VIDEO REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: A Grand Bargain, Or Extortion?
What would the West get from a ‘grand bargain’ with Russia?
Fire Guts Shopping Center In Tbilisi
Fire spread quickly through a shopping center in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, destroying some businesses.
Deadly Avalanches Bury Highway In Tajikistan
At least seven people have been killed as heavy snowfall triggered a series of avalanches in Tajikistan.
VOX POP: Will Putin Rule Forever?
Most respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be prevented from ruling forever by law, and because no one’s immortal, and because power should change hands, but one person said “effectiveness” is all that matters, and another said she would love for him to remain in power, and would support tweaking the constitution to allow it. (Russian Service)
OTHER NEWS
Deutsche Bank Fined Over $10 Billion Russian Money-Laundering Scheme
New York and British authorities announced on January 30 that they have fined banking giant Deutsche Bank $625 million over an alleged money- laundering scheme in Russia.
Kremlin Foe Navalny Ordered To Attend Trial
Russian bailiffs are seeking to enforce an order requiring Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny to attend a hearing in his trial in the provincial city of Kirov.
Governing Body Bars Russia From 2018 Paralympics Qualifiers
The International Paralympic Committee has moved to bar Russian athletes from participating in qualifiers for the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Eight EU Members Urge Closer Cooperation With U.S. On Ukraine Reforms
Eight European Union member states are calling for more cooperation between the United States and the EU in pushing for reforms in Ukraine.
Anxious Ukraine Risks Escalation In 'Creeping Offensive'
The way Ukrainian commander Vyacheslav "Eagle-Owl" Vlasenko described it, his troops snuck into this rustic town of 4,000 people in broad daylight and took it -- and a pig farm -- without firing a shot.
Fighting Persists Around Eastern Ukrainian Town
Tensions are high in eastern Ukraine, where fighting between government troops and Russia-backed separatists has flared over the past three days.
Crimean Tatar Official Charged With Undermining Territorial Integrity
Russia’s Federal Security Service has filed extremism charges against the deputy chairman of the Crimean Tatar mejlis, the indigenous minority community’s top executive body.
Kyiv Nationalists Protest Russia’s Sberbank
Members of Ukrainian nationalist groups National Corps and Azov gathered near a branch of Russian Sberbank in Kyiv holding balalaikas, bath lotion, and signs reading “welcome to Russia,” while spilling red paint on the ground and calling on passers-by to withdraw their deposits. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Ukraine Bans Some Books
Ukrainian lawmaker Nikolay Knyazhitsky said a new law banning books from Russia is limited to propaganda, applying to “authors who promote the killing and humiliation of Ukrainians.” Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbalyuk added that “Russia uses the language to justify its aggression.” (Russian Service)
Bosnia Indicts Bosnian-Serb Woman For War-Crimes
A Sarajevo court has indicted Visnja Acimovic, a Bosnian-Serb woman, on charges of participating in the killings of 37 Bosniak prisoners of war in 1992.
Nazarbaev Outlines Economic Development Plan
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has issued a "special statement" outlining his strategic plan for the Central Asian nation's economic development.
HRW Calls For Release Of RFERL Correspondents In Turkmenistan
In advance of the 2017 Asia Games planned for September in Turkmenistan, Human Rights Watch has called on the presidents of the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia, and the Association of National Olympic Committees to address the country’s human rights situation. (in Russian, Turkmen Service)
Freedom House Cites Authoritarian, Populist Threats
Freedom House’s 2017 Freedom in the World report finds that civil liberties came increasingly under threat in 2016 as authoritarian powers gained strength in many parts of the world and "populist and nationalist forces" rose in democratic states.
ANALYSIS: Can Armenian President Count On Kremlin Support?
In two months, Armenians will vote in parliamentary elections which, despite a deteriorating economy and lingering doubts over its 2012 victory, the Republican Party of Armenia is likely to win.
POLYGRAPH.Info: Russia Says New U.S. Troops Destroy European Security Architecture: Likely False