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WORLD NEWS Friday 6 September 2019
Key witness in MH17 downing released from jail in Ukraine

Associated Press Among others who could
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A be going home is a Russian
Ukrainian court on Thurs- journalist who was released
day unexpectedly re- by a Kyiv court on parole
leased a key witness in the last week, and a handful
case of the 2014 downing of Ukrainian prisoners, in-
of Malaysia Airlines Flight cluding film director Oleg
17, just minutes before Rus- Sentsov, who have recently
sian President Vladimir Pu- been taken from their Rus-
tin said he was optimistic sian prison colonies to a
about an impending pris- temporary facility in Mos-
oner swap with Ukraine. cow.
Russia and Ukraine, which Responding to the reports
remain deadlocked over that Tsemakh might be sent
Russia’s 2014 annexation to Russia, Dutch prosecu-
of Ukraine’s Crimean pen- tors investigating the MH17
insula and the separatist- downing which killed all
controlled east, have been 298 people on board said
discussing a major prisoner earlier this week they would
exchange that could re- like to question him.
lease dozens of Russians Dozens of Ukrainian law-
and Ukrainians kept in cus- makers signed a petition to
tody in the two countries. President Volodymyr Zelen-
The appeals court in the Russian President Vladimir Putin opens a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in skiy earlier this week, urging
capital Kyiv ordered the Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. him against handing Tse-
release of Volodymyr Tse- Associated Press makh over to Russia.
makh from custody on re- released on Thursday, Pres- Ukraine. make the announcement All 298 passengers and
cognizance, pending fur- ident Vladimir Putin spoke Later that day, Putin met soon. crew on board the flight
ther investigation. about the impending pris- with Ukrainian politician Unconfirmed reports have from Amsterdam to Kuala
Tsemakh, who was the oner exchange at a con- Viktor Medvedchuk who suggested that Tsemakh is Lumpur were killed on July
commander of the sepa- ference in Russia’s Far East, has negotiated prisoner on the list of prisoners that 17, 2014, when a missile
ratists’ air defense in the saying that the negotia- swaps with Russia before. Russia wants exchanged shattered the Boeing 777
area where the MH17 flight tions are now in their final Putin did not give any in return for freeing several in midair over the rebel-
was shot down five years stages. timeline for the impending Ukrainians jailed in Russia, controlled area, sending
ago, was abducted by “I think (the swap) will be exchange but told Med- including 24 sailors cap- debris and bodies raining
Ukrainian security services fairly big,” he said in tele- vedchuk that Russian and tured off Crimea in Novem- down onto farms and fields
earlier this year and taken vised remarks, adding that Ukrainian authorities would ber. of sunflowers.q
across the frontline to Kyiv. it would be a “good step”
Shortly after Tsemakh was to improve Russia’s ties with

Truck, train collide at rail

crossing near Tokyo, 30 injured

A train sits derailed after a collision with a truck in Yokohama,
near Tokyo Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019.
Associated Press
Associated Press ment said at least 30 peo-
TOKYO (AP) — A commuter ple received first aid at the
train and a truck loaded scene.
with boxes of citrus collided Television footage on Ja-
at a rail crossing near To- pan’s NHK national broad-
kyo on Thursday, injuring at caster showed the Keikyu
least 30 people, Japanese express train derailed and
authorities said. tilted.
The collision occurred just Next to it was a mangled
before noon as the truck truck. Gray smoke billowed
apparently entered a rail- from the truck and the
way crossing in Yokohama, train cars were blackened.
a port city near Tokyo, lo- Cardboard boxes and or-
cal police said. anges from the truck were
The Yokohama fire depart- scattered on the ground.q