VISUAL REPORTS
Serbia Takes Delivery Of Two Russian MiG-29 Fighter Jets
Serbia has taken delivery of two Russian MiG-29 fighter jets, the first of six planes that are part of an arms deal between Belgrade and Moscow.
Replaying The Invasion Of Czechoslovakia
Close to 4,000 news items reported by RFE between August 20 and September 10, 1968 will be published online by the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives exactly 50 years after their initial broadcast. Excerpts from this minute-by-minute “replay” of RFE’s historic coverage of the Soviet invasion and ensuing occupation are here.
Female Stunt Rider Saddles Up For World Nomad Games
A troupe of Kyrgyz riders is training to perform daredevil stunts on horseback at the World Nomad Games, an exhibition of traditional sports and culture with a focus on Central Asia. One 19-year-old equestrian, Diana Ashyrbaeva, is one of just a few women proving themselves in a male-dominated sport.
OTHER NEWS
Russia To Start Delivering S-400 Defense System To Turkey In 2019
Russia's state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, announced it will begin delivering its advanced S-400 antiaircraft missile systems to Turkey in 2019. It said it would stop conducting its sales to foreign customers in U.S. dollars, allowing purchases in local currencies.
Russia Criticizes Reported U.S. Refusal To Join Moscow Talks On Afghanistan
Russia's Foreign Ministry has criticized Washington's reported refusal to send delegates to Moscow-hosted peace talks on Afghanistan on September 4. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on August 21 that representatives of the Taliban had also been invited to the meeting and had accepted.
Ukraine Probes Business Dealings Between Ex-Officials And Manafort
Ukrainian prosecutor-general Yuriy Lutsenko told journalists in Kyiv on August 21 that authorities have opened criminal proceedings against former state officials who are suspected of paying Paul Manafort for his work for ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions.
Argentina Burns Cocaine Found At Russian Embassy
Nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine seized from the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires has been burned in the presence of Argentina's security minister, Patricia Bullrich, and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Feoktistov.
Former Railway Head Yakunin Receives German Work Visa
Former Russian Railways head Vladimir Yakunin, who is very close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and is under U.S. sanctions, has reportedly received a German category “D” visa, which permits employment. D visas are normally issued to foreigners staying in the country for more than 90 days, and are often followed by the issuance of a residency permit. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Germany Detains Russian Citizen On Suspicion Of Plotting Attacks
German intelligence services have detained Russian citizen Magomed-Ali C. on suspicion of plotting bomb attacks in the country in connection with "radical Islamist" goals. Investigators say the suspect colluded with Clement B., who was arrested in France in April on suspicion of plotting attacks. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Stockholm Court Sets Date To Hear Bribery Case Against Telia, Karimova
In the biggest corruption case in Swedish history, a Stockholm court will convene on September 4 to try former top executives of Telia, the country’s leading telecom company, on charges of giving $350 million in bribes to an offshore firm associated with Uzbekistan’s Gulnara Karimova. Sweden’s prosecutor’s office has said it has sufficient evidence to press ahead with corruption charges without summoning Karimova to testify. (in Russian, Uzbek Service)
U.S. Cracks Down On Russian Attempts To Evade Sanctions
The United States has imposed sanctions on two Russian nationals, as well as a Russian company and a Slovak firm, for attempting to evade U.S. sanctions that target malicious cyber-related activities.
Facebook Deletes Political Misinformation Sites Linked To Iran, Russia
Facebook says it has removed 652 accounts and web pages linked to Russia and Iran for spreading political misinformation ahead of the November U.S. congressional elections, claiming the accounts were engaged in misleading and "coordinated inauthentic behavior."
German Lawmaker Barred From Azerbaijan Trip Because Of Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan has refused to allow German lawmaker Albert Weiler to accompany Chancellor Angela Merkel on her upcoming trip to Azerbaijan because he visited the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh without Baku's permission.
Georgia Sues Russia In European Court
Georgia’s Justice Ministry has filed suit against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that Moscow exercises meaningful control in the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and is therefore responsible for abductions and killings of Georgian citizens there, including the death of Archil Tatunashvili in 2018. (Russian Service)
Czech Leaders Silent As Country Marks 50th Anniversary Of Crushing Of 'Prague Spring'
On the day marking the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops to crush the period of political liberalization known as the Prague Spring, Czech President Milos Zeman, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's strongest allies within the European Union, did not deliver a speech or attend any commemorative events.
BLOGGING CENTRAL ASIA: Can Social Media Help Deliver Justice In Tajikistan?
PHOTOGALLERY: Paul Goldsmith: A Vespa And An Invasion, 1968