Talking points

Dutch air crash investigators release a preliminary report into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July, killing all 298 passengers and crew. It is widely thought to have been shot down by Ukrainian separatists who were fighting regular Ukrainian forces. The Boeing jet was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Most of those on board were Dutch nationals. The downing followed the mysterious disappearance of Flight MH370 in March.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China issues its annual position paper on business conditions in the country. It earlier expressed concern about Chinese anti-monopoly investigations into the activities of foreign firms. The American Chamber expressed similar views in its annual survey released last week. Sixty per cent of respondents said they now felt "less welcome" in China - compared to 41 per cent last year.