Section: News & Summaries

      Oil prices give away previous gains as oversupply bites back – Reuters
      Aug04

      Oil prices give away previous gains as oversupply bites back – Reuters

      Oil prices slipped after gains earlier on Thursday and the previous day as overproduction and large volumes of unsold crude and ample refined product inventories around the world weighed on markets, according to Reuters. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading at $40.89 per barrel at 07:00 GMT, slightly above their previous...

      RFE/RL: With Kerry meeting, Washington seeks new path in Central Asia
      Aug04

      RFE/RL: With Kerry meeting, Washington seeks new path in Central Asia

      U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has welcomed the foreign ministers from the five Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – to Washington. Their meeting, dubbed the C5+1, follows up on the inaugural session of the group, which was held last year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, according to Radio...

      Ukraine celebrating first National Police Day
      Aug04

      Ukraine celebrating first National Police Day

      August 4 is being celebrated as the day of the signing of the law ”On the National Police” by the president of Ukraine. On December 10, 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on the celebration of National Police Day. ”From 2016, this holiday will be celebrated on August 4 – on the day of the signing of the law ”On the...

      Donetsk sector sees escalation amid lull in Luhansk region in last day
      Aug04

      Donetsk sector sees escalation amid lull in Luhansk region in last day

      Combined Russian-separatist forces were most active in the Donetsk sector, while it was relatively calm in the Luhansk sector, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. ”Most of enemy attacks – 21 cases – were recorded in the Donetsk sector. Militants repeatedly fired 120mm and 82mm mortars and...

      Extradition of ex-energy minister Stavytsky to Ukraine depends on Israel
      Aug04

      Extradition of ex-energy minister Stavytsky to Ukraine depends on Israel

      A positive decision on the extradition of former Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavytsky to Ukraine from Israel depends on that country`s authorities, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General`s Office (PGO). ”We`ve sent an enquiry [for his extradition]. The Justice Ministry of Israel received it on July 12. The...

      NBU strengthens official exchange rate to UAH 24.81 to dollar
      Aug04

      NBU strengthens official exchange rate to UAH 24.81 to dollar

      The National Bank of Ukraine on Wednesday evening strengthened the official hryvnia exchange rate by one kopiyka, bringing the national currency to UAH 24.81 to the dollar. The Central Bank set the following official exchange rates of the hryvnia against leading foreign currencies for August 4: $100 costs UAH 2,481.6008 (on August 3, it was UAH...

      Ukraine`s MFA: Appointment of Russia`s ambassador to Ukraine no longer on agenda
      Aug04

      Ukraine`s MFA: Appointment of Russia`s ambassador to Ukraine no longer on agenda

      Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Integration Olena Zerkal says that the appointment of Russia`s Ambassador to Ukraine is no longer on Ukraine`s agenda. ”This issue has been removed from the agenda,” she said on Channel 5 on Wednesday. This was Ukraine`s initiative, she added. She also assured that the absence of the...

      Experts forecast record high yield of peas in Ukraine in 15 years
      Aug04

      Experts forecast record high yield of peas in Ukraine in 15 years

      The gross yield of peas in 2016 is forecast at 752,000 tonnes, which is almost twice the figure recorded in 2015, according to experts. This will be a record high yield in the past 15 years, the press service of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UAC) said. ”In 2016, the gross yield of peas is projected at 752,000 tonnes, which is almost twice the...

      OSCE supports Red Cross` possible involvement in Donbas swap mediation
      Aug03

      OSCE supports Red Cross` possible involvement in Donbas swap mediation

      Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group on the implementation of the peace plan in the east of Ukraine Ambassador Martin Sajdik says he supports possible involvement of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in mediation of the release of Ukrainian soldiers held captive...

      Saakashvili in Odesa: When Making Waves is Not Enough
      Aug03

      Saakashvili in Odesa: When Making Waves is Not Enough

      A year after my Atlantic Council blog post on Mikheil Saakashvili’s first fifty days as Odesa oblast governor, it’s time to reexamine his record. The results are mixed: his brisk and spectacular first wins soon hit the skids. The Presidential Administration’s promised support evaporated in late 2015 and Saakashvili’s many...