VISUAL REPORTS
Bolton: Trump's Willingness To Meet Rohani Does Not Imply Softening Of Stance
In a wide-ranging interview with RFE/RL on August 27, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Donald Trump’s willingness to talk to Iranian President Hassan Rohani about Tehran’s nuclear program does not imply that the U.S. leader is about to change his tough stance on Iran.
Outfoxing Evolution: Soviet-Era Project Turns Foxes Into Pets
Soviet-era genetic experiments sought to speed up evolution to breed domesticated foxes as calm and lovable as the family pooch. Dozens of generations later, the institute now sells fox cubs online.
Russian Mail By Monster Truck
A Russian postwoman rides a monster truck through swamps and forests to deliver mail and goods to her isolated Siberian village.
PHOTOGALLERY: ‘You Can Buy It’: Russia’s New Stealth Fighter
Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off his nation’s latest stealth fighter jet to visiting Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the MAKS air show on August 27.
OTHER NEWS
Second U.S. Senator Says He Was Denied Russian Visa
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D- CT) says Russia has denied him a visa to visit the country as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation. Murphy, echoing comments made by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson a day earlier, said on his website it is a “shame that Russia isn’t interested in dialogue.”
Russia 'Discovers Five New Islands' In Arctic Ocean
A Russian naval research team has claimed to have discovered five islands in the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Kara Sea area of the Arctic Ocean.
Russia, Turkey Discuss Sale Of Sukhoi Stealth Fighters
Russia and Turkey are exploring the possibility of deliveries of the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jet and Su-35 aircraft to Ankara, according to a Russian official. The delivery of Russian S-400 missile systems to Turkey earlier this year caused tensions with Ankara's NATO allies.
Russian Firm Sues Boeing Over 737 MAX Jet
A Russian state-owned aircraft leasing company is suing Boeing, accusing the plane maker of hiding defects in its 737 MAX passenger jet. Owned by Rostec, Avia Capital Services ordered 35 of the jets in 2012, but now wants to cancel the deal and receive a refund of a $35 million deposit, $75 million in lost profits, and additional punitive damages, the Financial Times reports.
Russia-Backed Court Releases Crimea Activist Bekirov, In Poor Health, Ahead Of Trial
A court in Ukraine's Russia-annexed Crimea has released from detention Edem Bekirov, a Crimean Tatar activist, who is on trial for alleged illegal explosive possession and transportation, a charge he has strongly denied. The detention center's medical personnel asked the court to release Bekirov due to his medical condition.
Kyiv Court Releases Russian Journalist Vyshinsky From Custody Ahead Of Trial
A Kyiv court has ruled that Russian journalist Kirill Vyshinsky, who is in detention in Ukraine on high treason charges, can be released on his own recognizance as he awaits trial.
New Moscow Rally Called For August 31
Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer with opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anticorruption Foundation who was disqualified from participating in the September Moscow city council elections, has called for a rally on August 31 in support of independent candidates and defendants in criminal cases resulting from recent mass protests. (Russian Service)
Number Of Russians Living Below Poverty Line Continues To Rise
New data published by Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service shows the number of residents with incomes below the minimum subsistence level in the second quarter of 2019 has risen to 18.6 million people, or 12.7% of the country’s population, compared to 12.5% over the same period in 2018. Rosstat has explained the increase saying that inflation is growing faster than the living wage. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Ukraine Parliament Speaker Signs New Electoral Code Sought By The West
Outgoing Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy on August 27 signed a bill that amends the Electoral Code to open political party lists and eliminate single-mandate constituencies in future elections. The 556-page code, which Parubiy posted on Twitter, requires President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s signature and would enter into force on December 1, 2023.
Ukrainian Aircraft-Engine Plant Caught Up In U.S.-China Rivalry
The Ukrainian defense company Motor Sich is caught up in the global rivalry between the United States and China. At stake for Ukraine is potentially billions of dollars of investment from China, thousands of jobs, and eventual membership in NATO, analysts say.
Ex-Ukrainian Health Minister Detained On Fraud Charges
Rayisa Bohatyrova, who served as Ukraine's health minister in the government of President Viktor Yanukovych, has been detained in Kyiv upon her arrival from the Belarusian capital, Minsk, following five years of self-imposed exile in an unspecified country.
Tashkent Police Reject Claims Of Forcing Men With Beards To Shave
City police in Tashkent are rejecting claims that dozens of men with beards were detained and forced to shave because they were practicing Muslims, saying the men were held during a raid to find suspects selling stolen mobile phones.
PRESSROOM: RFE/RL Presses Tajikistan To Accredit Journalists And Cease Harassment