Month: December 2017

Fighting in eastern Ukraine has escalated to the worst level in months, officials monitoring the conflict said Tuesday, after the shelling of a front-line village wounded eight civilians and destroyed or damaged dozens of homes. A Russia-backed insurgency erupted in 2014 and the bloodshed has continued despite a cease-fire deal that was meant to end a conflict in which more than 10,000 people have been killed, with casualties reported on a near-daily basis. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitors the implementation of the peace agreement, said it had recorded 16,000 cease-fire violations from December 11 to …

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Police say a British man who was arrested at an air base used by the U.S. Air Force in England has been detained for involuntary treatment under the Mental Health Act. That means authorities believe he needs urgent treatment for a mental health problem and poses a risk to himself and others.   The 44-year-old man has not been charged in connection with an incident Monday that prompted a lockdown at the RAF Mildenhall base.   He was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass after trying to enter the base. Police say the incident was not connected to terrorism.   …

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Turkey will take the resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital to the United Nations General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. The resolution was introduced to the U.N. Security Council on Monday by Egypt, a non-permanent member, but was vetoed by the United States, despite the 14 other votes in favor. “Now, God willing, we will carry the resolution to the U.N. General Assembly,” Erdogan a joint news conference with the Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh. “A two-thirds support in the General Assembly would actually mean the …

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Pope Francis and Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday discussed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move that both say is dangerous to Middle East peace. Abdullah and the pope spoke privately for about 20 minutes at the start of the king’s visit to the Vatican and France. A Vatican statement said they discussed “the promotion of peace and stability in the Mideast, with particular reference to the question of Jerusalem and the role of the Hashemite Sovereign as Custodian of the Holy Places.” King Abdullaha’s Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy …

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French president Emmanuel Macron has hit back at Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad’s allegations that France supported terrorism in Syria, insisting that the U.S.-led international coalition should be credited for the military successes against the Islamic State. Speaking after a meeting with NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, Macron said on Tuesday that Assad’s comments were “unacceptable” because France’s priority is “the war against Daesh,” using an Arabic term for the group.   Macron was reacting to comments made by Assad, who said earlier this week that France had no right to be involved in the peace process because “since the beginning France …

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Residents of the Spanish region of Catalonia will vote in regional elections Thursday — two months after separatist campaigners tried to declare independence following a disputed referendum. The Spanish government called the election in an attempt to take the heat out of the crisis — and is hoping that a silent majority will vote for pro-unity parties. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Barcelona, many Catalans who oppose independence say it would devastate the region’s economy. …

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Russia poses an increasing threat and is willing to use propaganda, subversion and cyberattacks to undermine Britain and the rest of Europe, Britain’s national security adviser said Monday. Mark Sedwill, who is overseeing a review of Britain’s security services, told a parliamentary committee that Russia is attempting to “sow dissension” and undermine democracy in Britain and other western nations. He said the threats from Russia included from unconventional warfare such as disinformation campaigns to the dangers posed from an increase in its military capability in the North Atlantic and in Eastern Europe. “We know that the Russian threat is definitely …

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As the most serious challenger during Vladimir Putin’s 18 years in power, Alexei Navalny has endured arrests, show trials and facefuls of green antiseptic that damaged his vision. But in an interview Monday with The Associated Press, he said the biggest thing keeping him from becoming Russia’s next president is a political system that punishes him for rallying support and conspires to keep his face off the airwaves. Putin’s approval rating is astronomical and he is widely expected to win another term with ease, but the fact that he won’t even say Navalny’s name suggests the anti-corruption crusader has struck …

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European Union environment and energy ministers on Monday agreed on renewable energy targets for 2030 ahead of negotiations next year with the European Parliament, which has called for more ambitious green energy goals. Ministers said they would aim to source at least 27 percent of the bloc’s energy from renewables by 2030 — up from a target of 20 percent by 2020. In October, the European Parliament called for this target to be increased to 35 percent, a level also put forward by a group of big technology, industry and power companies last week. As part of the package of …

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Wreckage from a Polish fighter jet that disappeared from radar Monday was found near a domestic air base, but the pilot of the Russian-made plane survived the crash, a defense official said. Deputy Defense Minister Bartosz Kownacki said the pilot was able to eject before the MIG-29 fighter went down near the central Polish town of Minsk Mazowiecki, which hosts an air base. The Defense Ministry said the accident took place on the jet’s approach to the base. Col. Piotr Iwaszko, commander of Tactical Air Force Base in Minsk Mazowiecki, said the crash was the first of a MiG-29 in …

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Hundreds of Romanian judges and prosecutors took part in protests around the country Monday to show their opposition to legal changes they say would hamper prosecutions. The first demonstrations were held outside courts in the capital, Bucharest, and other cities that included Cluj, Timisoara, Galati, Brasov and Constanta. The unusual judicial display continued in the evening with a silent protest outside the Bucharest Court of Appeal and outside a court in the central city of Brasov. Many of the participants held papers printed with the oath new judges take vowing to respect Romania’s Constitution and laws. In Cluj, people gave …

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