Section: KXAN (USA)
‘Sacred Sperm’ film explores ultra-Orthodox Jewish taboos
JERUSALEM (AP) — Like so many parents, Ori Gruder was grappling with how to talk to his 10-year-old son about sex. Being a member of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox religious community, which tends to keep discussions of sexuality to a whisper, made the task even more difficult. So Gruder created “Sacred Sperm,” an hour-long documentary in which he...
Oscar-nominated corruption film ‘Leviathan’ opens in Russia
MOSCOW (AP) — It’s been lauded by critics yet trashed by Russian politicians, its actors praised for their performances but harassed by local officials. On Thursday, director Andrei Zvyagintsev’s Oscar-nominated film “Leviathan,” a harrowing portrayal of small-town corruption, faces its toughest test yet as it plays in about 450...
After hefty currency fall, Ukraine raises key interest rate
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Following a massive fall in its currency that has stoked inflationary pressures, Ukraine has raised a key interest rate by a massive 5.5 percentage points. The National Bank of Ukraine said in a statement on Thursday that the refinancing rate has been raised from 14 to 19.5 percent in a bid to “provide a stable and...
Top NATO general warns of Russian reaction to arming Ukraine
BRUSSELS (AP) — The top NATO commander warned Thursday that any move to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons must take into account any possible angry reaction from Russia. U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove said that any action the U.S. or other Western nations take “could trigger a more strident reaction from Russia.” His remarks...
French, German leaders head to Ukraine with peace initiative
PARIS (AP) — French President Francois Hollande says he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are heading to Ukraine with a new peace initiative. Speaking at a news conference in Paris and describing the Ukrainian conflict as a war, Hollande said the two will go to Kiev on Thursday and then head to Moscow the following day with a proposal “based on...
Kerry travels to Ukraine as US weighs sending arms
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Ukraine to show support for the embattled government as the Obama administration weighs sending arms to Kiev to help it fight Russian-backed separatists. Amid a fast-moving flurry of international diplomacy, Kerry arrived in Kiev on Thursday bringing with him a modest amount of $16.4...
3 killed in shelling in rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The City Hall in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine says at least 3 people have been killed in shelling overnight. This follows artillery strikes on the rebel stronghold on Wednesday which hit a hospital, leaving five people dead. Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and government forces picked up in January after a month of...
NATO official: alliance to beef up response force
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO’s chief says the alliance is set to more than double the size of its Response Force in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine and the challenge of Islamic extremism. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday’s meeting of defense ministers in Brussels is expected to boost the size of the force from...
Oligarchs unload Sochi Olympics assets to recoup investment
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — The ski jump sits shrouded in mist, its coat of snow undisturbed by any athletes hurtling down the ramp to take off into the air. A year ago, the jump bustled with activity at the Sochi Olympics as the world’s best ski jumpers — including women, for the first time — competed for gold. But it made some unwanted history...
Civilian woes deepen as battle surges on Ukraine front line
DEBALTSEVE, Ukraine (AP) — The morning silence is an uneasy prelude to the artillery fire that inevitably follows. Sealed off from the world by war, some inhabitants hesitantly approach visitors for news. There’s no time for anything more than a few words, as soldiers bark instructions at exhausted people boarding evacuation buses with...
