Section: Cyprus
Ukraine denounces Russian stance on rebel vote in east Ukraine
By Richard Balmforth Ukraine on Tuesday condemned as “destructive and provocative” Russia’s stance towards elections organised by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine next Sunday, saying Moscow’s recognition of the vote could wreck chances of bringing peace. The Nov. 2 vote would be being held in defiance of Ukrainian national...
Pro-West parties secure big win in Ukraine election – partial vote count
By Pavel Polityuk and Richard Balmforth Pro-Europe parties secured a big win in an election in Ukraine, a partial vote count showed on Monday, with President Petro Poroshenko hailing people’s support for his plan to end a separatist war and pursue democratic reforms sought by the West. Early figures from the vote count showed that...
EU strikes compromise to set new climate target
By Barbara Lewis and Alastair Macdonald European Union leaders struck a deal on a new target to cut carbon emissions out to 2030, calling it a new global standard but leaving critics warning that compromises had undermined the fight against climate change. Talks in Brussels stretched into the small hours of Friday as Poland battled to spare its...
Swedish military calls off hunt for suspected submarine
By Simon Johnson The Swedish military said on Friday that it had called of its search for a suspected foreign submarine in waters off Stockholm after a week-long hunt, ending the country’s biggest military mobilisation since the Cold War. More than 200 troops, stealth ships and helicopters have scoured waters off Stockholm since last Friday...
Ukrainian PM warns Russia may try to disrupt Sunday’s election
By Richard Balmforth Ukraine’s prime minister warned on Thursday of possible attempts by Russia to disrupt an election in Ukraine at the weekend, a vote being held against a background of Russian support for separatist rebels and an unresolved row over gas. Sunday’s poll is the first parliamentary election since street protests last...
Barroso says eurozone has won the battle for stability
We have won the battle for stability, the outgoing president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso told the members of the European Parliament, warning that growth is still timid and threats remain for the eurozone. Barroso who assumed the leadership of the Commission in 2004 delivered a speech in the Plenary on Tuesday, on the work done...
Controlling Brazil’s Amazonian deforestation
By Philip Fearnside Brazil’s Amazonian deforestation declined dramatically from 2004 to 2012, and many have been quick to claim credit for the improvement. The Brazilian government has repeatedly claimed that the change is thanks to inspections and fines for illegal clearing, and soy multinationals claim their supply chains are now “green”...
Total CEO de Margerie killed in Moscow as jet hits snow plough
By Vladimir Soldatkin The chief executive of French oil major Total, Christophe de Margerie, was killed when his private jet collided with a snow plough as it was taking off from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Monday night. De Margerie’s death leaves a void at the top of one of the world’s biggest listed oil firms at a difficult...
Sweden steps up hunt for “foreign underwater activity”
By Niklas Pollard Sweden beefed up its military presence in the Stockholm archipelago on Saturday to scour its waters for “foreign underwater activity”, a mobilisation of Swedish ships, troops and helicopters unseen since the Cold War. The search in the Baltic Sea less than 30 miles (50 km) from Stockholm began on Friday and reawakened memories...
The importance of implementing the Minsk protocol
By Borys Humeniuk ON SEPTEMBER 5, the Trilateral Contact Group of official delegates of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE met representatives of Russia-backed militants from Donetsk and Luhansk in Minsk and signed a protocol on joint steps aimed at implementation of the Peace Plan of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. In a follow-up meeting on...
