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Nine Ukrainian soldiers were killed today when their helicopter was shot down by pro-Russian rebels near the rebel-controlled city of city of Slavyansk, despite a truce being ordered by a top militia leader yesterday.
Ukrainian defence spokesperson Vladyslav Seleznyov confirmed the deaths in a post on Facebook, writing: “There were nine people on board the (Mi-8) helicopter. According to preliminary information…everyone on board died.”
Twelve Ukrainian soldiers were killed when another Mi-8 helicopter was shot down in the same area on 29 May.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called a seven-day ceasefire on Friday. Yesterday, pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine said they would respect the ceasefire.
Over 370 people have been killed in the violence since April.
Earlier today Russian President Vladimir Putin today asked the Russian parliament to cancel a resolution sanctioning the use of military force in Ukraine. His spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the decision to rescind the vote, which would have allowed Russian troops to invade Ukraine to protect ethnic Russians, was aimed at “normalising the atmosphere and resolving the situation”.
Putin also today called for the seven-day ceasefire to be extending, adding that the end of hostilities must be linked to talks.
The EU warned it could introduce further sanctions against the Russian economy if it fails to help de-escalate the crisis. The EU’s next summit is due to be held on Friday.
Meanwhile, OSCE chairman, Didier Burkhalter, said that the organisation needs a ceasefire “which lasts five days to be able to start real dialogue”.
- Additional reporting by the Associated Press and the AFP
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Alcohol is by far the worst drug in circulation.
@Niallers: correct…so lets add another one to the list??? crazy thinking.
@SFLounyTouny: A plant is not dangerous. What’s dangerous is giving a plants to criminals and allowing them to spray addictive chemicals on them in order to get people addicted.
@Niallers: It is and its legal. Most people who are addicted to drugs began with alcohol and progressed onto the harder illegal stuff. When they talk about ‘polydrug’ abuse, 9 times out of 10 the other drug is alcohol. Some people are susceptible to alcoholism, it creeps up on them, whilst the majority can handle alcohol without abusing it. As recently reported, 3 people die in Ireland everyday due to alcohol abuse.
@Acedeuce: plants are dangerous…https://www.britannica.com/list/7-of-the-worlds-deadliest-plants
or do you meant it is just cannabis that is nor dangerous? The cannabis sold today is GM stuff, not the same as hippy stuff sold in 60′s.
@SFLounyTouny: no it’s not GM. Cross breeding does not equate to gm.
@Acedeuce: could you say that again, please
@John o connor: or just feminised.
@Elvis Polkasalad: could you not just read it again?
@Niallers: Benzos are up there
Because it has chemicals added to make it addictive. If it was legalized and regulated this wouldnt happen.
@Dearbhla Russell: ye…cos they would all want the legal less powerful type…get real.
@SFLounyTouny: ‘they’?
@SFLounyTouny: You know absolutely nothing about Cannabis, there are hundreds of different strains of it, some high in indica, some high in sativa, some that leave a mellow buzz, some that have a very fast high.
You need to “get real” and learn to understand what you are talking about – if it was regulated and taxed, there would be different types to choose from,
both indica and sativa strains can be found with varying THC:CBD cannabinoid concentrations. In general, the effect of sativa strains is often described as a strong and uplifting head high, while indicas tend to produce a more body-centred, stoned effect.
Do a bit of research, before waffling on as usual
@SFLounyTouny: The cannabis that is not sprayed with methadone among other things is a much more enjoyable high fyi.
@SFLounyTouny: you haven’t a clue honestly.. You’re probably the type who voted against gay marriage and abortion
@Pearse Mc Mullen: I don’t need to waste time researching something I have no intention of using…you rock on though.
@SFLounyTouny: you should do some research before commenting on it though! Major problem in this country with people spreading misinformation!
@SFLounyTouny: Then you should have no business talking about something you have no clue about, should you?
rock on there lad…
@Daniel Casey: please point out the misinformation I have spread.
@Pearse Mc Mullen: I don’t know a whole lot about murder, but i feel confident saying it is wrong.
Prostitution is regulated and taxed in The Netherlands but the still have a problem with illegal prostitution.
If you follow your argument then why not legalise cocaine, heroin, fentanyl…just legalise and tax and hey presto all the problems disappear.
@sflouny
What is “wrong” about using cannabis that you compare it to something as morrally wtong as murder?
One is morally wrong the other is a plant that many many prople benefit from but in rare cases can cause some negative effects. Kinda like caffeine is caffeine “wrong”?
@john doe: see I didn’t compare it to murder. The previous commenter told me not to comment on something I knew nothing about, I then said I knew nothing about murder but could comment on it, that is not comparing drug use to murder….if you can’t see that, well….
@Dearbhla Russell: can you name any of those “chemicals” without googling it?
@SFLounyTouny: that’s a brilliant philosophy for life. If it doesn’t affect me i don’t want or need to know anything about it. Definitely the kind of philosophy that will lead you to make good decisions. Spot on man.
@Jordan Osullivan: see I didn’t say that either…
@Dearbhla Russell: no thanks it messes up the brain causing a number of mental disorders! only thing that should be legalized is the use of the plant for medical reasons
@SFLounyTouny: nobody is saying that legalising something eliminates all the problems, but it makes the situation a lot better and more manageable than it currently is. And I don’t understand your argument about legalising other drugs. Cannabis is one of the softest drugs so if that’s legalised why legalise hard drugs like cocaine or heroin? I think a more logical argument is if you want cannabis to be illegal then you must surely want harder drugs to be illegal too? Such as alcohol or tobacco?
@Pearse Mc Mullen: hi Pearce, as good that cannabis is it does not get CAPITALISED, just saying.
Is it not time that we legalise all drugs and be done with it, as we have alcohol. We cant stop it, society pays the price and criminals get rich. I know there would still be a large price to pay with addiction etc but surely its better than the unwinnable place we are now. so many countries are spending so much money trying to stop the drug industry and we get nowhere. could this be Pro Choice. to take or not take legal acquired drugs sold in licences premises.
@Datuk Don: Exactly & the money raised instead of lining the pockets of vicious criminals can be used to fund education & addiction programmes.
@Datuk Don: Of course not. We need to start treating drug possession like drink driving. That’ll stop people from taking drugs
@Steve1234: of course it will, sure nobody drives while drunk….
@Bearded Grump: A lot less than about 10 years ago. The reason being that people are afraid of persecution for drink driving, they don’t fear persecution for possession of drugs
@Steve1234: ah yeah the homeless junkies wouldn’t want their drug taking licence taken away from them. You’re talking nonsense.
@Bearded Grump: If drugs were treated seriously years ago many of those junkies wouldn’t be taking drugs today
@Steve1234: ah so time travel is the answer. Why didn’t you say so?
@Steve1234: I think that globally that has not worked. 0 tolerance is a great sound bite but as criminals run the drug business they don’t understand the concept of law. We can fill the prisons but it won’t stop the underground problem. Like probation many year ago in the USA.
@Datuk Don: Works in Japan and South Korea
I’d take a fair stab that most, if not all are reported problems as fellas caught with a bit in their pockets end up reporting for treatment to help their case before a judge.
@Derek: True Derek im guilty of that myself!
@Derek: That and a lot of employment contracts state that as long as you’re getting treatment for your “addiction” and stay clean you get a pass on being fired.
If only similar sized countries such as Portugal & Switzerland had legalised drugs years ago and showed evidence that it helps massively. If only.
@Oisín O’Connor: Or countries that have a no nonsense approach to drugs like Japan and South Korea and have next to no drug related crime
@Steve1234: good point. I am not familiar with these 2 examples but I am with Singapore which also claims to be drug free.
There they have flogging and death as judicial deterrents but European culture and laws are different. I don’t think our society would support this approach even though it may be effective.
Sponsored by Diageo & Irish vintners federation.
@Oisín O’Connor: it’s not a sponsored article at all
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: woosh
It just needs to be legalised now. No need to criminalise a generation. Legalised where I live in the USA and do you know that the world keeps turning since the change in law. Drop in crime too as it takes it out of the hands of criminals. You have buy it in certain shops or if you want you can grow up to 9 plants at home.
@Brendan O’Reidenbach: For all intents and purposes it is legalised
It’s time the laws on drugs were enforced and the government and police stopped pretending they’re fighting a war on drugs when in reality they’re turning a blind eye to drugs
@Steve1234: I don’t drink, I find it too extreme. I enjoy a joint and it does me no harm, have a job, long term relationship.
By all accounts a good citizen and it f*cks me off no end seeing pissheads try to take some kind of moral high ground here
@Jeremiah Dempsey: i am almost 13yrs without alcohol and i also enjoy a joint.alcohol is by far the most destructive drug out there.
@Jeremiah Dempsey: you don’t drink & you smoke a joint!! You need to be locked up, you evil person.
@Bearded Grump: just a small one too. It’s a nice little thing to just unwind with and take the edge off the day.
Tried having a few cans in the house as many do, each to their own but sitting on the couch watching tele getting progressively drunker just seemed mental
@Steve1234: I should have muted you ages ago
@Steve1234: Why such a heavy-handed approach? What do you gain from championing zero-tolerance?
Im not picking a fight but I just dont see your motivation or thought-process behind such a brutal perspective
Is there any further breakdown of these figures… Specifically into what percentage of those ‘seeking treatment’ are actually there because they felt they were addicted and needed help vs those that said they’d go to rehab to the judge to avoid doing time/hefty fines for being caught in possession.
Shouldn’t that be alcohol followed by tobacco and drugs prescribed and otherwise
Utter nonsense! There is no way it has surpassed alcohol in that regard.
It’s pretty much harmless.
@Todd Hebert: biggest danger is the local take away might run out of tacos
@Todd Hebert: Apart from the mental health issues
@Steve1234: EVERYTHING caused mental health issues in the modern world. EVERYTHING: food, media, medication, peer-pressure, social circles, family dynamic – Im not sure how you can single out one substances
Why don’t they Legalise cannabis and prostitution to clean these areas up. Could be a good revenue generator
@Andrew Tuite: It’s more or less legal as are all drugs
@Steve1234: What? No drugs are legal, you try walk into a Garda station with a bag of any drugs and see how long it is before your in cuffs.
It’s time drug laws were enforced and the government and Gardai stopped pretending we’re fighting a war on drugs when in reality a blind eye is turned to drugs
@Steve1234: But aren`t Gardaí fighting “the war on drugs” and enforcing the drug laws with all the busts?
Turning a blind eye is not happening, except in your own little universe in that head of yours
@Steve1234: Trillions of dollars have been spent on the war on drugs. It’s not working. Time for a new approach no?
@Pearse Mc Mullen: No they’re not. If they actually treated possession of drugs like drunk driving the number of people taking drugs would drop dramatically. I can tell you in my own small town just about everyone knows who the drug dealers are. If there really was a war on drugs these people wouldn’t be dealing them due to fear of persecution
@Shakka1244: Yep treat possession of drugs like drink driving that’ll stop people taking drugs
@Steve1234: I enjoy a smoke and i don`t drive – what happens if i am caught? they take away my leap Card??
Get a grip lad FFS , lol
@Pearse Mc Mullen: If there really was a war on drugs would you put that out in public?
@Steve1234: didn`t i just do so? – You are the one saying that the Gardaí are doing nothing, while ALSO being the one who knows “loads of dealers” – why don`t you do your civic duty and report all these dealers you seem to know of then?
@Pearse Mc Mullen: and by doing so you’ve proved the war on drugs is a myth. If there really was a war you at least wouldn’t broadcast you take them in public and probably not take them in first place. I live in a small town and there’s only 4.
@Steve1234:
Tell that to Vera Twomey, ye thick. It should be legal for all. Funny how the U.S was the cause of it being outlawed in the first place yet it’s now legal in most of it. Time to cop on, legalize, regulate and tax
@Tommy Sea: No it should not. Severe mental health issues linked to canabbis and it is perhaps the one of the most dangerous drugs of all
@Steve1234: “perhaps the one of the most dangerous drugs of all”
Well now you really are talking through your hoop.
@Richard Sweeney: Disagree if you want, but an increasing amount of evidence shows that canabbis is a highly dangerous drug (and notice how many terrorists are cannabis smokers)
@Steve1234: I will of course disagree as Cannabis is without doubt one of the most benign drugs you could take. Abuse it, and that’s a different story.
Notice how many terrorists are cannabis users? That’s your argument?
I wonder how many murderers drink alcohol or have eaten sushi? You see you can do that with anything.
@Steve1234: (and notice how many terrorists are cannabis smokers)
LMFAO! Ah here, you need to lay off whatever you are smoking or ingesting, ye sound about 70 with absolutely no clue about Cannabis or its users
@Pearse Mc Mullen: That’s a bit ageist of you there Pearse.
@Pearse Mc Mullen: he’s just a troll looking for a reaction, once he’s muted him and his 40 nonsense inflammatory comments go away. This site is riddled with trolls, hacks and simpletons.
@Steve1234: Spot on Steve. I also noticed that all terrorists are engaging in breathing, eating or drinking. Lets put a war on all those activities. Also, many of them seem to be deeply religious. Time to start a war on all religions. Don’t you agree? I simply follow your flawless logic.
@Steve1234: You were talking nonsense about the 8th and here you are talking pure crap about drugs. You’ve haven’t a clue about anything.
@Mark McDermott: How am I speaking nonsense. The truth is there is no war on drugs and drugs are pretty much decriminalised. Like abortion this argument is based on extreme selfishness
Legalise and tax it, the state could do with the money.
Steve@1234
The dealing would still carry on just with more risk and with that will come more crime and corruption,prices will sky rocket and the more ruteless dealer will make more money !! Vicious Circle
@Pl Ster: If people were persecuted for possessing drugs a lot less would take them. Same way less people drink drive today because it is taken seriously. Also random blood testing of blood people especially young people would also help eradicate it. The fact is no one is afraid of being persecuted for taking drugs because they know there’s no chance of it.
@Steve1234: What I mean is the demand should be targetted
@Pl Ster: Also Japan and South Korea have no drug problem precisely because they take drugs seriously
@Steve1234: Random blood testing? This isn’t a dictatorship, no law would ever pass in the Dail to have mandatory blood testing of people.
Ah but sure it’s harmless… yaddaa yaadaa yaddaa
second most common drug is cannibis? in what sense r ye on about?second most common drug used by addicts of other drugs l guess,an addict is asked what drugs he uses he says alcohol cannibis solpadine or heroin cannibis cocaine so theres 2 mentions of cannibis and one of heroin so the statistic show cannibis the second most common drug,gimme a break,the least harmfull by a mile
“Prosecution”
Just lower the price of fags ffs
have your say