Section: The Huffington Post (USA)
Kiev And Rebels To Hold Mass Prisoner Exchange, Says Ukraine Security Service
KIEV, Dec 26 (Reuters) – Kiev and pro-Russian separatists will exchange hundreds of prisoners soon, an aide to the head of Ukraine’s SBU state security service said on Friday, as the military reported a slight increase in rebel attacks. The agreement to swap 125 Ukrainian servicemen for 225 rebels held by Kiev followed peace talks...
Russia’s Ruble Ends 5-day Rally, Drops 4 Percent
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian currency on Friday ended its five-day rally and declined 4 percent as the markets remain jittery over the outlook of the Russian economy. The ruble has been the worst performing currency this year along with the Ukrainian hryvnia, having lost nearly half of its value against the dollar. Russian Finance Minister Anton...
Ukraine Suspends Train Service To Crimea
KIEV, Dec 26 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s state rail company Ukrzaliznytsia said on Friday it would suspend passenger and cargo train services to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia in March, due to security concerns. “In order to ensure the safety of passengers … (the railway) will cut the route of trains to...
14 Religious Moments In 2014 That Give Us Hope For 2015
It has been a difficult year around the world with wars, conflicts and disease afflicting far too many people. Religion has too often played an unhelpful or even harmful role. However, throughout the year there have been stories of people of all different religions standing up for what is right, increasing understanding and peace between peoples,...
Poland Embracing Multi-Ethnic Past, So What’s Wrong With Ukraine?
Despite its less than stellar attitude towards the Jews, Poland seems intent on coming to terms with its wartime past. Take for example the case of the provincial Polish town of Kutno, which stages impressive concerts of Jewish music. According to a recent report in the BBC, all of the performers in the concert are local children, who sing old...
Ukraine: Still Failing on World War II
Judging from events, Ukraine has even now failed to come to terms with the legacy of the Second World War. Recently, spectators in Kiev were graced with a divisive sight: outside parliament, protesters clashed with police after legislators failed to support a bill recognizing the Ukrainian Insurgent Army or UPA. The bill in parliament would have...
Vladimir Putin Scraps New Year’s Holidays For Russian Ministers
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday scrapped New Year’s holidays for government ministers because of the unfolding economic crisis. Russian company employees throughout the country are entitled to holiday from Jan. 1 to Jan. 12 when Russians celebrate the New Year, the main holiday in Russia, as well as Orthodox...
‘Urbi et Orbi’: Full Text Of Pope Francis’ Christmas Day Message
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Here is the official Vatican English-language translation of Pope Francis’ “Urbi et Orbi’ Christmas Day message, which he delivered in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas! Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, is born...
8 Unforgettable Symbols From An Extraordinary Year Of Protests
From Africa to Europe to the Americas, 2014 has been a year of extraordinary protests. Some of these protests succeeded in overthrowing political leaders, others retreated but fundamentally changed the political landscape and still others are still ongoing as we enter 2015. Many powerful symbols arose from this year’s protests. These images...
Buffeted by Political Firestorm, Crimean Minorities Forced to Choose
As tensions are ratcheted up between Ukraine and the Kremlin, Jews have been forced to choose sides. In the Crimea, two small minority groups, the Karaites and Krymchaks, have been caught in the political crosshairs. Crimean Karaites, a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, have backed Russia’s annexation of Crimea, while the Krymchaks, a similarly...
