Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Merkel Pursues Ambitious Agenda for G7 Summit
BERLIN— When Germany last hosted a summit of the world’s leading industrialized democracies, Chancellor Angela Merkel was a relative newcomer on the world stage. With less than two years in office she focused on one major theme: the fight against climate change. Heading into this weekend’s meeting of what is now the G-7 — after...
Eastern Ukraine Tense After Outbreak of Fighting
DONETSK, Ukraine — Separatist and government troops in east Ukraine stood nervously poised hundreds of meters apart Thursday in the wake of bloody battle that has threatened to demolish what remains of the brittle cease-fire there. Underscoring anxieties in the Ukrainian capital, President Petro Poroshenko warned of a possible large-scale...
Ukraine’s President Warns of Possibility of Rebel Offensive
KIEV, Ukraine— Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned of a possible large-scale offensive by separatist forces in the east, one day after a major battle erupted on the western edge of the main separatist rebel stronghold. Hostilities on Wednesday left more than a dozen dead and brought a February cease-fire agreement between...
Russia Says Latvian Weapons-Smuggling Ring Broken Up
MOSCOW— Russia’s Federal Security Service says it has broken up a ring that was smuggling firearms into the country from Latvia. The service, known by its initials FSB, said in a statement Thursday that more than 30 weapons were seized in a raid in the Pskov region, which borders Latvia and Estonia. The weapons included submachine guns and...
Ukraine Battle Tests Cease-Fire to Breaking Point
KIEV, Ukraine — A major battle erupted Wednesday on the western edge of the main separatist rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine, leaving more than a dozen dead and threatening to tip the country back into full-blown war. Rebels in the city of Donetsk reported 15 dead between civilians and combatants in territory under their control. The Ukrainian...
Russian Missile Maker: MH17 Shot Down by Ukrainian Missile
MOSCOW— The Russian maker of the Buk air defense missile system said Tuesday that it has concluded that Malaysian Airlines flight 17 was downed by an older version of the missile, which isn’t in service with the Russian military but is in Ukrainian arsenals. Controversy continues over who shot down the plane last summer over eastern...
Russian Lawmaker Asks for EU Blacklist to Be Made Public
MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov needs to explain why 89 politicians from 17 European countries have been banned from entering Russia and confirm their names, an opposition lawmaker said Sunday in a formal inquiry. Dmitry Gudkov, the sole member of Russia’s parliament who opposes the Kremlin, also told Lavrov that while he...
Report: Ex-georgian Leader Named Governor of Ukraine Region
MOSCOW— Local news reports say former Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili has been appointed governor of Ukraine’s troubled Odessa region. President Petro Poroshenko made the announcement on Saturday, according to the reports. The region includes Odessa city, which has Ukraine’s largest seaport. Although the city has not been hit...
Russia Classifies Military Casualties in Peacetime
MOSCOW— Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to make losses of Russian troops in peacetime a secret. The decree published on the official government web-site and signed by Putin on Wednesday makes it a state secret to divulge information about peacetime losses of Russian troops in “special operations.” The decree comes as evidence...
TV Showdown in Ukraine Highlights Press Freedom Anxieties
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Crunch time is coming in a Ukrainian showdown that may yield clues into an increasingly asked question: How free is the press in Ukraine as it fights to stay out of Russia’s orbit? The Kiev government has enjoyed EU and U.S. support as it strives to forge a pro-Western path and battles a pro-Russian insurgency that...
