Section: AsiaOne (Singapore)
Erdogan hosts Putin to tighten Turkey-Russia alliance
ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday holds talks in Ankara with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to tighten links which have survived potentially grave disputes over the Syria and Ukraine crises.The talks are expected to focus on energy cooperation – with Ankara seeking not only a reduction in gas prices...
Rough justice: Ukraine rebels lay down law in breakaway state
DONETSK, Ukraine – A Russian citizen who favours the death penalty, Eduard Yakubovsky, is trying to become the new face of justice in rebel-held east Ukraine.Appointed president of the “Supreme Court” in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in late September, the burly ex-investigator from Moscow says he’s...
Moldova votes in key poll at crossroads of Europe and Russia
CHISINAU – Moldova votes on Sunday in a crucial parliamentary election that hinges on whether the impoverished ex-Soviet country will pursue integration with Europe or return to Russia’s fold.Opinion polls showed the political parties aiming for membership in the European Union were roughly neck-and-neck with those that back joining...
Mother of German MH17 victim takes Ukraine to human rights court
BERLIN – The mother of a victim of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has begun legal proceedings against Ukraine at the European Court of Human Rights, accusing Kiev of failing to close the country’s airspace, a German daily reported Sunday.The woman, who lodged her complaint at the Strasbourg-based court “last week”,...
Russia urges EU to lift sanctions, promises to waive counter-measures
MOSCOW – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov urged the European Union to lift sanctions against Moscow over the Ukrainian conflict and promised to waive its counter-measures, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.Moscow in August banned most Western food imports, worth US$9 billion (S$11.7 billion) a year, in response to US...
Six coffins of MH17 remains flown out of Ukraine
UKRAINE – Six more coffins holding remains of the victims from downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 were on Friday flown out of east Ukraine for The Netherlands, officials said.Dutch and Ukrainian officials held a memorial ceremony at the airport in the city of Kharkiv for the last batch of human remains due to be transported this...
Two civilians killed, monitors shot at in east Ukraine
KIEV – Ukraine’s military said Thursday that two civilians were killed in the latest clashes in east Ukraine, as international monitors observing the fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels reported being fired upon.A patrol of three monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were...
Merkel hits diplomatic dead-end with Putin
BERLIN – After nine months of non-stop German diplomacy to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, Chancellor Angela Merkel decided in mid-November that a change of tack was needed.Ahead of a summit of G20 leaders in Australia, Merkel resolved to confront Vladimir Putin alone, without the usual pack of interpreters and aides.Instead of challenging...
OECD sees gradual world recovery, urges ECB to do more
PARIS – The global economy will gradually improve over the next two years but Japan will grow less than previously expected while the euro zone struggles with stagnation and an increased deflation risk, the OECD said on Tuesday.There will be marked divergences among countries both in terms of growth and monetary policy, leading to...
Conditions not right to deliver warship to Russia: France
PARIS – France’s foreign minister Tuesday said the conditions were not right to deliver a high-tech warship to Russia given the Ukraine crisis, as pressure from Moscow grows to hand over the vessel.”We consider that the conditions for delivery are not met, for reasons that are obvious today,” Laurent Fabius told France...
