VIDEO REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: In Putin's World, Crime Pays
Russia took a pounding in the Western press last week, but in Putin’s world, it pays to be an outlaw state.
Shimon Peres Remembered In Belarus Hometown
As former President Shimon Peres was laid to rest in Israel, old school friends remembered him in Vishnieva, the village where he grew up.
Celebrating The New Year In Uman, Ukraine
One of Hasidism’s founders, Rebbe Nachman, is buried in Uman, in Ukraine’s Cherkassy region. Approximately 40,000 of his followers came to Uman this year to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at his tomb. (In Russian, Current Time)
Pope Francis Celebrates Mass In Baku
Pope Francis met with the local Roman Catholic community and led a Sunday Mass in Baku during his visit to Azerbaijan on October 2.
OTHER NEWS
Boris Nemtsov Murder Trial Begins In Moscow
The trial of five men charged with the murder of outspoken Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov began on October 3 in a Moscow military court.
Ukrainian Army, Separatists, Withdraw From Flashpoint Town
The Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have announced a pullback from a frontline city as agreed upon in a demilitarization deal agreed to last month.
Drugging Of U.S. Diplomats in Russia Raises Concerns
Two U.S. officials traveling with diplomatic passports were drugged while attending a conference in Russia last year, in what officials have concluded was part of a wider, escalating pattern of harassment of U.S. diplomats by Russia.
Russia Holds Ukrainian Journalist On Espionage Charges
Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko is being held in custody in Russia on espionage charges.
Ukraine’s Separatist Republics Hold Election Primaries
Ukraine’s self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics held primaries on October 2 to select candidates for local elections. The Minsk agreements require that elections can proceed only after Ukraine approves a “special status” for the separatist-controlled regions. (In Russian, Current Time)
Chechen Mufti Defends ‘Extremist’ Fatwa
The mufti of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya has defended an August 27 fatwa that proclaims all nontraditional Islamic teachings in Russia to be extremist.
Former Georgian President, Party, Investigated For Possible Coup Plot
On the eve of Georgia's parliamentary elections, a mysterious audio recording has surfaced that appears intended to smear former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his party.
Belarusian Official With Russian Flag At Rio Gets Apartment
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook on October 2 that an unnamed businessman gave an apartment to Andrey Fomachkin as a private gift for his deed.
Nationalist Parties Leading In Bosnia's Local Elections
Preliminary results from Bosnia-Herzegovina’s October 2 local elections show that nationalist parties are set to win many of the races for mayor and city council seats.
In Bosnia, You Can Buy Anything Online -- Even Votes
The practice of vote buying has become so blatant in Bosnia-Herzegovina that voters have been advertising online to sell their votes.
Gulnara's Millions Show How Asset Recovery Shaping Uzbek- U.S. Ties
U.S. officials are pursuing illicit assets belonging to family members and allies of Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov in an ongoing case that highlights the fragility of relations between Washington and Tashkent at a crucial juncture in the Central Asian country’s development.
SCHEMES: Ukraine’s ‘Mommas’ Prosecutors’
Following an investigation into the income and asset declarations of Ukrainian prosecutors, RFE/RL’s program “Schemes” reports that many continue to hide their assets by registering them under their mothers’ and grandmothers’ names. (In Ukrainian)
COMMENTARY: Irina Khakamada: ‘Russians Don’t Care About Syria’
Veteran Russian politician Irina Khakamada told RFE/RL, “what matters to people is Crimea, Donetsk and everything that is happening with Ukraine.” Opposition politician Vladimir Milov concurred, adding that Russians are “annoyed about growing internal problems,” which he says are being ignored. (In Russian)
PHOTO BLOG: The Undersea Soviets