Section: United Arab Emirates
Year in review 2015: Russian intervention adds to uncertainty in Syria
Much about Syria in 2015 was sadly predictable. The continuing violence, the worsening refugee crisis and the steadily climbing toll of dead, wounded and disappeared. That there would be no end in sight to this most appalling of modern wars during its fifth year was no shock to anyone.Russia’s deployment of its air power and a limited corps...
Ukraine MPs approve tit-for-tat Russian embargo
KIEV: Ukraine’s parliament voted on Thursday to give the government the right to impose a trade embargo against Russia, which said last week that it would suspend a free trade zone with Ukraine from Jan.1. The law, supported by 291 of parliament’s 420 lawmakers, will come into force when it has been signed by the president. Russian...
Ukraine, rebels accuse each other of violating latest truce
KIEV: Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian rebels accused each other of violating a holiday ceasefire on Wednesday, just hours after it came into force in the war-torn country’s east. “Illegal armed groups have already violated these agreements. Since the beginning of the day we recorded seven enemy shellings of our positions,” military...
Russia slams EU for extending sanctions
MOSCOW: Russia on Monday lashed out at the European Union (EU) for prolonging sanctions over the Ukraine crisis for another six months rather than choosing to co-operate over issues including the fight against terrorism. “It is necessary to point out that instead of building constructive co-operation to counter the key challenges of our times...
Russia confirms food embargo on Ukraine: PM
A free trade deal between Ukraine and the European Union is set to enter into force from January 1 …read more Source: Al...
EU extends economic sanctions on Russia for six months
The European Union on Monday extended economic sanctions against Russia until the end of July next year … …read more Source: Gulf...
Number of refugees and displaced to hit record number in 2015, says UN
GENEVA // The number of people who have been forced to flee war, violence and persecution looks set to soar in 2015 past last year’s record of nearly 60 million, the United Nations said on Friday.The UN refugee agency released a report showing increasing numbers of people living as refugees, asylum seekers or who are displaced within their...
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s end of year address
MOSCOW // The latest news from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s end of year news conference:On Russia’s military operation in SyriaPresident Vladimir Putin said that Russian military operation in Syria will continue until a political process starts. Mr Putin said at a televised news conference that once the Syrians decide it is time...
Blast kills Ukraine rebel commander
KIEV: The pro-Russian leader of a rebel militia in eastern Ukraine was killed in a suspected car bombing on Saturday in the breakaway eastern region of Lugansk, local media said. Pavel Dremov, the 39-year-old head of an ethnic Cossack militia of several hundred fighters “was killed along with his driver” when his car exploded at a petrol station...
Ukraine lawmaker manhandles PM Yatseniuk
KIEV: Fighting broke out among members of Ukraine’s ruling coalition on Friday after a member of President Petro Poroshenko’s bloc physically picked up Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk and pulled him from the podium. Yatseniuk was defending his embattled government’s record when lawmaker Oleh Barna walked over to him, presenting...
