Armenian PM Sarkisian Resigns
Thousands of jubilant Armenians have poured into Yerevan's main square to celebrate the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who stepped down amid widespread protests over his election to the newly powerful post following 10 years as president.
VISUAL REPORTS
Journalists Attacked Covering Armenia Protests
The media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has called for investigations into attacks on journalists during the recent protests in Armenia.
Armenia’s Serj Tankian On The Protests
Serj Tankian, L.A.-based lead singer of the band System of a Down and driving creative force, spoke with Current Time TV about the dramatic events of April 23.
Yeltsin Bust Unveiled On Moscow's Alley Of Rulers
A bust of the Russian Federation's first president, Boris Yeltsin, has been unveiled in downtown Moscow on the 11th anniversary of his death. The bronze bust, created by well-known sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, occupies a space along the Alley of Rulers and joins over 30 other statues of historic figures who have ruled Russia since the ninth century. (Russian Service)
Russia's Shrinking Arctic City
After a collapse in coal mining, Vorkuta has lost a third of its residents in 30 years. Can the remaining miners hang on?
OTHER NEWS
It's Not You, It's Me: Serzh Sarkisian's Breakup Letter To Armenia, Annotated
Armenian Prime Minister and ex-President Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation statement seemingly represented a complete capitulation to domestic critics, but raises as many questions as it answers for Armenia, which spent two decades after the breakup of the Soviet Union on a westward path before more recently developing closer trade and political ties to Russia.
Armenia Marks Anniversary Of Massacre Day After Sarkisian's Resignation
Armenians are marking the anniversary of the World War I-era massacre of their ancestors in Ottoman Turkey, one day after extended street protests culminated in the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
New Defamation Law Expands Rozkomnadzor’s Power To Block
A new Russian law authorizes the country’s media regulator to block any information source found by a court to have discredited the “honor and dignity” of physical persons and legal entities if the author of the information does not delete the information within a stipulated timeframe. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
G7 To Set Up Group To Study Russia's 'Malign Behavior'
The Group of Seven leading industrialized countries has proposed creating a working group to address what British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called "Russian malign behavior in all its manifestations, whether it's cyberwar, whether it's disinformation, assassination attempts, whatever it happens to be, and collectively try and call it out."
U.S. Offers To Lift Sanctions On Russia's Rusal If Deripaska Cedes Control
The United States is giving customers of Russia's biggest aluminum producer more time to comply with sanctions, and says it may lift the sanctions altogether if its top shareholder -- Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska -- cedes control of the company.
U.S. Seeks Long Jail Term For Yahoo Hacker
U.S. authorities have demanded a nearly eight-year prison sentence for Karim Baratov, a Kazakh-born computer hacker, asserting that a long term would send a message to Russia's main intelligence agency about hacking and espionage.
Ukraine Ranked 29 Among World Armies
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s 2018 Military Strength Ranking, Ukraine’s army is ranked #8 in Europe, and is leading the charts among non-NATO members in Europe. It is ranked #29 globally, with the U.S., Russia and China taking the top slots. (Ukrainian Service)
Belarus President Has Harsh Words For Russia And West
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has used an annual address to criticize both the West and Russia, accusing Western countries of "inciting trade wars" and charging that Moscow has blocked Belarusian goods from the Russian market.
PACE Members Accused of Acts Of ‘Corruptive Nature’ In Connection With Azerbaijan
A 10-month investigation by the Council of Europe claims that Azerbaijan exerted undue influence in the organization’s parliamentary assembly to minimize criticism of its elections and of alleged rights abuses.
UN Judges Hear Karadzic's Appeal Of 'Unjust' Conviction
Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic has launched an appeal of his 40-year prison sentence before a United Nations court and demanded a retrial, claiming that his original trial was a "flawed process" that "led to an unjust result."
POLL: More Russians Concerned About Corruption And Bribes
A recent Levada Center poll finds that discontent among Russians about corruption and social stratification is at its highest point since 2004. 38 percent of respondents expressed concern about corruption; 33 percent expressed concern about stratification, up from 27 percent in 2014; and 26 percent and 20 percent are worried about access to healthcare and education, respectively. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
BLOGGING CENTRAL ASIA: Rustam & Rustam’s Fish And Chicken Emporium
Diners in Uzbekistan should consider that their meal may have come courtesy of two men who just two years ago were among the most powerful people in the country.