Malaysian airliner downed in Ukraine war zone, 295 dead

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A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has crashed in an area of eastern Ukraine where separatist rebels have been engaging Ukrainian military forces in recent weeks. Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, said the jet may have been shot down.

"We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine armed forces did not fire at any targets in the sky," Poroshenko said in a statement.

The field next to the tiny rural hamlet where MH17 plunged to the ground was a scene of charred earth and twisted metal. Locals were distressed to find body parts scattered around the scene. The body of what appeared to be a young woman lay about 500 metres from the centre of the crash, while a dismembered foot could be seen on the one road leading through the village.

A strong smell of aviation fuel hung in the air as pro-Russian separatist fighters attempted to secure the area. Ten fire engines remained on the scene after rushing there to extinguish the many blazes caused by the crash.

One local resident, Alexander, said he was working in the field a few hundred metres from its final resting place when he looked up. He feared the aircraft was going to crash on him.

Emergency workers at the crash site. Photograph: Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters

The house in which another local, also named Alexander, and his relative, Olga, live in was just metres from the crash site. They said they thought the village was being bombed after hearing two or three loud bangs before the force of the impact threw them to the ground.

In a statement, Malaysia Airlines said Ukraine's air traffic control lost contact with flight MH17 at 2.15pm GMT, approximately 30 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border.

"Flight MH17, operated on a Boeing 777, departed Amsterdam at 12.15pm [Amsterdam time] and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur international airport at 6.10am [Malaysia time] the next day. The flight was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew." The flight also had a Dutch airline flight number from KLM, KL4103.

Refugee leaders demand asylum

 Several of the Bhutanese refugee leaders who have taken initiation on the repatriation movement by refusing the third country resettlement programme have sought political asylum after receiving death threats.

The leaders claimed of being threatened by the same people involved in the murder of RK Budhathoki, founding chairperson of Bhutan Peoples Party (BPP), in 2001.

After the police had then identified and charged 39 people for their alleged involvement in the murder, only 8 were arrested.

The perpetrators were then denied resettlement abroad owing to the charges levelled against them. Disallowed to resettle abroad, the perpetrators have ever since targeted Balram Poudel, the then general secretary and present chairperson of BPP, along with other leaders. “I have always received death threats over the telephone and e-mail,” Poudel said, adding that they would not have to live in constant fear had the government granted political asylum.

Among those receiving constant threats include Chairperson of Bhutan Rashtriya Mukti Morcha DB Sampang Rai, Goop Khila