U.S. Urges Ukrainians To Vote
ICYMI, a very good report on tensions in the Baltic Sea:
With the plant's furnaces echoing the thump of shelling nearby, Magomedov sounds more worried about his workers than about Metinvest. "There is a way out" of the crisis, he says. "We just don't know where it goes."
From the European Parliament:
Members of European Parliament arrive in Ukraine to observe the Rada elections
On 24 October a delegation of 14 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), led by Croatian MEP Andrej Plenković (EPP) starts their activities to observe the 2014 parliamentary election in Ukraine.
"The forthcoming parliamentary elections in Ukraine are important for consolidation of democracy in Ukraine, especially since in some regions they are held in very demanding circumstances. We, together with other international observers, will have an important role in observing that the elections are conducted in free and fair manner", said Mr Plenkovic, who leads the MEPs delegation.
The aim of MEPs' mission is to assess whether the 2014 parliamentary elections in Ukraine are conducted according to country's international commitments and national laws. MEPs' work will be guided by international standards and criteria, as defined by OSCE/ODIHR, and grounded in fundamental civil and political rights.
How will MEPs work
On 24-25 October MEPs will meet the Ukrainian electoral authorities, international and Ukrainian election observation organisations, leaders of the main political parties, civil society and media representatives. Also meetings with Ukraine's President, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs are scheduled.
On Sunday, 26 October, day of the election, MEPs will observe the elections in the capital Kyiv and also cities of Cherkasy, Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnjepropetrovsk. They will visit polling stations, watch the voting process and observe the opening of the ballot boxes and counting of votes.
The delegation will finish its work after the joint press conference in the afternoon on 27 October, where they, together with other international observers, will present the preliminary conclusions on the election process.
With Sweden now saying it has called off its hunt for "foreign underwater activity" in the Stockholm archipelago, here's an update via AFP, AP, and Reuters:
Sweden says "at least one" foreign submarine may have been operating in its waters off Stockholm.
Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad told reporters in the Swedish capital on October 24 that such foreign underwater activity was "unacceptable."
Grenstad was speaking hours after the Swedish military announced it had called off its search for a suspected foreign submarine in waters close to Stockholm after a week-long hunt.
The search, which involved battleships, minesweepers, helicopters, and more than 200 troops, had prompted speculation that the source of the suspicious underwater activity was a damaged Russian submarine.
Moscow has denied the claims, blaming a Dutch submarine for triggering the hunt.
The Netherlands has rejected the accusation.
Swedish military officials haven't blamed any country for the suspected intrusion.
Tensions have been high in the Baltic region and Scandinavia over the crisis in Ukraine and military and intelligence muscle-flexing by Moscow.