Section: AsiaOne (Singapore)
Kerry says Russia sanctions could end if Putin takes right steps
LONDON – Russia has made constructive moves in recent days towards reducing tensions in Ukraine, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday, and he raised the possibility that Washington could lift sanctions if Moscow keeps taking positive steps.Speaking in London, Kerry said the United States and Europe could lift sanctions within...
66 journalists killed in year of ‘barbaric’ attacks: report
PARIS – Attacks on journalists have grown more barbaric and kidnappings have soared, Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday, in a year when violence against the media took centre stage.A total of 66 reporters were killed in connection to their work in the past year – a slight drop from 71 in 2013 – but kidnappings soared to 119...
Ukrainian PM appeals to EU for immediate financial aid
BRUSSELS – Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk appealed to the European Union for urgent financial aid on Monday, saying the government was doing all it could to fix a shattered economy but needed help.A year of revolution and war with pro-Russian separatists has pushed Ukraine’s hryvnia currency to record lows and crippled the...
Human Rights Watch slams Russia for spiralling homophobic attacks
MOSCOW – Human Rights Watch sounded the alarm Monday over the rising number of homophobic attacks in Russia, slamming Vladimir Putin’s government for “inaction” and urging a crackdown on hate crimes.The US-based rights group said homophobic attacks increased in Russia after Putin signed a hugely controversial law banning...
Kerry, Lavrov to meet as tensions soar over Ukraine
MOSCOW – Top US diplomat John Kerry is set to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Rome on Sunday, amid anger in Moscow over the prospect of new US sanctions and possible supply of lethal military aid to Ukraine.The meeting in Rome will take place with tensions soaring after US lawmakers passed a bill – dubbed the Ukraine...
US Congress passes Russia sanctions, arms for Ukraine
WASHINGTON – The US Congress on Saturday unanimously approved fresh economic sanctions against Russia and lethal weapons for Kiev, defying President Barack Obama and hardening American lawmakers’ response to a Kremlin-backed insurgency in Ukraine.Identical texts of the Ukraine Freedom Support Act passed both the Senate and House of...
IMF deputy ‘impressed’ by Ukraine’s move toward reform
WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund’s number two said Saturday he was “impressed” by Kiev’s plans for economic reform, following a visit to the country.The IMF, which this year granted Kiev $17 billion (S$21 billion) in financial aid over two years, as part of a $27 billion global rescue package set up by...
Russia threatens response if US sets new sanctions over Ukraine
MOSCOW – Russia responded angrily on Saturday to news that US senators had passed a bill calling for fresh sanctions against Moscow and the supply of lethal military aid to Ukraine.”Undoubtedly, we will not be able to leave this without a response,” deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency ahead of a...
Congress readies new sanctions on Russia
WASHINGTON – US lawmakers were expected on Friday to approve new sanctions on Russian weapons companies and investors in the country’s high-tech oil projects, putting more US pressure on President Vladimir Putin for interference in eastern Ukraine.Late on Thursday, the Senate and House of Representatives unanimously passed the Ukraine...
India to build 10 more nuclear reactors with Russia
NEW DELHI – Energy-starved India is to build at least 10 more nuclear reactors with Russia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday after talks with President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi.”We have outlined an ambitious vision for nuclear energy of at least 10 more reactors,” Modi said at a press briefing.”It will have...
