Disillusioned Ukrainian voters gave the arch-enemy of the 2004 Orange Revolution a first-place finish in the initial round of presidential voting Sunday, setting up a showdown with the heroine of the Orange movement, an exit poll showed.
The survey predicts the pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych will finish first in the hard-fought contest and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will finish second, clearing the path for a runoff between the pair sometime next month.
The two candidates stood on opposite sides of the barricades during the peaceful mass demonstrations that kicked out a reputedly corrupt government in 2004, when Yanukovych had the backing of the Kremlin and Orange forces denounced Russian interference.
Today, both candidates say they will abandon efforts to join NATO and pledge to repair ties to Russia, the region’s dominant power.
Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych took the most votes in the first round of a presidential election, pitting him against the nation’s prime minister in a runoff vote in three weeks, an exit poll shows.
Yanukovych, 59, took 31.5 percent of the vote, not enough for a first-round victory, according to the exit poll of 12,349 voters nationwide conducted by a group of three research organizations as of 6 p.m. in Kiev.
Premier Yulia Timoshenko, took 27.2 percent, and will also take part in the two-candidate Feb. 7 second round, the exit poll found. Incumbent Viktor Yushchenko got 6 percent, losing his bid for re-election.
The National Television Company of Ukraine produced a comprehensive Holodomor documentary a few months ago and were kind enough to put all 2 hours of it up on YouTube, in Ukrainian and English. Below is the English version, enjoy!
Holodomor. Ukraine, XX century.
Holodomor. ukraine, XX century. Millions of innocent victims of the bloody soviet rule. An attempt to destroy the spirit of the ukrainian nation.
Ukraine and Greece battled to a 0-0 draw in Athens Saturday in the opening leg of their two-game playoff series to see who advances to next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
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A victory by either team in that match would allow them to stamp their passport for South Africa. Greece would also secure qualification if they score in Donetsk and the game ends in a draw.
As we mentioned earlier today, the second match will be streamed online from Donetsk at CBCSports.ca and air on CBC Bold Wednesday at 11:55AM EST and will replay on CBC TV at 1AM local. Today’s game will air on CBC TV tonight at 1:30AM EST.
I have no context for this photo, but it’s hilarious nonetheless.
From the