Russian court begins trial of US soldier arrested on theft charges

MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok has begun the trial of an American soldier arrested in the city earlier this year on charges of stealing. U.S. officials and Russian authorities say Staff Sgt. Gordon Black flew to Vladivostok to see his girlfriend and was arrested after she accused him of stealing from her. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Black’s arrest further complicates U.S. relations with Russia which have grown increasingly tense as the fighting in Ukraine continues. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported from the courtroom on Thursday that Black has agreed to testify in the trial and will respond to the accusations against him later in the proceedings.