Section: Singapore
Ukrainian parliament offers special status for rebel east
Ukraine’s parliament approved on Tuesday a draft law to grant special status and limited self-rule to separatist-controlled parts of east Ukraine provided regional elections are held there under Ukrainian jurisdiction. …read more Source: Channel...
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...
Obama, Italy’s Renzi to meet on Ukraine, Islamic State – White House
U.S. 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. …read more Source: Channel...
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...
Russia says IMF package to Ukraine relates only to private sector debt – RIA
Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said on Wednesday that the International Monetary Fund’s programme on Ukraine’s debt restructuring relates only to private sector debt, RIA news agency reported. …read more Source: Channel...
Three Ukrainian soldiers killed in past 24 hours – Kiev military
Three Ukrainian servicemen have been killed in fighting in the east of Ukraine in the past 24 hours despite a ceasefire agreement with Russian-backed rebels, a Kiev military spokesman said on Tuesday. Five others were wounded. …read more Source: Channel...
