Section: Egypt
Russia merges air, missile, space branches of its military to create Aerospace Forces
Russia has merged several branches of its military into the Aerospace Forces — a reorganization aimed at enhancing coordination and efficiency.Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday that the decision offers “the optimal way of improving the system of the nation’s aerospace defense.”The new branch will include the nation’s air...
Russia vetoes UN resolution on MH17 Tribunal
Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution Wednesday that sought to set up a special tribunal to try those responsible for shooting down flight MH17 over Ukraine. Eleven of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favour of the resolution, which had been drafted by Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine....
State Department: US troops to train regular Ukrainian military troops
US troops will begin training regular Ukrainian military forces later this year in an expansion of their current mission, which so far has been limited to instructing Interior Ministry national guard units, the State Department said on Friday. “This training is part of our long-running defense cooperation with Ukraine and is taking place at...
Interior Ministry: Explosions in Lviv aimed at destabilizing Ukraine
Two policemen were wounded in explosions at two district police stations in the west Ukrainian city of Lviv on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said, linking the cases to a deadly standoff between a far-right group and police over the weekend. In a statement, the ministry said the entrances to the stations had been booby-trapped with explosives and...
Poroshenko says terrorist threat in Ukraine has ‘significantly risen’
President Petro Poroshenko said on Friday the threat of terrorism had “significantly risen” in Ukraine, describing the country as awash with weapons trafficked from the east where a shaky ceasefire has eased fighting against pro-Russian rebels. At a meeting with Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov,...
INSIGHT: With funds and people power, charities globally face government crackdown
Vinuta Gopal, acting head of Greenpeace India, has had more than a few sleepless nights over the past year worrying about the future of her organisation.The Indian government labelled the group “anti-national” for its campaigns against coal mining, genetically modified crops and nuclear power, and blocked its bank accounts, deported...
Quartet of crises threatens Europe’s core
Four great crises around Europe’s fringes threaten to engulf the European Union, potentially setting the ambitious post-war unification project back by decades.The EU’s unity, solidarity and international standing are at risk from Greece’s debt, Russia’s role in Ukraine, Britain’s attempt to change its relationship...
75th birthday of Kazakhstan strongman raises questions on country’s future
Kazakhstan’s veteran leader Nursultan Nazarbayev celebrates his 75th birthday on Monday, in good shape and vastly popular, but the expected fireworks and fanfare mask uncomfortable questions about the future of the second-largest post-Soviet economy. Nicknamed “Papa” and officially titled “Leader of the Nation”, he...
Putin tells Obama he wants dialogue based on equality and respect
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for dialogue based on equal treatment and mutual respect with the United States on Saturday in a congratulatory message to President Barack Obama marking US Independence Day. Putin said US-Russian relations remained important for solving global crises. The two countries have disagreements over the conflict...
Russia angers Baltic states with review of independence
A move in Russia to review the legality of a 1991 decision formally granting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia independence from the Soviet Union has alarmed the Baltic States and stoked tensions in ties with Moscow. The Baltic states declared independence in 1990 and 1991, and activists in Lithuania and Latvia were killed in attempts by Soviet...
