VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Don't Fear The Zapad
While these war games give Russia an opportunity to spook the West, they give the West an opportunity to better understand Moscow's military capabilities and thinking.
How Chechnya Forcibly Reconciles Families
Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has created a commission to reunite 1,000 divorced couples, often against their wishes. Kadyrov said the initiative aims to prevent children in separated families from falling under the influence of extremists. (over 128k views on Current Time TV Facebook)
Hungarian Opposition Protests Putin's Visit
Protesters took to the streets in Budapest to decry the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin and denounce Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his affinity for the Russian leader.
Sarajevo Residents Battle Water Shortage
Desperate Bosnians are taking water from a river, as supplies are cut off amid massive leaks from aging water pipes.
Tajik President Plays Matchmaker For Young Supporter
After a young Tajik teacher recited poems of praise on TV for Tajikistan’s autocratic leader Emomali Rahmon, he had no idea the president would instruct district officials to find the young man a wife and pay for his wedding. The proposed bride and groom had never met, but the union was agreed upon with the understanding that she would continue working as a nurse.
OTHER NEWS
Russia Says Western Concerns About Zapad War Games Unfounded
Russia says that upcoming Zapad 2017 military exercises with Belarus will be "purely defensive" and pose no threat to Russia's neighbors, NATO, or the West.
Seeking Greater Access, NATO Sends Monitors To ZAPAD War Games
NATO says it will send three observers to Belarus and Russia to monitor the upcoming Zapad-2017 military exercises, but is repeating calls to allow broader monitoring of the drills.
Putin, Orban Plan Hungary's Nuclear Plant Expansion
Russian President Vladimir Putin says work on expanding Hungary's only nuclear power plant may begin early next year.
Map Mystery: Russia's Largest Island Vanishes After North Korean Missile Test
The 76,000-square-kilometer Sakhalin Island disappeared from Russia's Pacific coast on the online Yandex.Maps service overnight on August 28-29, around the time of what some say was one of North Korea's most provocative missile tests to date.
Critical Kremlin Economist Stays Abroad Due To Alleged Criminal Probe
Sergei Aleksashenko, a leading Russian economist critical of the Kremlin who has lived in Washington for several years, said in an August 29 interview that he is holding off on returning to Russia following a newspaper report suggesting someone may be targeting him for prosecution back home.
Ukraine To Officially Declare Russia An Aggressor
A draft bill on reintegrating the eastern Donbass region that is scheduled for review by Ukraine’s parliament in September will, for the first time, officially designate Russia an “aggressor” and “occupying” country. Some experts say the declaration will strengthen Ukraine’s position in international courts, while others are skeptical, since the language is not currently reflected in international treaties. (Russian Service)
International Observers Blocked From Seeing Detained RFE/RL Ukrainian Blogger Vasin
Ukrainian authorities have engaged the UN and OSCE in negotiations about the release of Stanislav Aseyev, a journalist who went missing in early June and whom separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine have confirmed is in their custody. Aseyev, who is a contributor to RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service under the pen-name Stanislav Vasin, is accused of espionage and is feared to have been tortured. (Ukrainian Service)
Moldovan Party Accuses President Of Treason, Files Lawsuit
A Moldovan political party says it has filed a criminal complaint accusing President Igor Dodon of treason and of fomenting divisions in the interest of Russia.
Journalism Watchdog Calls For Release Of Azerbaijani Reporter
The journalism watchdog group Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate release of Afqan Muxtarli, an investigative journalist who was abducted in Georgia and detained in Azerbaijan three months ago.
Azerbaijan Security Agents Kill Alleged Terror Suspect
Azerbaijan's State Security Service says it has killed a man suspected of planning terrorist attacks in a special operation in the town of Ismayili, northwest of the capital, Baku.
IAEA Launches Low-Enriched-Uranium Bank In Eastern Kazakhstan
A new reserve bank for low enriched uranium designed to discourage new countries from enriching the nuclear fuel was inaugurated in eastern Kazakhstan on August 29 -- the UN International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
Uzbek Police Arrest 3,700 For 'Aimless' Strolls
Marim Matkarimov was among 3,706 people detained by police overnight on August 26-27 for what provincial police initially described as “taking aimless strolls.”
Holiday Or Holy Day? Tajiks To Start School Despite Muslim Holiday
In an unprecedented move, the Education Ministry in the overwhelmingly Muslim country says it will kick off the new school year on September 1, despite that also being one of the holiest days on the Islamic calendar.
BLOGGING THE CAUCASUS: Does Rising Crime In Abkhazia Pose A Threat To Russia?
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Georgia's breakaway Republic of Abkhazia in early August highlighted once again Moscow's uneasy relationship with its client.
Polygraph.info: Two Russian Banks Lose Access To SWIFT