Latest news with #FlightMH17
First Post
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Huge Fire Ravages Tomorrowland Main Stage in Belgium Days Before Festival
Huge Fire Ravages Tomorrowland Main Stage in Belgium Days Before Festival |Vantage with Palki Sharma Huge Fire Ravages Tomorrowland Main Stage in Belgium Days Before Festival |Vantage with Palki Sharma A major fire has destroyed the iconic main stage of Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival, just two days before its scheduled opening on July 18. Organisers confirmed the stage was 'severely damaged' but said no injuries were reported. The cause remains unknown, and the festival, scheduled for 18 July, will go ahead as planned. Also on Vantage Shots: - Filament eruption on the Sun creates a 250,000-mile 'canyon of fire' - Prince Harry recreates Princess Diana's historic landmine walk in Angola - On this day in history, in 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board were killed after the plane was struck by a missile. A decade later, a court concluded that Russia was responsible for the attack. See More
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First Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
History Today: When Disneyland, the ‘happiest place on Earth, opened for the first time 70 years ago
Walt Disney opened the first Disneyland in California's Anaheim on July 17, 1955. The park tried to bridge the gap between typical amusement parks and a more immersive and story-driven experience read more Disneyland was Walt Disney's dream project through which he wanted to change the way traditional amusement parks were enjoyed. Representational image/Reuters Today, most of us dream of visiting Disneyland and enjoying ourselves with our loved ones. From fun rides to life-size Disney theme characters, the place is designed in a way that you can enjoy a whole day there. It all began when the first Disneyland opened its gates in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, revolving around the themes of fantasy and futurism. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On this day in 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. The Boeing 777 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Here is all that happened on this day. First Disneyland opened Walt Disney always dreamt of opening a 'magic kingdom' where children and parents could enjoy themselves and genuinely have fun together. To fulfil this dream, he opened the gates of the first Disneyland to the public in California's Anaheim on July 17, 1955. Built on 160 acres of former orange groves, the $17 million theme park was an unprecedented venture which sought to bridge the gap between typical amusement parks and a more immersive, story-driven experience. Actor Ronald Reagan, Art Linkletter and Bob Cummings hosted the opening ceremony, broadcast live on television. Though the event was meant to be a joyful celebration, the day was famously plagued by mishaps. Counterfeit tickets led to overcrowding, plumbing problems caused drinking fountains to run dry and high temperatures softened the freshly laid asphalt. Despite the rocky start, Walt Disney remained hopeful, calling it only the 'beginning' of what he envisioned would be a magical destination that would continue to grow. In this file image from July 17, 1955, Governor Goodwin J Knight (left), Walt Disney (right), and Virginia Knight, wife of the governor take a ride in an antique-styled automobile at Disneyland near Anaheim, California at the premiere opening. File image/AP Disneyland was originally divided into five themed lands: Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. It featured attractions such as the Jungle Cruise, Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the Mark Twain Riverboat, many of which are still in operation today. Walt Disney's vision was for Disneyland to never be completed and the park has evolved over the decades with the addition of New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Mickey's Toontown, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and more. It has welcomed hundreds of millions of visitors from around the globe and remains one of the most iconic tourist destinations in the world. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More than just a theme park, Disneyland has become a cultural landmark, symbolising imagination, innovation, and childhood wonder. As Walt Disney once said during the park's dedication: 'Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.' MH17 shot down by over Ukraine It was on July 17, 2014, that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17), en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board. The Boeing 777 was struck by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile launched from territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Most of the passengers were from the Netherlands, with others from Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia and several other countries. The downing of the civilian aircraft occurred amid intense fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels in the Donetsk region, a conflict that had escalated following Russia's annexation of Crimea earlier that year. Lawyers attend the judges' inspection of the reconstruction of the MH17 wreckage. File image/Reuters Despite overwhelming evidence, Russia has repeatedly denied responsibility, offering conflicting narratives and promoting conspiracy theories. In contrast, the European Union, the United States and other Western nations have blamed Moscow for supplying the missiles and fueling the conflict. In 2022, a Dutch court convicted three men - two Russians and one Ukrainian - in absentia for their role in the attack, sentencing them to life imprisonment. Families of the victims continue to seek justice and accountability through international courts, including proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights and the International Civil Aviation Organization. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This Day, That Year The United Nations completed the statute establishing the International Criminal Court on this day in 1998. In 1945, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Harry S Truman met at the Potsdam Conference, the last Allied summit conference of World War II. In, 1918, Former Russian tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by Bolsheviks.
News18
10-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Russia Responsible For Downing Of Flight MH17 In Ukraine With 38 Australians: European Court
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Russia is responsible for human rights violations in Ukraine, including the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Russia was responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, Europe's top human rights court has ruled. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels. All 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens. This is the first time an international court has held Moscow accountable for human rights abuses related to the conflict there. In May, the United Nations' aviation agency found Russia responsible for the disaster. The court's remark came on Wednesday, when judges read the verdicts on four cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia since the start of the conflict in 2014. The allegations included murder, torture, rape, destroying civilian infrastructure, kidnapping Ukrainian children and shooting down the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet, Flight MH17, by Ukrainian separatists who side with Russia. Reading the decisions before a packed courtroom in Strasbourg, court president Mattias Guyomar said Russian forces breached international humanitarian law in Ukraine by carrying out attacks that 'killed and wounded thousands of civilians and created fear and terror." The judges also found the human rights abuses went beyond any military objective and Russia used sexual violence as part of a strategy to break Ukrainian morale. The complaints were brought before the court's governing body expelled Moscow in 2022, following the full-scale invasion. The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution. Russia was expelled from the council over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine. However, the court can still deal with cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion. In 2023, the judges sided with Ukraine and the Netherlands in a challenge over jurisdiction, finding there was sufficient evidence to show areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels were 'under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation," including providing weapons, and giving political and economic support. view comments First Published: July 10, 2025, 09:43 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Star
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
European court finds Russia responsible for MH17 downing, human rights violations in Ukraine
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP): Europe's top human rights court has delivered damning judgments against Russia, finding Moscow responsible for widespread violations of international law in Ukraine and the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday (July 9) issued judgements in four cases brought by Kyiv and the Netherlands accusing Moscow of atrocities in Ukraine dating back more than a decade. They include the murder, torture, rape and destruction of civilian infrastructure and kidnapping of Ukrainian children. It's the first time an international court has concluded there have been widespread human rights abuses by Russian forces in Ukraine. The 501-page ruling combined four complaints – three stemming from the separatist conflict that broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, and one linked to alleged violations of international law following the invasion. In all four cases, the court's 17 judges unanimously found Russian forces breached international humanitarian law. One of the complaints was brought by the Netherlands in connection with the downing of MH17 over separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine. It is the first time an international court has held Russia responsible for the tragedy in which 298 people died. The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, using a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by separatist rebels loyal to Moscow. Among the victims were 196 Dutch citizens. The judges found that Russia's refusal to acknowledge its involvement in the disaster also violated international law. Russia's failure to properly investigate it "significantly aggravated the suffering" of the relatives and friends of the dead. In 2022, a criminal court in the Netherlands convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel in absentia of multiple murders for their roles in the downing of MH17 in a separate case. The ECHR is an important part of the Council of Europe, which is the continent's foremost human rights institution. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the Council of Europe is an international organisation dedicated to promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. It has 46 member states. The organisation expelled Moscow in 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine. However, the court can still deal with cases against Russia dating from before its expulsion and, legally, the country is still obliged to participate in the proceedings. The rulings won't be the last from the ECHR dealing with the war. Kyiv has other cases pending against Russia and there are nearly 10,000 cases brought by individuals against the Kremlin. The court will rule on financial compensation at a later date, but Russia's expulsion leaves little hope that damages will ever be collected. Typically, judges at the ECHR award damages to victims for financial loss or hardship suffered when their rights were violated. The court ordered Russia to pay millions of dollars in compensation to Georgia for a swath of violations after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. That money has never been handed over. In 2023, more than 40 nations and the Council of Europe agreed to set up a system to tally the destruction Russia has inflicted on Ukraine in the hope of getting reparations. The Hague-based Register of Damage for Ukraine, also known as RD4U, began accepting claims last year. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month formally approved plans to set up a new international court to prosecute senior Russian officials for the invasion of Ukraine. The special tribunal will be created through an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. It aims to target senior Russian leaders for the "crime of aggression," which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war. Existing international courts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, lack the jurisdiction to prosecute Russian nationals for that specific offence. The ICC has multiple outstanding arrest warrants for Russian officials for war crimes. They include President Vladimir Putin, who is accused of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. – AP
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First Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
How Russia shot down Malaysia Airlines' Flight MH17, killing 298 people
In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board. Years of forensic investigations, legal trials, and international rulings have concluded that a Russian-supplied Buk missile system was responsible read more An Emergencies Ministry member walks at a site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 MH17 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. File Image/Reuters The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a landmark ruling on Wednesday (July 10, 2025) that held the Russian state responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. The court also found Russia had committed widespread and systematic human rights abuses across Ukraine in the years following its 2014 annexation of Crimea. The ECHR, which had consolidated four major cases involving Russia's conduct in Ukraine, stated, 'Taken as a whole, the vast volume of evidence before the Court presented a picture of interconnected practices of manifestly unlawful conduct by agents of the Russian State (Russian armed forces and other authorities, occupying administrations, and separatist armed groups and entities) on a massive scale across Ukraine.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Specifically on MH17, the court found that Russia failed to properly investigate the downing, did not cooperate with international information requests, and provided no legal path for survivors' families to seek justice. The court noted that Russia's ongoing denial of involvement had inflicted additional emotional harm on the victims' relatives. An Emergencies Ministry member works at putting out a fire at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 MH17 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. File Image/Reuters Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp commented after the ruling, 'Nothing can take away this suffering and grief, but I hope the verdict offers a sense of justice and recognition.' Ukraine's Justice Ministry called the ruling 'one of the most important in the practice of interstate cases.' Nonetheless, the practical impact of the court's ruling remains largely symbolic. Following its expulsion from the Council of Europe in 2022, Russia officially withdrew from the jurisdiction of the ECHR in 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the court's authority, saying, 'We consider them null and void.' As a result, the ECHR has no enforcement mechanism over Russia, though it is expected to decide later on the issue of damages and reparations. What happened on that fateful day On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, a commercial passenger aircraft travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down over a volatile area of eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of all 298 people aboard. The Boeing 777, registered as 9M-MRD, had taken off from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 10:31 UTC and was operating as a regularly scheduled 11.5-hour international flight. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among the passengers were citizens from at least ten different countries, including 193 nationals of the Netherlands. The crew consisted of 15 Malaysian nationals. Also on board was Dr. Joep Lange, a well-known researcher heading to an AIDS conference in Melbourne. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of about 33,000 feet, as required by Ukrainian aviation restrictions introduced three days earlier, after a Ukrainian military aircraft had been shot down while flying at a lower elevation in the same region. Flight MH17 was not alone in the skies that day — at least three other foreign civilian aircraft were in the same radar corridor. Communication between MH17 and Ukrainian and Russian air traffic control continued routinely until just before 13:20 UTC. No distress signal was sent before the aircraft disappeared from radar screens at around 13:26 UTC. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a midair explosion. The wreckage was spread across a large area near the village of Hrabove in Donetsk Oblast, an area held by pro-Russian separatist forces. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The fuselage, cockpit, and other components were strewn across about 50 square kilometres, some of it landing in farmland and residential zones. A part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 MH17 plane is seen after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. File Image/Reuters Rescue teams arrived at the scene quickly, but because the crash site was in separatist-controlled territory, international access to the area was significantly delayed. Though the aircraft's voice and flight data recorders were eventually handed over to Malaysian authorities, investigators organised by the Dutch Ministry of Defence were only able to reach the crash site in November, several months after the tragedy occurred. Evidence traces the missile to Russia Following extensive analysis, investigators ruled out weather-related causes, pilot error, internal explosions or mechanical failure. Instead, a forensic reconstruction of the aircraft's fuselage, along with analysis of recorded data and shrapnel patterns, indicated the jet was hit by a warhead from a Buk surface-to-air missile system, specifically designed to detonate near its target without making direct contact. The missile exploded just feet away from the cockpit, killing the pilots instantly. The forward part of the fuselage separated from the rest of the aircraft, while the remaining sections, including the wings and passenger cabin, stayed airborne briefly before disintegrating and crashing to the ground. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Soon after the crash, Ukraine's government released audio recordings of what it said were intercepted communications between pro-Russian militants who appeared to be discussing having mistakenly shot down an aircraft. Initially, the separatists and Russian authorities denied responsibility and issued a series of alternate explanations, ranging from conspiracy theories to claims the Ukrainian military was involved. Later, video footage emerged allegedly showing separatist fighters walking among the wreckage and expressing surprise at having hit a civilian aircraft. These visuals, along with technical findings, prompted a Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to conduct a deeper inquiry. Armed pro-Russian separatists stand at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 MH17 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. File Image/Reuters In September 2016, the JIT concluded that the missile which struck MH17 was launched from territory under the control of Russian-backed separatists, using a Buk launcher that had been brought in from the Russian Federation and returned the same day. According to the JIT, the missile system originated from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian military. The evidence, including satellite images, forensic reconstructions, eyewitness testimony and intercepted communications, formed the basis of legal and diplomatic efforts to hold Russia accountable. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How legal proceedings unfolded In 2019, Dutch prosecutors announced charges against four men — three Russian nationals and one Ukrainian — for their roles in the downing of MH17. Among them was Igor Girkin, a Russian citizen and former colonel of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), who was in charge of separatist military operations in Donetsk at the time. Girkin, who went by the alias 'Strelkov', left Ukraine for Russia within weeks of the attack. The Dutch investigative team stated, 'We have evidence showing that Russia provided the missile launcher.' Trials were held in absentia due to the difficulty of securing extradition. In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted Girkin and two others of murder and concluded that the missile had been launched by Russian-led troops using equipment delivered from Russia. Context of the Donbas War The destruction of MH17 occurred amid one of the most active phases of the Donbas war, a part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian conflict. After the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine and Russia's seizure of Crimea in March 2014, unrest spread to the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk — collectively known as Donbas. On April 12, 2014, a paramilitary group led by Igor Girkin captured the town of Sloviansk and other strategic locations. Backed by Moscow, separatists proclaimed the formation of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though Russia initially denied deploying troops, it later acknowledged that many separatist fighters were Russian veterans. Ukraine responded by launching a military operation dubbed the 'Anti-Terrorist Operation.' By mid-2014, Ukrainian forces had reclaimed significant territory, but Moscow escalated the conflict by covertly sending in tanks, artillery, and soldiers, enabling separatist forces to regain lost ground. In August 2014, just weeks after MH17 was shot down, Russia increased its involvement, effectively turning the regional rebellion into a proxy war. The Minsk I and II ceasefire agreements, signed in late 2014 and early 2015 respectively, failed to bring lasting peace. Sporadic fighting, artillery strikes, and trench warfare continued for years. Observers from the OSCE documented over 30,000 individuals in military uniform crossing from Russia into Ukraine, along with unmarked convoys of military hardware. By the time Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war in Donbas had claimed approximately 14,000 lives, including about 3,400 civilians. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More than two million people had fled the region due to the conflict. The shootdown of MH17 stood out not only for its international profile but also for symbolising how the localised war in Donbas had global repercussions. People hold flags at a memorial to victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 plane crash during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the accident, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in the Donetsk region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, July 17, 2024. File Image/Reuters Despite legal rulings, international outrage, and overwhelming evidence, Russia continues to deny responsibility in the the downing of MH17. With inputs from agencies
