Rail chief is Austria's new chancellor

VIENNA • Austria's president will swear in national rail chief Christian Kern as the country's chancellor on Tuesday, President Heinz Fischer's office said in a statement. Mr Kern's ruling Social Democratic Party has agreed to back him as its proposed successor to Mr Werner Faymann, who stepped down as head of Austria's coalition government this week.

REUTERS

Russia accused of cyberattacks

BERLIN • Germany's domestic secret service yesterday accused Russia of a series of international cyberattacks aimed at spying and sabotage. Operations cited by BfV intelligence agency ranged from an aggressive attack called Sofacy or APT 28 that hit Nato members and knocked French TV station TV5Monde off air, to a hacking campaign called Sandstorm that brought down part of Ukraine's power grid last year.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Putin vows to neutralise threats

SOCHI (Russia) • A United States ballistic missile defence site which has entered service in Europe threatens global security and is a step towards a new arms race, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday, vowing to adjust budget spending to neutralise its threats to Russia.

The US switched on an US$800 million (S$1.1 billion) missile shield in Romania on Thursday that it sees as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states.

REUTERS