Section: National Post (Canada)
Russia convicts Ukrainian filmmaker of terrorism, sentencing him to 20 years in prison
A Russian court jailed Oleh Sentsov, an award-winning Ukrainian filmmaker who opposed the annexation of Crimea, for 20 years after convicting him of terrorism in a controversial trial. Sentsov, who’s been named a political prisoner by the Russian human rights group Memorial, was sentenced by the North Caucasus military court in...
Possible surface-to-air missile system found at MH17 crash site, Dutch prosecutors say
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch prosecutors have said for the first time that they have found possible parts of a BUK missile system at the site in eastern Ukraine where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was brought down last year, killing all 298 people on board. Prosecutors say in a statement Tuesday the parts “are of particular interest to the...
New Zealand channels Grace Slick in new flag hunt, and other reasons to fear for humanity
1. New Zealand goes wild on new flag design New Zealand is planning to adopt a new flag. Kind of like Canada in 1965, the idea seems to be to get rid of the British flag in the upper left corner. After issuing an invite for proposals, an independent panel has published 40 potential flags from the 10,300 submitted. Some pretty wild idea. The curly...
Leonid Bershidsky: Attention Ottawa, two new, ready-to-sail warships for sale at bargain prices
The saga of the two Mistral helicopter carriers France built for Russia, but refused to hand over because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, is finally over. The net result is that a French shipyard has been saved at the French taxpayer’s expense, while Russian taxpayers will pay to retool the country’s wharves so the country can...
In Quebec, honesty is a firing offence, and other reasons to fear for humanity
1. Off-the-shelf warships available, all mod cons JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP/Getty Images Here’s a quick solution to Canada’s need for more naval vessels, which has run aground on the usual procurement problems: France has two brand new, state of the art warships on its hands and is looking for a buyer. The two ships, Mistral-class...
Canada to extend Ukraine mission, Harper announces
OTTAWA — Canada will extend its participation in NATO efforts to support security in central and eastern Europe until June 2016, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says. The extension of what is known as Operation Reassurance underlines Canada’s commitment to allies in the region, including Ukraine, Harper said. Canada’s participation in...
Ukrainian pilot charged in deaths of two Russian journalists goes to court in Russia’s south
DONETSK, Russia — A preliminary hearing in the trial of a Ukrainian officer charged in the deaths of two Russian journalists started in Russia’s south on Thursday. Russian investigators allege that military pilot Nadezhda Savchenko was working as a spotter in eastern Ukraine and provided the co-ordinates for a mortar attack that killed the...
Unruly irregulars battling Ukraine’s pro-Russian rebels answer to no one but God … and that’s a problem
• Armed groups fighting separatists are fiercely independent• Many dislike current Kiev government and Ukrainian elite• President Poroshenko threatens to bring them under control• Attempts may be difficult and deepen country’s divisions WikipediaDmytro Korchynsky KIEV — From a basement billiard club in central Kiev, Dmytro Korchynsky...
Father Raymond J. de Souza: Commemorating Ukraine’s great lion — now closer to sainthood
L’viv, UKRAINE — Wednesday this city will mark the sesquicentennial birthday of what some Ukrainian Catholics are not abashed to call their Moses, one of the great lions of the 20th century, Andrey Sheptytsky. On the day I arrived, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), which he led for 44 years, rejoiced at the news that the Vatican...
Father Raymond J. de Souza: Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine
It’s a short afternoon walk, but a long national journey, from Kyiv’s Second World War memorial, which was erected by the Soviets, to the memorials to those killed in the Maidan “revolution of dignity” last year, which are makeshift and erected by the people. The national journey is from lies to truth. The Second World War memorial,...
