VISUAL REPORTS
Putin Says Moscow Protests Part Of 'Preelection Tensions,’ Defends Detentions
In remarks made during his visit to Finland, Russia President Vladimir Putin played down the significance of recent large street protests in Moscow, attributing them to "preelection tensions" and justifying the large number of detentions by police.
How Afghans Took On The British And Achieved Independence
It’s 100 years since the end of Afghanistan’s 1919 War of Independence, also known as the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
PHOTOGALLERY: Where Lenin Lives: Inside Latvia’s Ligatne VIP Nuclear Bunker
Deep in a Baltic forest, some of the Soviet Union’s most hard-line leaders prepared to survive the apocalypse in a secret bunker.
OTHER NEWS
Macron: Russia Can't Return To G8 Format Before Ukraine Crisis Solved
Speaking ahead of a summit in the resort town of Biarritz this weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron said that readmitting Russia into the G7 group of leading industrialized nations without resolving the Ukraine crisis would be a "strategic error" and underscore the "weakness" of the grouping.
Russia Reportedly Planning Prisoner Exchange And Transfers
Five Ukrainian nationals held in Russia -- Volodymyr Balukh, Stanislav Klykh, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Pavlo Hryb, and Mykola Karpyuk -- may be handed over to Kyiv to serve the rest of their sentences at home, the Interfax news agency and Kommersant have reported. Reports say that 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russian forces in November near the Kerch Strait might be transferred to Ukraine as well. Additionally, the TASS news agency is reporting that Ukrainian-held Russian citizens Aleksandr Baranov, Maksim Odintsov, and Yevgeny Mefyodov, once soldiers of the Ukrainian Army in Crimea who joined Russian forces after 2014, are preparing for a prisoner exchange "in the nearest future."
Putin Says Arkhangelsk Blast Occurred During Weapons Test
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the August 8 accident at a northern military base occurred during testing of a weapons system, but added that he could not reveal everything about the incident for security reasons. Speaking on August 21 in Finland, Putin said radiation monitoring systems were working and that radiation levels were normal, including for neighboring countries.
Monitors Report Russian Troops Advancing In Georgia
A monitoring group has recorded a new advance by Russia’s military from South Ossetia beyond the de facto border with Georgia. A video records masked border guards digging columns for a new fence into the ground. Said one expert, “The place where we stood on our last visit is already behind the fence on the “other” side.” (in Russian, Caucasus Realities)
Criminal Charges Brought Against Anti-Stalin Group
Prosecutors in the Perm region have brought charges of defacing the area and violating migration laws against members of an expedition organized this month by Memorial, the Russian NGO that documents victims of Stalin-era repression. Participants say they had planned to clear the debris-strewn cemetery of a village once inhabited by Lithuanians exiled to the area under Josef Stalin, and to honor the memory of deceased relatives.
Former Chess Champion Karpov Unable To Get U.S. Visa
Russian former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov has since March been unable to get a nonimmigrant visa to the United States to teach at a summer camp in New York. Karpov, 68, one of the greatest chess players of his time, has visited the United States regularly since 1972, the year that American Bobby Fischer wrested the chess crown from Soviet hegemony.
Russia Successfully Launches Rocket With Robot Fedor On Board
The Russian space rocket Soyuz completed a successful launch to the International Space Station on August 22 with Robot Fedor aboard. The robot will spend 17 days at the station serving as an “artificial cosmonaut,” carrying out tasks such as transmitting telemetry and determining parameters related to flight safety. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Ukraine Places Former Energy Regulator Chief On Wanted List
Ukraine’s specialized anti-corruption prosecutor’s office is placing Dmytro Vovk on an international wanted list for alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar electricity price-fixing scheme. Vovk, who is reportedly studying at Harvard University, has said that “As long as the head of the presidential office controls" the country’s anti-corruption law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, "I'm not ready to come" to Ukraine.
Romania Considers Keeping Huawei Out From Its 5G Network
A joint statement signed by President Klaus Iohannis and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington does not mention Huawei by name, but says the two leaders "seek to avoid the security risks that accompany Chinese investment in 5G telecommunications networks."
IMF Closer To Scrapping Age Limit For Bulgaria's Georgieva
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive board on August 21 recommended removing the age limit for the lender’s managing director position, paving the way for Bulgaria’s Kristalina Georgieva to get approval for the job. Georgieva’s appointment also requires approval from the IMF’s board of governors.
Apple, Google, Mozilla Take Steps To Counter Qaznet In Kazakhstan
Apple, Google, and Mozilla have announced they will implement “technical solutions” to block Kazakhstan’s rollout of controversial encryption software known as Qaznet, which critics say Internet users are obliged to install as part of a government move to monitor their online activities.
Kyrgyz Top Court Orders Retrial Of Tekebaev
Citing "newly revealed circumstances," Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court has canceled the guilty verdicts against jailed opposition politicians Omurbek Tekebaev and former Emergency Situations Minister Duishonkul Chotonov. Both were convicted in 2017 of bribe-taking and sentenced to eight years in prison.
IRAN: Hiding A Supertanker Is Easier Than You Think