Section: San Francisco Chronicle (USA)
EU imposes new sanctions on Russia
In the new round of sanctions unveiled in its official publication on Friday the EU closed long-term lending for a number of Russian companies including the country’s largest oil producer, Rosneft, and pipeline operator Transneft. …read more Source: San Francisco...
Ukraine, rebels exchange prisoners in peace deal
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Government and rebel forces have exchanged dozens of prisoners captured during fighting in Ukraine as part of a cease-fire agreement sealed earlier this month. Shortly after the prisoner exchange, a volley of rocket fire was heard from central Donetsk. …read more Source: San Francisco...
Venezuela’s UN Security Council bid gains backing
The unanimous endorsement of Venezuela’s candidacy to represent the region on the Security Council came at a closed-door meeting July 23 at U.N. headquarters in New York, say regional diplomats, who agreed to discuss the situation only if not quoted by name because the decision hasn’t been made public. While Venezuela must still...
Rocket fire heard in east Ukraine rebel stronghold
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Two volleys of Grad rocket fire rang out in Ukraine’s eastern, rebel-held city of Donetsk, underscoring the difficulties of enforcing a cease-fire almost a week after it was signed. …read more Source: San Francisco...
EU agrees to introduce new sanctions on Russia
Three diplomats in Brussels say the ambassadors of the 28-nation bloc agreed Thursday that the sanctions would take effect Friday following their publication in the EU’s official journal. The diplomats declined to provide details of the new economic measures, but said they will include previously announced measures to further curb access to...
Russian gas supplies to Poland drop further
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s gas monopoly says that Russian natural gas deliveries dropped by 45 percent on Wednesday, the third day of decreases amid concern Moscow is piling on political pressure over the crisis in Ukraine. Domestically, experts say there is no need for immediate concern because the weather is warm and gas storage tanks...
Ukraine leader says most Russian forces gone
Kiev, Ukraine — Russia has withdrawn about 70 percent of the armed groups it sent into eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday, quoting his nation’s intelligence sources. “That gives us a real hope that peace efforts have good prospects,” Poroshenko said in televised remarks...
Ukraine pledges more autonomy to rebellious east
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president has promised to introduce legislation in parliament as early as next week that would offer greater autonomy to rebellious regions in the country’s pro-Russian east, where separatists have been battling government troops for almost five months. …read more Source: San Francisco...
‘High-energy objects’ downed Malaysia jet in Ukraine, report says
A preliminary report on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 appears to confirm initial assertions that the passenger plane was hit by a surface-to-air-missile in mid-flight July 17 before crashing in Ukraine. “The pattern of damage observed on the forward fuselage and cockpit section of the aircraft appears to indicate that there were impacts...
East Ukraine city hit by shells during cease-fire
In a statement published online Tuesday, the council said a school and several residential buildings were hit by shelling, imperiling an already shaky cease-fire between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces. …read more Source: San Francisco...
