VISUAL REPORTS
Kosovars Demand Action In Alleged Police Rape Case
Hundreds of people protested outside of police headquarters in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, demanding action against sexual abuse following reports that a 16-year-old girl in the town of Drenas had been raped, first by a teacher and then by a police officer.
VOX POP: Will Russia Survive An Arms Race?
A majority of respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow said the Russian economy would survive a new arms race, but they were concerned about the potential negative financial impact on people and a rising protest mood. One person said, “Russia is already 10 years ahead.” Those who felt the economy would suffer cited the fact that people are already very poor. One woman noted that many are already leaving the country, and feared that officials will use the arms race “to steal even more” from the budget. One respondent said it was unrealistic, financially, for Russia to take on NATO. (Russian Service)
INFOGRAPHIC: Countries Where Jehovah’s Witnesses Are Banned
Jehovah's Witnesses are the target of social and government oppression in numerous countries.
OTHER NEWS
Moscow Issues Demands For U.S. Compliance With INF Treaty
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on February 7 that the United States should destroy its MK-41 missile-defense launch system deployed in NATO-member Romania and its unmanned aerial vehicles in order to return to compliance with a landmark Cold War-era nuclear treaty.
Google Censors Search Results After Russian Regulator’s Warning
Google has begun censoring websites blacklisted by the Russian government after Russia’s communications watchdog threatened to block the search-engine giant for not following its increasingly stringent rules, the Russian daily Vedemosti reported.
Mueller Probe Focuses On 2016 Manafort Meeting With Kilimnik
A court transcript unsealed on February 7 in Paul Manafort's criminal case indicates the U.S. special counsel's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election is focusing on a meeting between Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, a business associate who prosecutors say has ties to Russian intelligence.
EU Says Ukraine Elections A ‘Test Case’ And Calls On Members To Act
Eighteen European Union member states have called on the bloc to be “ready to act” in support of Ukraine in case Russia tries to undermine the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections later this year, according to a document seen by RFE/RL.
Dutch 'Confident' Moscow Will Agree To Talks On MH17 Investigation
Citing recent diplomatic contacts, the Netherlands says it is "increasingly confident" Russia will agree to formal talks about the findings of an international investigation that Moscow bears legal responsibility for its role in the 2014 downing of a Malaysian passenger jet over Ukraine.
Russian Authorities Detain Reporter Over Commentary On Bombing
Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation of reporter Svetlana Prokopyeva on suspicion of supporting “terrorism” through the use of the media, citing remarks she made on an Ekho Moskvy broadcast about a bombing that occurred last year outside the local headquarters of the Federal Security Service in Arkhangelsk.
Accounts Chamber Of Russia Demurs On ‘Sovereign’ Internet
According to Russian media reports, the Accounts Chamber has come out in opposition to a law creating a “sovereign” internet, contending such a system would impose excessive costs on the federal budget and lead to price increases across the economy that would strain the country’s financial system. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
After Slip In Polls, Tymoshenko Goes Low In Ukraine Campaigning
As she slipped from the top spot in preelection polls, Ukrainian presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko has offered explosive and seemingly unsubstantiated claims this week in an apparent effort to climb back atop an expanding field.
Britain Seizes $650 Million From Son Of Jailed Former Moldovan Prime Minister
A court in Britain has ordered the son of former Prime Minister Vladimir Filat to hand over $650 million following an investigation by Britain’s National Crime Agency that found that he obtained his wealth “from illegal activity by his father.” Vladimir Filat is serving a nine-year prison sentence in Moldova for his role in the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks while heading the government between 2009 and 2013.
Now That NATO Door Is Open, North Macedonia Gets To Show That It Belongs
NATO says it is now ready for North Macedonia. But is North Macedonia ready for the Western security alliance?
Schools Suspended, Roads Closed As Extreme Cold Hits Kazakhstan
All schools have been closed in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, and across the country’s northern, central, and eastern regions due to extreme cold, with temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
OBITUARY: Popular Russian Actor Sergei Yursky
ELSEWHERE: Leaked Files Shed Light On 860 Journalists Arrested, Imprisoned, Or Executed In Iran