MOSCOW – Masked police have raided the Moscow offices of a civil society organization funded by former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Police said they suspected the group, Open Russia, was preparing banners, leaflets and posters that contained calls for “extremist activity” and planned to distribute them at an opposition protest …
Read More »Kurdish officials: Suspect arrested in bombing near US consulate in northern Iraq
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Kurdish officials say a suspect has been arrested in connection with a bombing near the U.S. consulate in the northern city of Irbil. A statement from the Kurdish Regional Security Council on Monday says the suspect will remain in custody until an investigation is completed. It did …
Read More »NATO's no. 2 in Europe says alliance supports territorial integrity of Moldova, Ukraine
CHISINAU, Moldova – NATO’s second-in-command in Europe says the alliance backs the territorial integrity of former Soviet republics Moldova and Ukraine “We … support the neutrality, independence and sovereignty of your country in the interests of the whole region,” said Gen. Adrian Bradshaw, deputy supreme allied commander in Europe, during …
Read More »Serbian police arrest 15 people suspected of trafficking migrants to Western Europe
BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbian police have arrested 15 people suspected of trafficking more than 200 migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan toward the European Union. The police said Monday the alleged criminal group smuggled migrants over the border from Bulgaria and crossed them through Serbia aiming to reach Hungary, an …
Read More »Finnish Fennovoima awards nuclear construction contract to Russian company Titan-2
HELSINKI – Finnish utility Fennovoima says it has awarded a contract for constructing a new nuclear plant in Finland to a Russian company. Fennovoima said Thursday that Titan-2 will construct the nuclear and turbine island and provide installations, materials and equipment for the project, to be Finland’s sixth nuclear reactor. …
Read More »US pilot, Chinese passenger killed in light aircraft crash in eastern China
BEIJING – An American pilot and a Chinese passenger have been killed in a light airplane crash in eastern China, state media reported. The official Xinhua news agency said Sunday night that neither of the deceased had been identified yet in the accident in Anhui province in eastern China. Xinhua …
Read More »Qatar looks for company to take over operation of its biggest offshore oil field from 2017
DOHA, Qatar – Qatar’s state-owned oil company says it is soliciting bids from international energy companies for the chance to operate the small Gulf nation’s largest oil field. Qatar Petroleum said Wednesday it is inviting bids to operate and further develop the al-Shaheen field starting in the middle of 2017, …
Read More »Chilean judge orders ex-military members held in priest's disappearance during dictatorship
SANTIAGO, Chile – A Chilean judge is ordering the detention of 14 retired military members and four former police officials in the disappearance of the Rev. Michael Woodward during the country’s dictatorship. Friday’s decision by Judge Jaime Arancibia is a shift in the case, which had been dismissed. Persistence of …
Read More »Suspended founder of French far-right party to start up new movement
PARIS – Jean-Marie Le Pen announced Tuesday that he will create a new political formation following his suspension from France’s far-right National Front party that he founded more than 40 years ago. Le Pen, 86, who is embroiled in a family feud and risks losing his title of honorary president …
Read More »Russian foreign minister Lavrov urges EU to support Turkish Stream pipeline
BELGRADE, Serbia – Russia’s foreign minister has urged the European Union to support the idea of a Moscow-backed pipeline that would bring natural gas across the Black Sea to Turkey and the rest of Europe. Sergei Lavrov said Friday the pipeline — which could include Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary …
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