Russian investigator hopes to visit jet crash site

A delegation from Russia's state aviation body hopes to visit the site where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed in east Ukraine two weeks ago, an agency spokesman said today.
Sergei Izvolsky told the AP that a delegation of Russian specialists from Rosaviatsiya was due in Kiev Thursday to participate in the investigation. He said the delegation would attempt to reach the crash site if it was safe to do so and that Russian specialists would hand over all relevant materials to the Dutch delegation.
Representatives of the Dutch and Ukrainian commissions would not comment on the arrival of Russian officials.

Continuing fighting has hindered access to the crash site, located in rebel-controlled territory in east Ukraine.
Ukraine's parliament, meanwhile, was meeting in special session to decide whether to accept Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's decision to resign.
Yatsenyuk said last week that he was resigning, which could open the way for early elections. But Ukrainian officials say the resignation must be formally approved by parliament.

Yatsenyuk said he would quit after two parties withdrew from the governing coalition. If no new coalition can be formed, early elections can be held.
President Petro Poroshenko has said he wants new elections but also said he wants parliament to continue working in the meantime given the challenges the country faces.

The special session will also take up bills to spend more on the war against pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country.