Section: News & Summaries

      Russia said to face eurobond setback as many banks shun deal
      Mar25

      Russia said to face eurobond setback as many banks shun deal

      Russia has not been able to line up a suitable lead manager for a planned $3 billion eurobond because of U.S. and European Union pressure on major banks not to participate, meaning the high-profile sale is likely to be delayed or even shelved, senior officials said, according to Bloomberg. Only two Western banks are still interested in helping...

      Illegal cigarette market in Ukraine decreases tenfold
      Mar25

      Illegal cigarette market in Ukraine decreases tenfold

      The illicit cigarette trade accounted for 1.1%-1.2% of total market volumes in Ukraine in 2015, while this figure stood at 10% in 2013, according to CEO of Philip Morris Ukraine tobacco company Artem Chernis.Such change in the market is related to the tightening of state control and efforts undertaken by market participants themselves, according...

      Putin appoints Kadyrov as Chechnya`s acting head
      Mar25

      Putin appoints Kadyrov as Chechnya`s acting head

      Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to appoint Ramzan Kadyrov as acting head of the North Caucasus region of Chechnya, according to Radio Liberty. Speaking to Kadyrov at the Kremlin on March 25, Putin expressed hope that he would eventually participate in regional elections in September, RFE/RL wote. ”I believe that the people of...

      Ukraine intel names Russian general heading `missile forces` in Donbas
      Mar25

      Ukraine intel names Russian general heading `missile forces` in Donbas

      The Ukrainian intelligence has found out that Major General of the Russian Armed Forces Stepan Yaroshchuk is directly responsible for the combat use of the missile troops in the occupied territories of Donbas, as well as shelling of the Ukrainian troops and civilians, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense...

      Russia projects serious shortfall in privatization revenue
      Mar25

      Russia projects serious shortfall in privatization revenue

      Due to a sharp decline in the value of state-owned companies Russia`s state budget may short fall by RUB 1.5 trillion ($22 billion dollars, according to the exchange rate of 70 rubles to the dollar) in proceeds from privatization of state companies, said Chief of the State Duma Property Committee Sergey Gavrilov, Russian news agency TASS...

      Steps that Europe must take now after Brussels – The New York Times
      Mar25

      Steps that Europe must take now after Brussels – The New York Times

      The nature and full extent of the connection between the terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday and the arrest, last Friday, of Salah Abdeslam, suspected of handling the logistics in November`s Paris attacks, is still unknown. Didier Reynders, Belgium`s deputy prime minister, said Mr. Abdeslam was planning to ”restart something” in Brussels,...

      Russia releases update on ”secret goods” exports in 2015
      Mar25

      Russia releases update on ”secret goods” exports in 2015

      The Russian Federal Customs Service (FCS) has disclosed updated information about exports of Russian goods under the so-called secret codes, which include dual-use goods, arms, aircraft, nuclear materials and natural gas, according to RBC.In 2015, exports of goods, information about which is classified by the FCS, were estimated at $9.4 billion,...

      Second suspect in abducting Russian GRU officer`s lawyer Hrabovskiy detained
      Mar25

      Second suspect in abducting Russian GRU officer`s lawyer Hrabovskiy detained

      Chief Military Prosecutor in Ukraine Anatoliy Matios announces that the second suspect in abducting Yuriy Hrabovskiy, the lawyer of the Russian GRU officer Aleksandr Aleksandrov whose case is being considered in Ukraine, was detained in Odesa region on Thursday.The suspect was detained due to joint efforts by a small group of officers of...

      EU ministers call for passenger data exchange
      Mar25

      EU ministers call for passenger data exchange

      Calls by the ministers in Brussels on Thursday echoed French requests made ever since last year`s Paris attacks for the EU parliament to authorize a common passenger name record for the bloc, including a database containing details on air travelers, such as their names and destinations, according to Deutsche Welle.Tuesday`s attacks in Brussels...

      Ex-head of Ukraine`s investment agency wanted by police – Avakov
      Mar25

      Ex-head of Ukraine`s investment agency wanted by police – Avakov

      Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announces that former head of the State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine Vladyslav Kaskiv has been put on the wanted list.”Kaskiv is on the wanted list. He is charged under Part 5 Article 191, Part 2 Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” Avakov wrote on Facebook.According to...