Tag: Eastern Europe
Georgians vote in hotly contested parliamentary elections
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Voters in Georgia cast ballots Saturday in a parliamentary election hotly contested between the governing party, founded by a billionaire,...
The Latest: Greece tightens restrictions as virus spreads
ATHENS, Greece — Greece will shut down restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas and gyms across a large part of the country, including the capital Athens,...
Armenia asks Moscow for help amid Nagorno-Karabakh fighting
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia’s leader urged Russia Saturday to consider providing security assistance to end the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, the biggest escalation in...
Nearly 3 months after vote, Belarus protests still go strong
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Nearly three months after Belarus' authoritarian president's re-election to a sixth term in a vote widely seen as rigged, demonstrators...
The Latest: Kentucky sees near-record number of new cases
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentucky reported a near-record number of new coronavirus cases Friday as the surging outbreak continued sending more people to hospitals, Gov....
Russian election threat potent, but interference so far slim
BOSTON (AP) — Russian interference has been minimal so far in the most tempestuous U.S. presidential election in decades. But that doesn’t mean the...
Armenia, Azerbaijan vow to avoid targeting residential areas
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan promised Friday to avoid shelling residential areas amid the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, a pledge that follows a...
Poland: Tens of thousands hold new protest over abortion ban
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Tens of thousands of people marched Friday through downtown Warsaw to the house of Poland's ruling party leader in what...
The Latest: OHL bans bodychecking to fight virus spread
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
...
Russia’s reputation, Olympic status on trial for doping
GENEVA (AP) — Russia’s status as an Olympic team, and its reputation as a serial cheater in international sports, goes on trial next week...
Why an abortion law ruling triggered mass protests in Poland
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland is a largely conservative country compared to much of Europe, a place where churches fill up on Sundays and...
Lithuania upset over soon-to-open Belarus nuke plant
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The Baltic nation of Lithuania sent a protest note Tuesday to Belarus over a planned nuclear power plant close to...
UK court rejects libel suit from Russian over Steele dossier
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s High Court on Friday dismissed a libel claim by a Russian businessman against the author of a report on U.S....
FBI warns ransomware assault threatens US health care system
BOSTON (AP) — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals could unleash a wave of data-scrambling extortion attempts against the U.S. health care system, an effort...
‘Difficult winter’: Europe divided on lockdowns; cases soar
BRUSSELS (AP) — The World Health Organization’s Europe director expressed deep concern on Thursday after the region again recorded the highest-ever weekly incidence of...
The Latest: Nice attacker a Tunisian, had Quran copy on him
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on a knife attack in Nice, France, (all times local):
...
Poland: New protests as PM urges restraint amid virus spike
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — New protests broke out in Polish cities late Thursday against a recent high court ruling that tightens already strict abortion...
Azerbaijani forces close in on key town in Nagorno-Karabakh
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The Azerbaijani army closed in Thursday on a key town in Nagorno-Karabakh following more than a month of intense fighting,...
Belarus shuts its borders, Lukashenko reshuffles officials
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus' authorities on Thursday shut the borders with several neighbors for most travelers amid the government's efforts to end 2...
Short of medics as virus surges, central Europe sounds alarm
KYJOV, Czech Republic (AP) — Soldiers in Poland are giving coronavirus tests. American National Guard troops with medical training are headed to the Czech...
FBI warns ransomware assault threatens US healthcare system
BOSTON (AP) — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a wave of data-scrambling extortion attempts against the U.S. healthcare system designed to lock...
AP Explains: Trump pushes questions about Joe Biden’s son
WASHINGTON (AP) — Looking to undermine Democratic rival Joe Biden, President Donald Trump’s campaign is pushing a familiar line of attack: unverified allegations about...
Arrest made in 2008 kidnapping of journalists in Afghanistan
NEW YORK (AP) — An Afghan man has been brought to the United States to face charges in the 2008 gunpoint kidnapping of a...
Spain: judge probes Catalan separatism links with Russia
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A judge in Barcelona is probing possible links between some of the promoters of Catalonia’s 2017 attempt to declare independence...
Belarus minister says police could use guns during protests
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The interior minister of Belarus warned that authorities wouldn't hesitate to approve the use of live ammunition on protesters if...
France, Germany impose new lockdowns to curb virus spread
BERLIN (AP) — France announced a full nationwide lockdown for the second time this year and German officials imposed a partial four-week lockdown Wednesday,...
Poles join strike as protests against abortion ruling expand
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — People across Poland stayed off their jobs and huge crowds poured onto the streets for a seventh straight day of...
Change of plea scheduled in Rudy Giuliani-related case
NEW YORK (AP) — A change-of-plea hearing is set for Thursday for a man charged with conspiring with associates of Rudy Giuliani, one of...
Hospital, residential areas hit in Nagorno-Karabakh fighting
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Rockets hit a hospital and residential areas Wednesday amid deadly fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the separatist region...
Albania hosts online Balkan anti-Semitism forum
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania held an online forum against anti-Semitism Wednesday, the first time such a meeting has been staged in the Balkans,...
New protests loom as Europeans tire of virus restrictions
MILAN (AP) — Protesters set trash bins afire and police responded with hydrant sprays in downtown Rome Tuesday night, part of a day of...
Poland’s leader wants churches defended, condemns protests
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s powerful ruling party leader urged his supporters Tuesday to defend the predominantly Catholic nation's churches, potentially setting the stage...
Armenia, Azerbaijan report more fighting despite cease-fire
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged more accusations of shelling on Tuesday, with fighting over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in its...
Teen who recorded Floyd death on phone to receive PEN award
NEW YORK (AP) — The teenager who recorded the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May will be honored...
The Latest: India’s daily infections at lowest in 3 months
NEW DELHI — Authorities in India are reporting 36,470 newly confirmed coronavirus infections — that’s the lowest one-day tally in more than three months...
Lt. Col. Vindman writing memoir, ‘Here, Right Matters’
NEW YORK (AP) — Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the national security aide who offered key testimony during the impeachment hearings of President Donald...
Angry women block traffic across Poland over abortion ban
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Women’s rights activists and many thousands of supporters held a fifth day of protests across Poland on Monday, defying pandemic...
Albania repatriating 5 family members of fighters in Syria
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's prime minister said Monday that four children and a woman, all related to Albanian nationals who joined Islamist extremist...
French doctor warns his country has ‘lost control’ of virus
PARIS (AP) — A French doctor warned Monday that his country has “lost control of the epidemic,” a day after health authorities reported more...
Strikers in Belarus press for authoritarian leader’s ouster
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Factory workers, students and business owners in Belarus on Monday began a strike to demand that authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko...
Airstrike kills dozens of Turkish-backed Syrian fighters
BEIRUT (AP) — An airstrike on a rebel training camp in northwestern Syria on Monday killed more than 50 Turkish-backed fighters and wounded nearly...
New Armenia, Azerbaijan truce totters amid violation claims
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday accused each other of violating a new cease-fire announced the day before in a bid...
Turkish lira drops to record low over US sanction threat
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish currency slid further Monday to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan challenged...
Greece, Turkey wrangle over military games in eastern Med
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece on Monday denounced Turkey’s plans to carry out a maritime military exercise on Oct. 28, a Greek national holiday,...
Putin offers NATO site inspections to avoid missile buildup
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed Monday that NATO and Russia should conduct mutual inspections of each other's military bases to secure...
New cease-fire announced in 4-week Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region continued Sunday, but Armenia and Azerbaijan reiterated their commitment to a peaceful resolution of their...
The Latest: Mexico health officials acknowledge higher toll
MEXICO CITY — Mexican health authorities acknowledge the country’s true death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is far higher than previously thought, saying there...
Poles protest abortion ban in churches and on streets
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Women's rights activists furious over a tightening of Poland's already restrictive abortion law staged protests outside and inside churches Sunday,...
Turkish president dares U.S. to impose economic sanctions
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan challenged the United States to impose sanctions against his country while also launching a second...
Lithuania holds parliamentary vote as pandemic hits jobs
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuanians voted Sunday in a parliamentary runoff where the winner will have to tackle a growing health crisis and high...
Thousands protest as Belarus leader faces demands deadline
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters in Belarus swarmed the streets of the capital Sunday, pressing for the resignation of the...
Sabalenka cruises past Azarenka for title at Ostrava Open
OSTRAVA, Czech Republic (AP) — Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka cruised to the title at the inaugural Ostrava Open on Sunday, defeating fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-2,...
Ukraine’s local elections test leader and his young party
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainians were voting Sunday in local elections that are considered a test for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a former comedian who...
The Latest: New outbreak delays easing of rules in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia — A COVID-19 outbreak in the north of Melbourne has led health authorities in Australia’s Victoria state to hold off on any...
Nurmagomedov stops Gaethje, announces retirement at UFC 254
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Unbeaten lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from mixed martial arts after stopping Justin Gaethje with a triangle...
Poland’s president has coronavirus, apologizes to contacts
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda says he feels well despite testing positive for the coronavirus, and he apologized Saturday to everyone...
Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh goes on despite US mediation
STEPANAKERT, Nagorno-Karabakh (AP) — Rocket and artillery barrage hit residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday hours after the United States hosted top diplomats from...
Amid turmoil, Kyrgyzstan sets presidential vote for Jan. 10
MOSCOW (AP) — Authorities in Kyrgyzstan on Saturday called an early presidential election for January after the nation's previous president was driven from power...
Bulgaria signs 5G deal with US excluding Chinese firms
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria has joined other Balkan countries in signing an agreement with the United States on high-speed wireless network security aimed...
Virus, economy top concerns as Lithuanians vote in runoff
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic is the main domestic issue as Lithuania holds a parliamentary runoff election Sunday, and the winner will...
Hungarians protest government control over top arts college
BUDAPEST (AP) — Thousands of Hungarians marched on the streets of the capital Friday to protest government actions they claim strips one of the...
The Latest: Mexico’s Chihuahua border state back in lockdown
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s northern border state of Chihuahua returned to the highest level of alert and lockdown Friday after coronavirus cases jumped there...
Poles vent fury at court’s further restrictions on abortions
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Thousands of protesters vented fury across Poland over a top court ruling that declared abortions of fetuses with congenital defects...
Trump administration slams NATO ally Turkey for weapon test
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Friday slammed Turkey for taking a new step toward fielding a Russian-made air defense weapon. The U.S....
Report: Ransomware disables Georgia county election database
A ransomware attack that hobbled a Georgia county government in early October reportedly disabled a database used to verify voter signatures in the authentication...
US wades in cautiously to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace effort
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration waded cautiously Friday into international efforts to halt fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which are engaged in their...
Croatia accused of brutality, sexual abuse against migrants
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Danish aid workers stationed in the Balkans say dozens of migrants have alleged they were brutalized by Croatian law-enforcement officers...
Nagorno-Karabakh fighting rages as US hosts talks
STEPANAKERT, Nagorno-Karabakh (AP) — Heavy fighting raged Friday over Nagorno-Karabakh even as top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan visited Washington for negotiations on settling...
Are the nation’s voting systems secure?
WHAT STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PROTECT THE NATION'S ELECTION SYSTEMS FROM POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE BY FOREIGN POWERS LIKE RUSSIA? HAVE VOTING SYSTEMS BEEN “HARDENED”...
US: Russian hackers targeting state, local networks
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials said that Russian hackers have targeted the networks of dozens of state and local governments in the United States...
Trial of Russian in alleged bitcoin fraud to wrap in Paris
PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors requested on Friday a 10-year jail term and a fine of 750,000 euros ($888,634) against Alexander Vinnik, who is...
Erdogan confirms Russian S-400 tests despite US objections
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s president on Friday confirmed the country tested its Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, despite objections from the United States.
...
The Latest: Trump says he will vote in person
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the presidential campaign (all times local):
...
Czech health minister breaks virus rules, asked to resign
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s prime minister called on his health minister to resign or be fired after he broke strict government restrictions...
US: Russian hackers targeting state, local networks
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials said Thursday that Russian hackers have targeted the networks of dozens of state and local governments in the United...
Poland’s top court rules out abortions due to fetal defects
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s top court ruled Thursday that a law allowing abortion of fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional, shutting a major...
Facebook, Twitter CEOs ordered to testify by GOP senators
WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP push against Facebook and Twitter accelerated Thursday after Republican senators threatened the CEOs of the social media companies with...
Lawyer: Snowden granted permanent residency in Russia
MOSCOW (AP) — Former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden has been granted permanent residency in Russia, his lawyer said Thursday.
...
Europe faces more curfews, restrictions as virus cases swell
ROME (AP) — Curfews were largely expanded Thursday across France, which registered some 41.600 new confirmed virus cases to approach a total of 1...
Nagorno-Karabakh fighting raises threat of escalation
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh continued Thursday with Armenia and Azerbaijan trading blame for new attacks, hostilities that raised the threat...
UN chief appeals for cease-fires, warns pandemic wins wars
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief is appealing for cease-fires in the world’s major conflicts, from Yemen and Libya to Afghanistan and...
Putin: Russia-China military alliance can’t be ruled out
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there is no need for a Russia-China military alliance now, but noted it could be...
Putin says he allowed foe Navalny to get treatment abroad
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected accusations of the Kremlin's involvement in the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying Thursday that...
Court won’t revive state fraud charges against Manafort
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York court on Thursday upheld a decision dismissing state mortgage fraud charges against Paul Manafort on double jeopardy...
EU slaps sanctions on 2 Russians over Germany cyberattack
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on two Russian officials and part of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency over a...
US NATO allies still short on defense spending aims
BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. allies in Europe and Canada have increased defense spending for a sixth consecutive year but most of them will still...
Turkish-Armenian ruling party lawmaker laid to rest
ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish-Armenian ruling party lawmaker was laid to rest Thursday following a ceremony in the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul, which was...
Bank robber flees with $500,000 in ex-Soviet Georgia
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Police in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia were looking Thursday for a bank robber who held over 40 people hostage...
Viewers’ Guide: After chaotic debate, Trump, Biden try again
After meeting last month in perhaps the most chaotic debate in modern history, President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, will take...
EU awards human rights prize to Belarus opposition
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday awarded its top human rights prize to the Belarus opposition movement and its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,...
Czechs enter 2nd lockdown to avoid health system collapse
PRAGUE (AP) — Czechs had been assured it wouldn't happen again.
...
Trio who lived on space station return to Earth safely
MOSCOW (AP) — A trio of space travelers safely returned to Earth on Thursday after a six-month mission on the International Space Station.
...
US officials link Iran to emails meant to intimidate voters
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states that...
Final debate could thrust foreign policy back into campaign
As Joe Biden hopscotched through Iowa and New Hampshire in late 2019, he also name-dropped his way across the globe.
...
US officials link Iran to emails meant to intimidate voters
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials accused Iran on Wednesday of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states...
Face to face: Trump and Biden to meet for final debate
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, are set to square off in their final debate Thursday, one...
Police: 43 bank hostages freed in ex-Soviet republic Georgia
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Police in the ex-Soviet nation of Georgia said 43 people were freed after an armed assailant took them hostage in...
US urges countries to withdraw from UN nuke ban treaty
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is urging countries that have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons to withdraw their support...
Job on the line, Wray threads needle on controversial issues
WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than four years into his 10-year term, FBI Director Christopher Wray’s future in the job is decidedly uncertain heading into...
Armenian PM sees no way to settle conflict through diplomacy
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia's prime minister said Wednesday that Azerbaijan's aggressive stance in the 25-day fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh leaves no room for diplomacy,...
