Ukraine government suspends MH17 crash site truce

A Dutch led forensic team has managed to identify the remains of 42 more victims who perished aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 17, according to the Netherlands' Justice Ministry.

Of these victims 21 were Dutch nationals and 21 were other nationalities, they said. A total of 65 victims have now been identified.

They said the relatives of the victims have been notified but at the request of the embassies of the countries concerned, they have not announced the specific nationalities of the non-Dutch victims.

A total of 228 coffins were brought to the Netherlands for analysis but it is not known how many victims that represents.

The forensic experts at a military base in Hilversum are using DNA samples and dental records in a process expected to take months.

Malaysia Airlines is offering a payment to the families of each passenger and crew member who died aboard the MH17 flight.

In a statement the airlines said they were currently supporting the families and that they had assigned caregivers for each family member to "provide emotional support and assistance."

They said: "In addition, the airline is offering financial assistance of $5,000 (£2,980) to the families of each passenger and craw member. To date, a majority of the families have already received such financial assistance, which will not be part of any compensation that may be payable."

They added: "We have also taken steps to arrange for contractual benefits to which our crew are entitled to be explained and paid to their next of kin, together with a further goodwill payment to help meet the current needs of their families."

The remains of 23 passengers including one Briton aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 17 have been identified by the Dutch-led forensic team, according to the Netherlands' Justice Ministry.

Spokesperson Jean Fransman said those identified include 18 Dutch, two Malaysians, a Canadian, a German and a Briton. All of their families have been notified.

In all, 228 coffins have been brought to the Netherlands but it is not known how many victims that represents.

The forensic experts at a military base in Hilversum are using DNA samples and dental records in a process expected to take months.

The head of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" has stepped down in favour of a native Ukraine in a move regarded as an attempt to defuse claims the pro-Russian rebels are being directed by Moscow.

Aleksander Borodai said he would now serve as deputy leader to Alexander Zakharchenko, who is from Donetsk.

"After all, I am a native of Moscow and I think the DNR [Donetsk People's Republic] should be run by a person who is body and soul of Donbass," Borodai said in a reference to the wider Donetsk region.

Zakharchenko commands a heavily armed rebel unit called Oplot, which has taken part in some of the fiercest battles and has its origins in a martial arts club.

Analysts said the move was unlikely to have a significant influence on the battle for control of eastern Ukraine.

The two Newcastle United fans who died when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine will be honoured with a minute's silence before the team's first Premier League game this season.

John Alder, 63, and Liam Sweeney, 28, were on their way to New Zealand on the Malaysia Airlines flight to watch Newcastle play two friendlies there last month.

Tributes will be paid on Sunday August 17 at St James' Park before Newcastle play Manchester City.

Team captains Fabricio Coloccini and Vincent Kompany will lay wreaths at the centre circle before kick-off, accompanied by representatives of the families of both men.

The Nato Secretary General has accused Russia of continuing to destabilise Ukraine and called on Moscow to "step back from the brink".

Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that rather than helping to stabilise the situation, Moscow's support for Ukrainian separatists continued to grow "in scale and sophistication".

Nato has warned that Russia has put 20,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and could be planning a ground invasion.

Fogh Rasmussen added that Moscow "should not use peace-keeping as an excuse for war-making" and that the shooting down of flight MH17 was a tragic consequence of its "reckless" policy of supporting the pro-Russian separatists.

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk have discussed a possible Western alliance support for Ukraine's defence capacity, a Kiev government statement said.

The two men discussed ways in which a proposed NATO trust fund could be used to support Kiev's defence ability in areas including command and control, communications and cyber-defence, the statement also said.

More: Ukraine government suspends MH17 crash site truce

The Ukrainian government has suspended the ceasefire in the area surrounding the MH17 crash site after the recovery mission was halted yesterday, Reuters have reported.

More: Operation to recover MH17 victims halted amid fighting

The Netherlands is halting the operation to recover victims and debris of MH17 because of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the Dutch prime minister has said.

Mark Rutte told journalists in The Hague the risk posed to the team of 70 Australian, Dutch and Malaysian experts was too great to continue working in the area.

"The security situation in eastern Ukraine and the MH17 crash site has worsened by the day," Rutte said. "That is making it impossible for experts to do their work."

He said it made no sense to continue the operation under the current conditions.

The family of MH17 victim Liam Sweeney - one of two Newcastle United fans killed in last month's plane crash - have said they are "happy and relieved to be getting (him) home" after his body was identified.

Tributes were paid to Liam Sweeney and John Alder, who were travelling across the world to see their team play during a pre-season tour of New Zealand.

Liam Sweeney's father Barry later called for the bodies of his son and the other victims to be returned to their families in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Today's statement from the family read:

Watch: Barry Sweeney describes sadness at first coffin's return