VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Russia's New Western Front
France is the next big showdown in the new Cold War of ideas between Western liberalism and Moscow-backed illiberalism.
Russians Protest Decriminalization Of Some Domestic Violence
Activists demonstrated in Moscow on February 12 to protest a new law that decriminalizes some forms of domestic violence in Russia.
Migrants Get Stoves To Cope With Frigid Serbian Winter
Hundreds of migrants and refugees in Belgrade have received wood stoves to help them keep warm.
When Cold Sets In, Bookmobile Beckons in Belarus
Authorities in Belarus aim to replace many local libraries with books on wheels, including home delivery to the elderly in some villages.
OTHER NEWS
Japan Protests Russian Move To Give Some Disputed Islands Names
Japanese officials said they have protested a decision by Moscow to give names to five formerly unnamed islands of a disputed chain known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia.
Russia Denies Meddling In French Presidential Candidate's Campaign
Russia has denied carrying out media and Internet attacks against French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron.
Kremlin Shifts Governors Ahead Of 2018 Elections
The resignations of the governors of Russia’s Ryazan and Novgorod regions are being interpreted as part of a Kremlin-orchestrated effort to cull local authorities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that the replacement of governors is likely to continue. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russia Orders 20,000 Medals For Distinguished Military Service In Syria
Russia’s defense ministry has announced a tender for the purchase of more than 20,000 medals to recognize distinguished service in the military operation in Syria. This follows a similar tender, also for personnel involved in Syria, for 10,000 medals in the spring of 2016. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Both Sides In St. Petersburg Cathedral Tussle Accused Of Extremism
Locals in Russia's northern capital who oppose a government plan to hand control of the iconic St. Isaac's Cathedral over to the Russian Orthodox Church have vowed to continue mass protests and other actions.
Crash Spotlights Illegal Hunting In Siberia
Anatoly Bannykh, a former deputy governor of Russia’s Siberian Altai region who was notorious for organizing VIP trips to hunt rare animals, is believed to have died in a helicopter crash in the region with other members of an illegal hunting team. Bannykh survived a crash in 2009 that claimed the lives of seven people who were allegedly hunting protected species in Altai’s Saylyugemskiy National Park.(Russian Service)
Ukraine Survey Shows People Watch More TV, But Trust It Less
A recent study by the Ukrainian NGO Media Detector and Kyiv’s International Institute of Sociology found that, despite a decline in public trust in the mass media, especially in the country’s southern regions, national television continues to be the main source of information for Ukrainians, with conversations among friends and relatives ranking second. (Ukrainian Service)
Belarus Reverses Ban On Ukrainian Author
A Belarusian official says an order requiring Ukrainian author Serhiy Zhadan to leave the country and barring him from entry was rescinded after high-level officials intervened.
European Parliament Paves Way For Visa-Free Travel For Georgians, Ukrainians
The European Parliament has taken a key step toward visa-free travel for Georgians and Ukrainians to the Schengen zone.
Protests Continue In Romania Despite Approval Of Antigraft Referendum
Romania's parliament has agreed to hold a referendum on public support for fighting corruption.
Watchdog Group Calls On Kazakhstan To Release Jailed Journalist
The U.S. - based Committee To Protect Journalists has called on Kazakhstan to release an independent journalis who was imprisoned last week on allegations of money laundering.
Kyrgyzstan Bans Eight Alleged Members Of Banned Islamic Group
Police in Kyrgyzstan’s southern district of Kara-Suu have detained eight alleged members of the banned Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir.
COMMENTARY: The Politics Of Alexei Navalny’s Presidential Candidacy
Fair elections advocates Grigory Melkonyants and Elena Lukyanova both maintain that Russia’s constitution grants Alexey Navalny the right to register for the presidential campaign and overrides restrictions in the election law. They advise that Navalny first contest a municipal election as a precondition for registering with the Election Commission, whereas Leonid Volkov, the head of Navalny’s electoral campaign, says that registration is “a political matter, not a legal one, and that Russia’s Constitutional court will do what the Kremlin says.” (Russian Service)
POLYGRAPH.Info: Kremlin Denies Sending Tanks To Eastern Ukraine: False
MEDIA ADVISORY: RFE/RL Radio Listeners Cherish Platform ‘With A Democratic Soul’