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NEARLY 2,600 PEOPLE have been killed since April in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the United Nations said in a report released today.
The revised death toll comes amid increasingly vocal condemnation from Western leaders of a “Russian invasion.”
NATO ambassadors are holding crisis talks today after the alliance said Russia had at least 1,000 troops fighting to support a lightning rebel counter-offensive against Ukrainian government forces.
The presence of the troops – which Russia has repeatedly denied – has stoked fear of a direct confrontation between Kiev and and its former Soviet masters.
US President Obama yesterday said he had spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and that the two agreed “Russia is responsible for the violence in eastern Ukraine.”
The violence is encouraged by Russia. The separatists are trained by Russia. They are armed by Russia. They are funded by Russia.
Russia has repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the new images of Russian forces inside Ukraine make that plain for the world to see.
Obama also warned that ongoing Russian incursions into Ukraine would bring “costs and consequences for Russia.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, was full of praise for pro-Russian rebels in their efforts to halt the advances of Ukrainian forces engages in a counter-offensive in the southeastern town of Ilovaysk.
I call on the rebel forces to open a humanitarian corridor for the Ukrainian troops who are surrounded, so as to avoid unnecessary casualties and to give them the opportunity to withdraw from the zone of operations.
For his part, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today expressed grave concerns about the intensifying conflict in Ukraine.
“I’m gravely concerned by the deteriorating situation in Ukraine,” Ban told a UN conference on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
He said recent talks aimed at resolving the crisis had “quickly been overshadowed by alarming new reports of intensifying fighting”.
Ban said he was concerned about the situation on the Ukraine-Russia border, and reports that arms and heavy weaponry were flowing into Ukraine from its former Soviet master.
“There is an urgent need to ensure a secure border between the two countries with international verification,” he added.
The United States and European Union have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, the worst standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
Contains reporting from AFP.
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Heard about this story through the grapevine yesterday……
Song number 2 won’t pay for me….
Neither will play for me. Does this mean they’re the same?
Might help if you could play them?
‘This video is not available’
Song two broke
Robbin’ Thicko.
Where’s the option for they don’t sound alike, because they don’t sound alike?
Ian dempsey played blurred lines a few weeks ago. ..the very last thing I ever want to hear again is the song finishing and Ian continuing with ‘I know you want it..’ puke!
Ian has recently taken to singing the last few lines of another song in an Irish /Caribbean accent “all about da bass, da bass” Makes me want to eat my own face!
Reminds me of the great Morecambe and Wise sketch when playing for Andre Previn – and he tells Eric that he’s playing the wrong notes – ‘i’m playing the right notes – but not necessarily in the right order’.
Another rip off, if you look hard enough you’ll probably find a lot of modern songs do this. I remember people used to say Kid Rock was putting his own twist on Sweet Home Alabama with that summer song he had, turned out he’d taken the whole thing from another song called Werewolves of London. In his case I think he had permission but he just keeps it quiet so people think he wrote it himself. A lot of these so-called musicians’ only talent is being marketable. It’s even more obvious now the only reason Pharrell Williams was brought in for Blurred Lines was exposure, not for his musical ability because they already had the bones of the song and anyone could turn Gaye’s into Thicke’s with the software that’s available now. It’s a soulless industry now.
Does there come a point where modern pop simply runs out of notes to play an starts to consume itself?
Anyhow, never mind all that. To my ears, pop music a la Spin South West sounds bloody awful. If young people were listening to stuff I liked that would be more of a concern. C’mon da Biffy an all that.
Anyone notice how much Dylan’s “With God on our Side” sounds like “The Patriot Game” by our very own Dominic Behan?
There’s a true scandal.
Play *
This non playback situation is happening regularly on the Journal. Why don’t you check what you’re posting guys as its very annoying and amateurish.
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