‘I'm not hidden anywhere' says targeted Iranian-Canadian journalist
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Canada News.Net
3 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
UN did not conduct Iranian nuclear facility inspections on August 11
TEHRAN, Iran: The deputy head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog arrived in Iran on August 11 in an effort to mend deteriorating relations, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. No inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities were conducted, according to Araghchi. It was the first such high-level contact since Israel and Iran's 12-day war in June, during which some of Iran's key nuclear sites were hit. In the aftermath of the conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 3 ordered the suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after American and Israeli airstrikes damaged its most important nuclear facilities. The suspension further restricts the IAEA's ability to monitor Tehran's nuclear program, which has been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. "As long as we haven't reached a new framework for cooperation, there will be no cooperation," Araghchi said, adding that any future arrangement would be based on legislation passed by Iran's Parliament. State media reported last week that Araghchi, speaking on a television program, emphasized that cooperation with the IAEA could only be restored with the approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's highest security authority. Iran has previously limited IAEA inspections as a pressure tactic during negotiations with Western powers. It remains unclear when — or if — talks between Tehran and Washington on a nuclear deal will resume. Both U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA have assessed that Iran has not had an organized nuclear weapons program since 2003. However, Tehran has continued enriching uranium to 60 percent, just a short technical step from the 90 percent purity required for weapons-grade material. The June conflict brought the standoff to a new level. As Israel waged an air war against Iran, the United States conducted strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites. According to Iranian officials, nearly 1,100 people were killed in the attacks, including numerous military commanders and nuclear scientists. Israel reported 28 fatalities from Iranian strikes during the same period. While the IAEA visit signals a potential opening for renewed dialogue, Araghchi's remarks suggest that Tehran will not return to full cooperation without significant political concessions — and under terms set by its own national security leadership.
5 hours ago
Ukrainians brace for betrayal as Trump prepares to meet Putin — with war still raging
For many in Ukraine's front-line cities, enduring nightly attacks from Russian drones and missiles may be less terrifying than giving in to anything Vladimir Putin proposes during his upcoming summit in Alaska with Donald Trump. Almost every day, we hear Shaheds, said Arthur Korniyenko, referring to the Iranian-made drones laden with explosives launched by Russia — some nights in the hundreds. Korniyenko is a software developer based in the battle-scarred city of Zaporizhzhia, just 30 kilometres from the Russian front. A Russian strike on the region injured at least 12 people on Sunday. He says his company, Genova Web Art, has lost colleagues to Russian attacks. One of his 20 employees who was killed in fighting two years ago. Enlarge image (new window) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, on May 19. Photo: Reuters / Thomas Peter He told CBC News he's extremely skeptical that Russia's president wants to end the war or intends to offer any substantial concessions in his upcoming summit with U.S. President Trump on Friday. I hope Donald Trump will understand that Putin lied to him ... and you can't negotiate with people like [Putin], he said. Ukrainians and their supporters, especially in Europe, are apprehensive about how the negotiations in Alaska, in whatever from they take, will play out. They fear the summit represents a moment of peril rather than an opportunity to forge a lasting peace driven by shared democratic values and the sanctity of international borders. Perilous moment Trump's comments Monday did little to mitigate those fears, as he appeared to suggest Ukraine's territorial integrity could be bartered away like a real estate deal. There will be some swapping and changes of land, he said in Washington, D.C., as he went to explain how Putin's forces have seized prime oceanfront property along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It's always the best property, he added. Other observers frame the Alaska gathering as the latest act in a well-rehearsed performance, where Russia feigns interest in peace while preparing its next offensive. In the aftermath of his infamous Oval Office blowout (new window) with Trump in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Russia an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, only to have Putin ignore it. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House, in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 11. Photo: Reuters / Jonathan Ernst More recently, (new window) Trump, who has often appeared to treat Putin with unusual deference, has said he was disappointed in Russia's leader and even vowed to impose stiff economic sanctions within two weeks if Putin didn't make moves to end the war. But now, Trump has agreed to hold this summit — without making Putin give up anything in return. Uncompromising demands Russia's demands to end the war have remained largely unchanged since the early days of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They comprise assuming full control over four eastern Ukrainian regions and Crimea, including territory that Ukrainian forces still hold; limits on the size of Ukraine's army; a ban on ever joining NATO or the European Union; and what Russia calls the de-Nazification of Ukraine, a vague term that's believed to mean (new window) the installation of a Russian-friendly president and government. All the framing is coming from Russia, says Roman Waschuk, a former Canadian ambassador to Ukraine, who still lives and works in the capital, Kyiv. There is no U.S. proposal, no multilateral plan. Everything is about accommodating, interpreting or responding to what Russia wants. Enlarge image (new window) Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow on Aug. 6. Photo: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters Russia currently occupies around 20 per cent of Ukraine, while Ukraine holds only a tiny portion of Russian territory in Kursk. It brings back memories with regard to Munich [in] 1938, when the fate of the country was decided over the heads of this country, said Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the committee on foreign policy and inter parliamentary relations in Ukraine's parliament. The year before the start of the Second World War, Nazi Germany signed a deal with Britain, France and Italy that ultimately led to the disintegration of Czechoslovakia, without the Czech government present. Many historians see it as the culmination of the British and French policy of appeasing Hitler that strengthened the Nazi regime and contributed to the start of the war in the fall of 1939. When you start negotiations with the idea of territorial swaps, you're just repeating Putin's narratives — you already agree to something which doesn't belong to you, said Merezhko. Enlarge image (new window) An engine of a Russian drone lies near an apartment building hit by Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Bilozerske in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Aug. 10. Photo: Reuters / Oleksandr Ratushniak Negative outcomes While the summit's agenda is shrouded in secrecy, several possible outcomes are circulating among diplomats, analysts and Ukrainians alike. None are straightforwardly positive for Ukraine. Trump may push for a ceasefire that freezes the current lines of control. Ukraine would retain sovereignty over most of its territory, but not the Russian-held areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The war stops, but the occupation remains. Waschuk, the retired Canadian diplomat, sees this as the most likely compromise scenario. It's unsatisfactory, but maybe vaguely tolerable. It allows Ukraine to survive militarily and continue toward the EU. But it doesn't stop Russia. It just delays the next phase. For Korniyenko, the software developer, such a deal amounts to a betrayal: We tried freezing things before, he said. And what happened? More invasion. More death. Enlarge image (new window) Ukrainian and European Union flags fly, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in central Kyiv on Aug. 11. Photo: Reuters / Gleb Garanich Russian troops seized Crimea and the eastern Donbas region in 2014, and a series of accords known as the Minsk agreements were later negotiated, with Western help, to reduce — but not permanently end — the fighting. Eight years later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Waschuk believes the risk of Ukraine being pressured to accept an imposed deal is high, possibly with threats of reduced military aid from the United States. It's already happening, he says. We're just seeing the trappings of diplomacy over something that's already in motion. Such a move could fracture the Western alliance, embolden Russia and humiliate Ukraine, he says. Worse, it could permanently damage trust between Kyiv and Washington, leaving Ukraine increasingly dependent on assistance from Europe and Canada to continue fending off the Russian invasion. In a social media post Monday (new window) night, Prime Minister Mark Carney underscored that Ukraine must be a party to any ceasefire negotiations and that decisions on the future of Ukraine must be made by Ukrainians. A Putin victory In the most cynical interpretation, the summit itself is already a victory for Putin. By standing as an equal with a U.S. president, Putin breaks out of international isolation and signals to his domestic audience that he's still a global player. Putin doesn't need a result, said Korniyenko. He just needs the meeting. That's already a win for his ego. Even if no formal agreement is reached, the mere shift in tone from Washington regarding the future of the war could have lasting consequences. Merezhko, the Ukrainian MP, says most of his countrymen have already resigned themselves to fighting on, regardless of the outcome of the Alaska gathering. Our only option — if we don't want to be subjugated and destroyed by Russia as a nation, as a state — is to continue to fight no matter what, because the alternative ... is total annihilation, he told CBC News. Waschuk echoes his concern. The danger isn't only in a signed deal. It's in the subtle downgrading of commitment — the quiet turning-away. Chris Brown (new window) · CBC News · Foreign correspondent Chris Brown is a foreign correspondent based in the CBC's London bureau. Previously in Moscow, Chris has a passion for great stories and has travelled all over Canada and the world to find them.
Vancouver Sun
9 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Ontario court says airline must compensate families of those killed on Tehran flight
Ontario's highest court has upheld a ruling that found Ukraine International Airlines legally responsible to pay full compensation to families of victims who died in the downing of Flight PS752. On Jan. 8, 2020, the plane was shot down by two Iranian missiles just minutes after taking off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Most of the passengers were bound for Canada, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, while many others had connections to Canada. Under the Montreal Convention, an international law governing air travel, airlines are responsible for proven damages up to US$180,000. Airlines are also responsible for claims above that amount unless the airline can prove the incident did not happen due to its own negligence. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Last year, an Ontario court found that Ukraine International Airlines was negligent because it failed to conduct a proper risk assessment for the flight out of Tehran, and the court found that decision meant the airline could not limit the amount of compensation it provided to families. The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the airline's appeal in a decision released Monday. Joe Fiorante, a lawyer representing some of the families in the case, called the ruling 'an important result' for those who lost loved ones in the incident. 'The ruling of the Court of Appeal brings a small measure of justice for the families,' Fiorante said in a press release. A joint statement by lawyers Paul Miller and Jamie Thornback, who also represent families in the case, called the ruling 'a landmark decision.' 'At a time of heightened conflicts around the world, the judgment sends a clear message to international airlines that open airspace cannot be assumed to be safe airspace,' they said in a press release. 'Airlines must exercise extreme caution and diligence when operating in or near a conflict zone.' Monday's ruling comes after the Supreme Court of Canada decided last year that it would not hear an appeal from victims' families who were trying to enforce a 2021 default court judgment against Iran for $107 million plus interest and costs. The families had taken steps to enforce the ruling by targeting Iran's properties and bank accounts in Canada. But an Ontario judge had dismissed that motion, finding that the Iranian property was protected by diplomatic immunity under Canadian law. The top court upheld that decision on appeal last year. For years, Canada, along with international partners including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ukraine, has vowed to seek answers about the crash and hold the Iranian regime accountable for violations of international law. Global Affairs Canada says Iran has not claimed full legal responsibility for the incident, and current proceedings against Iran under international law will likely take several more years before a resolution is reached. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
