Israeli MPs approve draft bill to legalise settlements

Israel's parliament has approved a draft bill that could legalise thousands of Jewish homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, a measure that has drawn condemnation by left-wing MPs and Israel's closest ally, the United States.

Israeli bill to recognize West Bank outposts

An Israeli committee on Sunday approved a bill that if adopted would legalize outposts built without government permission in the West Bank, territory Palestinians demand for their future state.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry has no information on terrorists’ weapons purchases in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has no information on weapons purchases by militants of the Islamic State terrorist grouping in the country, spokesman for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Vladislav Seleznyov said on Friday.

Libya coast guard seizes oil tanker, detains 12 Russians. Moscow Demands Release of Russian Oil Tanker

Libya's coast guard said Thursday it had intercepted a Russian-flagged tanker suspected of carrying an illegal shipment of oil and detained 12 crew members from Russia.

Greece seeks more EU funds to tackle migrants problem

 Greece's Defence Minister has called on the European Union to supply more funding to enable his country to deal with a growing number of migrants.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statement regarding the presence of the Turkish research vessel Barbaros within the Cypriot EEZ

Hellenic MFA , Monday, 20 October 2014:
“Unfortunately, Turkey did not listen to the voice of the international community, did not listen to the voice of the UN and the European Union, did not listen to the voice of international legality.

Its vessel, Barbaros, is in the region of the Cypriot exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and will attempt to carry out exploration that is obviously a flagrant flouting of the International Law of the Sea, because in this region there is no question as to the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus.

Syrian Foreign Minister: US-led Coalition Against IS Lacks UN Authorization, Legitimacy

UNITED NATIONS, September 27  – The US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has been created without the UN Security Council's authorization and has no international legitimacy, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Saturday.

"Unfortunately, the American coalition which is striking ISIS [ISIL] is built outside the Security Council. This means they don't have international legitimacy," Muallem said.

Return of illegally exported cultural objects: simpler rules approved by culture MEPs

An informal deal with Council on revised rules to help member states recover cultural objects unlawfully removed from their territory was endorsed by the Culture and Education Committee on Thursday by 14 votes to one.

Several EU countries, such as Italy, Poland, France, and Germany and Romania, have suffered serious thefts and illegal exports of cultural heritage goods since the single market was created.

Russia's not ready to develop relations with people who illegally seized power

MOSCOW, March 03, 7:05 /ITAR-TASS/. Russia is ready to develop relations with Ukraine, but not with the group of people who seized power in breach of the Constitution and other laws of the State, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his page in Facebook.

"My attitude is as follows: Russia is prepared to develop comprehensive respectful relations with fraternal Ukraine. Mutually beneficial and effective ones. However, Ukraine to us is not just a group of people who, upon spilling blood at maidan, seized power in violation of the Constitution and other laws of their State.

US, EU 'pyromaniacs' surprised at fire they started in Ukraine. -French geopolitical analyst

The United States and European Union should have anticipated the consequences of their dubious decision to throw support behind the Ukrainian regime change, a French geopolitical analyst has told Russian media.
“What we are witnessing now is the easily predictable aftermath of the US and EU’s irresponsible decision to back the overthrow of a legally-elected Ukrainian president at the time when Russia was busy with the Sochi Olympic Games,” Emerique Chopard said in an interview with Interfax.

Parliament in Ukraine Impeaches President, Calls May 25 Vote

KIEV, February 22 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s parliament voted Saturday to impeach the president as opposition parties rushed to consolidate their apparently growing hold on authority in the former Soviet nation.

Speaking from a location in his political stronghold in the east of the country, however, Viktor Yanukovych defied attempts to unseat him, describing them as a coup.
In the same session of parliament, deputies voted to hold early presidential elections on May 25.