Worldwide fury mounts against Vladimir Putin over the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine – Tony Abbott says “Russia can’t wash its hands of this” – Why doesn’t France doesn’t want our toxic waste? – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

The Netherlands suffered the worst loss of life in the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 – nearly 200 Dutch citizens killed – and the Prime Minister is shocked and angry over the chaos at the crash scene.  PM Mark Rutte says he had a “very intense” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin – and has given Moscow “one last chance” to use its influence with Ukrainian rebels to provide access to the scene.  The debris field is believed to be 15 kilometers wide. 

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is also demanding that international inspectors be granted uninhibited access, and is hinting at Europe changing its relationship with Russia if things don’t improve.  The US is now pretty confident that MH17 was shot down with a Russian-made SA-11 anti-aircraft missile from rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, but the Pentagon says it’s unlikely the Moscow-backed rebels could obtain or operate such a system on their own. 

The reports from the crash site are stunning in the callousness and utter incompetence of the Moscow-backed rebels who are controlling the crash site.  There are accusations that cash and personal items have been taken from the victims’ bodies.  Some 38 corpses have been removed from the scene before any notations have been made, others are being jealously watched by the rebels.  And whereas the movements of international inspectors and journalists are closely monitored, area residents – townies – were noticed to be free to wander around the still smoldering debris.  The location of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders is anyone’s guess, but they do not appear to be at the scene.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the lives of 36 Australian citizens and residents were “snuffed out” in the missile attack on MH17, and that “Russia can’t wash its hands of this.”  Speaking on ABC this morning Abbott made the recovery of Australian victims his top priority.  “The grim truth is that not all of the bodies will be intact.  I hate to say it, this is a horrible business,” Abbott said, “Making sure that a proper identification process has been put in place is a lengthy, lengthy process.”  Abbott attended a special mass for the 36 at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney on Sunday morning.  UK Prime Minister is raising the likelihood of more economic sanctions against Russia,

Singapore Airlines is apologizing for some pretty insensitive statements made after the downing of rival Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.  On Twitter and Facebook, Singapore Airlines noted, “Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace.”  Customers were not impressed, and Singapore Airlines issued an apology of sorts:  “We are aware of that our Facebook and Twitter update on Friday morning may have come across as insensitive to some.”  In fact, Singapore Airlines DID fly 75 times through the airspace in which MH17 was shot down  – 37 more times than did Malaysian Airlines. 

Qatar will host a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in Gaza, where Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops are widening their search for Hamas militants.  Qatar has good relations with Hamas is emerging as a key player in ending the violence, as Hamas already rejected a peace proposal from Egypt that did not address Palestinian concerns about the Israeli blockade over Gaza.  342 Palestinians have been killed over 12 days of fighting, the vast majority of them civilians.  But even as Israel tries to shut down tunnels used by Hamas to gain entry to Israel, Hamas fighters were apparently able to use them to breach the border and kill two IDF troops on the Israeli side.

Paris tried to ban pro-Palestinian protests, but thousands came out anyway to voice their opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza – and they clashed with cops.  Protesters threw rocks and bottles, cops fired tear gas, and a good time was had by all.  Public figures – including members of the ruling Socialist party – criticized the ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations.  But French President Francois Hollande said it was necessary after last week’s violence when anti-fascist and pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to march on two Synagogues in the 11th Arrondissement.  And let’s face it, after the horrors of 20th Century, angry marches on Synagogues is just not a good look for anyplace in Europe.

French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal is trying to stop Australian chemical giant Orica shipping highly toxic waste to France for incineration.  Royal says 9,000 tons of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) – a suspected carcinogen – poses a threat of maritime pollution if it leaks, or if something bad happens during shipping.  Australia has no disposal facilities and has been trying to outsource the incineration of the HCB for years.  HCB has been banned in Europe since 1981.

A Colombian drug lord known as “The Mouse” is under arrest in Spain.  Officers arrested 40-year-old Hernan Alonso Villa – at least they think that’s his real name – in the eastern seaside city of Alicante.  He’s believed to be the leader of a militarized drug gang accused in more than 400 murders, as well as major trafficking to Europe and the United States.  Authorities plan to extradite him back to Colombia to face charges.

A three-vehicle bus crash on the Autobahn near Dresden, Germany killed nine people and injured 43.  The collision involved a bus and a minibus from Poland and a coach from Ukraine, all packed with people on holiday.  Most of the dead and injured were aboard the Polish vehicles.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack that killed seven people on a bus in eastern Kenya’s Lamu County.  The terrorist group’s attacks in that area have some 100 people dead this year, including in attacks on people watching the World Cup earlier this month.  Police say the attackers blocked the road, sprayed the bus with gunfire, and abandoned it in a nearby forest where the surviving passengers are believed to have fled – some may have been kidnapped by the terrorists.

172 former employees of Japan’s national broadcaster NHK have signed a petition demanding the ouster of the network’s current Chief.  Katsuo Momii is increasingly seen as a lunatic fringe right-winger – allegedly unrepentant for Japan’s World War II atrocities and too cozy with the militarist government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.  Earlier this year, Momii justified the Imperial Japanese military’s use of comfort women, the euphemism for women from conquered lands forced to be sex surrogates for Japanese troops.  “We decided to take this action because we wanted to stress once again that NHK is supposed to be a news organization independent of government authorities and exists to foster Japan’s development of democracy,” reads the petition.