VOA NEWS

July 19, 2014

From Washington, this is VOA news. The U.N. chief is to go to the Middle East. The United Nations condemns the Thursday crash of Malaysian airliner. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington.



The U.N. secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, will head to the Middle East Saturday to try to find a way to end the violence between Israel and Hamas militants.

Mr. Ban expressed his alarm on Thursday when Israeli forces launched their ground incursion into Gaza, and Hamas resumed rocket fire into Israel. The U.N. chief said he regretted that despite his repeated urgings to seek calm, an already dangerous conflict had escalated further.

U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman told the U.N. Security Council Friday that Ban Ki-moon is heading to the Middle East, however, gave no details.



Israel's ground operation in the Gaza Strip has entered its second day as Israeli troops backed by tanks, aircraft and navy ships strike an array of targets including tunnels used by Hamas fighters.

Israel's military says it has hit some 200 terrorist targets since the operation began late Thursday, including more than 20 tunnels used to infiltrate Israel and smuggle weapons and explosives.

The military says more than 20 militants have been killed in the offensive.



On Friday, U.N. Security Council members condemned the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 and called for a full, thorough and independent international investigation. From the United Nations, VOA's Margaret Besheer reports.

The 15-nation council responsible for international peace and security met an urgent session Friday to discuss the downing of the Malaysian jet over eastern Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told council members that the evidence indicates the plane was shot down.

"...likely downed by a surface-to-air missile, an SA-11."

Ukrainian envoy Yuriy Sergeyev told the council that Russian-backed separatists have "at least" two of these surface-to-air missile systems.

"The question is, where did they get this sophisticated air defense system from."

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the United States and other Western nations share blame for the crash, saying it pushed Kyiv to escalate the crisis.

Margaret Besheer, VOA news, the United Nations.



U.S. President Barack Obama says evidence indicates the Malaysia Airlines plane that crashed in eastern Ukraine Thursday was shot down by a surface-to-air missile launched from an area controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

Speaking at the White House Friday, President Obama called the deaths of the 298 people aboard the plane an "outrage of unspeakable proportions."

"I think it's very important for us to make sure that we don't get out ahead of the facts. And at this point, in terms of identifying specifically what individual or group of individuals ordered the strike, how it came about, those are things that I think are still going to be subject to additional information that we're going to be gathering."

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Friday FBI officials and federal investigators are preparing to travel to assist in the investigation at the crash site.

"We have offered assistance to the Ukrainian government including personnel and resources from the NTSP and the FBI, which the Ukrainians have accepted. The NTSP will be sending at least one investigator to the Ukraine."



Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram militants reportedly raided a farming town in northeastern Nigeria Friday.

Residents say gunmen stormed the remote town of Damboa in southern Borno state, killing dozens of people in burning homes.



In stocks across the U.S., stocks were up across the board, Dow Jones, S&P 500 and the NASDAQ index.



U.N. Human Rights experts are expressing concern about the widespread violence and discrimination to which women in conflict-ridden Central African Republic and Syria are subjected. Lisa Schlein in Geneva has a report.

Members of the committee say a six-member delegation from the CAR's transitional government described the profound crisis into which the country was plunged.

Committee member and rapporteur for the Central African Republic Patricia Schulz says it was surrealistic listening to this horrific litany of abuse.

Schulz says the committee has urged the delegation to give priority to ending violence against women and impunity, and to peace and security.

Lisa Schlein, for VOA news, Geneva.



South Africans have marked the first Nelson Mandela Day since the anti-apartheid icon's death by performing acts of kindness.

Organizers urged the former president's supporters to spend 67 minutes helping others on Friday to mark Mandela's 67 years of public service.

Some people volunteered in orphanages while others have distributed hand-made blankets to the less fortunate.



More at voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce. That's the latest world news from VOA.