Dutch judges said Monday they wanted relatives of victims to finally have "clarity" about the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine as the trial of four suspects entered a key phase.Some relatives were in court for the start of a week in which judges will at last examine evidence against the three Russians and one Ukrainian, who are on trial in absentia over the July 2014 disaster.The trial formally began in March 2020 but has until now dealt with legal arguments, ma

International investigators looking into the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine released intercepted phone calls on Thursday showing close links between "high-ranking" Russian officials and rebel suspects facing trial over the crash.The probe said the recordings raised questions about the possible involvement of key Kremlin officials – including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and a top aide to President Vladimir Putin – in the deployment of the missile that shot down the Malaysia A

A court in Ukraine on Thursday released from detention a man suspected of involvement in the downing of flight MH17, prompting concern from the Netherlands that he may avoid questioning.The release of Vladimir Tsemakh, an alleged air defence specialist for pro-Russian separatists, comes amid speculation he might be part of a high-profile prisoner swap with Russia.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday confirmed for the first time the “large-scale” prisoner exchange with Ukraine was bein

Five years ago on Wednesday, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was blasted out of the sky over war-torn eastern Ukraine with the loss of all 298 people on board.The shooting down of the Boeing 777 travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has prompted sanctions against Russia, a series of international investigations and criminal charges.Here are five questions about the July 17, 2014 disaster:What happened?About three hours after take-off from Schiphol airport, MH17 disappeared off the radar scr

International investigators on Wednesday charged three Russians and a Ukrainian with murder over the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, the first people to face justice over the tragedy five years ago in which 298 people were killed.The trial of the four men with military and intelligence links will start in the Netherlands in March next year, although they are likely to be tried in absentia as neither Russia nor Ukraine extradites their nationals.Moscow slammed the "absolut

On Tuesday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told reporters he's studying whether to sell, shut down or refinance Malaysia Airlines Bhd., the troubled national carrier. A decision needs to be made soon. In 2018, the perpetually money-losing airline accounted for about half of the US$1.5 billion in losses suffered by its parent, Khazanah Nasional Bhd., Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund.On purely economic terms, Mahathir’s decision should be easy.

On 8 March, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, triggering the biggest hunt in aviation history. Only a few fragments of the jet have been found, all on western Indian Ocean shores, and search efforts ended last year. The disappearance has spawned a host of theories – some credible, some outlandish.