Section: Voice of America (USA)
Serbia Hosts Joint Military Exercises With Russia
Serbia and Russia began joint military exercises on Serbian territory on Thursday in a move likely to reinforce increased East-West tensions just as a five-day NATO drill in neighboring Montenegro draws to a close. Serbia is trying to balance its traditionally warm ties with Russia, a fellow Slavic, Orthodox Christian nation, with its push for...
Russia Braces for Another Hit Over Olympic Doping
Russia spent $50 billion on the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, making it the most expensive in history and among the most impressive. Russia dominated the Sochi games, winning 33 medals and attracting a new generation of winter sports fans. “At the moment Sochi is a resort that is easily accessible, and people want to ski there, so after the Sochi...
Ukraine Hopes Law to Reveal Lawmakers’ Wealth Will Aid Path to EU
A new law in Ukraine forcing senior officials to declare their wealth has revealed the scale of riches held by those in power. Analysts say the revelations show how far Ukraine still has to go to eradicate corruption, as Henry Ridgwell reports. …read more Source: Voice of...
Ukraine Hopes Law to Reveal Lawmakers’ Wealth Will Aid EU Path
A new law in Ukraine forcing senior officials to declare their wealth has revealed the scale of riches held by those in power. Members of the Cabinet alone hold $7 million in cash. Other lawmakers declared luxury cars, expensive watches and artwork. Analysts say the revelations show how far Ukraine still has to go to eradicate corruption. The...
Ukrainians Shocked as Politicians Declare Vast Wealth
An anti-corruption reform requiring senior Ukrainian officials to declare their wealth online has exposed a vast difference between the fortunes of politicians and those they represent. Some declared millions of dollars in cash. Others said they owned fleets of luxury cars, expensive Swiss watches, diamond jewelry and large tracts of land –...
Moldovans Electing President for 1st time in 20 years
Moldovans began voting Sunday for a president in an election that could move the former Soviet republic closer to Europe or push it back into Russia’s orbit. It is the first time in 20 years citizens have directly voted for their president in a country where many are angry about high-level corruption. Both the European Union together with...
Is Chechnya’s Ramzan Kadyrov Still in Moscow’s Favor?
Ramzan Kadyrov, the man President Vladimir Putin picked more than a decade ago to rule the southern Russian republic of Chechnya, is a rare case of a low-level provincial official overshadowing Moscow-based politicians and celebrities. The Chechen ruler has become something of a media star in Russia: just in the past month, he has launched his...
Dutch PM May Submit Bill to Revoke Support for EU-Ukraine Treaty on Monday
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday said his government may submit a bill revoking his country’s support for the treaty establishing closer ties between the European Union and Ukraine. Rutte has said rejection of the association agreement would be a mistake and would weaken European unity, but that if efforts to find a compromise...
Hackers: Emails Show Ties Between Kremlin, Ukraine Rebels
A group of Ukrainian hackers has released thousands of emails from an account used by a senior Kremlin official that appear to show close financial and political ties between Moscow and separatist rebels in Eastern Ukraine. The cache published by the Ukrainian group CyberHunta reveals contacts between President Vladimir Putin’s adviser...
Obama to Travel to Greece, Germany, Peru after Election Day
President Barack Obama will travel to Europe and Latin America the week after the presidential election. It’s expected to be his last major foreign trip before he leaves office in January. The White House says Obama will arrive in Greece on Nov. 15 to meet with President Procopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Obama plans to...
