Section: KXAN (USA)
Image of gay couple in Russia wins World Press Photo
AMSTERDAM (AP) — An atmospheric image of a gay couple in Russia by Danish photographer Mads Nissen was crowned the World Press Photo of the Year 2014 on Thursday. The intimate image of Jon and Alex is part of a larger project by Nissen called “Homophobia in Russia” that highlights how life is increasingly difficult for sexual minorities in...
IMF earmarks $17.6 billion for Ukraine reforms
BRUSSELS (AP) — The International Monetary Fund has agreed to provide Ukraine with 15.5 billion euros ($17.6 billion) to help support economic reforms. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Thursday that “this new program offers an important opportunity for Ukraine to move its economy forward at a critical moment in the country’s...
Leaders in Minsk for crucial Ukraine peace talks
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Intense talks on ending the war in Ukraine stretched through the night on Thursday as the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany sought to untangle a complicated skein of military and political issues. More than 5,300 people have died since April in the fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists...
Key sticking points in Ukraine peace talks: borders/buffers
MOSCOW (AP) — Significant differences remain between Ukraine and Russia as their leaders gather for crucial talks that aim to end the fighting between the Russian-backed separatists and government forces that has torn up eastern Ukraine. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, who are brokering Wednesday’s...
US army to start training Ukrainian troops, commander says
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A top U.S. military commander in Europe says the U.S military is to train Ukrainian soldiers who are battling Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. U.S. Army Europe Commander Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said Wednesday that in March a battalion of U.S. soldiers would train three battalions of Ukrainians from the Ministry of...
Fighting in Ukraine continues ahead of peace talks
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Fighting continued to rage in eastern Ukraine Wednesday ahead of crucial peace talks later in the day. Shelling rocked a bus station in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, where an Associated Press reporter saw one body and was told by rebel officials that another body had been recently removed from the scene. Donetsk city...
French gov’t: ‘Problems remain’ in Ukraine negotiations
PARIS (AP) — The French foreign minister says “quite a number of problems remain” in negotiations aimed at ending fighting in eastern Ukraine. Laurent Fabius told France Inter radio that just hours before a four-way summit Wednesday in Minsk, Belarus, it was “very probable” but not certain that French President Francois Hollande would attend....
Greek uncertainty obscuring underlying European recovery
BRUSSELS (AP) — With all the noise and uncertainty surrounding Greece over the past couple of weeks, it’s been easy to overlook the growing signs of economic recovery in Europe. A raft of indicators have pointed to a pick-up in activity that puts the 19-country eurozone economy in a position to outperform expectations this year — provided...
Fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine ahead of peace talks
SARTANA, Ukraine (AP) — Fighting has intensified today in eastern Ukraine, where government troops and pro-Russia rebels are each claiming significant advances. The fighting comes ahead of a crucial summit planned for tomorrow in Belarus involving the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine’s president says the talks are...
Putin’s visit to Egypt nets plan to build nuclear plant
CAIRO (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart said on Tuesday that the two countries plan to jointly build Egypt’s first nuclear power plant, as well as boost trade relations and investments. Putin’s landmark two-day visit to Cairo, during which he was feted with much pomp and pageantry, came as Russia...
