UN approves debt-restructuring measure that could help Ukraine:
The United Nations has voted overwhelmingly for a new global framework for sovereign-debt restructuring aimed at avoiding cases like Argentina's grinding legal battle with "vulture" creditors.
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have warned that Argentina's struggle with predatory hedge funds that have won U.S. court judgements demanding full repayment of the country's debt highlights a problem that could affect other countries struggling with heavy debts.
One such country is Ukraine, which has had difficulty getting major creditors to accept a debt writedown.
The nonbinding resolution approved on September 10 by 136 UN members, but opposed by the United States, Germany, Japan, and Britain, stresses a nation's right to restructure its debt "as a last resort."
It says member countries should adopt principles that would protect sovereign governments from minority creditors which refuse to go along with the majority in mutually agreed debt restructurings.
It urges courts to "respect the decisions adopted by the majority of the creditors" and says a country "should not be frustrated or impeded by any abusive measures" by minority creditors seeking redress in the courts. (AFP, AP, Reuters)
That concludes our live-blogging for Thursday, September 10, 2015. Check back here tomorrow for more of our ongoing coverage. Thanks for reading.
Russia Displays Military Hardware At Arms Expo-2015
The Russian military put on a show of military hardware at the Arms Expo-2015 exhibition in Nizhny Tagil, in the Sverdlovsk region, on September 10. Helicopters, tanks, jets and parachutists put on a display for the crowds. Representatives of more than 60 countries are attending the four-day event. (RFE/RL's Russian Service)
NATO Expresses Concern After Report Of New Russian Military Base Near Ukraine
By RFE/RL
NATO has expressed concern after a news report that Russia is building a large military base near its border with Ukraine.
Speaking to RFE/RL on September 10, a NATO official said, “Overall, NATO remains concerned about Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine’s borders and its continued attempts to destabilize Ukraine.”
Reuters reported on September 7 that Moscow had started building a major military base in Belgorod Oblast near the border with Ukraine.
It said workers were erecting a perimeter fence at the alleged site near the town of Valuiki.
Citing public documents, the news agency said the Defense Ministry is building the base on a 300-hectare site.
The facility is to house ammunition depots and barracks for 3,500 soldiers, as well as a recreation center with a skating rink and a swimming pool.
The ministry says it plans to use the base to train soldiers on artillery and army air defense, as well as in driving armored vehicles. The plan includes a site for studying the tactics of the U.S. military.
Kyiv and the West accuse Russia of sending soldiers and hardware to eastern Ukraine to support pro-Russian separatists fighting government forces.
Moscow denies its military is in Ukraine.