UNSC sets urgent meeting on Ukraine

The United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) will hold an emergency meeting on Friday on Ukraine after shooting down of a Malaysian Airlines jet with 298 passengers aboard near Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. Britain’s UN Mission has said it requested the meeting and later tweeted that it is set for 10am on Friday (New York time). The request follows Wednesday’s downing of a Ukrainian air force fighter and Thursday’s downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 Flight in the war-wracked eastern Ukraine. Britain proposed a Security Council press statement calling for ‘a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the incident.’ The statement, obtained by The Associated Press, was circulated to all 15 council members, who must approve it before it can be issued. The White House in a statement released late Thursday also called for a ‘full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation’ as soon as possible. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said ‘there is clearly a need for a full and transparent international investigation’ into the plane crash in Ukraine.