Section: AsiaOne (Singapore)
Silencing of Crimean Tatar TV sparks outcry from rights bodies, Ukraine, Turkey
The silencing of a TV station for the Tatar people in Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine a year ago, sparked an outcry on Friday, with Kiev accusing Moscow of trying to stamp out non-Russian influence on the peninsula.The station, ATR, which formerly broadcast under a Ukrainian licence, has sought four times to re-register with Russia’s...
Opera plays on through east Ukraine chaos
DONETSK – The fighting in east Ukraine may have driven away soloists and drained the coffers, but it’s still curtain up at the Donbass Opera theatre, thanks to its staff’s heroic efforts.”A bomb destroyed some of our sets that were stored in a warehouse near the airport, we’ve lost 20 per cent of our staff – or...
Kiev fearful of Russian troops after battlefield defeats
KIEV – Ukraine’s beleaguered forces have faced problems all of their own making as they’ve failed to retake separatist territories during a year of conflict – poor leadership, few supplies, bad coordination.But the main reason Kiev has struggled to reclaim the rebel regions, some analysts in the West and Ukraine say, is...
Obama authorizes sanctions to combat cyberattacks
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Wednesday launched the first-ever sanctions programme to financially punish individuals and groups outside the United States that are engaged in malicious cyber attacks.US President Barack, in an executive order, declared such activities a “national emergency” and allowed the US Treasury...
Foreign adoptions by Americans drop to lowest level since 1982
Dawn and Jesse Seltrecht filed paperwork to adopt a Chinese baby in 2007. More than eight years later, they are still waiting.”China had the most secure program and the shortest waitlist,” said Ms. Seltrecht, 39 years old, of Cedarburg, Wis.Their experience is increasingly common for Americans adopting abroad, as the number of...
Dutch seek BUK missile witnesses in MH17 crash probe
THE HAGUE, March 30 – Dutch and international experts probing the MH17 plane crash in eastern Ukraine appealed Monday for witnesses who saw the transport or firing of a BUK surface-to-air missile around the time of the disaster.”Investigators are looking at all scenarios. One of these scenarios is that the plane was shot down at 4:20...
Soros says ready to invest $1.3 billion in Ukraine if West helps
Billionaire financier George Soros is ready to invest US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in Ukraine, if Western countries help private investment there. He also put the odds of Greece leaving the euro at a third, in an interview with Austrian newspaper Der Standard.Soros has previously urged the West to step up aid to Ukraine, outlining steps towards a...
Greek PM Tsipras says he seeks no rift with Europe
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday that he sought no rift with Europe after his cash-strapped country submitted a list of reforms to its lenders in a bid to secure much-needed funds.Tsipras’s leftist government agreed an extension to its 240-million euro bailout funding in February, albeit with aid frozen, and now must...
Putin’s mystery military award points to Ukraine involvement
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded several military units a hugely prestigious title that was given to troops for heroism during WWII, sparking new questions about the Kremlin’s involvement in Ukraine.Putin this week bestowed the honorary “guards” title on two air assault brigades and a communications...
Ukraine’s Russia debt threatens IMF rescue
WASHINGTON – A default by Ukraine on US$3 billion in debt to Russia this year could threaten the International Monetary Fund’s lifeline to the embattled country, an IMF spokesman said Thursday.The Ukrainian government has begun negotiations with creditors for $15 billion in debt relief, part of a $40 billion, four-year financial...
