Eurasia

The Socialist-led government initially planned an early release of about 3,000 inmates with light sentences. Bulgaria’s parliament passed an amnesty law on Thursday but cut the number of offenders that the bill initially aimed to free to avoid public outrage before elections. The Socialist-led government initially planned an early release …

Presidential powers have been trimmed in Ukraine since the Orange revolution and the president has lesser sway. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, describing herself as “Ukraine’s biggest nationalist”, on Thursday called for an overhaul of the constitution to end “chaos” in the way the country was run. Interviewed by Reuters …

Rescue workers used a crane to peel the blackened roof from the twisted metal frame of the bus on the outskirts of Petushki. Fourteen people died and four were injured on Thursday when a bus burst into flames after colliding with a lorry just east of Moscow, Russia’s Emergency Ministry …

NEW YORK, United States – The UN Security Council on Wednesday (March 25th) unanimously approved the appointment of Austrian diplomat Valentin Inzko as the new high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

TIRANA, Albania – The opposition Socialist Party (SP) accused the government on Wednesday (March 25th) of failing to respect the EU’s advice about applying for candidate status.

PRISTINA, Kosovo – Lithuania wants to withdraw its small military component from Kosovo, local media reported on Wednesday (March 25th). Vilnius cites the stable security situation in the country and the strain of the global economic crisis.

Russia’s Gazprom warned Ukraine against implementing plans to modernize its pipelines without consulting Moscow, saying any such action would immediately affect gas supplies to Europe. Ukraine has called on the European Union, which gets most of its imported Russian gas via Ukraine, to help fund modernization of its pipeline system. …

MOSCOW – Russia is preparing a request for Georgia to extradite a Russian soldier who fled his military unit in South Ossetia in January, but has not yet filed the order, a military investigator said on Thursday. Lt. Gen. Alexander Sorochkin, head of the Military Investigation Department at Russia’s Investigation …

TBILISI, Georgia — A Georgian court ruled Wednesday that eight opposition supporters accused of plotting a coup and terrorist acts should remain in custody for two months as they await trial. Police released video recordings this week allegedly showing the men trying to buy weapons with the intent of causing …

Bulgaria’s parliament drastically reduced the number of prisoners to be pardoned under the amnesty act, which was approved at second reading on Thursday. The amnesty will apply to people, who were sent behind bars prior to July 1, 2008 on charges of criminal negligence. It will not be valid for …