VISUAL REPORTS
Tens Of Thousands Protest In Armenia Against New Prime Minister
Sixty-six protesters have reportedly been detained as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Yerevan's Republic Square after lawmakers elected former President Serzh Sarkisian prime minister.
Ukraine Tests Nadiya, A New Helicopter
A new Ukrainian helicopter, named Nadiya (hope, in English),and planned for roll-out this year, is priced around $76,000 and can fly at elevations just over 16,000 feet. (Ukrainian Service)
House Calls On Horseback In Kyrgyzstan
In a remote corner of Kyrgyzstan's Naryn region, a devoted medic travels more than 20 kilometers a day making house calls on horseback.
PHOTOGALLERY: The Soviet Kiss, Gone But (Mostly) Not Missed
Men locking lips in public might be a rare event in today's Russia, but comrades kissing behind the Iron Curtain was once the height of fraternal protocol.
OTHER NEWS
EU Lawmakers Call For World Cup Boycott
Dozens of members of the European Parliament have signed a letter calling on EU governments to boycott the soccer World Cup tournament in Russia this summer, citing President Vladimir Putin’s "mockery" of European values.
Pashinian Leads Protests For An 'Armenia Without Serzh'
Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian led a crowd of hundreds to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's office on Bahgramian Avenue, a main thoroughfare near parliament, pledging to stage daily “blockades” of key government buildings to protest the premier’s election.
Durov Promises ‘Millions’ To Circumvent Telegram Blocking
Declaring a “digital resistance,” Pavel Durov, the owner of the Telegram messenger app, pledged on the Russian social network VKontakte to donate millions of dollars in personal funds to support proxy and VPN administrators in defense of digital freedoms and progress. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
In Russia, You Don’t Have To Be A Telegram User To Be Affected By The Ban
Russia’s drive to ban access to the Telegram messaging app could be proving a bigger headache than the Kremlin imagined, as millions of ordinary Russians, many with small businesses, have found themselves entangled in a cyber dragnet along with much bigger entities.
Roskomnadzor Says Facebook Block Possible In 2018
Russian media regulator head Aleksandr Zharov has told local journalists that Roskomnadzor is prepared to block Facebook if the social network fails to comply with authorities’ demands to store data about Russian citizens on Russian territory, or remove prohibited information in accordance with Russian law. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russia’s ‘Elon Musk’ Raped, Tortured, Killed In Jail
A Russian entrepreneur suspected of embezzling money earmarked for building military submarines was raped, tortured, and killed in pretrial detention, the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reports.
'Nastya Rybka' Appears At Thai Court
A court in Thailand has acquitted a self-styled Russian sex guru and a Belarusian model who claims to have evidence of Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on charges of violating labor laws, while lodging new charges against the defendants.
Russia Tells Study-Abroad Students: It’s Time To Come Home
A Russian government agency is calling on Russians studying at universities abroad to continue their studies at home, a campaign that appears tied to the deterioration in relations between Moscow and the West.
Poroshenko Seeks Recognition Of Independent Ukrainian Church
In a meeting called with parliamentary leaders on April 17, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged lawmakers to support the autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox church from the Russian Patriarchy, pledging to pass the appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Bartholomew for consideration. (Ukrainian Service)
Armenian Protest Leader Has Long Record Of Defiance
The outspoken government critic and newspaper editor Nikol Pashinian has a history of civil disobedience and defiance.
Azerbaijani Journalist Wanted By Baku Leaves Ukraine
An Azerbaijani journalist who has been pursued by Baku since he fled his homeland under pressure a decade ago has left Ukraine for the Netherlands.
Azerbaijan’s Aliyev Sworn In For Fourth Presidential Term
Authoritarian leader Ilham Aliyev has been sworn in to a fourth term as president of Azerbaijan after a landslide victory in an election boycotted by opponents and criticized by international observers.
EU Commission Recommends Membership Talks With Macedonia, Albania
The European Commission recommended that the European Union launch membership talks with Albania and Macedonia, even as the French president ruled out any expansion of the bloc until it is reformed.
European Delegates Meet Kazakh Prisoners, Hear Torture Claim
A European delegation has met with inmates in Kazakhstan whom rights activists consider political prisoners in the tightly controlled Central Asian country.
Turkmenistan Clips Wings Of Citizens Fleeing Economic Woes
In what's become an almost daily scene at the Ashgabat International Airport, dozens of ticketed passengers with visas in hand are being told without explanation that they cannot board their planes, often bound for Istanbul or Dubai.
BLOGGING THE BALKANS: Serbia Grapples With Fate Of Vojislav Seselj
MAJLIS PODCAST: What Is Happening In Kyrgyzstan?