LE BOURGET, France (AP) — The largest group of world leaders ever to stand together kicked off two weeks of high-stakes climate talks outside Paris on Monday, saying that striking an ambitious deal to curb global warming can show terrorists what countries can achieve when they are united. “What greater rejection of those who would … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will restrict imports of Turkish fruit and vegetables as part of a package of new sanctions following the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey last week. Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Monday that the produce ban could be deferred for “several weeks” to allow Russian firms to find new … Continue reading
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he and President Barack Obama have a shared understanding on how to move toward a political settlement in Syria, but added that incidents like the recent downing of a Russian warplane by a Turkish fighter jet stymie broader cooperation against extremism. Putin and Obama had a half-hour meeting … Continue reading
BRUSSELS (AP) — Foreign ministers from NATO countries were expected to invite Montenegro to join the military alliance despite Russia’s objection to the move, diplomats said, the latest sign of discord between the West and Moscow even as they both battle the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Montenegro’s accession was one of several … Continue reading
PROSTEJOV, Czech Republic (AP) — There was no mistaking what the stone slab was, only the spot where it lay was somehow not fitting. Instead of marking a place of the departed, the tombstone served as a doormat to a henhouse in a small Czech village. Confronting the dark legacy of the Holocaust, a small … Continue reading
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Steven Seagal used to overwhelm Russian and Serbian bad guys in Hollywood movies with his martial arts techniques. Now Serbia wants him to share his secrets. Serbian officials offered the veteran American actor and producer a job Tuesday training Serbian special police forces in Aikido, a Japanese martial art that Seagal … Continue reading
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Passport free travel in Europe is under threat as countries reintroduce border controls, toughen security and build fences in response to the biggest refugee emergency the continent has seen in decades. The Schengen open-borders zone uniting 30 countries is a pinnacle of European achievement. It underpins the EU economy, allowing goods, … Continue reading
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia has circulated a document on ending the nearly five-year-old Syrian conflict that calls for drafting a new constitution in up to 18 months that would be put to a popular referendum and be followed by an early presidential election. The document, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, makes no mention … Continue reading
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Thousands of flag-waving Polish nationalists marched through Warsaw on Wednesday with an anti-migrant message as they marked Independence Day. The event took place peacefully in contrast to violence that has marked the holiday in past years. The march was organized by several radical far-right organizations under the slogan “Poland for Poles. … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Facing allegations that Russia engages in extensive, state-sponsored doping, President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on sports officials to carry out an internal investigation – but said that clean athletes shouldn’t be punished for the actions of those who take banned drugs. Putin’s comments at a late-night meeting in Sochi, the city … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — With an Olympic boycott ruled out, Russia is planning to at least partially admit it has a doping problem. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told The Associated Press on Thursday that there will “not in any case” be a boycott of next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. A short time later … Continue reading
MOSCOW (AP) — Details of a new Russian submarine-launched nuclear torpedo have been shown on state-controlled TV, a secret the Kremlin said should never have been aired. Some observers, however, saw it as a deliberate leak. The airing of the video on television channels under tight Kremlin control raised suspicions that it was done intentionally … Continue reading
BEIRUT (AP) — When Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country was ready to aid Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State group, rebel commanders scoffed, pointing out that Russian aircraft were pounding their bases in central and northern Syria on a daily basis. Moreover, Lavrov not long ago had ridiculed the main Western-backed rebels … Continue reading
OPATOVAC, Croatia (AP) — She is 105 years old but still dreams of a better life without wars and bombs. Bibihal Uzbeki, from Kunduz, Afghanistan, is among tens of thousands of migrants who have traveled for thousands of miles fleeing war and poverty to search for a happier, safer future in Europe. Wrapped in a … Continue reading
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The right-wing and anti-migrant Law and Justice party has won a majority of seats in Poland’s parliament and can govern alone, the state election authority announced on Tuesday. The party got 235 seats in the 460-seat lower house of Poland’s parliament and also won a majority in the Senate — the … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 