Malaysia reports reaching an agreement with Ukrainian separatist fighters to allow international police personnel to enter the MH17 crash site.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's office said police would be allowed in "to provide protection for international crash investigators." Najib was quoted by Reuters as saying that he hopes security will be sufficient "so the international investigators can conduct their work."
Recall that Dutch forensic experts were on the way to the site this morning and more than 200 Australian police and troops were being sent to Netherlands, which is leading the investigation, to join a Dutch-led operation to secure the site.
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has told the "Sunday Times" that FIFA should "pull the plug" on Russia's World Cup in 2018 despite the world football body's dismissal two days ago of such a notion.
“After this terrible, terrible downing of that jet, it is essential that the European Union gets tough on Vladimir Putin,” said Clegg, whose Liberal Democrats are the junior coalition partner. He added that "it would make the rest of the world look so weak and so insincere about our protestations about Vladimir Putin's behavior if we're not prepared to pull the plug."
In a statement on July 25, FIFA said that "history has shown so far that boycotting sports events or a policy of isolation or confrontation are not the most effective ways to solve problems."
AFP says "a team of 30 Dutch forensic experts headed Sunday to the crash site...despite intensifying fighting in the area.
Via AP and LATimes.com:
Australia said earlier today that "a number" of armed personnel will enter the MH17 crash site but stressed they will be a "nonthreatening force" unaccompanied by military troops. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said some of the Australian team at the site would carry weapons to protect the crash investigators. Bishop did not specify the number.
Australia is sending 190 federal police and 40 troops to the Netherlands to participate in a planned Dutch-led operation to secure the crash site.
Also today, Australia's special envoy to eastern Ukraine, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said Australian troops would not be part of the police-led team that searches the debris zone.
Australia lost 38 citizens and permanent residents in the Malaysian plane tragedy.