Section: Japan Today (Japan)
World › Russia defiant after more threats from West over Ukraine
A defiant President Vladimir Putin on Monday called the Ukrainian army a “NATO foreign legion,” reflecting his readiness to stand up to the West regardless of rising economic costs, as Standard & Poor’s rating agency downgraded Russia’s credit rating to junk. While the Russian ruble tumbled further on the news…...
World › Miss Colombia crowned Miss Universe; Miss USA runner-up
Miss Colombia Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe Sunday, beating out contestants from 87 other countries. Miss USA Nia Sanchez and Miss Ukraine Diana Harkusha were the runners-up during Sunday’s competition. Vega said the contests leading to Miss Universe were the first she’d participated in and will be her last,… …read more...
World › Obama ramps up pressure on Russia after deadly Ukraine blitz
U.S. President Barack Obama vowed Sunday to ramp up pressure on Russia after a rocket barrage blamed on Kremlin-backed Ukrainian rebels killed 30 and threatened to open new front in the war. Saturday’s assault on Mariupol — the main city standing between separatist territory near the Russian border and the… …read more Source:...
World › Pressure mounts on Russia as Ukraine rebels launch offensive
World leaders ramped up pressure on Moscow Sunday to stop pro-Kremlin rebels from embarking on a major new offensive in eastern Ukraine after rocket fire killed at least 30 people in a strategic government-held port. The mayor of Mariupol’s office said 97 people were also wounded by dozens of long-distance… …read more Source: Japan...
World › Rockets kill 30 in Ukrainian city as rebels launch offensive
Indiscriminate rocket fire slammed into a market, schools, homes and shops Saturday in Ukraine’s southeastern city of Mariupol, killing at least 30 people, authorities said. The Ukrainian president called the blitz a terrorist attack and NATO and the U.S. demanded that Russia stop supporting the rebels. Ukrainian officials rushed to…...
World › Pro-Russian rebels reject Ukraine peace deal; launch new offensive
Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine rejected a previously signed peace deal Friday and launched a new multipronged offensive against Ukrainian government troops, upending recent European attempts to mediate an end to the fighting. The main separatist leader in the rebellious Donetsk region vowed to push Ukrainian soldiers out of the…...
World › U.S. to back new system warning airlines in conflict zones
The United States will throw its support behind a proposal by the U.N.’s aviation agency to share information about risks to commercial aircraft over conflict zones after the downing of a Malaysian jet in Ukraine last year, according to a senior U.S. official. The U.N. agency’s plan falls short of… …read more Source: Japan...
World › Merkel plays down expectations as new Ukraine talks start
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she hoped a new round of talks with Ukraine and Russia in Berlin could help implement an elusive ceasefire in eastern Ukraine but warned against expecting too much, given another upsurge in the violence. With pro-Moscow rebels intensifying their attacks and Kiev planning… …read more Source:...
World › EU to stick to Russia sanctions policy
EU foreign ministers agreed Monday there would be no change in the bloc’s Russia policy, including sanctions, as the union’s diplomatic chief warned the Ukraine situation had got “much worse” in recent weeks. They said they would stick to their course until Russia fully implemented the Ukraine peace accords it… …read...
World › Ukraine leader vows to retake separatist-held east
Ukraine’s president vowed Sunday to reassert government control over eastern regions as the army unleashed a counter-offensive against Russian-backed separatist fighters vying for command over the airport in the city of Donetsk. The separatist stronghold was shaken by intense outgoing and incoming artillery fire over the weekend as a...
