Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY
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WORLD NEWS A9
Thursday 28 December 2017
Ukrainian authorities and separatist rebels swap prisoners
By INNA VARENYTSIA Relatives and friend of the Ukrainian prisoners held by the rebels hold a Ukrainian National flag as from the Organization for
Associated Press Security and Cooperation
HORLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — they wait them at the Kiev’s airport in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. Ukrainian authori- in Europe, a trans-Atlantic
Ukrainian authorities and security and rights group
Russian-backed separatist ties and Russian-backed separatist rebels conducted a massive prisoner exchange Wednesday, that has deployed moni-
rebels conducted a mas- tors to eastern Ukraine.
sive prisoner exchange the largest such trade of captives since the start of the conflict and a sign of visible progress in the The OSCE welcomed the
Wednesday, the largest swap and urged the two
such trade of captives implementation of a 2015 peace deal. sides to build on the mo-
since the start of an armed mentum from it. “Allowing
conflict in the country’s east (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) such a significant number
and a sign of visible prog- of people, who have been
ress in the implementation Ukraine. One held a cat. ruary 2015. ishment, which was later held on both sides, to return
of a 2015 peace deal. home before the New Year
Rebels from the self-pro- “I’m out of hell, I have sur- Chudentsov said he faced changed to 30 years in pris- and Orthodox Christmas is
claimed separatist repub- a very welcome develop-
lics in the Luhansk and vived,” said Yevhen Chu- threats and beatings while on. He said after his release ment,” said Austrian For-
Donetsk regions handed eign Minister Karin Kneissl,
over 74 prisoners, and dentsov, who served with in rebel custody, and his in Horlivka that he would the OSCE chairman. “To-
Ukrainian authorities deliv- day’s exchange is not only
ered 233. Some had been one of Ukraine’s volunteer front teeth were knocked join the Ukrainian military a humanitarian act but
held for more than a year. also a helpful step in con-
Larisa Sargan, a spokes- battalions in the east and out. He was initially sen- again. The exchange was fidence-building.” Ukraine
woman for the country’s was supposed to release
prosecutor general’s office, was taken prisoner in Feb- tenced to capital pun- supervised by observers 306 people, but dozens
said on Facebook that one chose to stay in Ukraine or
of the 74 prisoners released had been freed earlier, said
by the separatists said she Viktor Medvedchuk, who
would stay in Donetsk. monitored the exchange
Carrying their belonging, on the Ukrainian side. Many
the prisoners were turned of the captives were not
over in the town of Horlivka combatants; some were
and the village of Zaitseve, activists and bloggers who
located in an area dividing were charged with spying
the separatist regions and or treason.q
Israel minister plans Trump train station at Western Wall
By ILAN BEN ZION ing two underground sta- tradition holds that Jesus the Palestinians, neighbor- more than $700 million and,
Associated Press tions and excavating over was crucified and buried, ing Arab countries and the if approved, would take
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s 2 miles (3 kilometers) of and a contested holy site international community. four years to complete.
transportation minister is tunnel beneath downtown known to Jews as the Tem- Katz, a senior Cabinet of- Katz’s office said the minis-
pushing ahead with a plan Jerusalem and under the ple Mount and to Muslims ficial who also serves as Is- ter advanced the plan in a
to dig a railway tunnel un- politically sensitive Old City. as the Noble Sanctuary. rael’s intelligence minister, recent meeting with Israel
der Jerusalem’s Old City, The project would extend Previous excavations by is a close ally of Prime Min- Railways executives, and
passing near sites holy to Jerusalem’s soon-to-open Israel near the holy site — ister Benjamin Netanyahu has fast-tracked it in the
Jews, Christians and Mus- high-speed rail line from Tel the spiritual epicenter of and is seen by many as his planning committees. Katz
lims — and ending at the Aviv to the Western Wall, the Israeli-Palestinian con- likely eventual successor said a high-speed rail sta-
Western Wall with a sta- the holiest site where Jews flict — have sparked violent as head of the Likud par- tion would allow visitors to
tion named after President can pray. The route will run Palestinian protests. Be- ty. Transportation Ministry reach “the beating heart
Donald Trump. Yisrael Katz’s close to — but not directly cause of those sensitivities, spokesman Avner Ovadia of the Jewish people — the
plan, currently in the initial under — the Church of the proposal will likely meet said Wednesday the proj- Western Wall and the Tem-
stages, involves construct- the Holy Sepulchre, where with heavy resistance from ect is estimated to cost ple Mount.”q
