Malaysia Airlines MH17 Crash: Flight's Black Box 'Found and En Route' to Moscow for Investigation

Malaysia Airlines MH17 Crash: Flight's black box has been reportedly found and is en route to Moscow for investigationReuters

With speculation swirling around the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17's flight recorder, reports suggest the Boeing 777's black box has been found at the crash site and is en route to Moscow for investigation.

The jetliner was carrying 298 people and all were killed after it was believed to have been shot down in Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russian rebels.

Authorities in Moscow and Kiev have blamed each other for the cause of the crash.

Amid questions of who has rights over the flight black box which records vital information, Russian media reports said the recorder is on its way to Moscow for examination, which is bound to raise an outcry from Ukraine and other Russian critics over the incident.

"Of course, we most likely will give them to the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), to Moscow. They are highly qualified experts who will be able to accurately determine the cause of the disaster, even though it is so clear," Russia's first deputy prime minister Andriy Purgin told Interfax news agency.

All sides who are linked to the event – Ukrainian, Russian and pro-Russian rebels – have confirmed that the Kuala Lumpur-bound passenger jet originating from Amsterdam was shot down by a BUK anti-aircraft missile, otherwise known as SA-17 Grizzly.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak earlier said: "An international team must have full access to the crash site. And no one should interfere with the area, or move any debris, including the black box."

Witnesses said bodies of the crash victims, parts of the plane, passports and passengers' belongings are lying scattered in a radius of 10 miles around the region. Rescue personnel are recovering the bodies.

Islamic State Seizes Syria Gas Field

Militant Islamist fighters ride horses as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province.(Reuters)

Militants from the Islamic State have seized a gas field in central Syria, according to a UK-based watchdog.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that fighters from the Islamic State attacked the Shaar gas field, killing 23 guards in the process.

"The fate of 340 National Defence Force (paramilitary) members, guards, engineers and employees who were in the field, is unknown, as they were either taken prisoner, wounded or captured during the operation," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the observatory, as quoted by AFP news agency.

The operation was the "most important so far against the government" of Bashar al-Assad, Rahman added.

Homs governor Talal Barazi confirmed the attack had taken place.

"Armed men took control on Wednesday evening of the gas field, and we have lost contact with three technicians who were on the site," Barazi told AFP.

"The armed men were present in the area beforehand, but they have now expanded their area of control with this new operation," he said.

"The army is trying to take it back. There is fighting in the area and government air strikes."

The Islamic State has recently seized all the major oilfields in Syria's eastern province of Deir Ezzor, as it seeks to boost its revenue streams.

The group has also declared a 'caliphate', straddling parts of Iraq and Syria that they have captured in recent months.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a third term on Wednesday. He is facing an ongoing insurgency as Syrian rebels and foreign jihadists attempt to overthrow the Syrian leader.

Iraq Kurds Begin Pumping Kirkuk Oil

Members of the Kurdish security forces take part in an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Kirkuk(Reuters)

Iraqi Kurds have begun pumping oil from the Kirkuk oilfields that were abandoned by central government security forces in June, rerouting it to the pipeline system that runs through its own territory.

Kurdish peshmerga forces took control of Kirkuk city after a coalition of Sunni militants, spearheaded by the ultra-violent Islamic State group, overran Iraq's northern capital of Mosul and surrounding areas.

The Kurds went on to seize oil production facilities at Kirkuk and Bai Hassan on July 11, in a move denounced by Baghdad.

"They are using a pipeline which was originally used to send crude from (Kurdistan), but they have now reversed it (to use it by the Kurdish region)," a senior oil official said, as quoted by Reuters news agency.

Around 20,000 to 25,000 barrels were being pumped daily, the official estimated.

Relations between Erbil and Baghdad have deteriorated in recent weeks as Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki struggles to contain a growing insurgency.

Kurdish lawmakers have withdrawn from central government meetings after Maliki accused the Kurds of providing a haven to terrorists. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) then called on its members to prepare for a vote on independence.

The two sides remain locked in a long-running dispute over the allocation of state money and the KRG's right to sell oil independently of Baghdad.

Iraq's oil ministry reacted furiously, saying the Kurds should "support security forces in confronting terrorist groups rather than using the conditions to raid and occupy oilfields."

The ministry estimates that the two oilfields at Kirkuk and Bai Hassan have a joint production capability of 400,000 barrels a day.

Maliki has struggled to form a government since elections were held in April. The situation has become significantly more complicated, with Isis advancing and Iraqi Kurdistan threatening to break away. Kirkuk has long been sought by Iraq's Kurds as a capital city for a future state.

Bulgaria Under Fire Over 'Anti-Refugee Fence'

Bulgaria wants to stop the surge of Syrian asylum seekers with a barbed wire fence along its Turkish border.Reuters

Bulgaria is facing a backlash from human rights groups after building a 30km-long, razor-wire fence along its southern border in an effort to block immigrants coming in from Syria via Turkey.

The 3m-high fence, which has taken a week to build and was completed on Thursday, has already reportedly brought the number of illegal arrivals down to 300 per month compared with 2,000 people each month this time last year.

Bulgaria was caught unprepared by a surge of 11,600 Syrian, Tukish and Afghan refugees last year following the crisis in Syria - 10 times the annual number of asylum seekers to the country before the civil war.

The sudden influx caused a humanitarian crisis in Bulgaria, already the poorest member of the EU, as asylum seekers were forced to live in crowded army barracks and tents during the middle of winter with no heating, basic sanitation or food.

The fence, which covers the least visible section of Bulgaria's 275km border with Turkey, has come under fire today from human rights groups.

Bill Frelick, refugee rights program director at Human Rights Watch said: "Slamming the door on refugees is not the way to deal with an increase in people seeking protection.

"The right way, simply, is for Bulgarian authorities to examine asylum seekers' claims and treat them decently."

A recent report by Human Rights Watch detailed how Bulgarian border police have this year used excessive force to return people who appear to be asylum seekers back to Turkey with no opportunity to lodge asylum claims.

Human Rights Watch interviewed 177 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in various locations in both Bulgaria and Turkey. Those interviewed gave detailed accounts of incidents involving at least 519 people in which Bulgarian border police apprehended and returned them to Turkey, in some instances using violence.

Afghanistan: Militants Killed After Attack on Kabul Airport [Warning: Graphic Images]

Gunmen carried out a pre-dawn rocket attack on Kabul International Airport, setting off a gun battle with security forces in which four attackers were killed.

Afghan police run for cover at the site of a Taliban attack in front of Kabul's airportAFP

The militants occupied two buildings which were under construction some 700 metres north of the facility, and were using them as a base to direct rockets and gunfire toward the airport.

Kabul Police Chief Mohammed Zahir Zahir said four of the attackers were killed and that the attack was halted without any civilian or police casualties.

The airport was later reopened and operations returned to normal, Zahir said, after security forces inspected the runways for shrapnel and explosives.

Afghan security forces inspect the site of an attack by the Taliban at Kabul's airportAFP

Afghan police take cover near the site of a suicide attack in front of Kabul's airportAFP

Journalists take cover as fire is exchanged between insurgents and security forces at Kabul's airportAFP

A member of the Afghan intelligence force points his pistol at the body of an insurgentAFP

A member of the Afghan intelligence force and a policeman look at the body of an insurgent following an attack by the Taliban at Kabul's airportAFP

An Afghan man walks past a blood-spattered wall following a suicide attack at Kabul's airportAFP

Smoke rises from a building where militants were located, north of Kabul International AirportReuters

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the airport attack in a call to The Associated Press.

The airport hosts civilian traffic and serves as a base for Nato-led forces that have been fighting the Taliban and other insurgents for more than a decade.

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Libyan Flights Grounded After Airport Staff Walkout Amid Clashes

A damaged aircraft is pictured after a shelling at Tripoli International Airport(Reuters)

Libya's main airport in the capital Tripoli has been brought to a standstill after air controllers went on strike over clashes at the airport.

Flights across much of the oil-rich country were grounded after air control staff walked out to protest the shelling of the airport, a government official said on Thursday, as cited by Reuters news agency.

The strike comes after four days of intense fighting between rival militias seeking control of the country's biggest airport.

The violence is the worst in the Libyan capital for months and has left at least 20 aircraft damaged.

While Tripoli airport had already been closed, the staff on strike are also responsible for Misrata air control, meaning that Misrata airport would have to be closed as well, a transport ministry spokesman said.

Violence erupted at the airport on Sunday after militias from nearby Misrata attacked Zintan militants, who had been in de-facto control of the airport.

Libya's central government has failed to rein in militias in the wake of Muammar Qaddafi's ouster in 2011.

Heavily armed rival groups have established pockets of power across the country in a bid to establish economic and political power.

With flights grounded, thousands of Libyans and foreigners have been stranded in the capital during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Japan: Nuclear Power Restart on the Horizon

A child walks past a geiger counter at a square in front of Koriyama Station, west of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.Reuters

Japan is a step closer to restarting its suspended nuclear power operations after reactors at the Sendai plant became the first to meet new safety standards.

All of Japan's nuclear reactors were gradually shut down over the course of a year as part of the safety drive imposed after the March 2011 tsunami triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima plant. The closures left the country with no nuclear-derived electricity for the first time since 1970.

But Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture will likely be the first among the nation's 48 idled commercial power plants to be returned to service, after getting the seal of approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on Wednesday.

The restart, creeping ever closer, is sparking widespread protests from anti-nuclear groups who warn there are still "major flaws" with evacuation plans at the Sendai plant.

The Citizens' Commission on Nuclear Energy, a Tokyo-based anti-nuclear group, said in a statement: "A major flaw is that there is no specific plan to evacuate people who are deeply dependent on others, such as the elderly, those in the hospital or at care facilities or where to take them."

Other anti-nuclear groups also faulted the NRA for failing to evaluate the impact of potential volcanic activity on the two Sendai reactors. According to Kyushu Electric Power Co., that operates the plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, there are 39 volcanos within a 160km radius of the Sendai plant. Activists say a huge eruption could spell disaster.

It is still unclear exactly when the utility will return to service and 17 others at different plants nationwide are still being evaluated or waiting to be examined.

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Stuart Binny: The All-Rounder who Earned India a Draw in the First Test against England

Stuart Binny smashed eight fours and one six en route to his knock of 78 runs in the final innings of the first Test.Getty Images

Stuart Binny raised eyebrows when he was drafted into the squad for India's ongoing tour of England. Aged 30, he has never been called up to feature in a Test match and was handed the cap for the game at Trent Bridge.

The Bangalore-born player made his debut for Duncan Fletcher's side earlier this year during the New Zealand tour. He was also part of the squad that toured Bangladesh for a three-match one-day international series, featuring in the final two matches.

Although Binny failed to impress with the bat in the second ODI, he took six wickets in 4.4 overs conceding just four runs to wrap up Richard Pybus's side's innings for 58 runs.

The right-handed batsman and medium-paced bowler has been involved in first-class cricket since November 2003. Before the first Test against England, Binny featured in the warm-up match against Derbyshire, helping M S Dhoni's men beat their English counterparts by five wickets.

He bowled 15 overs in all and took two wickets in both innings and smashed 81 runs off 111 deliveries to help India respond strongly in their first innings. Binny's performance in the first innings was lacklustre, scoring just one run.

However, the Rajasthan Royals's IPL player made up by hitting 78 in the second innings to salvage a draw for his team. His performance is bound to help him remain in contention to be part of the second Test squad at Lord's beginning on Thursday.

IPL track record

In this year's IPL, he played in all but one of his team's14 matches and scored his highest-ever knock of 48 in the tournament in the Royals's first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

After that match, despite batting in 12 innings, Binny only managed to add 75 runs to his total.

One would have wondered whether his father and former Indian cricketer, Roger Binny, who is currently a selector for the national side, played an influential role in the inclusion of the all-rounder, especially because the junior Binny has been highly inconsistent in domestic cricket.

However, following his match-saving knock in the first Test, he is out to prove that the selectors have not erred in recruiting him for the tour.

China's State-Owned Firms Record Higher Profit as Mini-Stimulus Measures Help Revive Economy

A Chinese national flag flies in front of private apartment blocks.Reuters

China's state-owned companies reported higher profit for the first half of 2014, helped by the country's mini-stimulus measures aimed at reviving slowing economic growth.

For the first six months of 2014, state-owned enterprises reported a total profit of 1.22tn yuan ($197bn, £115bn, €145bn), up 8.9% from the previous year, according to official data. Central enterprises witnessed a 9.9% increase in profits, while local state-owned enterprises' total profit rose 6.2%.

They generated total revenues of 23.3tn yuan for the first half, a rise of 5.9% from last year.

As of the end of June, total assets of the state-owned companies increased 11.9% to 97.01tn yuan, while total liabilities rose 12.4% to 63.25tn yuan.

Firms operating in the transportation, automotive and building materials sectors gained the most during the six-month period, while those in the coal, chemical and textile sectors suffered the worst decline in profits.

Meanwhile, companies in non-ferrous industries continued to suffer loss.

State-owned enterprises are dominating most of the industries in the Communist Party-ruled country, and they have been the biggest beneficiaries of any government measures to stimulate business activity.

The world's second largest economy has been promising more private investment in its core business sectors, as part of its proposed liberalisation to match with the global economy.

China recently ordered six state-owned companies to start revamping their operations as part of reforms to allow more private capital in the state sector.

Earlier, China recorded a second-quarter economic growth rate, which is slightly higher than the previous quarter, indicating that the country is picking up from a growth slowdown on the back of a number of mini-stimulus measures.

The economy grew 7.5% in the three months to June on a year-on-year basis, the National Bureau of Statistics said on 16 July. Analysts had been expecting a growth of 7.4%, unchanged from the first quarter.