Displaying items by tag: war of words

Russia has accused Ukraine of shooting down a military transport plane carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, on a flight to Belgorod in southern Russia, where a prisoner exchange was planned. However, the exact details and the cause of the crash (on 24 January) remain unverified by independent sources. The ongoing conflict, now nearing its two-year mark, has been marked by mutual accusations and disputes. The Russian defence ministry stated that the Ilyushin Il-76 plane was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile system, leading to the deaths of six crew members, 65 Ukrainian military personnel, and three Russian military personnel accompanying them. In response, Ukraine's military acknowledged the planned prisoner exchange, but said they lacked reliable information about the plane's passengers. They asserted that they had fulfilled their obligations and ensured the safety of captured Russian servicemen who were supposed to be part of the exchange.

The 1984 treaty between the UK and China paved the way for sovereignty over the territory to pass back to Beijing. A joint declaration set out how the rights of Hong Kong citizens should be protected for the next 100 years. Hong Kong has a judicial system independent from China, but a controversial proposed extradition bill flies in the face of the treaty. It caused huge protests, and activists occupied parliament buildings. China’s reaction to this event prompted Jeremy Hunt to summon its ambassador on 3 July, saying that he rejected Beijing’s ‘unacceptable behaviour and inaccurate remarks’. On 4 July China warned the UK not to interfere in its domestic affairs and labelled the UK ‘hypocritical’, saying that it no longer has a say in how Hong Kong should be run and managed. See also ‘Hong Kong Christians’ in world section.