MOSCOW (AP) — A radio engineer who once worked for the Russian military intelligence has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sending a job cover letter to a Swedish company. Gennady Kravtsov worked for Russia’s GRU from 1990 to 2005 as a radio engineer in satellite intelligence. For five years after he quit, … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s beleaguered opposition drew several thousand people on Sunday to a protest rally in an outlying Moscow neighborhood to decry the 15-year rule of President Vladimir Putin. Protesters denounced the Kremlin-controlled political system that keeps Putin in power and prevents the opposition from running in elections. They complained of political repression and … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview aired Wednesday that his priority is “defeating terrorism” in Syria and urged all political and armed factions in the country to unite in the fight against terrorist groups. In an interview with Russian media, Assad also said there can be no political solution for … Continue reading
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The baby names carry the mark of struggle and gratitude. A Nigerian migrant mother called her baby girl “Gift” after a difficult delivery on an Italian navy ship that rescued her in the Mediterranean. A woman from Ghana named her baby Angela Merkel Ade in admiration for the German chancellor. Other … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Candidates from the ruling United Russia party have won the governor’s seat in all 21 regions where an election was held, as well as in 11 regional legislatures, election officials said on Monday. An independent election monitor said the results showed the government’s strong grip on politics in Russia and the difficulties … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — The plunge in the ruble currency is making Russians’ travels abroad hugely more expensive. For thousands of the country’s Muslims, that means more than just canceling a beach vacation, but putting on hold a once-in-a-lifetime religious experience — the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. Islam’s hajj pilgrimage, which all Muslims … Continue reading
ROSZKE, Hungary (AP) — Hundreds of angry and frustrated asylum-seekers broke through police lines Monday near Hungary’s southern border with Serbia and began marching north toward Budapest, while Britain and France pledged to take in tens of thousands more refugees to try to ease the crisis. As European leaders debated how to share responsibility for … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Signs of an ongoing Russian military buildup in Syria have drawn U.S. concerns and raised questions of whether Moscow plans to enter the conflict. President Vladimir Putin has been coy on the subject, saying Russia is weighing various options, a statement that has fueled suspicions about the Kremlin’s intentions. Observers in Moscow … Continue reading
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Two men appeared Friday on Polish TV saying they are the finders of a Nazi train said to be laden with gold — a claim that came as the Polish military inspected the alleged site in southwest Poland. Identifying themselves as Andreas Richter and Piotr Koper, the men appeared on TVP.INFO. … Continue reading
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Fighter jets roaring overhead, NATO on Thursday inaugurated a military center in the Lithuanian capital amid growing concerns in the Baltic countries over Russia’s military presence. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who joined Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite for the opening ceremony, described the new unit as a “big step forward toward greater … Continue reading
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hundreds of migrants chanted defiant slogans outside Budapest’s main international train station Wednesday as Hungarian police blocked them for a second day from seeking asylum in Germany and other wealthy European Union countries. “What we want? Peace! What we need? Peace!” the migrants shouted outside the cavernous Keleti train station, … Continue reading
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary stunned migrants and European partners Tuesday by blocking asylum-seekers from its westbound trains, a move that raised new challenges for the EU’s passport-free travel zone and could drive many into the reckless hands of cross-border smugglers. Hungary’s right-wing nationalist government defended its U-turn — just days after it started permitting … Continue reading
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s parliament majority showed cracks Tuesday after a right-wing party said it was leaving the coalition over a measure to give more power to Ukraine’s regions, including the rebel-held east. The announcement from the Radical Party, which came in fifth in last year’s election, came as two more National Guard officers … Continue reading
STARE, Ukraine (AP) — More than 100 Ukrainian schoolchildren will have unusual tales to tell their mates when classes resume, after spending part of their summer vacations undergoing training by the National Guard. The training at a National Guard camp about 75 kilometers (45 miles) from Kiev taught children aged 11-15 rudimentary military skills and … Continue reading
PRAGUE (AP) — An American suspected of killing four Czech family members has been extradited from the U.S. to face trial, officials said Monday. Czech authorities suspect that Kevin Dahlgren fatally stabbed his aunt, uncle and two cousins in the city of Brno during his May 2013 stay. Authorities said the victims had been stabbed … Continue reading
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