VISUAL REPORTS
Czechs Protest Naming Of Communist-Era Cop To Head Parliamentary Oversight Committee
Thousands of Czechs joined protests in Prague and at least 10 other cities across the country against a communist-era riot officer being voted head of parliament's police oversight committee.
Siberia's Miracle Cucumbers
Japanese technology has made it possible to grow fresh vegetables in Russia’s harshest winters.
Icarus, Documentary On Russian Doping Scandal, Wins Oscar
The Academy Award for best documentary has gone to Icarus, a film that investigates allegations of widespread doping within elite Russian sporting circles.
Ukrainian Nationalists Shout Anti-Polish Remarks During March
Ukrainian nationalists led a March 4 torchlight walk in Lviv to mark the anniversary of the killing of Ukrainian nationalist commander Roman Shukhevych on March 5, 1950. Marchers held banners declaring “Lviv is not for Polish masters” in reference to a new Polish law that makes it illegal to deny crimes by Ukrainian nationalists against the Polish people. (Ukrainian Service)
OTHER NEWS
KREMLIN COUNTDOWN
RFE/RL’s election live-blog today reports that Russia’s parliamentary Commission on Countering Foreign Interference has issued a report claiming that the campaign to boycott the March 18 presidential election is being financed by “outside money” from abroad. Scroll down for information about plans by Russian State TV to show Crimea, a decidedly pro-Kremlin account of Russia’s 2014 seizure of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, on the eve of elections, March 17.
British Police 'Alive To State Threats,' As Ex-Spy In Critical Condition
British police investigating the sudden and severe illness of a man identified as former Russian spy Sergei Skripal are "alive to the fact of state threats," the country's top counterterrorism officer says.
Putin Claims Hundreds Of Spies Thwarted In 2017
President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia thwarted nearly 500 spies in 2017, and urged the Federal Security Service to step up cybersecurity efforts and strengthen measures to protect secret communications.
Former Russian Police Officer Jailed For Life For Killing 19 Women
A former Russian police officer has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering 19 women between 1998 and 2005 in Siberia. (Siberia Realities, Russian Service)
Stalin's Legacy: Son Of An 'Enemy Of The People' Vows He'll Never Forget
Every Wednesday, Aleksei Nesterenko stands outside building No. 23 on Moscow's Nikolskaya Street, the site where his father was executed on September 12, 1938.
Gazprom Announces The Termination Of Gas Contracts With Ukraine
Gazprom announced on March 5 that the company has sent an official note to Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz informing them that a contract for the supply and transit of gas will be terminated. The procedure for the termination, which could affect gas supplies in Europe and result in revenue losses for Ukraine, must be approved by the Stockholm Arbitration Court. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Ukraine Sees Russian Hand In Attacks On Hungarian Center
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has suggested that Russia was behind recent attacks on a Hungarian cultural center in the western city of Uzhhorod.
Crimean Military Conscripts Forced To Surrender Ukrainian Citizenship
The human rights group Crimean Solidarity reports that Crimean residents conscripted into the Russian army are being forced to surrender their Ukrainian citizenship. The group estimates that approximately 10,000 Crimeans have been drafted into the Russian army over the last three years, and that the demand to relinquish their Ukrainian citizenship is illegal. (Crimea Realites website)
Kazakh President Suggests He Won't Leave Office Soon
President Nursultan Nazarbaev has rebuffed speculation that he may be preparing for a political transition, proclaiming to a joint session of parliament on March 5, "I have worked, I am working, and I will continue to work so that our people will look to the future with confidence." (Kazakh Service)
Kyrgyz Demonstrators Demand Dismissal Of 'Corrupt' Judges
At least 200 protesters have rallied in downtown Bishkek, demanding judicial reforms and the dismissal of "corrupt judges."
Brother Of IS 'War Minister' Resigns From Tajik Prisons Post
The brother of Gulmurod Halimov, the fugitive Tajik colonel who joined the Islamic State militant group, has resigned from his post at Tajikistan's department of prisons after three of his close relatives were sentenced on terrorism-related charges. (Tajik Service)
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