Section: KXAN (USA)
Kerry, Russian FM meet in Geneva as Ukraine tensions simmer
GENEVA (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting his Russian counterpart for likely highly contentious talks amid continuing tensions over Ukraine and American calls for a full probe into the murder of a prominent opposition figure in Moscow. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were to meet in Geneva on Monday, less than a...
Fighting in eastern Ukraine displaces Donetsk’s soccer team
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — The sleek stadium, built six years ago and host to some of Europe’s biggest soccer matches, is silent. It sits in the middle of the city of Donetsk, a war zone controlled by pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian troops. The $425 million Donbass Arena now serves as a depot and distribution point for supplies of...
Russia detains Ukrainian parliament member over Odessa fire
MOSCOW (AP) — Moscow police have detained a member of Ukraine’s parliament as he was taking part in a march mourning a slain Russian opposition figure. Ukraine’s parliament has protested the detention. The federal Investigative Committee said Alexei Goncharenko was being questioned Sunday about his alleged involvement in a fire that...
Thousands march in Russia to mourn Putin critic Nemtsov
MOSCOW (AP) — Carrying flowers, portraits and signs that said “I am not afraid,” thousands of Russians marched Sunday in Moscow to mourn opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, whose slaying on the streets of the capital has shaken Russia’s beleaguered opposition. Russian President Vladimir Putin has marginalized and intimidated his political...
Widow of murdered spy blames Russian govt for new killing
LONDON (AP) — The widow of murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko thinks the Russian government may have been involved in the murder of leading opposition figure Boris Nemtsov. Marina Litvinenko told BBC Radio on Sunday she thinks Nemtsov’s slaying Friday night in Moscow seems to have been the Russian government’s way of silencing...
Estonians vote in parliamentary election amid security fears
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Estonians are voting for a new Parliament in an election dominated by economic issues and security concerns due to Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. Opinion polls índicate a close race between the Baltic nation’s governing center-right coalition, led by Prime Minister Taavi Roivas’ Reform Party, and the...
Ukrainian photojournalist killed in shelling in restive east
ARTEMIVSK, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian photojournalist was killed in shelling in eastern Ukraine on Saturday as the cease-fire deal brokered by Western leaders seems to fail to silence the guns completely. Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops has killed more than 5,600 people, displaced more than 1 million others and...
Nemtsov killing follows slaying of other Kremlin critics
MOSCOW (AP) — Prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov’s killing follows the slaying over the past decade of several other high-profile critics of President Vladimir Putin and his policies. Here is a look at some of the best-known cases. ___ ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA Renowned journalist Anna Politkovskaya, 48, was fatally shot in the...
Western leaders condemn Nemtsov killing, press Kremlin
BERLIN (AP) — Western leaders are condemning the assassination of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and pressing the Kremlin to ensure that the killing is investigated thoroughly. Here is a selection of comments. ___ “Mr. Nemtsov will be remembered as a fearless advocate of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Russia. A leader...
Prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov shot dead
MOSCOW (AP) — Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic former deputy prime minister turned Russian opposition leader, was shot and killed in Moscow Saturday, officials said. He was 55. Nemtsov’s death comes just a day before a planned protest against President Vladimir Putin’s rule. The Kremlin said that Putin will personally oversee the...
