Section: KXAN (USA)
The Latest: Pilot error, technical fault behind Russia crash
MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the crash of a Russian aircraft with 92 people on board en route to Russia’s air base in Syria (all times local): 9 a.m. Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov says that pilot error or a technical fault were likely to blame for Sunday’s crash of a Russian Tu-154 carrying 92 passengers and crew. The...
Pope wishes Christmas peace to those scarred by war
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has wished Christmas peace for people scarred by wars and those who lost loved ones to terrorism that he says is sowing “fear and death” in many cities and countries. Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica Sunday, Francis cited those suffering through the Syrian war, especially during the...
Russian plane with 92 aboard crashes into the Black Sea
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian plane headed to an air base in Syria with 92 people aboard, including members of a well-known military choir, crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday minutes after taking off from the resort city of Sochi, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. There was no indication anyone survived the crash of the Tu-154, which belonged to...
Israel to do ‘all it takes’ to emerge unharmed by UN vote
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister says he will do “all it takes” to ensure Israel is unscathed by an anti-settlement resolution passed at the United Nations last week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already ordered several retaliatory steps against countries that supported the resolution. He told his Cabinet on Sunday that...
The Latest: Doctor taking meds to Syria among crash victims
MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the crash of a Russian aircraft with 92 people on board en route to Russia’s air base in Syria (all times local): 1:10 p.m. Russia’s Defense Ministry says a widely revered Russian charity doctor was on board a Russian plane headed to Syria that crashed into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff. Yelizaveta...
China’s 1st aircraft carrier heads for Western Pacific
BEIJING (AP) — China’s first aircraft carrier has set off for the Western Pacific for an open-sea training exercise, the Defense Ministry said. State media said Sunday that it is the first time that the Liaoning, which was commissioned by the Chinese navy in 2012, has headed to “distant sea waters.” The Western Pacific region stretches from...
Govt troops, rebels claims cease-fire violations
MOSCOW (AP) — Both the Ukrainian government and Russia-backed rebels in the east of the country say a new cease-fire has been violated. Separatist mouthpiece Donetsk News Agency said on Saturday government troops had opened fire at least 140 times since midnight on Friday, the time both parties had agreed to cease fire in the conflict that began...
Chinese carrier carries out fighter drills on open seas
BEIJING (AP) — China’s military says its first aircraft carrier group has carried out a series of fighter launch, recovery and air combat exercises in the Yellow Sea ahead of a scheduled voyage farther afield. The Defense Ministry announced late Friday that the Liaoning carrier group conducted the drills in the Yellow Sea in recent days,...
Belarus court rules against AP reporter for Chernobyl story
MOSCOW (AP) — A court in the former Soviet republic of Belarus has ruled against an Associated Press correspondent in a lawsuit by a dairy company that claimed an AP article damaged its reputation. AP said it stands by his reporting and will seek to overturn the ruling on appeal. The lawsuit stems from an April article about farmers using land...
A further 2 Ukrainian troops killed in eastern Ukraine
MOSCOW (AP) — A Ukrainian official says at least two Ukrainian troops have been killed and three injured in the past 24 hours in renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine. Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government troops has killed more than 9,600 people since the conflict began in April 2014. A 2015 cease-fire deal did not...
