World News Update, what you need to know

A Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 295 people, including 27 Australians, from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has crashed in rebel-held east Ukraine, killing all on board.

ELSEWHERE:

PARIS - World leaders have expressed shock after a Malaysian airliner carrying 295 people crashed in eastern Ukraine and called for an international investigation to determine the cause of the disaster.

JERUSALEM - Israel has launched a ground operation in Gaza late on Thursday, on the 10th day of an offensive to stamp out rocket attacks from the Palestinian enclave, the army said.

KABUL - Dozens of armed insurgents have attacked a convoy carrying a presidential security team in southeastern Afghanistan, sparking a gun battle in which four guards were wounded, an official said.

NEW YORK - Microsoft's new chief has unveiled the biggest job cuts ever at the US tech giant, aiming for a new strategic direction, while integrating the Nokia phone division.

ROME - Nearly 1500 boat migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean in the past 24 hours, Italian authorities conducting maritime search and rescue operations say.

WASHINGTON - The world is getting warmer, as greenhouse gases reach historic highs and Arctic sea ice melts, making 2013 one of the hottest years on record, international scientists say.