World

Ukraine’s embassy in Iran initially issued a statement ruling out terrorism or a rocket attack. But the statement was later removed from the embassy’s website.

The plane crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran on Wednesday, killing all 176 people on board in a crash that intelligence sources said was likely caused by a technical malfunction.

The strikes were in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis last week.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered condolences to the loved ones of the 176 people who were all killed on board, most of whom were Iranian or Canadian.

Tourism accounts for 3.1 % of Gross Domestic Product and last summer season Australia attracted 2.71 million holidaymakers. But this year, hotel occupancy has dropped and some normally crowded resorts are ghost towns due to the crisis.

Founded in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, UIA operates out of Kiev's Boryspil airport. Planes operated by the loss-making, privately-held UIA have suffered technical problems in flight over the years but have never crashed before.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday the trade deficit decreased 8.2% to $43.1 billion, the smallest since October 2016. The percentage drop was the largest since January.

Indonesia suffers frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.

The UN ambassadors of Russia and China both dismissed the US accusation on Monday, saying they condemn any attacks on diplomatic premises around the world.

The split between the president and his Pentagon chief came amid heightened tensions with Tehran following a US drone strike that killed Gen Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force.

The House of Representatives has accused Trump of using military aid and other incentives as leverage to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, notably possible 2020 White House opponent Joe Biden.

The tweet came a day after Tehran announced it was further winding down observance of parts of an international deal struck to ensure that the country does not secretly develop a nuclear weapon under cover of its civilian nuclear industry.

His warning came after President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the US would target 52 sites 'important to Iran & Iranian culture' and hit them 'very fast and very hard' if the Islamic republic attacked American personnel or assets.

The vote comes two days after a US airstrike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani inside Iraq, dramatically increasing tensions in the region.

Iran did not say how Iran received the message from its arch-enemy, even though Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations for four decades.

While Trump did not specify the plots in India, he may have been referring to a 2012 bombing of the car of the wife of the Israeli defence attache to India.