WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s upcoming general elections are making history by having three women campaigning to lead the nation, with one almost certain to win. But the appearance of major social change in this conservative nation may be slightly deceptive. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz of the ruling Civic Platform is fighting to keep her … Continue reading
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A former Romanian president appeared on Wednesday before the nation’s top court, which is prosecuting him for crimes against humanity during a bloody anti-government protest 25 years ago in which six people died and hundreds of others were injured. Ion Iliescu, 85, went to the High Court of Cassation and Justice … Continue reading
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — President Bashar Assad has traveled to Moscow in his first known trip abroad since war broke out in Syria in 2011, meeting his strongest ally, Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The two leaders stressed that military operations in Syria— in which Moscow is the latest and most powerful addition— must lead to … Continue reading
MILOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Such an animal has not been seen on Czech territory for hundreds of years. A Dutch breeding program has recreated massive bovines closely related to aurochs, once the heaviest European land mammal and the wild ancestor of today’s cattle that became extinct in the 17th century. It is believed they … Continue reading
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Fifteen policemen and one civilian were injured during a violent protest by the opposition Self-Determination Party (Vetevendosje!) after an opposition lawmaker was taken in for questioning, Kosovo police said Tuesday. Police spokesman Baki Kelani says opposition leader Albin Kurti was taken to a police station Monday evening to be questioned on … Continue reading
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Clashes intensified Thursday between Syrian troops and insurgents in central and northwestern Syria, part of what a top general called a “wide-ranging” offensive aided by Russian airstrikes and apparently aimed at clearing positions near government strongholds on the coast. U.S. defense officials said as many as four of the 26 long-range … Continue reading
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Opposition lawmakers in Kosovo disrupted parliament’s session on Thursday, using tear gas and whistles to protest the government’s recent EU-sponsored deal with Serbia giving the country’s Serb-majority areas greater powers. The opposition wants the government to backtrack from the deal, saying it endangers Kosovo’s territorial integrity. The governing coalition says the … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Galina Timchenko recalls how proud she felt when the Russian news website she edited reached 3 million users per day. When she reported the figures to the website’s owner, he was horrified. “At that moment something snapped inside and I understood that this is the end, because there cannot be such an … Continue reading
ROME (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday the U.S.-led coalition has not agreed to cooperate with Russia in the fight against the Islamic State and no collaboration is possible as long as Moscow continues to strike other targets. He said the U.S. will conduct basic, technical talks with Russia about efforts to … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia launched airstrikes Wednesday in Syria, sharply escalating Moscow’s role in the conflict but also raising questions about whether its intent is fighting Islamic State militants or protecting longtime ally, President Bashar Assad. President Vladimir Putin called it a pre-emptive strike against the militants, and the Russian Defense Ministry said its warplanes … Continue reading
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — One month after the body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach — and a week after the European Union agreed to secure its borders — the migrant crisis has largely fallen off the front pages and reporters are going home. But the human tide keeps rolling northward … Continue reading
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Barack Obama on Sunday committed the U.S. to a new blueprint to eliminate poverty and hunger around the world, telling a global summit that a sweeping new development agenda is “not charity but instead is one of the smartest investments we can make in our own future.” It was the … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama will meet on Monday in New York — their first face-to-face encounter in nearly a year amid strongly troubled relations between Russian and the U.S., but one in which the leaders have different priorities. Putin wants to focus on the Syria crisis, where Russia is taking an … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Tuesday began hearing the high-profile case against a Ukrainian officer who is charged in the deaths of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine. Nadezhda Savchenko denied the charges, telling the court “I am a soldier, not a murderer,” according to the Tass news agency. In Washington, the U.S. … Continue reading
BRUSSELS (AP) — Deeply divided European Union ministers agreed Tuesday to relocate 120,000 asylum-seekers to ease the strain on Greece and Italy, which are on the front line of the migrant flood. But a senior European leader conceded the move was only a small step toward resolving one of the worst crises ever faced by … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 