Section: US & Canada
Kerry aims to avert UN crisis on Mideast
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he hopes upcoming talks with Israel’s prime minister and European officials will avert the possibility of a U.N. Security Council clash over proposed resolutions dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meetings set for Kerry next week in Europe aim to unite different...
Who Will Foot the Bill in Ukraine?
When it comes to fighting the economic battle over Ukraine, the West has been much more willing to hit Russia in its pocketbook than play sugar daddy to Kiev. The International Monetary Fund, after hinting in September that Ukraine would come up short, officially sounded the alarm this week, acknowledging that Kiev’s coffers face a $15...
Hungary’s Leader Wants Drug Tests for Journalists
BUDAPEST, Hungary—The Hungarian prime minister, who has vowed to remake his country into a “non-liberal” state as he moves closer to Moscow, called Friday for mandatory drug testing of journalists and politicians. Viktor Orban’s plan alarmed critics, who called it an attack on civil liberties and a cynical attempt to combat his declining...
Russia Protests US Aid for Ukraine Military
Russia is criticizing legislation passed by the U.S. Congress authorizing $350 million in military aid to Ukraine and new sanctions against key state-controlled Russian companies. If President Barack Obama signs into law the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, the United States will provide Ukraine with anti-tank and armor-piercing weapons,...
Ukraine: First casualty-free day since cease-fire
End to fighting a prerequisite for peace plan. …read more Source: USA...
How Strong Is the Russian Military?
The Russian military suffered years of neglect after the Soviet collapse and no longer casts the shadow of a global superpower. However, the Russian armed forces are in the midst of a historic overhaul with significant consequences for Eurasian politics and security. Russian officials say the reforms are necessary to bring a Cold War–era military...
New Russia Sanctions from Departing Congress
On its way into the history books, the 113th Congress is ladling up a fresh batch of sanctions on Russia, especially targeting the energy sector and authorizing military aid, in a bid to force Moscow to end its aggressive and destabilizing incursions into the eastern Ukraine. The lame-duck Senate passed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act Thursday....
Ukraine cheers US vote for military aid, Russia outraged
Kiev (AFP) – Ukraine on Friday welcomed a US bill that would allow Washington to provide lethal military assistance to the embattled country, but Russia expressed outrage at the “openly confrontational” legislation.The bill — passed late on Thursday and due to get final approval in Congress on Friday before being sent to...
Green Roadmap; Not Silk Road: Kazakhstan’s (renewed) Role in World Affairs
Kazakhstan can offer a much more visible contribution to international peace and prosperity. This country needs to be called upon to play a stronger and more active role in the mediation of interests between the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (E.U.), on one side, and Russia and the Middle East, on the other. Kazakhstan’s recent...
World Briefing: Ukraine’s President Notes Brief Calm in Conflict
President Petro O. Poroshenko said Ukraine’s military had not reported any deaths in a 24-hour period among soldiers or civilians for the first time in seven months. …read more Source: The New York...
