VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Just Another Frozen Conflict
The proposal to create safe zones in Syria looks like the first step in a de facto partition of Syria, and the start of the world’s newest Kremlin-manufactured frozen conflict.
EXCLUSIVE: Video Shows Moment Blast Hit OSCE Vehicle In Ukraine War Zone
RFE/RL has obtained a video that shows the moment a vehicle carrying OSCE monitors was struck by an explosion in eastern Ukraine's conflict zone, killing an American and injuring a German and a Czech.
Ukraine Begins Treason Trial Of Ex-President Yanukovych
The trial began in Ukraine of former President Viktor Yanukovych on charges of high treason. Yanukovych is not at the trial, but will give evidence via video link from Russia.
'A Dead Soldier Is No Enemy' -- Repatriating The Fallen In Ukraine
A mother finds her son's body, three years after he was killed in Ukraine, thanks to volunteers who repatriate bodies following the credo: "A dead soldier is not an enemy."
Kyrgyz Kids Trek A Long Way To School
The village of Ottuk in northeastern Kyrgyzstan has no school. So every day local kids, with their donkey, have to make the trek to the next village.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. Jets Intercept Russian Bombers, Fighters Near Alaskan Coast
U.S. jets have intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers accompanied by two Su-35 fighters that flew near the Alaskan coast, NORAD says.
Poll: Russians Who Would Vote For Putin Slips Below 50 Percent
A new opinion poll indicates that 48 percent of voters would cast their ballots for incumbent President Vladimir Putin if Russia's presidential election were held soon.
Russian Police Probe Radical Pro-Kremlin Group Over Navalny Attack
The leader of a radical pro-Kremlin group says police plan to question him and his colleagues over an attack on Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
Putin To Address Persecution Of Gays In Chechnya
During a May 5 meeting with Russia’s human right ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova, President Vladimir Putin said he will “talk” to Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika and Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev about the persecution of gays in Chechnya. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Murmansk Under Fire Over Paper's Homophobic Slur And 'False' Apology
A Russian city administration has backed its official newspaper in an escalating dispute over a homophobic slur and accused hackers of breaching its website to publish a fake apology.
Ukrainian MP With Flynn Ties Stripped Of Citizenship
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has reportedly signed an order withdrawing parliament member Andriy Artemenko’s citizenship, allegedly due to his failure to terminate his Canadian citizenship, as required by a Ukrainian law that prohibits any dual status. Artemenko is reported to have passed information about a controversial plan to normalize relations between Ukraine and Russia, which included a national referendum on leasing Crimea to Russia for 50-100 years, to former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. (Ukrainian Service)
Hearings Resume on Baku’s Bid To Block RFE/RL
A court in Azerbaijan on May 3 resumed hearings on a government effort to block the websites of five independent media outlets, including the website of RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service.
In Rare Flare-Up, Uzbek Workers Lay Into Management
A group of workers in Uzbekistan has faced its state-owned employer and made demands, something unheard of in Uzbekistan for many years.
Tashkent International Airport Renamed After Late Islam Karimov
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyaev has signed a resolution to name Tashkent International airport after the Central Asian nation's first president, Islam Karimov.
Tajikistan Cancels March On Victory Day
Tajik authorities have decided not to go ahead with a march called "Immortal Regiment" to mark the day of victory over Nazi Germany that is celebrated in the majority of the former Soviet republics on May 9.
Turkmenistan’s Top Prosecutor Fired For Failing To Fight Corruption
Turkmenistan's prosecutor-general has been dismissed for "failing to fight corruption among law enforcement officers," Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov said.
EXPLAINER: The 'Very Bad History' Of Safe Zones
If history is any indication, the creation of safe zones in Syria, currently being discussed by the United States, Russia, Turkey, and the war-torn country, is likely to provide little relief for hundreds of thousands of civilians on the ground.
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Moscow’s Crouching Diplomacy
Carnegie.ru editor Aleksander Baunov says the recent combative displays of several Russian diplomats is intended to cement careers and please the boss. For example, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vladimir Safronkov’s recent verbal attack on his UK counterpart in New York was an attempt to present himself as a powerful defender of Russia's interests at the UN, for the approval of his overseers. (over 30k views on Russian Service website)
POLYGRAPH.Info: Russia Says Sanctions Are Punishment For ‘Independent Foreign Policy’
PRESSROOM: Threats To RFE/RL Journalists Multiply In 2017