Section: AsiaOne (Singapore)
1 in 10 “completely satisfied” with their looks
NUREMBERG, Germany – With summer fast approaching the northern hemisphere and consumers preparing to be ‘beach ready’, GfK has released findings on how satisfied people internationally are with their personal looks.Across all 22 countries surveyed, over half (55 per cent) of consumers aged 15 and over say they are satisfied with...
G7 finance ministers, central bankers meet in Dresden
Germany – Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven wealthiest nations gathered in Dresden Thursday to discuss the global economy and tax evasion, but the Greek crisis was also high on everyone’s minds.German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and his counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan...
Russia masses heavy firepower on border with Ukraine – witness
KHUTOR CHKALOVA, Russia – Russia’s army is massing troops and hundreds of pieces of weaponry including mobile rocket launchers, tanks and artillery at a makeshift base near the border with Ukraine, a Reuters reporter saw this week.Many of the vehicles have number plates and identifying marks removed while many of the servicemen had...
Full-house in Kiev bar inspired by Russian propaganda
KIEV – The title of the menu, “Long live Junta”, and its Hitler-like caricatures of Vladimir Putin are some of the more benign gags at a new bar in Kiev packed nightly with crowds.Opened this month, the Karatel bar, whose name translates as “The Punisher”, offers a tongue-in-cheek gastronomical take on all the main...
Putin wants ‘constructive’ Poland ties after Duda presidential win
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called for “constructive ties” with Poland as he congratulated conservative challenger Andrzej Duda on his surprise victory at presidential polls.The Russian leader expressed hope that “the building of constructive ties between Russia and Poland, based on the principles...
German woman, 65 and mother of 13, has quadruplets
BERLIN – A 65-year-old German woman, who is already a mother of 13 children, has given birth to quadruplets after undergoing an artificial insemination procedure in Ukraine, RTL television reported early on Saturday.The three boys and one girl were born premature at 26 weeks in a Berlin hospital but have “good chances of...
Russian return to G7 ‘unimaginable’ for now: Merkel
BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday a return of Russia to the Group of Seven major industrialised democracies was “unimaginable” as long as it flouts international law in Ukraine.But she also sought to allay Moscow’s fears about European influence in its Soviet-era satellite states, saying the so-called...
Poroshenko says Ukraine waging ‘real war’ with Russia
KIEV – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko sparked fresh Kremlin fury on Wednesday by warning that his crisis-torn country was fighting a “real war” against Russian aggressors that could escalate at any time.The pro-Western leader said the weekend capture of two purported Russian special forces members proved the separatist...
“Undesirable’ foreign NGOs may be a no-go in Russia
MOSCOW – Russian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to ban foreign NGOs deemed “undesirable” for the state, the latest step in a crackdown condemned by rights activists.Pro-Kremlin legislators overwhelmingly approved the legislation – which still has to be approved by the rubberstamp...
US signs $1.3 billion loan guarantee for Ukraine
WASHINGTON – The United States signed Monday its second $1 billion (S$1.3 billion) loan guarantee deal for Ukraine aimed at helping the crisis-wracked country surmount a Russia-backed insurgency and rebuild its tattered economy.The US loan guarantee agreement is part of a $7.5 billion package of support for Ukraine over the coming year from...
