Tag: Eastern Europe
The Latest: US opens more distance in worldwide vaccine race
NEW YORK — In the coronavirus vaccine race, the U.S. is opening more distance between itself and much of the rest of the world....
Coronavirus hug image named World Press Photo of the Year
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A photo symbolizing “love and compassion” of an 85-year-old Brazilian woman getting her first embrace in five months from...
US expels Russian diplomats, imposes sanctions for hacking
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday announced the U.S. is expelling 10 Russian diplomats and imposing sanctions against dozens of companies and...
EXPLAINER: What’s behind the conflict in eastern Ukraine?
MOSCOW (AP) — Tensions are rising over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, with growing violations of a cease-fire and a massive Russian military buildup...
Ukraine seeks stronger Western backing amid Russian buildup
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's top diplomat asked Thursday for stronger Western backing, saying “words of support aren't enough” amid escalating tensions in the...
Polish court rules ombudsman must leave office at term end
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s top court ruled Thursday that it is unconstitutional for the country's human rights commissioner to remain in the job...
Top associate of Navalny convicted of trespassing in Russia
MOSCOW (AP) — A top associate of Russia's imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convicted of trespassing Thursday and handed a suspended sentence of...
Lawyer: 290 relatives file for compensation in MH-17 downing
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A lawyer for relatives of people killed in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine...
Iran to purchase 60 million COVID-19 vaccines from Russia
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has finalized a deal with Russia to purchase 60 million doses of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the state-run IRNA...
EXPLAINER: What are the Iran nuclear talks all about?
BERLIN (AP) — Negotiations to bring the United States back into a landmark nuclear deal with Iran resumed Thursday in Vienna amid signs of...
Months after hack, US poised to announce sanctions on Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is preparing to announce sanctions in response to a massive Russian hacking campaign that breached vital federal agencies,...
Biden’s gamble: Will pulling troops revive extremist threat?
BRUSSELS (AP) — At its start, America’s war in Afghanistan was about retribution for 9/11. Then it was about shoring up a weak government...
Europe scrambles as J&J vaccine delay deals another blow
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — European countries diverged Wednesday on whether they would push ahead with giving their residents Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine after...
Russian President Putin gets 2nd COVID-19 vaccine shot
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he got his second COVID-19 vaccine shot, three weeks after getting the first dose.
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Biden raises concerns with Putin about Ukraine confrontation
BRUSSELS (AP) — President Joe Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to “de-escalate tensions" following a Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border...
Iran says it will enrich uranium to 60%, highest level ever
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran will begin enriching uranium up to 60% purity after an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility, a...
US intel report: Virus impact to cause global ‘aftershocks’
WASHINGTON (AP) — The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are expected to contribute over the next year to “humanitarian and economic crises, political unrest,...
Czechs reject mandatory quotas on local food in stores
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech lawmakers have rejected a proposed bill to reduce dependency on food imports by imposing a quota of locally-produced food to...
Russia says troop buildup near Ukraine is a response to NATO
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's defense minister said Tuesday that the country's massive military buildup in the west was part of readiness drills amid what...
N. Macedonia: Ex-spy chief, others jailed for abuse of power
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A North Macedonian court on Tuesday convicted the country’s former intelligence chief and three more ex-officials of abuse of...
NATO, US vow support for Ukraine, warn Russia on troops
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States and NATO on Tuesday expressed strong support for Ukraine and warned Russia against pressing ahead with a major...
Putin foe Navalny says he sues prison for withholding Quran
MOSCOW (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Tuesday he was suing his prison for withholding the Quran, which he intended to...
Pentagon chief on inaugural tour of Europe to shore up ties
BERLIN (AP) — Nearly a year after President Donald Trump ordered thousands of troops to leave Germany, capping a series of setbacks for U.S....
India to approve coronavirus shots green-lit by WHO, others
NEW DELHI (AP) — India said Tuesday that it will approve the use of all coronavirus vaccines that have been given an emergency nod...
The Latest: Australia has 2nd likely Astra-Zeneca clot case
CANBERRA, Australia — Australian authorities have identified a second case of a rare blot clot likely linked to the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
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Ukraine’s leader requests a talk with Putin, gets no answer
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's leader has asked for a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Russian troop buildup across his...
Pentagon chief on inaugural tour of Europe to shore up ties
BERLIN (AP) — Nearly a year after President Donald Trump ordered thousands of troops to leave Germany, capping a series of setbacks for U.S....
Bulgarian Muslims hold circumcision festival despite virus
RIBNOVO, Bulgaria (AP) — On the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims from the southwestern corner of Bulgaria flocked to the sleepy...
Russia puts feminist activist on trial for pornography
MOSCOW (AP) — A feminist artist went on trial Monday in Russia on charges of disseminating pornography after she shared artwork online depicting female...
Firefighter killed in blaze in Russian city of St Petersburg
MOSCOW (AP) — A major fire engulfed a business center in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, on Monday, killing a firefighter and injuring two...
Czech foreign minister fired in government reshuffle
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic’s foreign minister was fired Monday in a government reshuffle less than six months before the parliamentary election.
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Soviet cosmonaut made pioneering spaceflight 60 years ago
MOSCOW (AP) — Crushed into the pilot's seat by heavy G-forces, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin saw flames outside his spacecraft and prepared to die....
Czechs start to ease lockdown, youngest kids back to schools
PRAGUE (AP) — As the coronavirus pandemic eases up in the Czech Republic, one of the European Union’s hardest-hit countries took its first steps...
Blinken heads to Brussels for talks on Afghanistan, Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Brussels for talks with European and NATO allies about Afghanistan, Ukraine and other...
Kyrgyzstan approves constitution boosting president’s power
MOSCOW (AP) — Kyrgyzstan’s national elections commission says voters have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that substantially increases the president’s powers.
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Ukraine says 1 soldier killed in east as tensions rise
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian military said that a soldier was killed and another seriously wounded in artillery fire from Russia-backed separatist rebels...
Marchers protest Romania’s virus restrictions as cases soar
BUCHAREST (AP) — Marchers took to the streets Saturday in the Romanian capital of Bucharest to protest restrictive measures to fight the spread of...
The Latest: Lawmakers aim to limit state emergency powers
NEW YORK — State lawmakers across the U.S. are taking actions to limit the emergency powers of governors — not just in the current...
The leaders of Ukraine, Turkey stress territorial integrity
ISTANBUL (AP) — The presidents of Ukraine and Turkey stressed the importance of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the de-escalation of tensions in eastern Ukraine and...
Kyrgyzstan votes on constitution boosting president’s powers
MOSCOW (AP) — Voters in Kyrgyzstan will cast ballots Sunday on whether to approve a new constitution that would substantially increase the president’s powers...
Thousands rally in Serbia to protect the environment
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Protesters in Serbia rallied Saturday demanding that the government protect the environment in a Balkan nation that has seen record...
The Latest: Australia mourns Prince Philip
Reaction from around the world on the death of Prince Philip at age 99:
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The Latest: Navajo Nation issues weekend stay-at-home order
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. -- The Navajo Nation has issued a stay-at-home order for the weekend after reporting 26 more confirmed COVID-19 cases.
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The Latest: US 7th Fleet: 14,000 personnel fully vaccinated
PHILIPPINE SEA — The U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says more than 14,000 of its service members have received their full...
Positive atmosphere, little progress in Iran nuclear talks
BERLIN (AP) — Nascent talks aimed at bringing the United States back into the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran broke Friday without any immediate...
No region in the world spared as virus cases, deaths surge
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hospitals in Turkey and Poland are filling up. Pakistan is restricting domestic travel. The U.S. government will send more help...
Kremlin says it fears full-scale fighting in Ukraine’s east
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin said Friday it fears a resumption of full-scale fighting in eastern Ukraine and could take steps to protect Russian...
UK mourns Prince Philip; leaders honor his service to queen
LONDON (AP) — World leaders and people on the street honored Prince Philip’s life of service to his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, and the...
American, Russians dock at International Space Station
MOSCOW (AP) — A trio of Russian and American space travelers launched successfully and reached the International Space Station on Friday.
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Kosovo’s mannequin protest against virus restrictions
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A downtown restaurant in Kosovo’s capital filled its tables with mannequins Friday in a symbolic protest of the government’s decision...
Governments give varying advice on AstraZeneca vaccine
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — In Spain, residents now have to be over 60 to get an AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. In Belgium, over 55....
March of the Living honors medical workers battling COVID-19
JERUSALEM (AP) — Like so many mothers, Raul Artal’s insisted that her son was going to be a doctor.
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Russia wants Slovakia to return its Sputnik V vaccines
PRAGUE (AP) — Russia asked Slovakia on Thursday to return its Sputnik V vaccines it has received “due to multiple contract violations.”
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Lavrov says US policy towards Russia is ‘dumb,’ ineffective
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's top diplomat on Thursday described U.S. policy toward Moscow as “dumb” and warned that his country will retaliate if Washington...
Doctors in Hungary question reopening amid spike in deaths
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Doctors in Hungary are questioning the government's decision to lift some lockdown restrictions amid peaking COVID-19 infections and deaths, saying...
Senior Polish judge deletes tweet about transgender child
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish top court judge on Thursday deleted a tweet in which she had publicized personal information about a transgender...
Germany mulls possible order of Russian COVID-19 vaccine
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s health minister said Thursday that the European Union doesn't plan to order Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine but his country...
Top US envoy Blinken urges Kosovo resume talks with Serbia
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has told Kosovo that the normalization of talks with Serbia is essential in...
Holocaust survivors use social media to fight anti-Semitism
BERLIN (AP) — Alarmed by a rise in online anti-Semitism during the pandemic, coupled with studies indicating younger generations lack even basic knowledge of...
Struggling Bosnia sees infection surge in migrants, refugees
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnia is seeing a rise in coronavirus infections among migrants and refugees living in its camps, as it struggles to...
UK advises limiting AstraZeneca in under-30s amid clot worry
LONDON (AP) — British authorities recommended Wednesday that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine not be given to adults under 30 where possible because of strengthening...
Leaders of Russia and China tighten their grips, grow closer
MOSCOW (AP) — They're not leaders for life — not technically, at least. But in political reality, the powerful tenures of China's Xi Jinping...
Lawyer: Russian opposition leader Navalny has spinal hernias
MOSCOW (AP) — A lawyer for imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has complained of serious back and leg pain in custody, said...
Albania sends troops, police, to end flight control strike
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's government sent troops and police Wednesday evening to clear striking air traffic controllers out of the flight control tower...
Russia to boost ties with Pakistan, supply military gear
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister on Wednesday said Moscow and Islamabad will boost ties in the fight against terrorism, with Russia providing unspecified...
Top Polish academic sees threat in plan for new state body
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's top academic has expressed concern at government plans to form a new major state scientific institution, amid fears that...
3rd health minister fired in virus-battered Czech Republic
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Prime Minster Andrej Babis fired his health minister on Wednesday, the third to have been ousted during the pandemic in...
Facebook removes accounts tied to Iranian exile group
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook said Tuesday it has removed hundreds of fake accounts linked to an Iranian exile group and a troll farm...
The Latest: N Korea says it still has no coronavirus cases
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea continues to claim a perfect record in keeping out the coronavirus in its latest report to the World...
Senators press for more on SolarWinds hack after AP report
Key lawmakers said Tuesday they're concerned they've been kept in the dark about what suspected Russian hackers stole from the federal government and they...
Ukraine says 24 soldiers killed in country’s east this year
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tuesday that 24 of the country's soldiers have been killed so far this year in...
World powers seek to bring US back into Iran nuclear deal
VIENNA (AP) — Officials from five world powers began a new effort Tuesday to try to bring the United States back into the foundering...
Czechs partially ease lockdown; kids to return to school
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government on Tuesday approved the first easing of its tight lockdown in one of the European Union's hardest-hit countries,...
Russia: Navalny supporters denied prison visit and detained
MOSCOW (AP) — Supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were detained Tuesday outside a penal colony east of Moscow where the Kremlin critic...
Serbia’s leader chooses Chinese-made vaccine for own shot
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic finally rolled up his sleeve for a coronavirus vaccine Tuesday, seeking to encourage his country's increasingly...
Kosovo’s 38-year-old president takes office
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s new president took office on Tuesday, becoming the country’s youngest head of state and one of the youngest in...
Iran prosecutor says 10 indicted for Ukraine plane shootdown
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ten officials have been indicted in Iran over the 2020 military shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane that...
Putin signs law allowing him 2 more terms as Russia’s leader
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law allowing him to potentially hold onto power until 2036, a move that...
European countries scramble to tamp down latest virus surge
BOCHNIA, Poland (AP) — European countries scrambled Monday to tamp down a surge in COVID-19 cases and ramp up vaccinations, hoping to spare hospitals...
Putin calls Argentine leader with COVID despite Sputnik shot
MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin on Monday called his Argentine counterpart, who has tested positive for COVID-19 despite receiving a Russian vaccine.
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Twitter slowdown in Russia until mid-May; no block for now
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities said Monday they would continue to slow down Twitter until mid-May, but wouldn't block the social media platform for...
Splintered election poses challenge to Bulgaria’s leader
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — The center-right party of Bulgaria’s longtime prime minister led the results from the country's parliamentary election, the central electoral commission...
Kosovo gets new president, its second female leader
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Lawmakers in Kosovo elected and swore in a new president Sunday for a five-year term, the Balkan nation's second female...
Exit polls point to first place for Bulgarian leader’s party
SOFIA, Bugaria (AP) — The center-right GERB party led by Bulgaria's longtime prime minister appeared the likely winner of Sunday's parliamentary elections, with several...
The Latest: Navajo Nation reports 4 new virus deaths
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation on Saturday reported 18 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and four more deaths.
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The Latest: SKorea’s daily virus increase tops 500 again
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea’s daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 500 for the fourth straight day, a pace unseen since January, as...
Russia fines Twitter for not taking down calls to protest
MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Moscow on Friday fined Twitter for not taking down calls encouraging minors to take part in unauthorized rallies,...
Italy: Officer held for spying says he had no sensitive info
ROME (AP) — An Italian Navy captain accused of passing classified documents to Russia says he didn’t have access to any information that would...
Biden affirms support for Ukraine in first call to leader
President Joe Biden underscored U.S. support for Ukraine on Friday in his first call to that country's leader following reports of Russian troop movements...
Ronaldo’s armband auctioned for $75,000 to help Serbian baby
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The captain’s armband that Cristiano Ronaldo angrily threw to the ground during Portugal’s World Cup qualifier in Belgrade last week...
Virus pandemic overshadows Bulgarian parliamentary election
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — After months of nationwide anti-government protests over corruption, stalled reforms and a stagnating economy in the European Union’s poorest member...
Russian entrepreneurs adapt to virus lockdown challenges
MOSCOW (AP) — Valentina Konstantinova remembers well when Russia locked down for the coronavirus a year ago. Her 18-room boutique hotel, called Skazka, or...
Russian FM says relations with West have ‘hit the bottom’
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's top diplomat said Thursday that the country's relations with the United States and its allies have “hit the bottom” and...
The Dutch went first in 2001; who has same-sex marriage now?
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Twenty years ago, just after the stroke of midnight on April 1, the mayor of Amsterdam married four couples in City...
Putin critic Navalny loses weight, blames harsh prison
MOSCOW (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has lost a substantial amount of weight in custody, his organization said Thursday, a day...
Serbia cracks down on anti-vaccination activists
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian police brought in a well-known Serbian doctor and other vocal anti-vaccination activists for questioning Thursday, saying they are jeopardizing...
Populist leaders meet, seek ‘European renaissance’
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hosted talks Thursday with populist politicians from Italy and Poland in a bid to create...
In Italy spy story, Navy captain struggled with mortgage
ROME (AP) — Italy’s spy thriller took a decidedly mundane turn Thursday with indications that the Italian Navy captain accused of passing classified documents...
Saudi minister urges caution on oil production levels
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia's energy minister took a cautious view of any increase in oil production as members of the OPEC cartel...
Löw limps closer to exit after Germany’s latest painful loss
DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Joachim Löw's explanations of what went wrong in the German national team’s latest humiliating loss have become a familiar ritual.
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