Section: Latest news
U.S. may target Russian weapons seized by Islamic State in Palmyra
The head of U.S. forces fighting Islamic State said on Wednesday the United States may target weapons seized by the group when it captured the Syrian city of Palmyra, adding the equipment posed a danger to the U.S.-led coalition in the region, according to Reuters. Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend told a Pentagon video briefing that the...
U.S. Federal Reserve raises key interest rate, citing strengthening economy
Citing the steady growth of the American economy, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it would increase its benchmark interest rate for just the second time since the 2008 financial crisis, according to The New York Times. The widely expected decision moves the Fed`s benchmark rate to a range between 0.5% and 0.75%, still a very low level by...
Ukraine’s Energoatom has its 2016 financial plan approved by year-end
Ukraine`s Cabinet of Ministers on December 14 approved a financial plan of national nuclear power generation holding Energoatom for 2016, which sets power generation at 74.2 billion kWh as a target. Under the plan, total tax payments to the budgets of all levels are set at UAH 8 billion by the end of the year, the Ukrainian Energy and Coal...
Russian militants fire on queue at Mayorsk checkpoint: One civilian killed, one wounded
Combined Russian-separatist forces on Wednesday attacked the Mayorsk entry and exit checkpoint in Donetsk region, as a result of which one person has been killed and another one has been wounded, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. ”Today, terrorists have opened fire on people standing in a queue at the Mayorsk entry/exit...
Dirty Russian money buying influence in EU – members of the European Parliament
MEPs from the main groups in the European Parliament have raised the alarm over illicit Russian money in Europe and its use to influence European politics, according to EU Observer. The larger, $1 billion scam, which involved fraudulent VAT refunds by the same group of Russian tax officials and mafia enforcers, was documented by Novaya Gazeta, a...
National Bank of Ukraine cuts official exchange rate to UAH 26.30 to dollar
The National Bank of Ukraine on Wednesday evening lowered the official hryvnia exchange rate by 20 kopiykas, bringing the national currency to UAH 26.30 to the dollar. The Central Bank set the following official exchange rates of the hryvnia against leading foreign currencies for December 15: $100 costs UAH 2,630.7416 (on December 14, it was UAH...
Ukraine security chief calls for better cyber defense against Russian attacks
A Ukrainian security chief said on Wednesday Ukraine needed to beef up its cyber defenses, citing a recent spate of attacks on government websites that he said originated in Russia, Reuters reports. Over the past week, Ukraine`s Finance and Defense ministries and State Treasury said their websites had been temporarily downed by attacks aimed at...
Oil prices stabilize after Fed hike as tighter market looms
Oil prices stabilized on Thursday as a tighter market looms in 2017 due to planned output cuts led by OPEC and Russia, after sharp declines earlier following Wednesday`s U.S. interest rate increase that drove investors out of commodities, according to Reuters. International Brent crude oil futures were trading at $54.02 a barrel at 0428 GMT, up...
National Bank of Ukraine names conditions for forex restrictions revision
The National Bank of Ukraine will revise market limitations earlier established in order to stabilize the national currency given the favorable conditions, NBU Governor Valeria Gontareva said at a Kyiv conference Wednesday. ”We really want to lift the restrictions, but let`s create the conditions, attract investments. [Let`s] complete at least...
Swedish island in the Baltic Sea likely to reject renting space to Russia
Officials on Gotland, Sweden`s militarily strategic island in the Baltic Sea, said Wednesday they likely will turn down a Russian request to rent harbor space after the government warned it could harm the country`s defense and political interests, according to The Associated Press. ”Following the information we got from the government, we very...