VISUAL REPORTS
Georgia Protests Continue Into Eighth Night
Anti-government protests have continued into an eighth night in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, with people rallying again against police violence and demanding the resignation of the country's interior minister.
Ex-Kyrgyz President Barricaded At Home Amid Corruption Charges
Former President Almazbek Atambaev has reportedly barricaded himself at home, after Kyrgyzstan's prosecutor-general's office approved a move by parliament to strip him of his immunity to face charges of misconduct and abuse of office.
Hundreds Rally In Kazakhstan After Ammo Blast
Hundreds of people have rallied in a southern Kazakh city and blocked a major road, demanding to be relocated following a series of explosions at an ammunition warehouse that killed three people.
INFOGRAPHIC: Asylum In Europe: What Do The Numbers Say?
Europe rejected almost 400,000 asylum requests in 2018, mostly from Afghans, Nigerians and Iraqis, amid a decline in applications for the third consecutive year.
OTHER NEWS
Trump, Putin, Agree To Improve Relations Amid Fractious Issues
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have agreed to work on improving relations between the two superpowers in their first meeting since a report detailed Moscow’s organized campaign to influence U.S. elections.
Zelenskiy Calls On Putin To Free Ukrainian Sailors
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on President Vladimir Putin to free 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Russia in November 2018. Russia has ignored a ruling by the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea requiring their release by June 25. (Russian Service)
EU Extends Sanctions On Russia For Another Six Months
European Union ambassadors have officially prolonged for another six months economic sanctions imposed on Russia for its actions in Ukraine, citing the lack of progress with implementing the so-called Minsk agreements.
Moscow Says It's Rotating Military Technicians From Venezuela
Russia deployed around 100 military experts to Venezuela some three months ago, a move that infuriated Washington, which has sought to push President Nicholas Maduro from power.
Russian Web Providers Told To Prepare For Sovereign Internet Launch
In a June 26 statement, Russia's media regulator has instructed Internet service providers in several regions to provide operational information as it prepares for the November launch of a law allowing Russia to isolate the country’s Internet from the rest of the world.
Russian Internet Giant Confirms Cyberattack, Says No Damage Done
Yandex, sometimes referred to as Russia’s Google, confirmed it was subject to a cyberattack at the end of last year, but said no user data was compromised. The hack has been attributed to Western intelligence agencies.
Dirty Tricks: Navalny Aide's Bid For Moscow Duma Seat Brings Out The Worst
Lyubov Sobol, a prominent investigator who has dug into the allegedly illegal privatization of city-owned housing by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and his allies, told RFE/RL that her campaign for the city Duma seat from Moscow's 43rd district has faced an onslaught of dirty tactics clearly aimed at derailing her candidacy.
Russia Investigates Rolf Founder Petrov
Sergei Petrov, a former lawmaker and founder of the lucrative foreign car dealership Rolf, clashed with the Kremlin about its policies in Ukraine and other places. He is being investigated for illegally taking 4 billion rubles ($63.5 million) out of Russia in 2014.
Darth Vader Seeks Ukrainian Parliament Seat
Darth Viktorovych Vader, nominated by his political party, the Darth Vader Bloc, has entered Ukraine's parliamentary race.
Belarus Lawmakers Approve Mass Amnesty Bill
The bill, passed by the parliament’s lower chamber, would apply to 6,000 convicts and individuals under investigation. Passed to mark the 75th anniversary of the country's liberation from Nazi occupation in the summer of 1944, it must now be approved by the upper chamber and signed into law by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Georgian Court Grants Bail For Opposition Lawmaker As Protests Continue
A Georgian court has turned down a request by prosecutors to jail Niki Melia, an opposition lawmaker, who is charged with inciting a riot during last week’s protests in the Georgian capital.
Socialist Paradise? Bulgarian Textbooks Accused Of Whitewashing Communist Era
Newly proposed history books for high-school students in Bulgaria have triggered controversy by presenting the country's last communist-era totalitarian ruler, Todor Zhivkov, as a hero and whitewashing over the repressive nature of his regime.
BLOG: Tajik Officials Use Family Members To Pressure Critics To Return
PRESSROOM: OSCE Calls On Tajikistan To Reinstate Accreditations Of RFE/RL Journalists
PRESSROOM: U.S. Senator Menendez Urges Release of RFE/RL Ukrainian contributor Stanislav Aseyev