The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has found that Russia was responsible for the July 17, 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board.

The council of ICAO voted that Russia failed to uphold its obligations under international air law which requires that States “refrain from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.

The case was brought by the Netherlands and Australia.

“This represents the first time in ICAO’s history that its Council has made a determination on the merits of a dispute between Member States under the Organization’s dispute settlement mechanism,” the UN agency said.

Flight MH17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine amid the armed conflict between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian military forces.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew members were killed. They represented some 17 nationalities and included 196 Dutch citizens, 43 Malaysians and 38 Australian citizens or residents.

ICAO is the global aviation body that develops and implements global aviation strategies and technical standards and the council is its governing body.

The UN aviation agency created a special task force on risks to civil aviation arising from conflict zones in the weeks following the crash.

The Netherlands established a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in August 2014 together with Australia, Malaysia and Belgium, as well as Ukraine.

The JIT determined that flight MH17 was shot down by a missile launched from a Buk TELAR installation that was transported from Russia to a farm field in eastern Ukraine in an area controlled by separatists.

In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted three men – two Russians and a Ukrainian – for murder.  They were tried in absentia and sentenced to life in prison. Another Russian man was acquitted.

That same year, the Netherlands and Australia launched the case with ICAO.

The case centered on allegations that Russia’s conduct in the downing of the aircraft by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine constituted a breach of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

War in Ukraine had escalated since the crash following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

More than 13,000 civilians have been killed to date and no fewer than 31,000 injured, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR. (NAN)

 World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said malnutrition rates are rising in Gaza and emergency treatments to counter it are running out.

It added that hunger could have a lasting impact on “an entire generation.”

Israel has blockaded supplies into the enclave since early March, when it resumed its devastating military campaign against Hamas, and a global hunger monitor on Monday warned that half a million people there faced starvation.

WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Rik Peeperkorn said he had seen children who looked years younger than their age and visited a north Gaza hospital where over 20 per cent of children screened suffered from acute malnutrition.

Peeperkorn told a press briefing by video link from Deir al-Balah that “what we see is an increasing trend in generalised acute malnutrition.

“I’ve seen a child that’s five years old, and you would say it was two-and-a-half.

“Without enough nutritious food, clean water and access to healthcare, an entire generation will be permanently affected.”

He also warned of stunting and impaired cognitive development.

The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency Philippe Lazzarini told the BBC on Tuesday that he thought Israel was denying food and aid to civilians as a weapon of war.

Israel has repeatedly blamed Hamas for causing hunger by stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas has denied the allegation.

Israel is pressing its own U.S.-backed plan to get aid into Gaza which it said will cut out Hamas and distribute aid directly from what it calls neutral distribution sites.

The WHO criticised it in a statement on Monday as “grossly inadequate” to meet the population’s immediate needs.

Due to the blockade, WHO only has enough stocks to treat 500 children with acute malnutrition, which is only a fraction of what is needed, Peeperkorn said.

He added that 55 children have died of acute malnutrition, citing Gaza Health Ministry figures.

Peeperkorn said he had seen many children in hospitals with illnesses such as gastroenteritis and pneumonia which, due to their reduced immunity linked to hunger, could be fatal.

“You normally don’t die from starvation. You die from the diseases associated to that,” he added. (Reuters/NAN)

Lagos State Govt. Set To Launch Monthly Rent Payment Scheme

The Lagos State Government says it is finalizing plans to introduce monthly and quarterly rent payment system aimed at easing financial burden on residents, especially low-income earners.

The Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, disclosed at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate Gov.

He said the initiative was part of broader efforts to make housing accessible and affordable for residents.

He recalled that the state had earlier launched a rent-to-own housing scheme which allows tenants to make an initial five per cent down payment and spread the balance over a 10-year period.

“That initiative was well-received, and its success encouraged us to explore new ways to reduce the pressure of yearly rent payment,” he said.

According to him, many tenants, particularly those with modest incomes, find it difficult to pay rent annually.

Akinderu-Fatai added that “we believe that monthly or quarterly payment options will give people more breathing space and reduce the stress associated with sourcing lump sums.”

He noted that the government was currently engaging landlords, property developers and other key players in the real estate sector to understand the challenges and fine-tune the policy before rolling it out.

He said “of course, there are issues to resolve — things like landlord cooperation, payment tracking and enforcement. But discussions are ongoing and we are listening to all sides.”

The commissioner added that the government was fully committed to the plan, working diligently to implement a pilot phase in selected areas of the state.

“This is not just policy on paper. We are making real progress. We know what this means for many families, and we are determined to make it happen,” he stressed. (NAN)