Section: Newsweek (USA)
Russia’s Chief Investigators Equates Crimea Denial to Extremism
One of Russia’s most senior law enforcement officials has said that dismissing the referendum under which Crimea joined Russia should be a crime equal to extremism. Crimea was controversially annexed from the territory of Ukraine in 2014 as well-armed, but unmarked, fighters who appeared to be Russian special operations forces seized...
Swedes Could Support A ‘Swexit’
Britain is facing the possibility of “Brexit,” The Czech Prime Minister recently fretted about “Czexit,” and Marine le Pen has been gleeful at the level of support for “Frexit.” Now it’s time for a new portmanteau in Europe’s mounting identity crisis; a poll shows there could be support for a “Swexit.” Only 39 percent of Swedes think...
EU Needs Britain to Resist Russian Aggression, UK’s Europe Minister Says
A vote to leave the European Union in the British referendum would weaken the bloc’s efforts to maintain a determined front against Russian aggression, Britain’s Europe minister said on Saturday. NATO remained the main player in European security, David Lidington told the Globsec security conference in Bratislava, but the EU could...
Putin On Kadyrov, Groysman and Russia’s Next First Lady
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about drowning world leaders, visiting Crimea instead of Turkey and the possibility of his country getting a new first lady during his annual call-in ‘telefon’ show on Thursday. The show got off to an awkward start when Putin decided to answer the first video call before sitting down at his desk. He...
Vladimir Putin Calls Panama Papers a U.S. ‘Provocation’
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Vladimir Putin on Thursday dismissed media reports that billions of dollars in Panama offshore accounts might be linked to him as a U.S.-backed “provocation”, as he told ordinary Russians that the country’s economic crisis will ease next year. The leak of confidential documents from a Panamanian law firm...
Ukraine’s New Prime Minister Groysman Promises Corruption Crackdown
Ukraine’s parliament has endorsed parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Groysman to replace Arseniy Yatsenyuk as the country’s Prime Minister. Yatsenyuk, who rose to prominence during the pro-Western Euromaidan protest movement, faced a difficult time in government as he was dogged by allegations of ineffectiveness in the way of much needed...
Sex, Drugs and Putin Clones: What to Expect at Putin’s Telethon
With Spring well underway, the time has come for one of the most bizarre dates in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calendar – his annual telethon, airing on Thursday morning. The good news is that you, too, can send Putin your query. The bad – you already have over a million Russians to compete with. Not to mention that...
Is Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik still a threat to Europe?
As Anders Behring Breivik entered the gym turned courtroom in Skien prison, the jail in southern Norway that has held him since August 2013, a smile crossed his lips. He waited eagerly for one of the four guards who stood next to him to unlock his handcuffs. He looked around to see who was in the gym: two dozen journalists and some prison...
Panama Papers: Police Raid Mossack Fonseca Offices
Panama’s attorney general late on Tuesday raided the offices of the Mossack Fonseca law firm to search for any evidence of illegal activities, authorities said in a statement. The Panama-based law firm is at the center of the “Panama Papers” leaks scandal that has embarrassed several world leaders and shone a spotlight on the...
Ukrainians May Get Visa-Free Travel Despite Dutch Vote, Source Says
The European Commission will propose this month granting visa-free travel to Ukrainians despite a Dutch referendum vote against an EU-Ukraine agreement partly motivated by hostility to migration, a senior EU source said. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker promised Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in March that the EU executive would put...
