The popular HBO series about the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster has led to a surge in tourists to the site and nearby town of Pripyat
Continue reading...Category Archives: Ukraine
Impeachment: GOP leaders reportedly say they lack votes to block witnesses – live
- Republican Collins: ‘There’s some gaps that need to be cleared up’
- White House counsel to senators: reject articles of impeachment
- Schiff says Trump’s lawyers ‘cannot defend president on facts’
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Though Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly told senators privately that he doesn’t have votes to block new witnesses in the impeachment trial, per multiple reports, there are still several days till senators would vote on the matter.
Senate Republicans may still block witnesses, and some GOP lawmakers are confident they’ll be able to do so, according to CNN.
While the votes aren't secured yet, GOP leaders are growing confident they can defeat a vote on witnesses following the initial alarm the Bolton book caused among Senate Rs. Many Rs amenable to argument that witnesses would drag it out with no clear end https://t.co/LKsAaRHEaS
Lev Parnas’ lawyer is expected to attend the Senate trial tomorrow.
Joseph Bondy asked Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer for gallery tickets, according to The Daily Beast, which first reported the news. Bondy’s co-counsel Stephanie Schuman is also expected to appear. Parnas himself may not be able to, as he wears an ankle monitor and electronics are banned in the trial chamber.
Lev Parnas attorney on attending Senate trial: “We are attending the trial w/ or w/o Mr. Parnas bc we believe our presence is important in reminding senators that indeed there should be witnesses heard and evidence taken and that anything short of that would not be a fair trial”
Continue reading...Trump lawyers urge senators to ‘end the age of impeachment’ and acquit Trump – video
Donald Trump's defence team has urged senators to acquit the president as they wrapped up their arguments in his impeachment trial. Dismissing objections to Trump’s conduct towards Ukraine as 'policy disagreements', Trump's lawyers also sought to marginalise former national security adviser John Bolton's explosive allegations about Trump's conduct as 'inadmissible' in the proceedings
Continue reading...Video appears to show Trump ordering Marie Yovanovitch’s removal
‘Get rid of her. Get her out tomorrow,’ president seems to say of ambassador to Ukraine
Donald Trump demanded the dismissal of Marie Yovanovitch, then US ambassador to Ukraine and now a key figure in the president’s impeachment trial, according to a video recording released to the media.
The footage was reportedly taken during an April 2018 donor dinner at a hotel and released to news media by an attorney for Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Continue reading...Video appears to show Trump talking to Lev Parnas about ‘taking out’ Ukraine ambassador – video
Footage obtained from Parnas's lawyer, dating back to April 2018, appears to show Donald Trump ordering attendees at a meal to 'get rid' of the US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. The video surfaced on Saturday 25 January.
Parnas, who was involved in the impeachment proceedings, worked with Trump's former attorney Rudy Giuliani to oust Yovanovitch and claimed the president 'knew exactly what was going on', in a televised interview.
Although they have been pictured together, Trump has said of Parnas: 'I don’t know him, I don’t believe I’ve ever spoken to him. I don’t need the help of a man I haven’t met before, other than perhaps taken a picture.' The removal of Yovanovitch has played a key role in the current impeachment proceedings against the president
Continue reading...Welcome to the Trump show: defense argues president is a victim and Democrats are villains
White House counsel says prosecution aims to pull off ‘the most massive interference in an election in American history’
Welcome to Day One of the Trump Show.
It was, admittedly, an inauspicious start to what was teased as a “trailer” for the rollicking show to come next week in the historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
Continue reading...NPR host says Pompeo shouted ‘F-word’ tirade when she asked about Ukraine
Secretary of state screamed obscenities and demanded host Mary Louise Kelly find Ukraine on a map, journalist says
Mike Pompeo is said to have unleashed a foul-mouth tirade at a well known US radio host after she asked him questions about Ukraine in an interview.
Mary Louise Kelly, a respected broadcaster on National Public Radio (NPR), sat down for a pre-arranged interview with the secretary of state on Friday, whose wrath was apparently triggered by a string of questions about Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine. Kelly asked Pompeo whether he owed Yovanovitch an apology for not defending her in the face of a smear campaign orchestrated by Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his associates.
Continue reading...Iran admits it fired two missiles at Ukrainian passenger jet
Tehran issues first acknowledgement of precise number of rounds fired at plane
Iran says its armed forces mistakenly launched two surface-to-air missiles at a Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed with 176 people onboard earlier this month, its first acknowledgement of the precise number of rounds fired at the airliner.
Assessments by western intelligence agencies and video footage from the launch site had pointed to two missiles being fired at the Boeing 737-800 on the morning of 8 January, but Iranian officials had so far referenced only one until the release of preliminary report on Tuesday by the country’s civil aviation authority.
Continue reading...Ukraine investigates possible surveillance of ousted US ambassador
Investigation follows publication of messages between two Giuliani associates about Marie Yovanovitch
The Ukrainian government has opened an investigation into the possible illegal surveillance of Marie Yovanovitch when she was US ambassador to Kyiv, following the publication of messages about her between two associates of Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
The Ukrainian interior ministry issued a statement on Thursday saying that its position was not to interfere in US domestic affairs but that press reports of messages contain “a possible violation of the law of Ukraine and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects the rights of a diplomat on the territory of the foreign country”.
Continue reading...Iran calls for UK ambassador to be expelled as arrests made over plane crash
Effigy burned on streets of Tehran as diplomat accused of ‘interfering in internal affairs’
Iran’s judiciary has described the UK’s ambassador to Tehran as “persona non grata” and called for his expulsion, while crowds of regime supporters burned his effigy alongside the British flag.
The actions came after the envoy, Rob Macaire, was briefly arrested at the weekend and accused of “coordinating” anti-government protests.
Continue reading...Russian hackers targeted Burisma amid impeachment inquiry, cybersecurity firm says
A leak of stolen data could potentially affect the impeachment process and the US election contest
Russian military hackers tried to steal emails from the Ukrainian energy firm where Hunter Biden, the son of the Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden, had a seat on the board, a US cybersecurity firm said.
The energy company Burisma Holdings was at the center of attempts by president Donald Trump last July to pressure Ukrainian authorities to announce an investigation into the Bidens for purported corruption, an effort that has led to the Republican being impeached by the US House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Continue reading...‘We will not rest until there is justice and accountability’: Trudeau — video
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has promised justice for victims of the Ukraine Airlines flight shot down in Iran. Memorials were held across Canada for the 57 Canadians killed in the crash - including one interrupted by a protester in Toronto
Anti-government protests in Tehran after Iran admits it shot down Ukrainian jet – video
A vigil in front of Tehran's Amikabir University for the victims of flight 752 that Iran said it accidentally downed turned into an anti-government protest on Saturday. Demonstrators called for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, chanting 'death to the dictator'
- Dominic Raab warns Iran of 'pariah' status after ambassador arrest
- Donald Trump warns Iran against 'another massacre' amid airliner protests
- ‘They killed our sons and daughters’: anger rises in Iran over flight 752
- Iran must take full responsibility for 'horrific' act, says Trudeau
Iran’s admission of guilt over plane crash sparks unrest in Tehran
Protesters speak out against supreme leader in response to deaths of Iranians in disaster
Iran’s embattled regime was shaken by a wave of international condemnation and domestic criticism on Saturday night after admitting its forces shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane with 176 people on board and lied in a bid to cover up its role in the tragedy.
Facing possibly the biggest crisis since the 1979 Islamic revolution, senior clerical, political and military leaders scrambled to contain the fallout from what President Hassan Rouhani termed a “disastrous mistake”.
Continue reading...Iran’s admission it shot down airliner is ‘important first step’, says Boris Johnson – live news
Tehran says its military unintentionally shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, killing all 176 people onboard
- Full report: Iran admits shooting down Ukrainian airliner ‘unintentionally’
- Plane crash admission triggers international calls for full investigation
As Iranians protest over their government’s mishandling of the downing of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752, in London Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn has addressed hundreds marching against the prospect of war with Iran.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), which co-organised the demonstration with the Stop the War Coalition, is carrying photos of the protest on its Twitter feed.
Great to have @jeremycorbyn with us in Trafalgar Square calling for peace in the middle east and #NoWarOnIran! pic.twitter.com/ZiREqwadWO
Kate Hudson of @CNDuk and the legendary Tariq Ali speaking on #NoWarOnIran #NoWarWithIran platform pic.twitter.com/Veps8UjI0K
#NoWarOnIran protesters gathering in Trafalgar Square. Other protests taking place in Chesterfield, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bristol today. Many more are planned. Thank you to you all. Let's rebuild our movement, get the troops out of Iraq and stop a war on Iran. pic.twitter.com/js7rbwgBli
Thousands marching down Regent Street in Central London to say #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/STPXScEG0K
And we're off! Marching to Trafalgar Square to say #NoWarOnIran! pic.twitter.com/QNAhy3kUAV
Following on from the previous report about domestic reaction to the Iranian mea culpa, reports are emerging on Twitter of protests in the street in Tehran over the government’s handling of the fiasco.
Protest at Tehran's Amir Kabir university, students shouting "Shameless" #Iranplanecrash https://t.co/FtdC1GeTqI
Another video from the protest at a university in the Iranian capital where students call for justice over #Iranplanecrash "Resignation is not enough. Prosecution is necessary." https://t.co/Z4FzVSX60W
Images from #Tehran today. People chanting “down with the liar” #UkrainePlainCrash https://t.co/eugROR45Bo
ساعت ۴ و ۵۰ دقیقه: جمعیت اولیه جلوی دانشگاه امیرکبیر.
نه خودمان مسلحیم نه #عموهایمان.
اویی که مسلح است شمایید، اویی که میکشد، اویی که دروغ میگوید، اویی که فریب میدهد، و اویی باز میکشد شمایید.
اینبار کمتر خون بریزید..#دروغ_سخت pic.twitter.com/AcmNDg07pR
Iran plane crash admission triggers international calls for full investigation
Ukrainian president also calls for full admission of guilt, justice and compensation
Iran’s admission that it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane has been met with international demands for a full investigation into the disaster, in which 176 people died during a period of soaring tensions between Tehran and Washington.
A statement carried on Iran’s official IRNA news agency on Saturday morning said the military had made an “unforgivable mistake” in targeting Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 shortly after it took off from Tehran’s international airport on Wednesday. It was followed by condolences from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and an apology from the country’s president, Hassan Rouhani.
Continue reading...Brinkmanship, nerves and 176 civilian deaths: the Iran air disaster
There are suspicions in the west, denials in Tehran, grim echoes for Ukraine, and grief spread far and wide
It was still dark when Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 took off on Wednesday from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. Onboard were 176 people. Most were returning home after holidays spent with families and friends in Iran. They were couples, newlyweds, students.
A mother and a daughter – Sahar Hagjjoo and her eight-year-old child Elsa – posed for a photograph together after taking their seats. A sweet one, with the pair relaxed, smiling, a little tired from the early start. Everyone on the plane would have known of the strained diplomatic circumstances swirling before them.
Continue reading...A visual guide to the Iran plane crash
Flight came down shortly after take off from airport in Tehran on 8 January
Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 took off at 6.12am on 8 January after nearly an hour’s delay at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. It gained altitude heading west, reaching nearly 8,000ft, according to flight-tracking data.
Continue reading...Iran plane crash: Ukraine’s president calls on US and allies to share evidence – live
Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss investigation with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo
The head of Iran’s Civil Aviation body has told reporters that authorities examining the contents of the Flight 752’s black box today at a laboratory at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport.
The will attempt to assess whether it is possible to reconstruct and analyse the information inside the country, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.
A British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran has had panic attacks since tensions between the country and the US escalated, her husband has said.
Richard Ratcliffe said the fallout from Donald Trump’s assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was taking a toll on the mental health of his wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Continue reading...Iran video appears to show missile striking Ukrainian plane – video
A new video has emerged which appears to show the moment a Ukrainian passenger jet was shot down in Iran. Originally obtained by the New York Times, the phone footage shows a tiny spec suddenly exploding. The light disappears before the sound of impact can be heard just over 20 seconds later. All 176 people on board were killed. The plane crashed hours after Iran targeted US military assets in neighbouring Iraq. The US and other western allies believe the passenger jet was accidentally shot down by an Iranian missile
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