Section: AsiaOne (Singapore)
UK troops start training mission in Ukraine: Ministry
LONDON – British troops have begun a training mission in Ukraine, helping government forces fighting pro-Russian separatists, the Ministry of Defence in London said Thursday.The BBC reported that 35 personnel are in the southern city of Mykolaiv as part of a two-month mission, although the ministry spokeswoman declined to confirm the...
Putin to meet top aide to Chinese president
MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin will meet a close aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, the Kremlin said, underlining Russia’s increased effort to establish closer ties with Beijing as its relations with the West have deteriorated.The meeting with Li Zhanshu, head of the General Office of the Communist Party of China,...
Death toll climbed sharply in major 2014 conflicts – study
LONDON – The death toll in the world’s most brutal conflicts climbed by more than 28 per cent last year from 2013 with bloodshed in Syria worse than all others for the second year running, according to a study released on Wednesday.The Project for the Study of the 21st Century think tank analysed data from sources including the United...
Greek PM seeks meeting with top EU leaders as cash crunch deepens
ATHENS – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has requested a meeting with top European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel at this week’s EU summit, a Greek official said on Tuesday, as his cash-strapped government scrambles to stave off bankruptcy.As well as Merkel, Tsipras also wants European Central Bank chief Mario...
Euphoria fades in Crimea after a year of Russian rule
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea – A year after Russia’s takeover of Crimea sparked a wave of euphoria across the Black Sea peninsula, residents are suffering growing hardship as prices rise and many fear for the future.Russia’s flag is flying across Crimea on the anniversary of what President Vladimir Putin calls the region’s historic...
Senators blast slow Pentagon work to replace Russian rocket motor
WASHINGTON – Two US senators are asking Defence Secretary Ash Carter to jumpstart a Pentagon initiative to develop a new US rocket engine that could replace the Russian-built RD-180 motor, which powers a key rocket used to lift satellites into space.Senators James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, and Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, both...
Obama, Italy’s Renzi to meet on Ukraine, Islamic State: White House
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will meet April 17 to discuss a range of security issues, including the crisis in Ukraine and ongoing efforts to counter Islamic State, the White House said on Tuesday.”Italy is a valued NATO ally and partner on a broad range of global challenges,” it...
Kremlin rules out handing back Crimea to Ukraine
MOSCOW – Russia said on Tuesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine, despite warnings by the United States and European Union that they will not drop sanctions over the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation a year ago.”There is no occupation of Crimea. Crimea is a region of the Russian Federation and of course the subject of our...
Iran nuclear talks intensify as sides face tough issues
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Efforts to reach a political agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme by the end of the month intensified on Tuesday as negotiations between the United States and Iran resumed, and Western officials warned that tough issues remained unresolved.The US and Iranian delegations led by US Secretary of State John Kerry...
Fighting rages near Donetsk airport despite Ukraine ceasefire
SPARTAK, Ukraine – Heavy machinegun and light artillery fire pounded a district of Donetsk, the biggest city of eastern Ukraine, on Monday and pro-Russian rebels said there had been no lull in the fighting since a February ceasefire.The Spartak district, adjacent to the city’s now-flattened airport, is one of several sites in eastern...
