Section: Malaysia
Poland to buy US rocket system for US$414 million
The HIMARS system, seen here in action during a 2016 US military exercise in the Philippines, allows a precision attack ability even in poor weather. (AFP pic)WARSAW: Poland said Sunday it will buy mobile rocket launchers worth US$414 million (365 million euros) from the United States, as Warsaw seeks closer ties with Washington amid concerns...
Pompeo seeks to end Hungary’s eastward drift on Europe trip
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is hoping to stall inroads of Russian and Chinese influence as he visits two of the European Union’s most quarrelsome members, Hungary and Poland.The top US diplomat arrives Monday in Hungary and will also visit Slovakia and Poland, in each Nato ally highlighting Washington’s role in the...
EU adopts French-German compromise on Russia gas pipeline
A compromise deal allows Germany to stay at the wheel of Nord Stream. (AFP pic)BRUSSELS: European Union member states adopted a Franco-German compromise on Friday allowing Berlin to remain the lead negotiator with Russia on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe. France, a pivotal player in the EU gas talks, had said earlier it would support...
Ukraine bans Russians from monitoring elections
An election observer of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stands as electoral commission members count ballots at polling station in Kyiv. (AFP pic)KIEV: Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday voted to ban Russians from monitoring a forthcoming presidential election, as tensions between the neighbours flare before the poll....
Ukraine amends constitution to cement EU
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaks during a press conference in Kiev on December 16, 2018 (AFP pic)KIEV: Ukraine on Thursday adopted “historic” changes to its constitution, spelling out the ex-Soviet country’s aspirations to join the EU and NATO two months before a crucial presidential vote. In a final third reading in parliament,...
Nuns ‘sex slaves’ scandal fresh blow to Catholic church
Pope Francis’s public admission that priests have used nuns as “sexual slaves” marks a new chapter in the crisis rocking the church. (AFP pic)VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis’s public admission that priests have used nuns as “sexual slaves” – and may still be doing so – marks a new chapter in the abuse crisis rocking the Catholic church....
Russia suspends INF nuclear deal with US, says Putin
The row over the INF treaty is yet another twist in Russia’s worsening relations with the United States and the West on the whole. (AFP pic)MOSCOW: Russia has suspended the Cold War-era Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty after a similar move by the United States, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, also instructing the...
Russia's Putin accuses Kiev of meddling in Orthodox faith
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the government in Kiev of flagrantly meddling in the life of Orthodoxy in Ukraine where a new national church has broken away from Moscow’s orbit. …read more Source: The...
In Venezuela, Russia risks losing an ally and billions
MOSCOW: As President Nicolas Maduro’s rule hangs in the balance in Venezuela, Russia risks losing its long-cultivated main ally in Latin America and billions invested in oil and arms contracts.Russian President Vladimir Putin spent years building up an alliance with Venezuela’s late populist leader Hugo Chavez and his successor...
Ukraine's Poroshenko launches bid for second term as president
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko launched his bid for a second five-year term in front of thousands of supporters on Tuesday, ahead of a tight election race in March. …read more Source: The...
