Tag: Eastern Europe
Moscow police arrest brother of opposition leader Navalny
MOSCOW (AP) — Moscow police launched a series of raids Wednesday on apartments and offices of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s family and...
Auschwitz survivors mark anniversary online amid pandemic
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Jewish prayer for the souls of the people murdered in the Holocaust echoed Wednesday over where the Warsaw ghetto...
‘We owe this to them’: Shoah survivors in vaccine spotlight
VIENNA (AP) — Hundreds of Holocaust survivors in Austria and Slovakia got their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine Wednesday, an acknowledgement of past...
The Latest: WH: Need 500M shots to vaccinate all over 16
WASHINGTON — White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients says it’s essential that Congress pass President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill to keep the...
Polish court seals divisive ruling to tighten abortion law
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s top court on Wednesday confirmed its highly divisive ruling that will further tighten the predominantly Catholic nation’s strict anti-abortion...
Ukraine uncovers ring that hacked banks in US, Europe
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday they have uncovered a group of hackers who stole data from banks in the United States...
Russia fines US-funded broadcaster under foreign agent law
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Wednesday fined U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 1.1 million rubles ($14,600) for violating the country’s law...
Not in short supply: Blame for EU’s rusty vaccine rollout
APELDOORN, Netherlands (AP) — Jos Bieleveldt had a spring in his step when the 91-year-old Dutchman got a coronavirus vaccine this week. But many...
Russia’s Putin warns of worsening global instability
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that the world risks sliding deeper into instability as the coronavirus pandemic combines with global...
Pope marking Holocaust warns another genocide possible
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday by warning that warped ideologies can pave the way to another genocide.
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Russian parliament OKs New START nuclear treaty extension
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian lawmakers on Wednesday quickly approved the extension of the last remaining nuclear Russia-U.S. arms control treaty, a fast-track action that...
First Biden-Putin call shows both cautious on big concerns
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first conversation as counterparts Tuesday in a phone call that...
Mexico near approving Russian vaccine, with little data
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico said Tuesday it is close to granting approval for Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, with lots of spy drama...
Russia, US exchange documents to extend nuclear pact
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia and the United States traded documents Tuesday to extend their last remaining nuclear arms control treaty days before it is...
EU urges US to draft joint rule book to rein in tech giants
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union called Tuesday on U.S. President Joe Biden to help draw up a common rule book to rein in...
Navalny ally vows to press for his freedom despite crackdown
MOSCOW (AP) — A top ally of Alexei Navalny vowed Tuesday to keep up the fight to free the jailed Russian opposition leader and...
Polish man at center of life-support dispute dies in Britain
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish man who has been at the center of an international life-support dispute has died at a British hospital,...
Turkmen ruler establishes holiday to honor local dog breed
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor the local dog breed, media reports said Tuesday.
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Central African Republic soldiers kill 44 rebels
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) —
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Europe’s court condemns Russia over 2008 war with Georgia
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Europe's top human rights court on Thursday found Russia responsible for a swath of violations in Georgia's breakaway regions after...
Estonia: Government led by nation’s first woman PM sworn in
HELSINKI (AP) — A new two-party coalition government was sworn in Tuesday in Estonia, led by the first woman prime minister since the Baltic...
Rubbish-covered lake brings to light Balkans waste problem
PRIBOJ, Serbia (AP) — Trucks and building machines are parked on a river dam in southwest Serbia but not for construction work. Instead, huge...
Russian hack of US agencies exposed supply chain weaknesses
WASHINGTON (AP) — The elite Russian hackers who gained access to computer systems of federal agencies last year didn't need to painstakingly break one-by-one...
Mexican president works from isolation after virus test
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador worked from isolation Monday, a day after announcing that he tested positive for COVID-19,...
Biden tells Merkel he wants to revitalize Germany alliance
President Joe Biden told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday that he is looking to revitalize the transatlantic alliance with Germany, a relationship that...
Woman sentenced in scheme to offer information to Russia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia woman who once served in the Air Force was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal...
Navalny’s team calls new protests in Russia for his release
MOSCOW (AP) — Allies of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who faces years in prison, called for new protests next weekend to demand...
Polish president backs lockdown despite business frustration
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president on Monday expressed understanding for the “despair” of people who are opening their businesses in defiance of the...
EU urges Navalny’s release but no talk of Russia sanctions
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's foreign ministers on Monday condemned the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the detention of thousands...
Greek socialist ex-minister Valyrakis, 77, found dead at sea
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Sifis Valyrakis, a former minister and resistance fighter against Greece’s 1967-74 military dictatorship who twice made daring escapes, was found...
Estonia to get first female PM as government deal clinched
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Estonia’s two biggest political parties clinched a deal on Sunday to form a new government to be led by a...
Kremlin: US comments on protests support law-breaking
MOSCOW (AP) — The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin says the U.S. Embassy’s statements about the nationwide protests, in which more than 3,500...
3,000 arrested at protests demanding Navalny’s release
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian police arrested more than 3,000 people Saturday in nationwide protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's...
Belarus police arrest 100 in renewed protests
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Police in the capital of Belarus arrested about 100 people who formed human chains in demonstrations calling for the authoritarian...
Venezuela power struggle impedes delivery of COVID vaccine
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s political conflict has claimed another casualty: relief from the coronavirus pandemic.
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Russia welcomes US proposal to extend nuclear treaty
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin on Friday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the...
In Russia, effort underway to curb upcoming Navalny protests
MOSCOW (AP) — Authorities in Russia have taken elaborate measures to curb protests against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, planned by his...
First-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons enters into force
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons entered into force on Friday, hailed as a historic step to rid the...
EXPLAINER: Why Navalny is a thorn in the Kremlin’s side
MOSCOW (AP) — The return to Russia from Germany by opposition leader Alexei Navalny was marked by chaos and popular outrage, and it ended,...
Biden proposes 5-year extension of nuke treaty with Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has proposed to Russia a five-year extension of a nuclear arms treaty that is otherwise set to expire...
Albania expels Russian diplomat, citing lockdown breaches
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania on Thursday expelled a Russian diplomat for allegedly not respecting the country’s virus lockdown rules.
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15 die in Ukraine nursing home fire
MOSCOW (AP) — A fire at a private nursing home in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed 15 people and injured five others Thursday,...
NATO warns against nuclear pact expiry days before deadline
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called Thursday on the United States and Russia to extend a major nuclear arms agreement before it...
Germany’s Merkel to discuss Russia pipeline project with US
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that she isn't abandoning a German-Russian gas pipeline project that faces U.S. sanctions, but wants...
Romania activist urges people to do something good every day
NUCSOARA, Romania (AP) — A gentle hero to many in Romania, Valeriu Nicolae says that, at heart, he is more like former NBA star...
Albanian soldier dies in Afghanistan peacekeeping mission
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday reported the death of a soldier in Afghanistan, the second from the tiny Western Balkan...
After vote, Greece to double reach of western coastal waters
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Lawmakers in Greece Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation to extend the country's territorial waters along its western coastline from six to...
EU sighs with relief as Biden readies to enter White House
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top officials breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday that Joe Biden will be taking over as president...
6 suspected militants killed in Russia’s Chechnya
MOSCOW (AP) — Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader said Wednesday that his forces have killed six suspected militants, including a warlord accused of organizing a 2011...
The Latest: Trump declassifies Crossfire Hurricane material
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Joe Biden's presidential inauguration (all times local):
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Kremlin brushes aside Western calls to release Navalny
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin on Tuesday brushed aside calls from the West to release opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was arrested upon his...
Russia: Gas pipeline to Germany at risk after US sanctions
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian state gas company Gazprom acknowledged there is a risk that its undersea pipeline to Germany could be suspended or canceled...
12 Kosovo officials acquitted of paying phony war veterans
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A court in Kosovo on Tuesday acquitted a dozen former government officials of misusing public money in benefits payments to...
EU lashes Bosnia for failing to properly care for migrants
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top migration official on Tuesday criticized Bosnian authorities for failing to properly care for hundreds of migrants living...
Asia Today: China sees virus outbreaks across its northeast
BEIJING (AP) — China was dealing with coronavirus outbreaks across its frigid northeast on Tuesday, prompting additional lockdowns and travel bans ahead of next...
The Latest: China grapples with virus outbreaks in northeast
BEIJING — China is now dealing with coronavirus outbreaks across its frigid northeast, prompting additional lockdowns and travel bans.
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Kremlin foe Navalny jailed for 30 days; allies plan protests
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian judge on Monday ordered opposition leader Alexei Navalny jailed for 30 days, after the leading Kremlin critic returned to...
IIHF pulls hockey worlds from Belarus, seeks new host
ZURICH (AP) — The hockey world championships were pulled from Belarus on Monday following pressure from opposition groups and a threatened boycott by sponsors.
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Freezing temps bring Europe traffic chaos, smog, avalanche
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Extreme cold has hit large parts of Europe, with freezing temperatures cracking railroad tracks in Poland, snow blanketing the Turkish...
Russia ready for quick extension of last arms pact with US
MOSCOW (AP) — Moscow is ready for a quick deal with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to extend the last remaining...
Kremlin critic Navalny detained after landing in Moscow
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was arrested Sunday at a Moscow airport as he tried to enter the country from Germany,...
The Latest: Slovakia wants tests for nearly all in nine days
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia is launching a project to test almost all citizens for the coronavirus in nine days.
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Decision on Belarus hockey worlds near amid sponsor pressure
DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The International Ice Hockey Federation will make a decision in the coming days on whether to pull its world championship...
Deceptions in the time of the ‘alternative facts’ president
WASHINGTON (AP) — Truth caught up with Donald Trump after years of giving chase.
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Vaccine skepticism hurts East European anti-virus efforts
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Vaccines from the West, Russia or China? Or none at all? That dilemma faces nations in southeastern Europe, where coronavirus...
Will Trump’s mishandling of records leave a hole in history?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The public won’t see President Donald Trump’s White House records for years, but there’s growing concern the collection won’t be complete,...
California COVID-19 benefits fraud could reach $9.8 billion
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California may have paid out nearly $10 billion in phony coronavirus unemployment claims — more than double the previous estimate...
Russia follows US to withdraw from Open Skies Treaty
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia said Friday it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing observation flights over military facilities following the U.S. exit from...
Germany approves resuming Russia gas pipeline work
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities gave permission Friday for work to resume on a subsea pipeline bringing natural gas from Russia that's been the...
EXPLAINER: What’s next after House impeachment vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that the House has impeached President Donald Trump for the second time, Speaker Nancy Pelosi must figure out the best...
EXPLAINER: What’s next after House impeachment vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that the House has impeached President Donald Trump for the second time, Speaker Nancy Pelosi must figure out the best...
NY Democrat’s ties to Maduro may help Biden unlock stalemate
MIAMI (AP) — It was the aftermath of a failed coup against Hugo Chávez and Rep. Gregory Meeks was lounging at the Kennedy compound...
‘Cover up of cover-up’ still led to downsized Russian ban
The highest court in sports blasted Russia for engaging in “a cover up of the cover-up” in another desperate attempt to deny culpability for...
Reform Party leader tasked to form Estonia’s new government
HELSINKI (AP) — Estonia’s president on Thursday tasked the leader of the main opposition party to form a new government, a day after Prime...
Russia prison agency warns Navalny he faces immediate arrest
Russia's prison service said Thursday that top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny faces immediate arrest once he returns from Germany.
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Europe’s rights court accepts Ukraine case against Russia
MOSCOW (AP) — Europe’s top human rights court agreed Thursday to look into Ukraine’s complaint against alleged human rights violations in the Russia-annexed Crimean...
Turkey urges ‘review’ of US sanction decision over S-400s
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A top Turkish official is calling on the new U.S. administration to engage in a dialogue with Turkey and to...
EXPLAINER: What’s next after House impeachment vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has been impeached by the House days before leaving office, becoming the first American president to be impeached...
Endangered Indian rhinoceros baby is born in zoo in Poland
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An endangered Indian rhinoceros was born last week in Poland's Wroclaw Zoo, a hopeful development in efforts to preserve the...
Estonia’s PM resigns over corruption scandal in his party
HELSINKI (AP) — Estonia’s prime minister resigned Wednesday over a corruption scandal involving a key official of his Center Party suspected of accepting a...
Kremlin foe Navalny says he will fly home despite threats
MOSCOW (AP) — Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny says he plans to go home to Russia next weekend despite the authorities' threats to put...
Official: Number of victims of Russian hack likely to grow
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of federal agencies and private companies who learn that they have been affected by a massive Russian hack is...
Slovak linked to reporter slaying sentenced in separate case
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — An appeals court in Slovakia upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced a businessman allegedly linked to the slaying of...
German investigators shut down big darknet marketplace
BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Tuesday that they have taken down what they believe was the biggest illegal marketplace on the darknet and...
The Latest: New Zealand visitors must show negative test
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand will soon require that travelers from most countries show negative coronavirus tests before they leave for New Zealand....
US Soccer players hope to set positive example after riot
A day after last week's deadly riot in the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, players from the U.S. soccer team gathered in Bradenton, Florida,...
US imposes new Ukraine sanctions over election interference
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Monday sanctioned more than a half-dozen associates of a Ukrainian lawmaker accused by U.S. officials of interfering...
Turkey, Greece to resume talks on disputes on Jan 25
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and Greece will resume talks aimed at reducing tensions between the neighbors on Jan. 25, Turkish and Greek officials...
Village doctor in Ukraine faces coronavirus challenge
VERKHOVYNA, Ukraine (AP) — Riding a horse-drawn cart, Dr. Viktoria Mahnych trots along country roads to attend to her patients in several villages nestled...
4 Russian soldiers die, over 40 injured in road crash
MOSCOW (AP) — At least four Russian soldiers died and more than 40 others were injured Monday in a traffic crash near Moscow, officials...
Albania carries out 1st vaccinations with donated doses
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania kicked off its coronavirus vaccination program on Monday with doses received from an undisclosed European Union nation, making sure...
Belarus leader defends hosting hockey worlds, ridicules US
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko defended his country’s ability to host the ice hockey world championship on Monday by ridiculing the United States following the...
Romania Holocaust survivor Tucarman dies from COVID-19 at 98
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Iancu Tucarman, one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors in Romania, was buried Monday after dying from COVID-19 last week....
Armenian, Azerbaijani leaders in Russia for talks
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday hosted his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss reopening transport routes in the region...
Biden chooses veteran diplomat Burns as CIA director
WASHINGTON (AP) — William Burns, a well-known figure in diplomatic circles around the world, is President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to lead the CIA, a...
Snow, heavy rain in Balkans cause floods, disrupt traffic
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Days of heavy rain and snow across the Balkans left homes and fields flooded Monday, disrupted traffic on highways and...
Newly-elected Kyrgyzstan president to boost his powers
MOSCOW (AP) — A nationalist politician who won a landslide victory in Kyrgyzstan's presidential election said he would push for quick constitutional changes to...
Sweden sends 2 to prison for Chechen critic hammer assault
STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish court on Monday sentenced a man and a woman to 10 years and eight years in prison respectively for...
The Latest: Scores test positive in China’s Hebei province
BEIJING — Chinese health authorities say scores more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Hebei province bordering on the capital Beijing.
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Albania helps families in flooded areas with food, water
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian authorities said Sunday that military troops have supplied food and water to families in the northwest isolated from the...
