Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Hungary’s Leader Wants Drug Tests for Journalists
BUDAPEST, Hungary—The Hungarian prime minister, who has vowed to remake his country into a “non-liberal” state as he moves closer to Moscow, called Friday for mandatory drug testing of journalists and politicians. Viktor Orban’s plan alarmed critics, who called it an attack on civil liberties and a cynical attempt to combat his declining...
Russia Confirms to EU That South Stream Pipeline Canceled
BRUSSELS—The vice president of the European Commission, Maroš Šefcovic, was contacted on Thursday by Russian energy minister, Alexander Novak, and confirmed that Russia’s plans for the South Stream pipeline project would not be developed any further. The South Stream project would have run a pipeline under the Black Sea to transport gas...
Russia Criticizes US for Using Torture
MOSCOW—Relishing an opportunity to turn the tables on the U.S., Russia says the Senate’s investigation into the CIA torture practices has highlighted rampant rights abuse. The Foreign Ministry’s rights envoy, Konstantin Dolgov, said in Thursday’s statement that the evidence contained in the report “contradict the U.S....
German Prosecutor: Little Progress on Merkel Phone
BERLIN— Germany’s chief federal prosecutor says his office has so far found no actionable evidence that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s calls were tapped by the U.S. National Security Agency, but the investigation continues. Prosecutor Harald Range in June opened an investigation into the alleged monitoring of Merkel’s cellphone, a...
Russia’s Ruble Falls to New All-Time Low
MOSCOW— The ruble has fallen to a new all-time low, tracking the dive in the price of oil and reflecting the overall weakness of the Russian economy. Russia’s currency traded at 55.02 rubles to the dollar in early trading on Thursday, surpassing the previous low set on Dec. 3. The ruble also hit an all-time low against the euro of 68.47....
Ukraine to Extend Truce With Separatists
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine will continue upholding a truce with Russian-backed separatists following a day largely free of exchanges of fire between the warring sides, a military spokesman in Kiev said Wednesday. Andriy Lysenko said there have been attacks on government positions over the previous day, but noted a significant reduction in their...
Crimea Annexation Upends Lives of Tatar Minority
SARY-SU, Crimea—Since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, armed men have shown up frequently and at odd hours to search the cinder-block houses, mosque and school in this settlement of Crimean Tatars, a Muslim ethnic minority that has long suffered from discrimination in the peninsula that is its historic homeland. The worst shock came in...
Ukraine Forces, Rebels Largely Suspend Hostilities
DONETSK, Ukraine—Government troops and Russian-backed separatists largely suspended hostilities in east Ukraine on Tuesday, raising hopes of a lasting peaceful settlement in a conflict that has raged for seven months and claimed thousands of lives. The lull in fighting followed a proposal by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to hold a “day of...
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Wreckage Reaches Netherlands
AMSTERDAM—A convoy of eight trucks carrying wreckage from the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster arrived at a Dutch military base Tuesday, as the official investigation into the cause of the crash continues nearly five months after the plane went down in eastern Ukraine. Flight 17 was shot down on July 17 over territory held by pro-Russia...
World War 3? Russia Says US House Resolution ‘One Step’ Closer to ‘All-Out War’
An editorial from state-run broadcaster RT.com is saying that US House members have “brought the nation one step closer to all-out war with Russia” by passing House Resolution 758, which is now sitting on the Senate floor. House Resolution 758 hasn’t generated much media attention when it was passed Dec. 4, but in short, it says Russia has...
