Section: theSun (Malaysia)
Russia to rebuild Red Army Choir: defence minister
MOSCOW: Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday he will aim to quickly restore the country’s signature Red Army Choir, which lost most of its singers in the weekend’s military plane crash. Sixty-four members, including the conductor Valery Khalilov and most singers of the Alexandrov Ensemble, also known as the Red...
Russia mourns doctor killed in Syria-bound plane crash
MOSCOW: Russia’s shock over the military plane clash that killed 92 people became all the more acute when Yelizaveta Glinka, a renowned doctor and charity worker, was on the doomed flight’s passenger list. The diminutive 54-year-old woman, affectionately known as “Dr. Liza”, had boarded the same military flight to Syria as...
Parts of crashed Russian plane found in Black Sea
SOCHI, Russia: Russian rescuers found Monday the first parts of the Syria-bound military plane that plunged into the Black Sea, as officials said they do not suspect terrorism as the reason for the crash that killed 92 people on board. The Tu-154 jet, whose passengers included more than 60 members of the internationally-renowned Red Army Choir,...
Ukraine rebels agree to new indefinite truce
KIEV: A top Ukrainian insurgent said Friday the rebels had agreed to an indefinite ceasefire negotiated by Moscow and Kiev that would go into effect this weekend. The latest truce was hammered out with the help of European monitors and came after a surge in fighting that claimed the lives of eight Ukrainian soldiers this week. Russia denies...
With Cold War words, Trump launches into nuclear debate
WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump indicated Friday he did not fear a new arms race and warned the United States would match any move by another country to boost its nuclear arsenal, in a spectacular new foray into foreign policy. His stunning – and initially unexplained – use of language reminiscent of the Cold War rocked the Washington...
US plays down Russian reports of chill in ties
WASHINGTON: The United States played down Russian reports Wednesday that already tense ties between the old foes have plunged to chilly new lows. The State Department denied a Kremlin claim that communications are frozen, noting that Secretary of State John Kerry had called his Russian counterpart as recently as Tuesday. The Pentagon also noted...
IMF’s Lagarde down, not out, despite conviction
WASHINGTON: Despite her conviction by a French court for negligence, Christine Lagarde is likely to continue to lead the International Monetary Fund even at the risk of weakening the fund’s image. The fate of the former French finance minister – who replaced another former French official caught up in a sex scandal – now is in the hands of...
Brexit, Russia loom over ‘minefield’ EU summit
BRUSSELS: European Union leaders grappled with Russia and Brexit at a “minefield” summit in Brussels on Thursday at the end of one of the most turbulent years in the bloc’s history. The 28 leaders are dealing with the migration crisis, sanctions against Moscow over the wars in Ukraine and Syria, and a troublesome pact with Kiev...
Trump seen naming ExxonMobil chief as top diplomat
WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump will reportedly name ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson, an oilman with deep ties to Russia, as secretary of state Tuesday despite mounting support for a congressional probe into Moscow’s alleged interference in the US election. “I will be making my announcement on the next Secretary of State...
Army says battle for Aleppo in ‘final phase’
ALEPPO: The crucial battle for Aleppo entered its “final phase” Monday after Syrian rebels retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances. President Bashar al-Assad’s forces held more than 90 percent of the onetime opposition stronghold of east Aleppo, a monitor and military official said,...
