Police clash with protesters in Ukrainian capital
Security forces clashed with protesters as they began tearing down opposition barricades and tents set up in the centre of the Ukrainian capital early Wednesday, in an escalation of the weeks-long standoff threatening the leadership of President Viktor Yanukovych. Several thousand police in riot... read more »
Jailed Pussy Riot members might be pardoned under new Kremlin amnesty bill
London – The jailed members of the Pussy Riot band could be released under a Kremlin amnesty. The Kremlin-friendly daily Izvestia said the amnesty bill submitted by President Vladimir Putin would apply to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina. The two have been sentenced to two years in... read more »
Costa Concordia Captain abandoned ship leaving almost 300 people on board
Washington – An Italian court has heard that a coastguard official aboard the doomed cruise liner Costa Concordia had told its captain, Francesco Schettino, to get back on the ship as he fled on a lifeboat leaving almost 300 people to die in the capsizing vessel. The phone conversations... read more »
Putin creates ‘Ministry of Truth’ news agency to control Russian media
Washington – Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a news agency in a move to further strengthen Kremlin control over the country’s media. An influential lawmaker described the move as a ‘powerful propaganda’ weapon and critics dubbed the ‘Ministry of... read more »
More from Europe
German coalition agreement emerging
Berlin – Germany’s two main parties agreed on various issues in their final round of coalition talks Tuesday night, sending a signal that an agreement for forming... read more »
Coalition deal reached in Germany
Leaders of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative-led bloc and the Centre-Left Social Democratic Party reached a coalition agreement early Wednesday, negotiators said. The SPD and the... read more »
EU threatens to freeze data sharing with US
London – The European Union’s (EU) justice and rights commissioner Viviane Reding has threatened to halt data-sharing arrangements with the US following revelations of... read more »
Rebekah Brooks once told Colin Montgomerie’s ex-wife ‘hacking voicemails easy&...
London – Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks once reportedly told Eimear Cook, the ex-wife of golfer Colin Montgomerie, that it was easy to access people’s... read more »
Germany, US agree on efforts to rebuild trust
Berlin – The US and German politicians agreed on efforts to rebuild trust during the visit by a delegation of US lawmakers led by senator Christ Murphy in Berlin Monday. German Interior... read more »
