Section: Voice of America (USA)
Medvedev: Russia’s Economy Must Prepare for Worst-Case Scenario
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the Russian economy is looking better than one year ago but must prepare for the worst-case scenario as it continues to suffer from low oil prices and the impact of Western sanctions. Speaking Wednesday in Moscow at the annual Gaidar Forum on economics, Medvedev noted 2015 was probably the most...
Georgia Crackdown Worrisome, European Rights Group Says
The Council of Europe told Georgia on Tuesday to improve its justice system, saying it was worried about allegations that authorities have been abusing the law to conduct a politically motivated crackdown on the opposition. The criticism from the pan-European human rights body comes at a sensitive time for Georgia, which has sought to move closer...
US Helping Ukraine Investigate Power Grid Hack
The U.S. government said it was helping Ukraine investigate an apparent cyber attack last month on the country’s power grid that caused a blackout for an estimated 80,000 customers. Experts have widely described the Dec. 23 incident at western Ukraine’s Prykarpattyaoblenergo utility as the first known power outage caused by a cyber...
Russia Suspected in First-Ever Cyberattack on Ukraine’s Power Grid
In the last months of 2015, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea’s annexation and continuing strife in Ukraine’s east appeared largely to be in stalemate. But now, with the new year, it appears the conflict is heating up again, and playing out on the region’s electric grids. On Dec. 23, a massive power outage in...
Russian Economy Killers: Oil and Sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin gets a bad report card, even a failing grade, for his handling of the economic crisis in his country, according to 27 percent of analysts who participated in a major survey conducted by Bloomberg Business. These are hard times in Russia, with the collapse in oil prices, economic sanctions against the country for...
Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas
Many Orthodox Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus on Thursday, following the older Julian calendar. On Wednesday, believers in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia, Ethiopia and elsewhere observed Christmas Eve, while Christians who have adopted the Gregorian calendar celebrated the Feast of Epiphany. …read more Source: Voice of...
Ukrainian Businessman Sues Russia Over Annexed Crimea Airport
A Ukrainian businessman has filed a complaint against Russia in The Hague, saying he was unfairly deprived of his right to operate a passenger airport in Crimea after Russia annexed the peninsula in March 2014. The Permanent Court of Arbitration said on Wednesday that it had agreed to consider the case, which was brought a year ago by Ihor...
Orthodox Christians Celebrate Epiphany
Wednesday is Epiphany, a major holiday in much of Orthodox Christianity celebrating the birth and baptism of Jesus. Religious services are held as well as Blessing of Water ceremonies at lakes, rivers and seafronts. But in Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and other Orthodox countries that observe a different religious calendar, it is Christmas Eve. Roman...
New Russian Strategy Document Calls NATO a ‘Threat’
On December 31, President Vladimir Putin signed off on a new national security strategy for Russia that unequivocally identifies NATO as a threat. The new strategy, observers say, reflects the recent deterioration in relations between Russia and the West, following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern...
Experts: Ukraine Utility Cyberattack Wider Than Reported
A central European security software firm said on Monday that a cyberattack last month in Ukraine was broader than initially reported last week when the nation’s secret police blamed a power outage on Russia. Western Ukraine power company Prykarpattyaoblenergo reported an outage on Dec. 23, saying the area affected included regional capital...
