VIDEO REPORTS
RFE/RL Presents Rare Vysotsky Recording
A rare recording made by Russian singer-songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky has been released by RFE/RL. Vysotsky recorded the song, Apples of Paradise, in California, in 1979. It contains minor lyrical variations from previously released versions of the song -- and the maestro's voice in full, gravelly, throttle.
Thousands Celebrate At Moscow's Largest Mosque
Some 10,000 worshipers marked the Muslim celebration of Eid-al-Adha at Moscow's new Cathedral Mosque, one day after the official opening of the $170 million complex.
Freed Political Prisoner Calls For Boycott Of Belarusian Vote
At a rally in Minsk, former presidential candidate Mikalay Statkevich called for a boycott of the October 11 presidential election to protest the exclusion of opposition figures from the ballot.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Russian ‘Voina’ Art Group Member Reportedly Dead
Leonid Nikolayev, a prominent member of the Russian dissident art collective Voina, famous for stunts like painting a giant phallus on a drawbridge facing the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) St. Petersburg headquarters, reportedly died following an accident while cutting timber outside Moscow.
Self-Proclaimed “LNR” Expels International Humanitarian Organizations
The leaders of Ukraine’s separatist-controlled “Luhansk People’s Republic” have demanded that the UN and other international humanitarian groups leave the region, contributing to the further isolation of Luhansk. (Current Time TV)
Uzbekistan Bans Children From Mosques On Eid
In what appears to be a response to the threat of religious extremism, Uzbekistan's Education Ministry announced that parents will be fined about $750 – equal to 15 months' wages at the country's minimum wage – if their minor children are caught attending mosque.
Russia Accuses Apple of Propagating Homosexuality
The Office of Internal Affairs of Russia’s eastern Kirov region has accused Apple Corporation of promoting homosexuality, citing the company’s use of emoji as “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors.” Apple could face a fine of up to one million rubles, and the suspension of its operations in Russia. (In Russian)
INFOGRAPHIC: The Kremlin's Military Ventures Since 1945
From Hungary to Angola to Korea, the Kremlin is no stranger to military interventions abroad. How do Moscow's current military deployments in Syria and Ukraine compare to past ventures?