VISUAL REPORTS
Rights Groups Says Arrests Of Teenagers ‘New Low’ For Russia
Russian police have "stooped to a new low" by detaining "dozens of teenagers" during peaceful protests against the government's plan to raise the retirement age, Amnesty International said earlier this week. More than 1,000 people were detained nationwide as anti-Kremlin demonstrators took to the streets in rallies coinciding with regional and local elections.
No 'Sh**': Top Russian Poets Too Potent For Putin
Russian high school students are unable to buy books needed for school by some of the country's greatest writers, due to a profanity law signed by Vladimir Putin in 2014.
'No Other Choice': 16-Year-Old Expected To Marry Man Of 70
A 70-year-old man has offered to pay to marry a 16-year-old ethnic Turkmen girl in Afghanistan. The girl's mother says they are desperate and need the cash.
OTHER NEWS
EU Court Upholds Sanctions On Russian Energy Companies, Banks
The European Union's General Court ruled on September 13 to uphold the bloc's sanctions regime against Russian banks and energy companies over Moscow’'s involvement in the crisis in Ukraine.
Notorious Russian Spammer Pleads Guilty In U.S. Court
Russian national Pyotr Levashov, considered to be one of the world's most notorious spammers, has pleaded guilty to U.S. charges stemming from his operation of the Kelihos botnet to "facilitate malicious activities including harvesting login credentials, distributing bulk spam e-mails, and installing ransomware and other malicious software," the Justice Department said in a September 12 statement.
U.S. Condemns Separatist 'Elections' In Eastern Ukraine
The United States has joined the European Union in condemning plans by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine to hold "elections," calling them "phony procedures" that undermine peace efforts in the region.
In Surprise Move, Putin Proposes Signing Peace Pact With Japan This Year
Speaking at an economic forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok on September 12, President Vladimir Putin proposed signing a World War II peace treaty with Japan "without preconditions."
Russian, U.S. Space Officials Downplay Rumors Of Space Station Sabotage
U.S. and Russian space officials have downplayed rumors of sabotage on the International Space Station after a Russian newspaper suggested that U.S. astronauts may have purposely drilled a tiny hole into the station.
Capital Outflow From Russia Triples
Russia’s Central Bank reports that the country’s net export of capital for the first eight months of 2018 amounts to $26 billion, nearly three times more than the $9 billion calculated in outflows over the same period last year, The study notes the sharp fall of the ruble and the collapse of the Russian sovereign debt market following the imposition of U.S. sanctions. (Russian Service)
Banned Russian Websites Are Among Most-Visited In Ukraine
Research by the Internet Association of Ukraine shows that despite a ban on access to Russian social networks, search engines and websites imposed by Ukraine in May 2017, the Russian platforms Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki, and the search engine Yandex were among the top 10 most-visited websites in Ukraine in August. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Putin Security Chief Vows To ‘Make Mincemeat’ Of Navalny
The head of Russia's National Guard has challenged Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny to pick up a sword and duel it out with him, vowing to "make mincemeat" of him after the opposition politician accused the organization of billions of rubles in corruption.
Russian Activist Verzilov Hospitalized; Friends Fear Poisoning
Pyotr Verzilov, a member of the Russian dissident art troupe Voina and an unofficial spokesman for the Pussy Riot protest group, is said to have been hospitalized in serious condition, prompting fears of poisoning.
Jailed Ukrainian Filmmaker Sentsov Nominated For Sakharov Prize
European lawmakers have nominated Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike in a Russian prison for nearly four months, for this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Vucic Speech Evokes Ghosts Of ‘Greater Serbia’
A speech by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to a crowd of mostly ethnic Serbs in the divided city of Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo, has sparked comparisons with a nationalist outpouring by former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in that same location almost 30 years ago.
Hungary’s Orban Defiant As EU Mulls Disciplinary Action
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the European Parliament of attempting to "blackmail" Budapest, as lawmakers began considering disciplinary action against his country.
Blogging Central Asia: Uzbekistan: A Gangsta’s Paradise?
INFOGRAPHIC: Pipeline From Hell? Nordstream 2