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Sunday, July 20, 2014

Malaysia Airlines releases full passenger manifest for flight MH17

Malaysia Airlines releases full passenger manifest for flight MH17

Malaysia Airlines has today released the full passenger manifest of flight MH17 (see list below).
The breakdown of nationalities is as follows: Holland (192), Malaysia (29, plus 15 crew), Australia (27), Indonesia (12), United Kingdom (10), Germany (4), Belgium (4), Philippines, Canada and New Zealand (1 each).
The airline had last night released the cargo manifest and airway bill for flight MH17.
It is understood that pet animals and birds were also among the casualties when the flight was hit by a surface-to-air missile on Thursday night.
This is the second major tragedy to befall a Malaysia Airlines flight in the past four months, following the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370.
On March 8, flight MH370 departed from KLIA bound for Beijing with 12 crew members and 227 passengers on board.
Despite the massive land and air search from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, there has been no sign of the aircraft.
Both the tragedies befalling MH17 and MH370 have resulted in a loss of 537 lives in total. – July 19, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-airlines-releases-full-passenger-manifest-for-flight-mh17#sthash.K9VNILmy.dpuf

In Gaza, whatever the target, children often the victims

In Gaza, whatever the target, children often the victims

Palestinian boys look at the bodies of two Palestinian boys, who medics said were killed in an Israeli tank shell. The spiraling number of children killed in the latest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza has raised international concern. – Reuters pic, July 19, 2014.Palestinian boys look at the bodies of two Palestinian boys, who medics said were killed in an Israeli tank shell. The spiraling number of children killed in the latest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza has raised international concern. – Reuters pic, July 19, 2014.Ten-year-old Afnan Shuheiber was playing on a Gaza City rooftop with her cousins when she became one of at least 73 children killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip.
The spiraling number of children killed in the latest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza has raised international concern.
Today, a group of international and Palestinian rights groups and aid agencies urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, noting the high number of children killed.
"So far, more children have been killed by Israeli fire than Palestinian militants," said a statement from the groups, including War Child and Defence for Children International.
The UN children's agency, UNICEF, said children made up one third of civilian casualties in the conflict so far.
"From July 8, until 4:00AM on July 19, at least 73 Palestinian children have been reported killed as a result of airstrikes and shelling Israel aerial, naval and ground forces," UNICEF's Catherine Weibel told AFP.
She said the children included 53 boys and 20 girls under the age of 18 years old.
"The youngest was reportedly three months old," she said.
More than half of the children killed are under the age of 12.
Afnan, known as Fulla by her family, was among them, killed on Thursday afternoon along with her cousins, Jihad and Wissam, in Gaza City's Sabra district.
Neighbours said the children were taking advantage of the relative lull in the violence that afternoon, going to the roof to relax after days of being cooped up at home.
At the Shifa hospital, the cousins were lined up side-by-side in front of relatives overwhelmed by grief.
Seven-year-old Wissam's eyes were still open – he looked to be staring into the distance.
Their deaths came after those of another four children, killed as they played on the beach in Gaza City in strikes witnessed by journalists staying at a beachfront hotel.
Ahed Atef Bakr, aged 10, Zakaria Ahed Bakr, also 10, Mohamed Ramez Bakr, nine, and Ismail Mohamed Bakr, 11, were also cousins.
Relatives said they too had sought to escape the stifling confines of their homes in Shati refugee camp.
Two strikes hit the areas where they were playing.
The first scattered the crowd of adults and children who were next to a gathering of straw beach huts.
A second followed as they ran along the sand in fear.
The Israeli army later said that a preliminary investigation showed the children were the "tragic" victims of a strike targeting "Hamas terrorist operatives."
A senior army official said today that the military was "sorry" about the deaths of women and children.
"When you fight there are mistakes," he said.
Weibel said the number of children among the dead in Gaza was of "deep concern" to UNICEF.
"Children should be protected from the violence, and they should not be the victims of a conflict for which they have no responsibility," she told AFP.
She also raised concerns about the long-term effects of the violence on Gaza's children, many of whom are now living through their third war in less than six years.
Israel and Hamas fought similar conflicts in Gaza in both 2012 and over the New Year in 2009.
"You have children who are going to be scarred for life because of what they are seeing," said Weibel.
Even before the war, some 60,000 children in Gaza were in need of psychosocial support, she said, and the number is expected to soar after this conflict.
The potential for such problems is evident every day in Gaza – wide-eyed children seeing their relatives and friends buried after shelling.
One boy among the crowd hit by Israeli fire on the beach escaped unhurt, but was hysterical and inconsolable.
"They're dead, they're dead," he cried over and over. – AFP, July 19, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/in-gaza-whatever-the-target-children-often-the-victims#sthash.jFj7gjdf.dpuf

Friday, July 18, 2014

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17: Plane with 298 on board shot down in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17: Plane with 298 on board shot down in Ukraine

 


Australia says “Russian-backed rebels” downed Malaysian plane in Ukraine

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said today it appeared that "Russian-backed rebels" were behind the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jetliner over eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board.
Ukraine's state security chief has accused Russian military intelligence officers of involvement with pro-Russian rebels in the downing of the airliner yesterday, but Western leaders have until now been less quick to assign blame.
Abbott blamed anti-Kiev separatists for shooting down the plane during a sombre speech before parliament in which he confirmed that 27 Australian citizens had died in the crash.

"This is a grim day for our country and it's a grim day for our world. Malaysian airlines MH17 has been shot down over the eastern Ukraine, it seems by Russian-backed rebels," he said. – Reuters, July 18, 2014.
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Seorang lelaki cuba memadamkan api di mana MH17 hempas di Grabovo, berdekatan Donetsk, Ukraine. Pesawat itu ditembak oleh militan pro-Rusia, meragut 295 nyawa, lapor Kementerian Dalam Negeri Ukraine. – Gambar Reuters, 18 Julai, 2014.