Новости за 24.10.2015

KURAKHOVE, Ukraine - On the edge of the small town, 10 miles west of Russian-controlled territory in Donetsk Oblast, stands Vasily, a 41-year-old soldier, firmly holding his Kalashnikov in his hands, guarding one of the last Ukrainian-controlled checkpoints in the direction of Donetsk. He's full of frustration and anger, unwilling to talk and to give his full name.

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made some poignant observations about Russia’s latest move into Syria, and how the U.S. can put together its own act in response. The U.S., he suggested, should unequivocally demand a meaningful power sharing between Syrian President Bashir al-Assad and moderate opposition, and be ready to achieve it by using military force in Syria.

As the country votes in local elections, Ukrainians will weigh in on whether they still believe in the promise of a less corrupt tomorrow.

Every week, The WorldPost asks an expert to shed light on a topic driving headlines around the world. Today, we speak with Nataliya Rostova, a chronicler and critic of the Russian media.

I never took a single ballet class as a girl, despite my whining, and while I got over that, I still can't ignore the allure of long graceful muscles and good posture -- which is the sweet promise behind barre workouts.

Russia says it is ready to help U.S.-backed rebels in Syria in their battle against militant organisations like the Islamic State group.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Oct.24 discussed ways of organizing a political process between the Syrian government and its opponents, a day after the two met in Vienna along with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Russian foreign ministry said.

After last year's parliamentary elections, the municipal polls in Ukraine will again test the post-Euromaidan reformers affiliated with Petro Poroshenko. Dissatisfaction is rising. DW's Frank Hofmann reports from Kyiv.

The last day of pre-election campaigning is underway in Poland. For six months, opinion polls have predicted victory for the conservative Law and Justice Party. The latest opinion polls put this party ahead in the race with 32 percent support, 12 percentage points ahead of Civic Platform.

Ukrainians vote on Oct. 25 in local elections that will test popular support for pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko amid the country's deep economic crisis and war in the east

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said on Oct. 24 that while Ukraine is winning one war, the one against Russia's invasion, it is losing another one, the "non-fight against corruption," as he put it.

Amid the backdrop of economic uncertainty and a violent regional conflict, Ukrainians are set to head to the polls Sunday in hotly contested local elections where oligarchs are expected to attempt to maintain their grip on power. With Ukraine’s gross domestic product forecast to fall by 12 percent by the year's end and the ongoing war in its eastern region, questions about potential voter turnout, political corruption and eligibility issues loomed large before the elections of mayors and city and regional councils. Читать дальше...

It is the end of October in Kyiv.

J.K. Rowling wasn’t lying when she said her new play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, isn’t a prequel. Because it’s actually a sequel, set 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

A plot from Russia to drop nuclear bombs on London in a bid to wipe out the capital city has been exposed.

On Oct. 18 Zhovten cinema reopened in Kyiv.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin wanted Syria to prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections, as Moscow intensified its drive to convert its increased clout with Damascus into a political settlement.

Flights between Russia and Ukraine will be terminated on Oct.25 after the countries exchanged sanctions against their airlines amid a standoff over Moscow's support of separatists in the east of Ukraine.

A Lenin statue in Ukraine has been remodelled - into Darth Vader.

For more than two decades, the Golden Mask theater festival and awards have been highlights of Russia's theatrical season, a homegrown equivalent of the Tony Awards in the United States.

DONETSK - Forward patrolling bases of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) will open in Horlivka, Debaltseve and Yenakieve on October 25 for the convenient monitoring of the events on the contact line, the Donetsk news agency reported with reference to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that Kyiv hopes that the United Nations (UN) would take active part in restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

United States' Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has said that no better rebuke to those who want to see Ukraine fail than a strong turnout and clean local elections.

The main candidate of the Internet Party of Ukraine, named after the legendary Star Wars villain Darth Vader, is campaigning in Odessa, cruising through the town on a black van to the sound of the Imperial March from the saga.

Ukrainian Member of Parliament from People's Front faction Mykola Martynenko has said that law enforcement agencies from no country, including Switzerland, accused him of anything and did not call for questioning in Switzerland and Ukraine, the press service of the lawmaker has reported.