VISUAL REPORTS
Critics Say Azeri Petrodollars Mask Poverty And Oppression
Gleaming, tall buildings dominate the skyline in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku -- a city flush with oil money. As the country's leaders boast of economic success, opposition figures say poverty remains rampant, corruption is endemic, and political freedoms are repressed.
The Kurile Islands: Stolen Territory Or Spoils Of War?
Russia and Japan have been at loggerheads over the Kurile Islands for more than seven decades. Here's what you need to know about territory that's been hotly disputed since the end of World War II.
MiG Jet Hoard In An Albanian Bunker
In an Albanian hillside, a former air base lies hidden behind a huge steel door. The tunnels are a tomb for dozens of communist-era fighter jets that are gathering dust in the darkness. Albania now wants to sell off some of the Soviet and Chinese-made MiG fighter jets.
The Knotty 90s: Limber Ukrainian Pensioner Loves The Lotus Position
An extraordinary nonagenarian from Ukraine extols the virtues of yoga at any age.
OTHER NEWS
Turkey Holds Firm On Russian Missile Deal Despite U.S. Pressure
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a joint news conference in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 8, "No one can demand that we give it up... This is our sovereign right, this is our decision."
Kazakhstan To Hold Snap Presidential Election
Kazakhstan will hold a snap presidential election on June 9, the interim head of state Qasym-Zhomat Toqaev has announced, moving the vote up by almost a year following Nursultan Nazarbaev's resignation last month after 30 years in power.
Russian Prosecutor-General Reports Embezzlement In Aeronautics Industry
A report by Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika details the theft of more than $21 million from subsidiaries of state-run aeronautics giants Roscosmos and Rostec. The funds had been allocated to produce and modernize new advanced weapons systems. (Russian Service)
European Court Says House Arrest Violated Navalny's Rights
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russian authorities violated the rights of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny by holding him under house arrest in 2014 in connection with the so-called Yves Rocher case, which he and supporters say was politically motivated.
Jehovah's Witnesses Charged With Financing Extremist Group In Russia
Two followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Birobidzhan, the administrative center of Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Oblast, have been accused of “financing extremist activities,” after collecting donations from other members of the organization to finance its operations. Jehovah’s Witnesses iis banned as an “extremist organization” in Russia. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Activists Detained In Russia's Arkhangelsk After Landfill Protest
Russian police have detained several activists who took part in a protest against the construction of a new landfill near the northwestern city of Arkhangelsk.
Russian Prisons Reportedly Ban Yoga After Claims It Makes Inmates Gay
A spirited debate about yoga has erupted in Russia after the introduction of yoga classes at two Moscow prisons prompted a lawmaker to share a theologian's conclusions that it "provokes uncontrollable sexual arousal that can lead to homosexuality."
So Far, Zelenskiy Is High On Charisma And Light On Policy. Do Ukrainians Care?
Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s top tally in last month's first round of the Ukrainian presidential election suggests that voters who view the past five years as a series of blunders and missed opportunities may see in him a reverse image of incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who faces off against Zelenskiy in less than two weeks' time.
Kolomoisky Lawyer Working For Zelenskiy Campaign
Ukrainian media reports that Andriy Bohdan, a lawyer for Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, is working on the campaign of presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Bohdan, who has advised Kolomoisky on criminal matters, is said by Zelenskiy campaign staff to be helping out as an old friend. (Ukrainian Service)
Independent Television Channel's Offices Searched in Belarus
Belarus police have searched headquarters of the popular Belsat TV, a subsidiary of Poland's Telewizja Polska, reportedly as part of an ongoing preliminary investigation sanctioned by the country’s Investigative Committee.
Romania Ex-President To Stand Trial For 'Crimes Against Humanity'
Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu is to stand trial for crimes against humanity for his role in the aftermath of Romania's bloody 1989 revolt that toppled communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's regime.
IRAN: Rohani Condemns IRGC Blacklisting, Accuses U.S. Of ‘Global Terrorism’