VISUAL REPORTS
Russian State TV Anchor Erupts In Laughter Over New Social Subsidies
A presenter on Russian state TV lit up the Internet after she broke into a lengthy fit of laughter while attempting to inform viewers of an increase in government subsidies to underprivileged people. The response appears to have been triggered by the ridiculously small amounts of the subsidies.
Regional Kazakh Officials To Be Fired After Deadly Ethnic Clashes
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has sacked the governor of the southern Zhambyl region following deadly ethnic clashes in the area over the weekend.
Kyrgyz Workers Hunt For Coal Scraps To Survive Winter
In the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, about 200 people work in shifts to search through the ash dump of a heating plant. Desperately poor, they are looking for unburned pieces of coal to sell. It's hard work, but the only way to make a living for many of them during the winter.
ICYMI: Voting Irregularities Mar Azerbaijan’s Elections
Along with ballot-box stuffing, multiple voting, and so-called carousel voting at numerous polling stations, there were also reports of independent observers being harassed or expelled.
OTHER NEWS
Ukrainian Sacks Chief Of Staff, Appoints Aide Who Met With Giuliani
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed the chief of his administration, Andriy Bohdan, and replaced him with Andriy Yermak, an aide whose name has been linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani.
Moscow Court Extends House Arrest Of American Investor Calvey
A Moscow court has extended the house arrest of U.S. investor Michael Calvey and his business partner, French national Philippe Delpal, until May 13. The court also prolonged the house arrest of former Vostochny Bank CEO Aleksei Kordichev, a Russian citizen.
Russian Court Jails Seven 'Network' Activists On Terrorism Charges
A court in the Russian city of Penza has sentenced seven activists from a group known as "Set" (Network) to prison terms of between six and 18 years on terrorism charges that rights activists and opposition figures have denounced as fabricated and "horrific."
Russian Police Shut Down Pussy Riot Video Shoot For Second Straight Day
Russian police in St. Petersburg have for the second consecutive day shut down the shooting of a music video by anti-Kremlin punk band Pussy Riot and detained 13 people, including band leader Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.
Russia Reverses Order Restricting Scholars' Contacts With Foreigners
Russia's Ministry of Education and Science has rescinded an order issued last year that restricted interaction between Russian scholars and their foreign counterparts, saying the ministry "is interested in [foreign] cooperation that will develop on the principles of open science." No further explanation has been provided.
Russian Oil Prices Mark Major Drop
Russian oil prices have fallen for the fourth consecutive week, dropping to approximately $53.3 per barrel in a loss of 20% for the month. Russian media reports that the drop is linked to investors’ concern over the impact of the coronavirus on fuel consumption in China, which is the world’s largest oil importer. (Russian Service)
Ukraine Identifies Suspects In Arson Attack On RFE/RL Journalist
The prosecutor of Ukriane’s Lviv region has announced that law enforcement have identified a person they believe may have ordered the January 30 arson attack on a car belonging to RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent Halyna Tereschuk. The suspect is a 48-year-old resident of Lviv who is a well-known felon. Police suspect he may have conspired with a 43-year-old veteran Lviv police major, who has been placed on a wanted list. (Ukrainian Service)
Russian Military Conducts Exercises In Crimea To Detect Submarines
Russia’s naval aviation and air defenses of the Black Sea Fleet have conducted exercises on Ka-27M helicopters to practice detection of submarines and other underwater targets. Ukraine’s general staff says such exercises are illegal. (Crimea.Realities)
Crimean Tatar TV Channel On Verge Of Closure Due To Lack Of Funds
Ukraine's first and currently only television channel in the Crimean Tatar language says it is on the brink of closure due to lack of government funding. ATR says it hasn't received $2 million that the government allocated for the channel in this year's state budget.
Latvian President Proposes Law To Reduce Russian Language Digital Content
Latvian President Egils Levits has proposed revising a law on electronic media to increase the proportion of television programs broadcast in the official languages of the EU and the Eurozone to 80%. The proposal would have the effect of decreasing Russian-language content by about 20%. The president has said that similar requirements should apply to cable television service providers. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Georgian Opposition Figure Ugulava Sentenced Again To Prison
Georgia's Supreme Court on February 10 sentenced opposition leader Gigi Ugulava to more than three years in prison on charges of misusing public funds while he was mayor of the capital, Tbilisi. This was Ugulava's second conviction on similar charges, in a case the opposition says is politically motivated.
U.S. Envoy Urges Kosovo To Drop Tariffs On Serbian Goods ‘With No Reciprocity’
Amid a push to establish diplomatic relations between Serbia and Kosovo, U.S. special envoy Richard Grenell urged Kosovo on February 10 to drop tariffs on Serbian goods entirely, without introducing measures of "reciprocity" in trade, politics, and economy, his press officer told RFE/RL.
Uzbek Senior Military Personnel Accused Of Spying For Russia
RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reports that a court in Tashkent has begun a closed trial of as many as 10 senior Uzbek military personnel, including head of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces Akbar Yarbabaev, on charges of treason, espionage, and disclosure of state secrets to Russia. The court is also trying political scientist Rafik Sayfulin, 61, on accusations of treason. (Uzbek Service/Current Time TV)
Uzbek President's Son-In-Law To Head New Central Asian MMA Confederation
Otabek Umarov, the younger son-in-law of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, has been elected as the head of the newly created Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Central Asian Confederation, which will be headquartered in Tashkent.
COMMENTARY: Dungan Incident Is Kazakhstan's Latest Interethnic Violence
IRAN: Amid Pressure From Sanctions, Iran Embraces China
IRAN: With Most Reformists Barred, Iran’s Elections Offer Little Choice