."

Maintaining such unity will likely prove difficult as the war grinds on, and the refugee situation could become one source of strain.

Much like NATO is committed to the collective defense of each member, Biden said, other nations should share the burden of caring for Ukrainian refugees.

To that end, the US administration announced it would admit up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the United States this year.

"It should be all of NATO's responsibility," he told Duda, whose country has accepted roughly 2.2 million of the 3.7 million who have fled Ukraine.

It's not clear how many of those displaced Ukrainians who have come through Poland have now moved on to other nations.

There's also no clear path to ending the conflict.

Although Russian officials have suggested they will focus their invasion on the Donbas, a region in East Ukraine, Biden wasn't so sure if there was a real shift underway.

Asked on Saturday if the Russians have changed their strategy, he told reporters that "I am not sure they have."

Despite the hazards ahead, Biden insisted there is more reason to be hopeful that the West and Ukraine can eventually succeed.

"A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase a people's love for liberty," Biden said.

"Brutality will never grind down their will to be free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness."

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