ALERT: In Run-Up To Summit, Kremlin Targets RFE/RL
VISUAL REPORTS
NATO Summit 'Could Blow Up' Amid Transatlantic Tension
NATO leaders gather for a summit on July 11-12 amid deep divisions on trade and defense spending.
From Brazil To Russia And FIFA In A Vintage ‘Beetle’
These soccer fans came to the World Cup from Brazil in a vintage Volkswagen Beetle, traveling by boat for 70 days and then driving to every city where the Brazilian team played. The car broke down three times, but each time Russian motorists stopped and helped to fix it. (Current Time TV)
Uzbek Police Force Woman To Strip
Two Uzbek policemen were arrested after RFE/RL obtained shocking video of them forcing a female detainee to strip naked.
Iranians Dance In Solidarity With Social Media Star
Iranians have posted a series of videos showing themselves dancing in solidarity with a social media star who was reportedly arrested for violating social norms in Iran.
PHOTOGALLERY: Hidden In Plain Sight: LGBT Activists Troll Russia’s World Cup
A group of activists have found a stealthy way to display the rainbow flag during Russia's moment in the spotlight.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. GOP Senator Blasts Putin, Russia’s ‘Mafia’ Government
A U.S. senator who traveled to Russia with a Republican congressional delegation last week said President Vladimir Putin could not be trusted and likened dealing with Moscow to "dealing with the mafia."
EU Urges Further Reforms, Condemns Russian ‘Aggression’ At Summit With Ukraine
Ukraine and the European Union have held a crucial summit, with the two sides agreeing on the need for further reforms and condemning Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine topping the agenda.
Russia Extends Control Over Azov Sea
Calling it “crawling aggression,” Ukrainian military analyst Taras Chmut says that over the last two months Russia has stepped up inspections of Ukrainian and other vessels at the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk. Chmut said that transiting the Kerch Strait that connects the Azov Sea to the Black Sea has become so difficult as to affect commerce and transportation. (Ukrainian Service, Donbas Realities)
Veteran Rights Defenders Detained At Moscow Rally For Titiyev
Memorial chairman Oleg Orlov, 65, and the head of the Civic Assistance Committee, Svetlana Gannushkina, 76, were detained in central Moscow while demonstrating to demand the release of Memorial head Oyub Titiyev in Chechnya.
Independent Belarus Journalist Tried On Assault Charge
Dzmitry Halko, a Belarusian journalist known for his reports on the war in eastern Ukraine, where he was held by Russia-backed separatists in 2014, is being tried in Minsk on a charge of assaulting a police officer.
Shepherd Suspected Of Killing American Family In Georgia
Georgian authorities have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of killing 44-year-old Ryan Smith, his 43-year-old wife Laura Smith, and their four-year-old son last week.
Armenian Capital's Mayor Resigns Amid Political Shuffle
Yerevan mayor Taron Markarian has stepped down, in the latest political shakeup to follow the mass protests that brought opposition leader Nikol Pashinian to the presidency.
Britain Hikes Western Balkan Funds Ahead Of London Summit
Ahead of the 2018 Western Balkans Summit in London, Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain will nearly double the funding it provides to the region to help the countries "tackle threats to their progress," particularly in the areas of organized crime and drug smuggling.
Croatia Fires Soccer Coach Over 'Glory To Ukraine' Video
Croatia's soccer federation said it was firing an assistant coach for his role in a controversial video by a Croatian player following the team's World Cup victory over Russia.
The Doctor Will See You -- As Soon As He's Done Street-Cleaning
Patients of a state-run medical facility in a town in eastern Uzbekistan try to avoid Friday visits. That's the day doctors and nurses in Quvasoy are required to sweep the streets and clean up garbage.
Some Inmates At Feared Turkmen Prison Allowed Visits From Relatives
In a change from past practice, relatives have recently been allowed to visit inmates at Turkmenistan’’s notorious Ovadan Depe prison. Memorial reported on July 9 that more than 30 relatives of inmates convicted on religion-related charges were allowed to visit them in prison in late June.
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Yuri Shutov - Putin’s ‘First Victim’
Yuri Shutov, a former deputy of the St. Petersburg legislative assembly, died while serving a life sentence in prison in December 2014, but his revelations about Putin mentor St. Petersburg Mayor Anatoly Sobchak, whom he has described as a “thief” and a “rogue” in numerous books, continue to compel interest. Shutov was arrested in 1999, after having met with then-Federal Security Agency Director Vladimir Putin while gathering material for a book. (Over 250k views on Russian Service website)
PHOTOGALLERY: The Shepherds’ Return: Eastern Georgia’s Mountain Shepherds