Section: Dunya TV (Pakistan)
Civilians flee east Ukraine town as fighting intensifies
DEBALTSEVE, Ukraine: (AP) – Outgoing heavy-caliber fire boomed incessantly, shaking the ground and rattling windows around the besieged town. Residents of Debaltseve, seemingly inured to the racket, listened impassively as they mustered at the town hall on Saturday to be evacuated with as many belongings as they could carry.The...
Ukraine peace talks begin in Minsk: AFP
MINSK (AFP) – Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and Europe on Saturday began peace talks in Minsk aimed at establishing a ceasefire between pro-Russian separatists and Kiev as fighting spreads along the frontline.Former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, the OSCEs Heidi Tagliavini, and separatist representatives Denis Pushilin and Vladislav...
Scramble to treat wounded at last Ukraine frontline hospital
ARTMOVSK (AFP) – A constant stream of ambulances, lorries and civilian cars screeches to a halt outside the last working hospital in this area of the Ukrainian frontline, delivering a growing number of those wounded in intense clashes.The injured arriving at the hospital in the Ukrainian-controlled town of Artemivsk come from villages and...
Kiev hopes for stalled truce talks despite separatist vow
Kiev (AFP) – Kievs pro-Western leaders hope to hold truce talks on Saturday with pro-Russian separatists despite the rebels vow to push their latest offensive in eastern Ukraine if the negotiations should fail.The urgent new round of negotiations in Minsk that had been agreed for Friday under pressure from European envoys was postponed due...
Kerry in Kiev next week to show US support for Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry is to head to Ukraine next week to underline Washingtons support of the country in the face of attacks by pro-Russian rebels.The State Department said Friday that Kerry would arrive in Kiev on February 5 and meet Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and...
Ukraine rebels vow to continue offensive if talks fail
KIEV (AFP) – Pro-Russian insurgents vowed on Friday to push their east Ukrainian offensive if new talks with the pro-Western leaders in Kiev fail to achieve results.Should the negotiations collapse… the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics reserve the right to pursue their offensive until the entire Donetsk and Lugansk regions are...
France, Poland tell Russia to end ‘all support to separatists’
PARIS (AFP) – French President Francois Hollande and Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, and for Russia to stop supporting separatists fighting in the countrys east.We urgently call for Russia to contribute to a political solution and to put an end to all forms of support to the...
New Greek PM to visit Cyprus on first foreign trip
NICOSIA (AFP) – Greeces new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is to travel to close ally Cyprus on Monday for his first visit abroad since his election victory, Cypriot officials said.On a brief visit to Greeces fellow bailed-out EU member state, Tsipras is to meet with President Nicos Anastasiades and address parliament in Nicosia.Government...
NATO chief warns of challenges after ‘black year’
BRUSSELS (AFP) – NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance must be ready to face further challenges after a black year of Russian intervention in Ukraine and terror attacks on Europes streets.Unveiling NATOs 2014 annual report, Stoltenberg said a new rapid reaction force would help cope with changing security environment but urged the 28...
Five troops, 19 civilians, killed in east Ukraine: officials
KIEV (AFP) – Twenty-four people, including 19 civilians, were killed in the past 24 hours in clashes between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine, officials said Friday.Pro-Kiev officials in the separatist region of Donetsk said dozens of people were also wounded in shelling across the industrial province. The Ukrainian...
