PRESSROOM: RFE/RL Deplores Closure of Bureau in Pakistan
VISUAL REPORTS
Riding Siberia’s Ice Highway
These Russian truckers make their living on thin ice.
Serbian President Pays Respects To Slain Kosovar Serb Politician
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited the ethnically divided Kosovar town of Mitrovica on January 20 where he paid his respects to Oliver Ivanovic, an ethnic Serb political leader in Kosovo who was shot dead outside his Mitrovica office on January 16.
Balkan Cities Mark Epiphany With Icy River Races
As Orthodox Christians marked Epiphany on January 19, two Balkan cities celebrated with traditional swimming races.
Scientist Challenges Zeman In Czech Poll
Czech President Milos Zeman is fighting for five more years at Prague Castle, but his challenger Jiri Drahos warns that could drag the country towards the East.
OTHER NEWS
Lavrov Says Western ‘Russophobia’ Worse Than During Cold War
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the level of what he described as "Russophobia" in Western countries is higher than it was at the peak of the Cold War.
Kaspersky Lab Reports Growth Despite U.S. Government Ban
The Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab has reported that its revenue increased 8 percent last year, even though sales fell in North America as a result of a U.S. ban on use of its software in government computers.
Moscow Court Orders Closure Of Key Navalny Campaign Foundation
A court in Moscow has ordered the closure of the Fifth Season of the Year Foundation, an organization that served as the bulwark of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's presidential campaign.
Ksenia Sobchak Collects Signatures Needed For Presidential Run
Presidential hopeful Ksenia Sobchak’s campaign reports that she has gathered the 100,000 signatures required to be nominated as a candidate in Russia’s presidential elections in March. (Russian Service)
Russia Bans Vkontakte, Telegram From Disclosing FSB Requests
A new Kremlin decree prohibits Vkontakte and Telegram, along with other “organizers of information dissemination on the internet,” from disclosing information about contacts with security agencies. Owners of such platforms will be required to provide the FSB and other agencies remote access to their information systems within 90 days of receiving a request. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
West Finds Fault With AntiCorruption Law, Putting Assistance At Risk
A draft law proposed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to create a Supreme Anticorruption Court has been criticized by The International Monetary Fund as violating the country’s IMF commitments, putting the Fund’s assistance at risk, while the Venice Commission, which oversees compliance with European standards, has also identified several shortcomings in the bill.(Ukrainian Service)
Goodbye, 'Antiterrorist Operation.' Hello, 'Russian Aggression.'
Ukraine's "antiterrorist operation" is officially over. So, what to call the fight against Russia-backed separatists that still grinds on?
EU Calls For Release Of 'Illegally Detained' Ukrainians In Crimea, Russia
The European Union has called for the release of Ukrainian citizens being held "illegally" in Russia-annexed Crimea.
Kazakhstan Defends Offer To Host Ukraine Peace Talks
Kazakhstan has responded to Belarusian criticism of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev's offer to move the venue of peace talks on Ukraine from Minsk to Astana.
Fake News Kicks Into High Gear In Czech Presidential Runoff
In the first round of the Czech presidential election earlier this month, candidate Jiri Drahos was variously portrayed - without corroboration - as a pedophile, a thief, and a communist collaborator.
INTERVIEW: U.S. Envoy To Astana Predicts ‘Very Busy Bilateral Relationship’
MAJLIS PODCAST: Black Snow Signals Ecological Distress In Central Asia