MH17 LATEST AT A GLANCE
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American President Barack Obama says the deliberate downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 by a ground-to-air missle is a ‘‘wake-up call for Europe and the world’’. While stopping short of blaming Russia for the crash, Obama accused Moscow of failing to stop the violence that resulted in the horrific tragedy. ‘‘There are consequences to an escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine . . . it is not going to be contained’’.
2
Ukraine’s counterintelligence chief says he has ‘‘compelling evidence’’ that the crew of the Buk missile system that shot down MH17 were Russian citizens. The US also says it has evidence proRussia separatists were to blame. Russian President Vladimir Putin tells German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call that any investigation must be ‘‘careful and objective’’.
3
There were no survivors from Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, a Boeing 777. The United Nations said 80 of the 298 aboard were children. The deadliest attack on a commercial airliner, it scattered bodies over miles of rebel-held territory near the border with Russia. Late last night, 186 bodies had been recovered but a rebel leader said he held ‘‘humanitarian concerns’’ about remaining bodies rotting in the heat.
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Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had no doubt Russia-backed rebels were behind the attack which killed 28 Australians. His comments drew the ire of Moscow but he has not backed down. ‘‘Australia takes a very dim view of countries which facilitate the killing of Australians.’’ He may yet ban Russian president Vladimir Putin from the Brisbane G20 meeting in November.
5
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that his step-grandmother, Siti Amirah, 83, was on board the downed plane. ‘‘I personally share the grief of the families on board MH17,’’ Najib said in a Tweet. ‘‘My step-grandmother was one of the passengers.’’ .
6
Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine allowed monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to visit a part of the site where the Malaysian airliner crashed, including one of the aircraft’s engines. They also allowed them to talk to locals. Even so Ukraine accused rebels of trying to destroy evidence at the site and of removing 38 bodies and plane fragments from the scene.