Section: Dunya TV (Pakistan)
Football: Russia slash World Cup budget by 30 billion rubles
MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia have slashed their budget for the 2018 World Cup by almost 30 billion rubles (490 million euros, $560 million), the government said on Monday, without giving a reason.The budget has been cut from 660.6 billion rubles to 631.5 billion rubles, a drop of 4.5 percent.Russia is in the midst of a financial crisis due to...
EU prolongs Russian economic sanctions for six months
Luxembourg (AFP) – EU foreign ministers formally agreed Monday to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords, officials said.EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2016, with a view to complete implementation of (the) Minsk agreement, an...
Putin pledges cooperation with West despite tensions
SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) – Vladimir Putin told foreign investors Friday his country would cooperate with the West despite persistent tensions as Russia and Greece agreed to build a gas pipeline amid a debt crisis in Athens.Speaking at Russias premier economic forum against a backdrop of tensions over the Ukraine crisis, the Russian president...
Greece hopeful of last-ditch deal despite default warnings
ATHENS (AFP) – Greece said Friday it is still hopeful for an 11th-hour deal with its creditors before it defaults on its debt, as the ECB threw Greek banks another lifeline and depositors withdraw their savings.Those who invest in crisis and terror scenarios will be proven wrong, Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprass office said, amid reports that...
Ukraine vows to pay Russia despite default threat
KIEV (AFP) – Cash-strapped Ukraine promised on Friday to make the next payment on a disputed Russian loan it had threatened to stop servicing due to Moscows rejection of more lenient terms.The decision should help ease some of the tensions building between the two neighbours throughout Ukraines 14-month separatist revolt that Kiev accuses...
EU calls Greek crisis summit as talks end without deal
LUXEMBOURG (AFP) – The EU called an emergency eurozone summit next week after Greek debt talks ended Thursday without a deal, sparking warnings of an accident that could push Athens out of the euro if there is no breakthrough by the end of the month.Finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg failed to break the five-month-old standoff between...
EU to extend Russia sanctions to January 2016
BRUSSELS (AFP) – EU member states agreed Wednesday to extend damaging economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis by another six months to the end of January 2016, officials said.The agreement by ambassadors from the 28 European Union nations meeting in Brussels will be formalised by foreign ministers from the bloc when they...
Tennis: Murray eases through, Dimitrov rocked at Queen’s
LONDON (AFP) – Andy Murray moved a step closer to a record-equalling fourth Queens Club title as the top seed defeated Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-4, while Grigor Dimitrov joined the lengthy list of star casualties.While defending champion Dimitrov was beaten 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) by Gilles Muller in the second round on Thursday, Murray avoided...
NATO flexes muscles in Poland war games
ZAGAN (AFP) – NATO flexed its muscles Thursday in Poland during the first full drill of its new spearhead force, a structure designed to boost security on its eastern flank in the wake of Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Around 2,100 soldiers from nine NATO states grouped in the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) took...
Record 60 million fled ‘out of control’ violence in 2014: UN
Geneva (AFP) – Conflicts and violence raging around the world sent the number of people forced to flee their homes soaring to a record 60 million last year, the United Nations said Thursday.That is 8.3 million more refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world than in 2013 — the highest-ever increase in a single year,...
