Latest news with #Honcharenko
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine's live-blogging lawmakers fuel public anger at parliament
KYIV, July 29 (Reuters) - Swivelling his selfie camera around the floor of Ukraine's parliament, opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko beamed out a real-time view of colleagues fast-tracking legislation that would soon spark the biggest political crisis since Russia's invasion. "Friends, this is how parliamentarianism is being destroyed in Ukraine," he said in the July 22 broadcast to his more than 2 million social media subscribers. Honcharenko is one of a handful of politicians in Ukraine's parliament, mostly from the opposition, who have filled the gap left by a wartime suspension of an official live broadcast. They provide followers with play-by-play text and visual updates of Ukraine's thorny politics, which helped to fuel a popular backlash against a law pushed through last week by the ruling party to defang anti-corruption watchdogs. The practice of airing parliamentary sessions, once a staple of Ukraine's vibrant political culture, was scrapped after Russia's February 2022 invasion because it was considered a security risk. Honcharenko and several other opposition members stepped in, using their platforms increasingly since 2023 to keep Ukrainians up to speed on the inner workings of Ukraine's 450-seat legislature. Events there captured public attention last week after lawmakers led by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party rammed through measures curbing the powers of two prominent anti-corruption agencies. The vote, which the opposition said had been marred by procedural violations, was documented online by Honcharenko and at least one other opposition lawmaker. Within minutes of the legislation passing, some of Ukraine's leading online influencers weighed in, stoking anger that sent thousands of protesters onto the streets of Kyiv and other cities that night in rare wartime unrest. "Today they simply shat on everyone's head with this law and set us back 10 years," wrote blogger Ihor Lachenkov to his 1.5 million Telegram subscribers. Protesters expressed anger at the speed with which the measures were passed, and some suspected they were designed to protect top officials from investigation. The anti-graft agencies are also crucial to Ukraine's aim to one day join the European Union. Zelenskiy reversed course after the outcry and pressure from senior European politicians. Lawmakers will consider restoring the independence of the agencies on Thursday. Ukraine's parliament has been in session throughout the war, and until last week's controversy had largely taken on a rubber-stamp function to pass laws critical to the country's wartime survival. On Monday, nearly 70 prominent civic and media organisations called on parliament to restore the broadcast from the chamber, saying transparency was "the foundation of trust in parliament". "I think it had a very big significance on people saying 'No, this isn't right. This isn't Europe,'" said Honcharenko, who is the only lawmaker streaming live video, of the impact of his broadcasts on public opinion after last week's vote. Broadcasting from parliament is not technically illegal but instead banned by a non-binding resolution respected by most lawmakers. Sessions are posted online later in the day. A spokesperson for parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. Calls to resume broadcasting are part of broader criticism among opposition politicians and the public that Zelenskiy's administration has attempted to monopolise the wartime narrative, including through centralised state television. His office denies the charge. "(Opening up parliament) is not convenient for them - that's clear," said lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who delivers live text coverage of sessions on Telegram, often with scathing wit that is accented by emojis. He said some of his colleagues who had voted for the controversial measures would not have done so if they knew voters were watching in real time. Vita Dumanska, head of the pro-transparency group CHESNO said lawmakers' feeds were not proper substitutes for an official transmission because they can curate what voters see. "This is not an objective presentation of facts," said Dumanska, whose organisation led the call by civic groups. "These are facts with a political stance."
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukraine's live-blogging lawmakers fuel public anger at parliament
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko holds smartphones as he live streams a session of Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine January 8, 2025. REUTERS/Andrii Nesterenko/File Photo KYIV - Swivelling his selfie camera around the floor of Ukraine's parliament, opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko beamed out a real-time view of colleagues fast-tracking legislation that would soon spark the biggest political crisis since Russia's invasion. "Friends, this is how parliamentarianism is being destroyed in Ukraine," he said in the July 22 broadcast to his more than 2 million social media subscribers. Honcharenko is one of a handful of politicians in Ukraine's parliament, mostly from the opposition, who have filled the gap left by a wartime suspension of an official live broadcast. They provide followers with play-by-play text and visual updates of Ukraine's thorny politics, which helped to fuel a popular backlash against a law pushed through last week by the ruling party to defang anti-corruption watchdogs. The practice of airing parliamentary sessions, once a staple of Ukraine's vibrant political culture, was scrapped after Russia's February 2022 invasion because it was considered a security risk. Honcharenko and several other opposition members stepped in, using their platforms increasingly since 2023 to keep Ukrainians up to speed on the inner workings of Ukraine's 450-seat legislature. Events there captured public attention last week after lawmakers led by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party rammed through measures curbing the powers of two prominent anti-corruption agencies. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Within minutes of the legislation passing, some of Ukraine's leading online influencers weighed in, stoking anger that sent thousands of protesters onto the streets of Kyiv and other cities that night in rare wartime unrest. "Today they simply shat on everyone's head with this law and set us back 10 years," wrote blogger Ihor Lachenkov to his 1.5 million Telegram subscribers. Protesters expressed anger at the speed with which the measures were passed, and some suspected they were designed to protect top officials from investigation. The anti-graft agencies are also crucial to Ukraine's aim to one day join the European Union. Zelenskiy reversed course after the outcry and pressure from senior European politicians. Lawmakers will consider restoring the independence of the agencies on Thursday. Ukraine's parliament has been in session throughout the war, and until last week's controversy had largely taken on a rubber-stamp function to pass laws critical to the country's wartime survival. NEWSMAKERS OR NEWS PROVIDERS? On Monday, nearly 70 prominent civic and media organisations called on parliament to restore the broadcast from the chamber, saying transparency was "the foundation of trust in parliament". "I think it had a very big significance on people saying 'No, this isn't right. This isn't Europe,'" said Honcharenko, who is the only lawmaker streaming live video, of the impact of his broadcasts on public opinion after last week's vote. Broadcasting from parliament is not technically illegal but instead banned by a non-binding resolution respected by most lawmakers. Sessions are posted online later in the day. A spokesperson for parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. Calls to resume broadcasting are part of broader criticism among opposition politicians and the public that Zelenskiy's administration has attempted to monopolise the wartime narrative, including through centralised state television. His office denies the charge. "(Opening up parliament) is not convenient for them - that's clear," said lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who delivers live text coverage of sessions on Telegram, often with scathing wit that is accented by emojis. He said some of his colleagues who had voted for the controversial measures would not have done so if they knew voters were watching in real time. Vita Dumanska, head of the pro-transparency group CHESNO said lawmakers' feeds were not proper substitutes for an official transmission because they can curate what voters see. "This is not an objective presentation of facts," said Dumanska, whose organisation led the call by civic groups. "These are facts with a political stance." REUTERS
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How ‘The Bachelor' Ukraine Has Changed Attitudes Towards Disabled War Vets and TV
With his camera-ready looks and natural charm, Oleksandr 'Teren' Budko seemed like a perfect fit to be selected as the man in the spotlight for the most recently aired season of The Bachelor in Ukraine. But there was a twist: Budko is a military veteran who lost both legs during the war that resulted from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Produced by Starlight Media and Warner Bros. International Television and aired on the STB network, the Ukrainian version of The Bachelor has helped change attitudes towards people returning to civilian life after fighting in the war, according to Starlight executives who spoke at NATPE Budapest this week. More from The Hollywood Reporter Neon Nabs Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice' Comedy Thriller BBC Introduces News Paywall for U.S. Users Catherine Hardwicke Praises Heath Ledger, Talks 'Twilight' at Mediterrane Film Festival Masterclass 'Our mission is to build out the dignity and respect for those who served, because Ukraine is a nation of veterans and their families,' Yana Honcharenko, chief communications and sustainability officer at Starlight said in accepting the first-ever Cause + Action Award as part of the inaugural NATPE Honors Europe in Budapest. The event said the honor was 'recognizing Ukraine's largest broadcasting group for supporting and amplifying the voice of veterans, notably putting a war vet in the spotlight in the most recent edition of The Bachelor.' Whether it's comedies, reality shows, documentaries or scripted content, 'we will keep telling these stories, because we don't always know the name of each one of them, but we will make sure the world knows the stories,' Honcharenko vowed. 'Thank you and thank you for seeing us, our stories, our people, and our fight.' Asked how she and her team approach the balance between offering programming with social impact and providing escapist entertainment during a time of war, the executive told THR: 'We don't believe in separating 'social impact' from entertainment. In fact, we believe the most powerful change happens when impact is embedded in the mainstream — when it lives inside the content people already love. That's why, when we address veteran inclusion, we don't create a single show or campaign. Instead, we integrate it across our entire portfolio: viewers see veterans as contestants on MasterChef, as heroes in our scripted series, as participants in quiz shows and entertainment formats and — yes — also as the lead on The Bachelor. And of course, they are present in our documentaries and news features as well.' For Starlight, it isn't just about visibility. 'It's about reflecting the truth,' Honcharenko explained. 'Ukraine's military is incredibly diverse — people of all ages, backgrounds and professions. Some are career soldiers. Others were teachers, chefs, comedians and entrepreneurs. We try to show this full humanity: not just the trauma or scars of war, but the wit, the brilliance, the humor and the talent that veterans bring back into civilian life. Sometimes we're not telling a story about a soldier — we're telling a story about someone who makes brilliant desserts, or wants to start a business, or makes people laugh. And that's just as important.' During a panel discussion at NATPE Budapest, Anna Kalyna, head of the Starlight Production studio, shared some data that shows how having a war veteran looking for love on The Bachelor has changed attitudes in Ukraine. Starlight made sure to survey attitudes before and after the show aired. Before the most recent season of The Bachelor, 35 percent of people surveyed weren't sure if a veteran with a disability could be seen as sexually attractive, which fell to 16 percent after the show aired. At the same time, the people who felt they could be sexually attractive rose from 52 percent to 71 percent. Similarly, the percentage of people who didn't know if such veterans could have an 'active, fulfilling intimate life' halved from 26 percent to 13 percent, while the percentage of people who felt they could rose from 68 percent to 79 percent. Also rising were the percentages of people who said they could imagine someone in their close circle being open to a relationship or family with a disabled war veteran (from 56 percent to 69 percent) and those who said they were willing to watch content featurng disabled war veterans in leading roles (from 82 percent to 90 percent). 'It was probably the biggest and the most amazing impact we have had for our reality TV shows,' Kalyna concluded. And Starlight expects the impact of the war to have long-term implications. 'The most important market trend we're navigating is the transformation of the audience itself,' Honcharenko told THR. 'In Ukraine, the war has reshaped not just the media landscape — it has changed people. Their needs, sensitivities, humor, emotional capacity and attention are all different now. And that requires us to rethink what we offer, how we tell stories, and why.' 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JAMnews
27-06-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
Georgia declines to back tribunal on Russian aggression against Ukraine
Georgia refuses to back tribunal against Russia On 24 June, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, comprising representatives from 46 member states, authorised the Secretary General to sign an agreement establishing a special tribunal on Russian aggression against Ukraine. Georgia did not support the tribunal's creation. In addition to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan abstained, while Hungary, Turkey, and Serbia voted against. On 25 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement establishing a special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine, and approved its statute. The campaign to create a special tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine was launched by Ukrainian legal experts and government officials shortly after the full-scale war began. The idea was inspired by an article by renowned international lawyer and professor Philippe Sands titled 'Putin's Use of Force Is a Crime of Aggression.' During a debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko reacted to Georgia's position on the tribunal: 'A truly historic moment — the establishment of a tribunal against Russian aggression. But do you know what? Six member states didn't sign the agreement. And one of them is Georgia. Georgia itself is a victim of Russian aggression. 20% of Georgian territory is occupied by Russia — nearly the same as in Ukraine. Georgia became a victim of the Moscow regime before us, and yet now refuses to support a tribunal against Russian aggression. Can you imagine that? So the question is: who does the Georgian government really work for? Who are their masters?' Tina Bokuchava, chair of the United National Movement party, also commented on her meeting with the PACE President: 'During the meeting with the President, a shocking fact was raised — that a representative of Georgian Dream did not participate in the vote on establishing a special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine. <…> This is yet more proof of Ivanishvili's regime being in alliance with Putin.' Georgian Dream's response When asked by Netgazeti why Georgia did not sign the agreement to create the tribunal, Georgian Dream's First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Giorgi Volski replied: 'You are an occupied country, missile systems are aimed at you. That's one important factor. Second — no one yet knows how things will develop, including with regard to Ukraine. And third — which everyone forgets — Georgia, along with a number of European countries, appealed to the Hague tribunal asking to accelerate this investigation. What more can a country do that lives under daily threat and continues to survive and develop at gunpoint? Saboteurs are attacking the country through the media and hanging on every word of some fool like Honcharenko. You're all Honcharenkos. What tribunal are we talking about? What can Honcharenko or anyone else do? Ukraine is drowning in blood. Georgia knows its own path and policy. There is no pro-Russian policy in this country. Georgia has signed more than 600 principled resolutions and statements in support of Ukraine. And yet they're all ungrateful people — Honcharenko included.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Russians attack Kramatorsk, killing one person and injuring two others
The Russian troops attacked the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast seven times on the morning of 6 May, killing one person and injuring two others. Source: Oleksandr Honcharenko, Head of Kramatorsk City Military Administration, on Facebook Quote from Oleksandr Honcharenko: "Kramatorsk suffered seven enemy attacks... One person was killed and two others injured." Details: Honcharenko added that one of those who were injured in the attacks is in a critical condition. Early reports indicate that all the strikes targeted the industrial area. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
