Section: Dunya TV (Pakistan)
Russia still arming Ukraine rebels despite truce: NATO chief
YAVORIV (AFP) – Russia is still sending weapons to separatist rebels battling the Ukrainian government despite a fresh truce in the war-torn east of the country, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.The ceasefire is mainly holding. This is, of course, encouraging because that was not the case before, Stoltenberg said on the first day of...
Russian embassy ‘shelled’ amid Syria build-up fears
MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia demanded action Monday after a shell landed in its embassy compound in Damascus, as President Vladimir Putin tried to reassure Israel over an apparent military build-up in Syria that US officials now say includes combat aircraft.Moscow said a mortar fell on the embassy compound in the Syrian capital on Sunday without...
Germany criticises Ukraine rebels’ plans for local polls
BERLIN (AFP) – Germany on Monday criticised local elections being organised by pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine as a breach of a February peace deal and urged Russia to distance itself from the idea.We consider with great concern the announcement by pro-Russian separatists of the organisation of elections, so-called municipal...
Russia jails ex-military engineer over Swedish job bid
MOSCOW (AFP) – A Russian court on Monday sentenced a former military intelligence engineer to 14 years in jail for treason after he wrote to a Swedish organisation seeking a job.Gennady Kravtsov was accused of passing state secrets to Sweden by sending his resume in 2010. He was arrested on charges of treason in May 2014 as part of a...
Ukraine soldier killed by landmine in separatist east
KIEV (AFP) – A Ukrainian soldier was killed, and another injured, after stepping on a land mine in the war-torn separatist east, but a new ceasefire deal remains in place, a military spokesman said Saturday.One soldier was killed and another injured in the Lugansk region, but the new truce, which came into force on September 1, is being...
Putin and Berlusconi under fire for Crimea wine tasting
KIEV (AFP) – Ukraine has launched a criminal probe into wine-tasting by Russian President Vladimir Putin and ex-Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi after they allegedly quaffed a $100,000 bottle of centuries-old wine in Crimea, prosecutors said Saturday.The Kremlin strongman and the disgraced billionaire reportedly cracked open a bottle of...
US and Russian militaries launch talks on Syria
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States and Russia renewed high-level contacts between their militaries on Friday to discuss how to deal with the war in Syria.US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke by telephone, spokesmen from their ministries said.Washington and its NATO allies broke off ties with...
UN envoy in Syria as US eyes Russia talks
BEIRUT (AFP) – The UNs Syria envoy Thursday discussed his peace proposals in Damascus, as Washington said it was open to talks with Moscow even as concerns grow over Russias growing military involvement.As the diplomatic gears turned, regime helicopters attacked a rebel-held town near the flashpoint city of Daraa with barrel bombs, killing...
US open to talks with Russia on Syria
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The White House said Thursday it was open to limited talks with Russia following Moscows deployment of troops and heavy weapons to war-torn Syria.White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the United States could be willing to take up a Russian offer of talks so long as they were tactical, practical discussions.Amid...
Ukraine campaigns to strip Russia of UN veto power
KIEV (AFP) – Ukraine on Wednesday redoubled its long-shot bid to see Russia stripped of its veto power on the UN Security Council when the global bodys General Assembly meets in the coming weeks.Numerous nations are upset with Russia which, along with fellow veto-wielding council member China, has blocked a series of UN efforts to impose...
