Section: Voice of America (USA)
Crimea Prosecutor Seeks ‘Extremism’ Case Against Journalist
Authorities in Russia-annexed Crimea have released a journalist affiliated with the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on bail, but with travel restrictions, according to a report quoting his lawyer. Prosecutor General of Crimea Natalya Poklonskaya says a criminal case has been launched against the journalist, named as Nikolai Semena,...
Ukrainian President Hints at Deal with Russia to Swap Pilot
Ukraine and Russia may have reached a deal to release jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko in a swap for two Russian officers convicted by a Ukrainian court. Both Kyiv and Moscow confirmed that in a telephone conversation Monday President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked about Savchenko and the two Russian...
Obama-Putin Hold ‘Intense’ Talk on Syria
Amid reports that Syrian peace talks are at an impasse, U.S. President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to use his influence with the Assad regime during a phone call early Monday. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed Obama had an “intense” conversation with Putin that centered on the situation...
Ukraine Convicts 2 Russian Soldiers on Terrorism Charges
A court in Kyiv has convicted two Russian servicemen captured in eastern Ukraine of terrorism and other crimes and sentenced them each to 14 years in prison. The court on Monday found Alexander Alexandrov and his commander, Yevgeny Yerofeyev, guilty of “waging a war of aggression” against Ukraine, assisting a terrorist group,...
Russia Rejects US Criticism of Jet Incident in Baltic Sea
Russia’s military denied one of its jets made aggressive maneuvers during an incident with a U.S Air Force reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea. The U.S. military said the Russian SU-27 jet had flown in “an unsafe and unprofessional manner,” getting within 15 meters of the U.S. RC-135 aircraft Thursday. Russian...
Pentagon Reports Another Russian Jet Incident in Baltic Sea
A U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 jet in what the U.S. military said Saturday was “an unsafe and unprofessional manner.” The statement from the U.S. European Command said the incident occurred Thursday in international airspace and at no time did the American plane...
OSCE Warns of Intensified Fighting in Ukraine’s Separatist East
Fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government troops has increased sharply in eastern Ukraine in defiance of calls to observe a year-old peace agreement, the head of an international monitoring mission said Friday. The February 2015 Minsk cease-fire deal failed to completely halt the conflict that is now in its third year....
Ukraine Recovers Paintings Stolen From Netherlands
Ukrainian authorities have recovered four paintings that were stolen more than a decade ago from an art gallery in the Netherlands. The paintings date back to the Netherlands’ 17th century Golden Age and are part of a group of 24 works valued at more than $11 million. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said at a Thursday news...
World Bank Chief: Poor Hurt by Tax-evading Offshore Accounts
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said Thursday he is “extremely concerned” about the widespread creation of offshore companies by wealthy people around the world to evade taxes, saying it takes large sums away from governments who need the money to fight poverty. Kim told a news conference in Washington he was distressed by the scope...
In Talk Show, Putin Airs Opinions on Syria, Economy, Potholes
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Syrian people must engage in talks to agree on a new constitution for their country. Speaking during his annual television call-in show, Putin said the solution to Syria’s problems is not to be found in military action. The Russian leader also said the so-called Panama Papers report about offshore...
