Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Czech President Milos Zeman Says Integrating Muslims Into Europe Is ‘Practically Impossible’
The Czech president Milos Zeman, known for his anti-immigration stance, says that integrating Muslims into European society is “practically impossible.” “The experience of western European countries which have ghettos and excluded localities shows that the integration of the Muslim community is practically impossible,” Zeman said in a televised...
What Is Going on in Ukraine Now?
On the face of it, the conflict in Ukraine seems to have stabilized somewhat. Sporadic shelling aside, the last few months of 2015 saw the “hot” phase of the conflict in eastern Ukraine wind down to a relative calm. Both parties’ forces have been slowly withdrawing in accordance with the latest ceasefire agreement, and while there were some...
The Cyberattack on Ukraine’s Power Grid Is a Warning of What’s to Come
When more than 100,000 people in and around the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk were left without power for six hours, the Ukrainian energy ministry accused Russia of launching a cyberattack on the country’s national energy grid. Now reports released by security researchers from the SANS Industrial Control Systems team and the Industrial...
Ukraine Goes Dark: Russia-Attributed Hackers Take Down Power Grid
As many as 80,000 residents in western Ukraine lost power for six hours on Dec. 23. Cybersecurity firms SANS ICS and iSight Partners have attributed the blackout to Russian hacking group Sandworm and its malicious software, BlackEnergy 3. Cyberattacks on power grids and other critical infrastructure are not new, but this most recent attack seems...
Ukraine Expects to Restore Control Over Rebel East This Year
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s president on Thursday said he expects the separatist-held eastern Ukraine to fall back under government control before the year’s end. A military conflict between government forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed more than 9,000 people and left parts of the Ukrainian industrial heartland in ruin since...
Avalanche in French Alps Hits High School Ski Group, Kills 3
PARIS — An avalanche in the French Alps struck a high school ski group Wednesday afternoon, killing at least three people, according to French officials. France’s National Gendarmerie said a search-and-rescue operation was launched in the Deux Alpes ski resort using sniffer dogs and a helicopter. French authorities in the Alps region...
Lithuania Marks 25th Anniversary of Soviet Crackdown
VILNIUS, Lithuania—With flowers and solemn speeches, Lithuanians on Wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of a deadly Soviet crackdown that failed to quash the Baltic country’s quest for independence. Hundreds of people gathered in Vilnius in freezing temperatures to honor the 14 people killed when Soviet troops and tanks moved into a crowd...
UN: International Migration Surged 41 Percent Since 2000
UNITED NATIONS—The number of people who migrated to foreign countries surged by 41 percent in the last 15 years to reach 244 million in 2015, according to a United Nations study released Tuesday. Of those people, 20 million are refugees. The U.N. is planning a series of meetings in 2016 to address migration, including a March 30 gathering in...
Forget Putin’s Global Posturing—Russia’s Biggest Challenges for 2016 Are Domestic
After a remarkably fraught and complicated 2015, Vladimir Putin’s Russia finds itself still sanctioned by the West for its conduct in Ukraine, dogged by falling oil prices and dicing with a deadly conflict in Syria. And it’s increasingly difficult to foresee the challenges Putin and his country will face in 2016—or how they will...
Christmas in Kyiv: Ukraine’s Holiday From the War Comes to an End
KYIV, Ukraine—Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7. So in Ukraine’s capital city, the holiday season is still in full swing. The festivities in Kyiv leading up to Thursday, Jan. 7, reflect the continuance of normal life despite the frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine and looming battles on the nation’s domestic political...
