Section: KXAN (USA)
German FM: Ukraine talks made progress on security issues
BERLIN (AP) — Talks between Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France produced several agreements aimed at improving security in eastern Ukraine but no deal on holding local elections in the separatist region controlled by Russia-backed rebels, a top German diplomat said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who hosted the talks at a...
Putin inaugurates final power link to Crimea
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s president has flipped the switch to open the last of four electricity lines to Crimea aimed at allowing the Russia-annexed peninsula to end its reliance on Ukrainian power. The line from the Russian mainland that Vladimir Putin inaugurated on Wednesday brings Russia’s electricity supply to Crimea to 800...
US gears up missile defense system in Europe to Russia’s ire
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A U.S. missile defense system aimed at protecting Europe from ballistic missile threats is moving into higher gear this week, with a site in Romania becoming operational on Thursday and officials breaking ground at another site in Poland a day later. The system has been under development for years and is, NATO and U.S....
Eurovision Song Contest struggles to enforce politics ban
STOCKHOLM (AP) — You can croon about unrequited love, dance with unbridled passion or dress up in drag. Just keep politics out of it. Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest say the annual kitsch-fest, which is watched by almost 200 million people in dozens of countries, is about having a good time, not making political statements. Yet it...
Polanski producer and Holocaust survivor Gene Gutowski dies
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Gene Gutowski, a Polish-American Holocaust survivor who was the producer of three films by director Roman Polanski in the 1960s and reunited with him decades later for the Oscar-winning Holocaust drama, “The Pianist,” has died. He was 90. Gutowski’s son, Adam Bardach, told The Associated Press that his father died of...
German paper publishes ‘manifesto’ from Panama leak source
BERLIN (AP) — A German newspaper that obtained leaked files from a Panamanian law firm detailing offshore financial dealings published Friday what it said is a manifesto from its anonymous source, who described having been moved to act by “the scale of the injustices” the documents show. The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung was offered the leaked data...
NATO alliance gets new supreme commander
CASTEAU, Belgium (AP) — NATO has a new supreme allied commander, the former top American general in Korea who has said the Western alliance must stand up to Russia and give Ukraine weapons to defend itself. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti took over Wednesday as the military leader responsible for the overall direction and conduct of NATO’s...
Ukrainian city marks 2nd anniversary of fire that killed 43
MOSCOW (AP) — Demonstrators have gathered in the Ukrainian city of Odessa to mark the second anniversary of the street clashes that culminated in a fire that killed 43 people as they took shelter from opponents. In all, 48 people died in the May 2, 2014, violence. It began with fights between two factions marching in the city, one supporting the...
Cease-fire in east Ukraine set to begin on Orthodox Easter
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The international envoy working to bring peace to eastern Ukraine says agreement has been reached to observe a cease-fire with the start of the Orthodox Easter and May Day holidays. Martin Sajdik, the special envoy for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said after talks Friday in Minsk, the Belarusian...
Finnish report highlights Russian threat of NATO membership
HELSINKI (AP) — Finland could expect “harsh” reactions from Russia if it decided to join NATO, but would be better off doing so together with neighboring Sweden, an expert panel told the Finnish government on Friday. In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of a “military-technical” response if its “neutral neighbors” became...
