Kyiv helicopter crash kills 18, top Ukraine officials dead
Kyiv (AP): A helicopter crash in a Kyiv suburb Wednesday killed 18 people, including Ukraine's interior minister and three children, Ukrainian authorities said.
Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy Yevhen Yenin and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yurii Lubkovych were among those killed, according to Ihor Klymenko, chief of Ukraine's National Police. Monastyrskyi is the most senior Ukrainian official to have died since the start of the war with Russia almost 11 months ago.
Nine of those killed were aboard the emergency services helicopter that crashed in Brovary, an eastern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Klymenko said.
Kyiv Regional Governor Oleksii Kuleba said three children were also killed. Earlier, officials and media reports said the helicopter crashed near a kindergarten.
There was no immediate word on whether the crash was an accident or a result of the war with Russia. No fighting has been reported recently in the Kyiv area.
A total of 29 people were injured, including 15 children, the regional governor said.
Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska daubed teary eyes and pinched her nose in emotion minutes before attending a World Economic Forum session in Davos, Switzerland.
Forum President Borge Brende requested 15 seconds of silence after opening the session to honor the Ukrainian officials killed in the crash.
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Lok Sabha functions under rules; will continue to run with fairness: Birla
New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said the House functions strictly under its rules and regulations and will continue to do so, irrespective of whether it is acceptable to any member, and asserted that he would conduct the proceedings with sincerity and fairness.
A day after a motion seeking his removal as Speaker was defeated in the House, Birla also said that the Chair does not belong to any one individual but is a symbol of the prestige of the House.
Birla said he was grateful to the members of the House for the faith reposed in him during debate and thanked all those who spoke in favour of him as well as against him.
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"The House has been running with rules and regulations and will continue to function in future, irrespective of whether it is acceptable to any member or not. I will continue to discharge my duty with all sincerity and impartiality," he said amidst the thumping of desks by the treasury bench members.
Thursday was the first time Birla came to the House to conduct the proceedings since the notice of no confidence was given during the first part of the Budget session, which came to an end on February 13. The second part of the session began on March 9.
The Speaker said during the debate in the last two days, some members said that the Leader of the Opposition is not given enough opportunities to speak, and he should be allowed to speak whenever he wishes and on any subject.
"Everyone has the right to speak in the House, but by following rules and regulations. No member, not even the prime minister or any minister, can speak without the permission of the Chair. No member of the House has the privilege to speak at any time and on any subject. He can speak only when the Chair allows," he said.
Birla said the MPs have the freedom of speech in the House, but they have to follow rules and regulations.
He also addressed allegations that the microphones of some members are switched off when they want to speak.
"I don't have a switch to turn the mic on or off. The mic is put on when a member is given permission to speak by the chair," he said.
Soon after his speech, Birla adjourned the House till 2 pm.
