Section: US & Canada
If Obama Can Embrace the Saudi Monarch, Why Can’t Putin Greet the North Korean Ruler?
VLADIVOSTOK — Kim Jong-un is scheduled to visit Moscow this May as one of the Kremlin’s numerous guests of honor for the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. This will be his first visit abroad since he succeeded his father Kim Jong-il as the ruler of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in December 2011. Kim...
Soros ready to invest $1B in Ukraine if…
George Soros is ready to invest $1 billion in Ukraine, if Western countries help private investment there. …read more Source:...
Lawyer for man accused of child pornography says films of naked boys weren’t sexual
TORONTO – The movies produced and sold by an Ontario man accused in a sweeping child pornography investigation weren’t sexual in nature but simply showed “naked boys doing silly things,” his lawyer argued Monday.Brian Way’s lawyer told a Toronto court his client was selling films that depict the nudist lifestyle by...
These are the plans for Russia’s new third-generation tank
Russia is just about to unveil its latest armored platform, the T-14 tank. The tank, called the Armata, has largely been kept under wraps although technical details about the platform have steadily been emerging. The Armata is planned to feature considerable upgrades to the armor, engine, and armaments of the vehicle over previous Russian and...
Williams sisters storm into Miami quarter-finals
Miami (AFP) – Serena and Venus Williams advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP and WTA Miami Open on Monday, the sisters each cruising to a straight-set triumph.World number one Serena Williams, seeking a third consecutive Miami crown and record eighth title at the hardcourt event, hammered Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3 while...
Dodging bombs, Ukrainian Jewish war refugee flees hometown
Masha Shumatskaya fled Donetsk, Ukraine, in June 2014. (Uriel Heilman) (JTA) — Masha Shumatskaya never imagined she would be a war refugee, even after that first night last spring when she dragged the mattress off her bed and into her windowless hallway to protect herself from flying glass in the event a bomb shattered her windows. But after...
Gazprom Accedes to Kyiv’s Gas Discount Demand
The Gazprom supply agreement that kept Ukraine going through this winter (lately one week at a time) expires on Wednesday, and the two sides have been busy negotiating a new deal. Kyiv staked out its position ahead of these talks, pushing hard for a continuation of the price discount it enjoyed this winter along with an end to a take-or-pay...
Jewish refugees safe from war, but facing economic crisis in Kiev
Ilya and Luba Tolkachov and their 22-month-old son in the tiny one-room Kiev apartment they share with with Ilya’s mother. (Ben Sales) KIEV (JTA) — In a crowded room of the Tolkachov family’s tiny apartment here, a couch and twin bed sit kitty-corner from each other, sandwiching a small crib. In another corner, a wooden table is...
Democracy Lab Weekly Brief, March 30, 2015
To keep up with Democracy Lab in real time, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Christian Caryl bemoans the slowing pace of democratic reforms in Southeast Asia. Berivan Orucoglu reports on the deteriorating relationship between the United States and Turkey. Alexander Motyl challenges the notion that Ukraine is suffering from a warlord problem....
Swedish PM Begins Bid for Security Council Seat on U.S. Visit
The Swedish prime minister is using a state visit to the U.S. to make the case for his country’s application to join the UN Security Council. Stefan Löfven will meet with the UN deputy secretary-general Jan Eliasson tonight as he seeks to boost Sweden’s bid to join the council in the 2017-18 cycle. Prime minister Löfven today...
