Israeli Troops Fight Hamas Militants On Border

Israeli troops have clashed with Hamas militants on the Gaza border, with reports of some heavy fighting inside Israeli territory.

The military wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al Qassam Brigades, said some of its fighters were "behind enemy lines" and were involved in gun battles with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) near the Gaza border fence.

In a statement, it said: "The Qassam Brigades carried out an operation behind enemy lines.

"Heavy fighting is ongoing with the forces of the occupation."

Israeli soldiers were injured during firefights in the north of the Gaza Strip and security alerts were issued on parts of Highway Four in southern Israel on Saturday, according to Ynetnews.

A statement from the ISraeli military said two soldiers were treated in hospital.

"Earlier today, terrorists attempted to execute an attack against Israelis. The attack was foiled by an IDF force," it said.

"Several terrorists infiltrated into Israel from the central Gaza Strip through a tunnel.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have continued into a 12th day

"They were aiming to carry out a lethal attack in one of the nearby communities when they came upon an IDF force patrolling the vicinity."

On Saturday, the Israeli military said troops discovered 13 tunnels into Israel in the first 24 hours of its ground operation in Gaza.

It also said it has hit 2,350 targets in Gaza, including 1,100 rocket launchers, in 12 days of fighting.

Engineers are concentrating on a 1.5-mile buffer zone and are looking to destroy tunnels dug since the last major fighting in 2012.

Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said: "We have struck hard on the two main strategic assets of Hamas: the rockets and these tunnels."

Ashraf al Kidra, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman, said airstrikes on Friday night raised the death toll in the offensive to more than 310 Palestinians.

One Israeli soldier and one civilian have also been killed over the past 12 days.

Israel began the ground operation on Thursday after rockets were fired into Israel. It has said the offensive could last for up to two weeks.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for an "urgent" truce and renewed support for the Egyptian truce proposal.

The proposal was previously rejected by Hamas.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is due to leave for the Middle East later on Saturday to help mediate in the Gaza conflict.

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Family Of Six Killed On Doomed Passenger Plane

A family of six are among the almost 300 victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, it has emerged.

Tambi Jiee, 49, his wife Ariza Ghazalee, 47, and their four children, Mohd Afif, 19, Mohd Afzal, 17, Marsha Azmeena, 15, and Mohd Afruz, 13, were travelling on the Boeing 777, Malaysia's The Star newspaper reported.

The Facebook page of Afruz Tambi, one of a family of six who died

The cover photo on 13-year-old Afruz's Facebook profile is a drawing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March.

The family were returning from Kazakhstan where Mr Tambi, who worked for Shell, had been based, the paper added.

Irene (L), Sherryl (C) and Darryl Gunawan were a family who were killed

Some of the greatest minds in the fight against HIV and Aids were also on the jet, which was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday.

They were on their way to the International Aids Society (IAS) summit in Melbourne, Australia.

One of those who is understood to have been on board was Dr Joep Lange, a well-known researcher from the Netherlands.

"If this is the case then the HIV/Aids movement has truly lost a giant," the IAS said.

Dr Lange is believed to have been with partner Jacqueline van Tongeren

Among the 283 passengers and 15 Malaysia Airlines cabin crew on board were 192 Dutch nationals, 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, ten Britons, four Germans, four Belgians, three Filipinos, one Canadian, one New Zealander, one American, one person from Hong Kong and an Irish national.

Tributes have been paid to US citizen Quinn Lucas Schansman. Pic: Facebook

In a bizarre twist of fate, flight attendant Sajid Singh 41, swapped flights to fly on MH17 - months after his wife swapped off the doomed MH370, his his father Jijar Singh told The Malaysian Insider.

Kaylene Mann, from Queensland, Australia, who lost her brother and sister-in-law in the flight which disappeared on March 8, 2014, is now mourning the loss of her stepdaughter Maree Rizk and her husband Albert, who were returning to their Melbourne home after a month-long European holiday.

Pim De Kuijer was on his way to the Aids conference. Pic: Facebook

Another of the victims is Karlijn Keijzer , a doctoral student at Indiana University in the US.

The Irish passenger was married mother-of-two Edel Mahady, according to Sky sources.

Ms Mahady was originally from Dublin but had been living in Australia for the last 20 years.

Albert Rizk and his wife Maree were returning from Europe. Pic: Facebook

She was returning to Australia via Kuala Lumpur after visiting faimly in Ireland.

The Star newspaper also reported that Malaysian PM Najib Razak's step-grandmother was among the passengers aboard the fateful flight.

Elaine Teoh was travelling with her boyfriend Emiel Mahler. Pic: Facebook

Sailor and businessman Nick Norris, 68, was also heading back from a break away in Europe with his three grandchildren, Milo Maslin, 12, Evie Maslin, 10, and Otis Maslin eight, Perth Now reported.

Nun Philomene Tiernan, from Sydney, was reported to be among the victims

The Australian media also reported a much-loved nun, Philomene Tiernan, from Sydney, Toorak college teacher Frankie Davison and her husband Liam, student Elaine Teoh and her Dutch boyfriend Emiel Mahler, Canberra mother-of-two Liliane Derden and security consultant Marco Grippeling, from Melbourne, among the victims.

Cor Pan posted a picture of the airliner on Facebook. Pic: Facebook

Young Dutchman Cor Pan, who is also believed to have died, posted a picture of the jetliner on Facebook, minutes before he boarded it, writing: "If it should disappear, this is what it looks like."

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World Leaders Wait For MH17 Smoking Gun

Ironically what the crisis needs now is a smoking gun - quite literally.

Whilst America has stopped short of specifically blaming Russia  for the loss of nearly 300 lives on flight MH17, it has accused Moscow of fomenting the turmoil in the region. 

President Obama and other world leaders are holding fire until they have absolute proof that separatists fired missiles given to them by President Putin.

And that's why this is so complex diplomatically. 

The separatists deny firing at the Malaysia Airlines plane and Russia says Ukraine is responsible for the tragedy by ramping up its attempts to wipe out the rebels in the east of the country.

And until there is real proof this crisis will remain a murky mess.

Unless the international community takes bold steps which go beyond sanctions against President Putin, convinced his hands have blood on them, there will be no justice.

It would seem that President Putin is playing the defiant innocent, he won't even admit backing the separatists of eastern Ukraine.

Russia is accused of supplying pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine

Weeks of strident anti-Ukraine propaganda have now been replaced now by unusual silence for one so bullish and vocal.

This is the biggest crisis between East and West since the end of the Cold War.

But if the West is to truly act decisively then it needs proof of who fired the missiles and that will come from a full investigation of the crime scene – and that appears to be being hampered by the rebels. 

Representatives from the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) have been denied access to the crash sight. 

There are reports of looting and that raises question marks about whether it will be too late by the time international investigators are given full control of the scene.

The US says it will wait for the facts about what has happened, but it can't wait too long for fear of being accused of letting down the victims of and their families.   

The downing of a passenger jet – whether accidental or deliberate – is like a bad dream.  

But if Moscow's fingermarks are found on the missiles then what may follow is the stuff of nightmares. 

The question is whether Russia will step away from the rebels, settling instead for its gains in Crimea. If it does a serious diplomatic crisis can be averted.

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Dutch Fury As MH17 Bodies 'Dragged Around'

The Netherlands has asked for help bringing the bodies of the 192 Dutch nationals killed when a Malaysia Airlines jet from Amsterdam was shot down over Ukraine.

Frans Timmermans told Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko that his country was "angry, furious" by reports of bodies being dragged around the site in Grabovo, Donetsk.

"We are already shocked by the news we got today of bodies being dragged around, of the site not being treated properly," he said. 

Ukrainian officials accused pro-Russian separatists of taking bodies from the scene of the crash before emergency services personnel began officially collecting them on Saturday.

The Netherlands is in mourning and at Schiphol Airport, where flight MH17 took off on Thursday afternoon, the families of those on board and other well-wishers have been gathering to lay flowers and pay tribute.

For now the relatives have nowhere else to go and, although it has been suggested they could be flown out to the crash site, Malaysia Airlines commercial director Hugh Dunleavy told Sky News it was unlikely it would possible to guarantee them safe passage.

A miniature pair of clogs left amongst the tributes at Schiphol

The relatives could be flown out to the crash site in eastern Ukraine, but for now they have nowhere else to go, Sky's Kay Burley, who is at the scene, said.

The headline of one of the Dutch newspapers in the wake of the downing of the Malaysia Airlines jet reads: "Everybody knows somebody".

One mourner who arrived to pay her respects underlined that fact, telling Sky News: "It's unfair what's happened, these people don't deserve it.

"Close family? No, but my cousin, his friend at school, his family were all on board the plane."

Churches have opened books of condolences for those who have died, and services have been held across the country.

As the relatives come to terms with their loss, the process of formally identifying the dead continues.

Forensic teams are fanning out across the country to collect material, including DNA samples, that will help positively identify the remains.

Police said 40 pairs of detectives from the National Forensic Investigations Team would be visiting relatives in the coming days.

Mr Timmermans said the Netherlands would not stop until those responsible for the deaths of so many citizens were brought to justice.

"Once we have the proof, we will not stop before the people are brought to justice," he said.

"Not just the people who pulled the trigger but also those who made it possible. I think the international community needs to step up its efforts in this respect."

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Britain Warns Putin: World's Eyes Are On You

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has warned Vladimir Putin the "world's eyes are on Russia to make sure she delivers" on her obligations to the victims killed in the Ukraine plane disaster.

His comments come as David Cameron and Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte called for the European Union to "reconsider its approach to Russia" to Moscow in light of evidence that pro-Moscow separatists brought down flight MH17 on Thursday.

Mr Cameron has also spoken to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, while the Russian ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office.

The UK's response follows accusations that pro-Russian separatists removed 38 bodies from the Malaysia Airlines crash scene and attempting to destroy evidence at the site.

The Ukraine government said "terrorists, with the help of Russia, are trying to destroy evidence of international crimes", adding it had obtained data which showed bodies had been taken to a morgue in Donetsk.

Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said the Netherlands was "angry, furious" by news that bodies were being dragged around the site.

However, Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, at the scene, said there were reports rebels had moved bodies on Friday, but body parts were now officially being removed by Ukraine emergency ministry staff.

Mr Hammond accused Russia of not doing enough to help move separatists from the site.

"We're not getting enough support from the Russians, we're not seeing Russia using their influence effectively enough to get the separatists, who are in control of the site, to allow the access that we need," he said.

"This is not about Russia and the West, this is about the whole community demanding that the proper access is made available to this site, the victims are properly recovered and evidence is secured."

The debris was scattered over a wide area

Ukraine's Security Council said 18sq km of the 25sq km had been explored and 186 bodies found, while there have been discussions between the two factions over the creation of a "security zone" around the crash scene following allegations of looting and evidence being compromised.

Concerns have been raised by Malaysia about the investigation as a team of international observers complained of being confronted by aggressive armed rebels, blocking their access to the crash site for a second consecutive day.

A Ukraine Security Council spokesman said 15 pieces of military equipment were brought over the border from Russia into the eastern Luhansk region overnight.

Critically, the monitors have been unable to speak to anyone about the whereabouts of the jet's two black box voice and data recorders.

However, Alexander Borodai, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, denied rebels had shot down the plane, or found the black boxes, or removed bodies. But he said body parts which had fallen into people's homes had been taken away.

British victims Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock, Glenn Thomas and Liam Sweeney

Russia's foreign ministry has urged rebels to grant monitors access to the site, while Malaysia's transport minister Liow Tiong Lai attacked the failure to preserve evidence as a "betrayal of the lives lost"

Reports of looting of valuables such as credit cards and cash from victims' bodies and luggage were "gaining currency", said Sky's Michelle Clifford, in Donetsk.

"It may be part of a narrative to discredit the rebels," she said. "But, I have just spoken to a contact I trust and he said with his own eyes he saw the rebels taking money and valuables from luggage at the site."

Some 298 people including 10 Britons and 80 children were killed when flight MH17, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down near Grabovo, Donetsk, where Ukrainian forces have been battling separatists.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry agreed on Saturday that both countries would use their influence on the two sides of the Ukraine conflict to end hostilities

:: The Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned.  Text MH17 to +447860010026, or call 020 7008 1500. Malaysia Airlines's emergency line is 00 6 037 884 1234.

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Crash Investigators Get Access To Conflict Zone

Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine have said they will allow safe access to the conflict zone so that international experts can visit the MH17 plane crash site.

A "contact group" of senior representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) held a Skype call with the separatists.

In it, the rebels pledged to close down the site, and work with the Ukrainian authorities in the investigation.

Kiev had earlier complained separatists prevented Ukrainian officials from reaching the site where the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane crashed.

In a statement on Friday the OSCE said: "As a matter of priority, they (the separatists) shall close off the site of the catastrophe and allow local authorities to start preparations for the recovery of bodies."

A black box recorder has already been recovered

A 30-strong OSCE team is expected to arrive mid-afternoon local time, to "watch, observe and advise" on what equipment and expertise are needed.

Michael Bociurkiw, one of the team members, said: "We're going to go there, establish the facts, then report on what we're seeing.

"The situation is in a state of flux most of the time, and there are still a lot of challenges before in-depth observation can happen."

A ceasefire has been urged by the US

A ceasefire of up to four days is being discussed to facilitate an investigation - a move backed by the US. But the social media profile of Igor Strelkov, the commander of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic, says there is no need for a ceasefire.

Investigators will be looking at various types of evidence, and follow a range of leads, to find out who was to blame.

Both of the the plane's 'black box' flight recorders have reportedly been recovered, with one understood to have been taken to Moscow, though this has been denied by Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Aviation expert Neil Hansford said: "The black box itself won't tell us much because the aircraft was operating probably perfectly.

"The interesting thing will be the cockpit voice recorder, which will be the reaction of the cockpit crew when the impact has happened.

Armed separatists stand near the crash site

"Now, before we all rush in and say 'absolutely it was a missile' we need to look at the wreckage to see whether it was a blow out from a bomb on board or a blow in from a missile."

Photographs and videos from the scene, taken just minutes after the crash, will be analysed for clues, as well as the trail left from the missile.

Radar expert Professor David Staples told Sky News: "A missile when it's fired leaves quite a trace behind it.

"It could have been picked up on a military surveillance radar, it could probably be picked up on air traffic radars, and it could also be picked up on military surveillance equipment."

He said it was unlikely that the crew would have known a missile was heading towards the plane.

And social media could also be key.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Moscow, said Strelkov appeared to have boasted about the incident on social media.

In one deleted message recovered by Sky News, he allegedly wrote: "We warned you not to fly over our sky."

The US has offered FBI support to the investigation

Ukraine's security services have also released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.

Ukraine analyst Andy Hunder, speaking from Kiev, told Sky News: "There have been calls intercepted showing that pro-rebel leaders were boasting to their superiors in Moscow saying: 'We've brought down a plane'."

He said it indicated "Kremlin-backed terrorism".

President Barack Obama has called for a "credible and unimpeded" international inquiry, and Washington has offered help from the FBI and National Transportation Safety Board.

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Israel Ready To Expand Gaza Ground Assault

Israel's military is ready for a "significant expansion" of the Gaza ground offensive that has already claimed at least 28 lives.

The offensive began on Thursday night with the aim of destroying the weapons arsenal, infrastructure and underground tunnels used by Hamas, Israeli officials claimed.

An Israeli soldier and at least 27 Palestinians - including a baby, two children and a 70-year-old woman - have already been killed in the operation, according to Palestinian officials.

An Israeli Apache attack helicopter shoots a missile over the Gaza Strip

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: "My instructions are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation, and the military is preparing accordingly."

Mr Netanyahu said a ground assault was the only way to infiltrate Hamas' underground network.

The operation and killings prompted Pope Francis to phone both Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Smoke billows in Gaza after an airstrike on Friday

Mr Peres told the Pope that "a small group of fanatics are the cause of suffering in Gaza" and that "Israel is doing everything to lower the flames and minimise civilian casualties".

Mr Abbas, meanwhile, explained he was "exerting all required effort, together with Egypt and all other parties, to halt the bloodshed and relieve out people's suffering".

On Friday lunchtime the Israeli Defence Forces reported they had "engaged and killed 17 terrorists".

Their tweet continued: "13 other terrorists surrendered to us and were taken for questioning.

An Israeli Defence Force photo of apparent Hamas tunnels

"We have also targeted 21 rocket launchers & 4 tunnels. Our forces are continuing to operate with precision in order to achieve their goals."

Israel confirmed 20-year-old Sgt Eitan Barak had been "killed fighting Hamas terrorists". The country's media is investigating the possibility he was a victim of so-called friendly fire.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the ground offensive "foolish", adding that Israel would suffer "dreadful consequences".

Those injured in explosions and fighting are arriving at hospitals in Gaza

"Netanyahu is killing our children and will pay the price," he said. "The ground invasion doesn't frighten us and the occupation army will sink in Gaza's mud."

Israel claimed 50 rockets were fired from Gaza overnight - 25 slamming into its territory.

Israeli tanks and troops moved into Gaza following a 10-day campaign of more than 2,000 airstrikes that had failed to halt Hamas rocket fire on Israeli cities.

It is the first major Israeli ground offensive in Gaza in just over five years.

Sgt Eitan Barak, killed in fighting overnight. Pic: Israeli Defence Force

The army has confirmed that a draft of 18,000 additional reserve soldiers has been authorised by the government on top of the 30,000 already deployed.     

The ground campaign followed a brief truce on Thursday in which Israel held fire to allow Gazans to stock up on food and other necessities.

Some 264 Palestinians have been killed since fighting began 11 days ago, with another 2,000 injured, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires towards the Gaza Strip

Figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights show that civilians account for more than 80% of the victims of Israel's assault since July 8.

Israel has confirmed two of its citizens have died.

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Inside Gaza: Constant Airstrikes And Shelling

The sound of airstrikes from above and artillery fire from the sea is constant in the Gaza Strip after Israel launched a major ground offensive, Sky's Sherine Tadros reports from inside the Palestinian territory.

More than 100 targets were hit in the first 10 hours of the assault - which Israeli authorities say is aimed at Hamas and other groups who have been firing rockets at Israel - and Palestinians fear this could be "just the beginning of the ground assault".

Tadros said smokescreens were visible in northern Gaza, indicating that Israeli tanks could be as far inland as 3-4 miles (5-7km).

Israel stepped up its ground offensive in Gaza early on Friday

"We've also been seeing Palestinian rocket fire coming from the northern Gaza Strip towards Israel, so that is clearly also continuing," she said.

"Palestinian fighters are trying to make the point they are still here and they are still fighting."

The Israeli military spent the early hours of the assault moving through the buffer zone along the Israel-Gaza border, Tadros said.

Smoke rises following what witnesses said were Israeli air strikes in Gaza

The Israeli authorities said they were clearing tunnels that they claim Palestinian militants use to try to infiltrate Israel.

"Israel says it is targeting terror tunnels but Palestinians really don't know what that means," Tadros said.

Overnight, power outages across the Gaza Strip left many areas in darkness.

An Israeli soldier stands near a mobile artillery unit outside Gaza

"It started in the northern part about 20 minutes or so before we heard the ground operation was under way," Tadros said.

She said flares fired from the Israeli side of the border were used to light up parts of the territory - a move that was then followed by renewed artillery fire or guided missile strikes. 

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Double Malaysia Airlines Tragedy For Oz Family

A woman who lost her brother and sister-in-law in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has discovered her stepdaughter was on the plane shot down over Ukraine.

Kaylene Mann's brother Rob Burrows was on board the aircraft with his wife when it went missing in March.

She has now learned that her stepdaughter Maree Rizk was killed along with 297 others on MH17, which crashed on Thursday.

US intelligence agencies believe it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

The aftermath of the Ukraine plane crash

Ms Mann's brother Greg said: "It's just brought everyone, everything back.

"It's just ripped our guts again.

"She (Ms Mann) just lost a brother and now a stepdaughter."

Investigations will try to determine who caused the plane to crash

Mr Burrows added he did not blame Malaysia Airlines: "Nobody could predict they were going to get shot down. That was out of their hands."

Maree Rizk was returning home after a four-week holiday in Europe with her husband Albert, who also died.

The family - from Melbourne, Australia - were heavily involved with local side Sunbury Football Club.

Club president Phil Lithgow said: "They were very lovely people.

"You wouldn't hear a bad word about them - very generous with their time in the community, very community-minded, and just really very entertaining people to be with."

Club members are due to wear black armbands and observe a short silence at their game on Saturday.

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Russia 'Must Reflect' On Shooting Down Of Plane

Britain has said it is "clear" where responsibility for the shooting down of a passenger plane with 298 people on board lies, saying Russia must "reflect carefully on the situation it has created".

Peter Wilson, the UK's representative to the UN, told a Security Council meeting "searching questions" need to be asked, adding: "Let us hear clear and unequivocal condemnation of the attack from Russia."

It came as 80 children were confirmed among the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was brought down over Ukraine.

An emergency worker at the scene of the crash

Some 10 Britons were killed, including two football fans who were travelling to see their team play in New Zealand.

The UN demanded a "full, thorough and independent international investigation" into what caused the crash, as the row over who was responsible intensified.

The US believes the aircraft was hit by a missile launched from an area of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists.

Flames rise from wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines jet

Samantha Power, Washington's ambassador to the UN, said that hours before the disaster, rebels were spotted with a ground-to-air missile system close to where the plane came down.

"It is unlikely the separatists could effectively operate that system without assistance from knowledgeable personnel, thus we cannot rule out technical assistance from Russia," she added.

However, the Russian defence ministry reportedly pointed the finger at its neighbour, saying it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian Buk missile system south of Donetsk when the aircraft came down.

The plane, a Boeing 777, was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost on Thursday afternoon, close to the border with Russia.

It crashed near the village of Grabovo, Donetsk, in an area where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the rebels.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the crash was an "act of terrorism", as the country's security service released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.

Flight MH17 taking off at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands

In an unverified video apparently taken moments after the plane was hit, a man thought to be a pro-Russian rebel boasts: "Wow, that was a blast."

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called for a ceasefire between the warring sides in the months-long conflict, said: "The state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility."

Meanwhile, Sky's Katie Stallard said Igor Strelkov, the commander of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic, appeared to have referred to the incident on social media.

L-R: Britons Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock, Glenn Thomas and Liam Sweeney

In one deleted message recovered by Sky News, he allegedly wrote: "We warned you not to fly over our sky."

Among the British victims of the crash were Glenn Thomas and Richard Mayne, as well as Newcastle United supporters John Alder and Liam Sweeney.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the catastrophe "an absolutely appalling, shocking, horrific incident".

Armed Russian separatists inspect the wreckage

The cockpit and one of the turbines were found over half a mile apart, and residents said the tail was six miles away, indicating the aircraft most likely broke up before hitting the ground.

Many of the bodies strewn across the fields were largely intact, some of them still strapped into their seats.

People who live in the area have described seeing bodies falling through the sky.

The wreckage was scattered over a wide area

Pro-Russian separatists said they found one of the "black box" recorders, while rescue workers have recovered a second flight recorder.

Malaysia Airlines, still reeling from the loss of flight MH370, has said the route taken by flight MH17 had been declared safe by civil aviation authorities.

:: Malaysia Airlines has set up an emergency line, 00 6 037 884 1234, for worried relatives, while the Foreign Office helpline is 0207 008 1500.

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Oscar Pistorius In Row About Trial At Nightclub

Oscar Pistorius has been involved in an argument at a nightclub in Johannesburg, but has denied claims it was a "bar brawl".

The South African Paralympian said he was approached by a man at The VIP Room, days after the final evidence was heard in his trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius claimed Jared Mortimer "aggressively interrogated" about the trial during the row.

Mr Mortimer pictured with Nelson Mandela. Pic: Antoine de Ras

Mr Mortimer, a businessman, told local media that Pistorius insulted his friends and began poking him in the chest.

Pistorius' spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess said the incident, on Saturday night, was not a "bar brawl".

"We can confirm that Oscar was at the said venue with one of his cousins," she said in a statement.

"They sat in a quiet booth in the VIP section when they were approached by an individual who has now been identified as a Mr Mortimer.

South African newspaper front pages feature stories on the altercation

"The individual, according to my client, started to aggressively interrogate him on matters relating to the trial.

"An argument ensued during which my client asked to be left alone. Oscar soon thereafter left the club with his cousin.

"My client regrets the decision to go to a public space and thereby inviting unwelcome attention."

It comes after Pistorius broke his silence on social media by posting a series of messages on his Twitter account on Sunday.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day 2013

In them, he posted a collage of himself posing with children and uploaded a passage about how a man in "utter desolation" can still "achieve fulfilment".

Pistorius, 27, claims he heard an intruder in his house and "in fear for his life" approached a closed toilet door and fired four shots through it on Valentine's Day in 2013.

The athlete posted these images on his Twitter account

He said he thought Miss Steenkamp, 29, was still in the bedroom when he opened fire.

Pistorius' defence wrapped up its case in the trial last Tuesday.

The double-amputee, known as the Blade Runner, will be back at Pretoria High Court on August 7 for closing arguments.

The judge will then retire to consider the verdict, which could take several weeks.

Pistorius faces between 25 years and life in prison if found guilty.

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Suicide Car Bomb Kills 89 In Afghanistan Market

A suicide bomber has blown up a car packed with explosives near a busy market and mosque in eastern Afghanistan, kiling 89 people.

A further 42 people were injured in the blast, one of the deadliest attacks since the 2001 US-led invasion.

The explosion took place in the town of Urgun in Paktika province, close to the border with Pakistan, where the military has been attacking Pakistani Taliban hideouts.

Police had reportedly been tipped off about the bombing and were chasing the vehicle when the explosives were detonated by the bomber.

Villagers gather at the site of the blast in Urgun, eastern Afghanistan

The wounded were taken to hospitals in the provincial capital, Sharan, by helicopters and ambulances.

The Taliban denied involvement and said they "strongly condemn attacks on local people".

Mohammad Reza Kharoti, the administrative chief of Urgun district, described the bombing as a "brutal suicide attack against poor civilians".

He said there was no military base nearby, adding that many of the victims were buried under the rubble of shops destroyed in the blast.

"The number of victims may increase," said General Zahir Azimi, a defence ministry spokesman.

A separate attack on a presidential palace staff bus in Kabul

In a separate attack, a remotely controlled bomb ripped through a presidential palace staff bus in Kabul, killing two and wounding five. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

The attacks come as foreign troops prepare to leave the war-torn country by the end of the year, and after a disputed presidential election.

The two candidates, former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, have agreed to an audit of all eight million ballots in a deal brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Preliminary results showed Mr Ghani well ahead of his rival who declared himself the true winner amid claims of widespread fraud by both camps.

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Moscow Train Derailment Leaves 20 People Dead

At least 20 people have been killed after a rush-hour subway train derailed in Moscow, emergency officials said.

Several carriages left the track in a tunnel after a power surge triggered an alarm and appeared to make the train slam on its brakes.

At least 150 people were also taken to hospital. Of those, 50 are in a serious condition, news agency Itar-TASS said, quoting Moscow's health department chief, Georgy Golukhov.

More than 100 people were taken to hospital

Yuri Akimov, a Moscow representative of the emergency services, said outside the Park Pobedy station that about 200 people had been evacuated from the train, which was stuck between two stations in west Moscow.

Helicopters landed in the street to take the most seriously injured to hospital, and around 60 ambulances were also at the scene.

Some people escaped with relatively minor injuries

One survivor told the Rossiya 24 channel that he "thought it was the end".

"There were lots of injured," he added. "Various injuries: heads, legs."

There were reports of a few people still trapped in the wreckage

Another witness told Life News television: "I got into the carriage and after about 20 seconds the light went out and the train was just pulled apart ... Panic started."

Park Pobedy is the deepest metro station in Moscow, 84m (275ft) deep, making the rescue particularly hard.

Photos on social media showed passengers walking along the tracks inside the dimly lit tunnel. They also appeared to show carriages piled on top of each other.

Helicopters rushed the most serious casualties to hopsital

A city transport spokesman said all passengers had been evacuated, dismissing earlier reports that people were still trapped.

While accidents are regular occurrences in the Moscow Metro, deadly incidents are rare.

Opened in 1935, the ornate subway system carries some nine million people every day.

Suicide bombings killed 40 people in 2010, but there is no suggestion of foul play causing the latest incident.

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