VISUAL REPORTS
New Belarusian Nuke Plant Prompts Lithuania To Prepare For The Worst
Lithuania has held emergency drills amid safety concerns about a new nuclear plant that will soon start operating in neighboring Belarus.
Interview: Ex-Protest Prisoner Pavel Ustinov Has No Plans To Stay At Home
Freed from prison after having been arrested on criminal charges during Moscow’s chaotic summer of election protests, Pavel Ustinov, a 23-year-old Russian actor, told Current Time that he intends to rally for the freedom of other protest prisoners.
The Knights Of Junk At A Siberian Landfill
A working landfill site which serves the Siberian city of Irkutsk has been transformed into a free, open-air sculpture park. Workers at the site have used scrap and garbage to make an army of knights, a fort, ships, and a World War II battlefield.
Female Soccer Referee Breaks Down Barriers In Kosovo
Lumturie Muhadri is the first female referee in Kosovo's top men's soccer league. She faced discrimination at first, but she says the players and fans who used to doubt her credentials now congratulate her for her success.
PHOTOGALLERY: Armenia's New Yazidi Temple Draws Attention And Awe
The completion of the sanctuary seven years ago made it the first Yazidi temple in the post-Soviet world.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. State Department Approves Sale Of Second Batch Of Javelin Missiles To Ukraine
The U.S. State Department has approved $39.2 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine, including a second batch of the world's deadliest anti-tank missiles to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia-backed separatists.
Pompeo Says U.S., Montenegro Ready To Sign Military Deal
The United States and Montenegro are finalizing their biggest bilateral arms deal, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a short trip to NATO's newest member. "The U.S. looks forward to delivering $36 million worth of light tactical vehicles to our NATO ally once this agreement is finalized," he said in Podgorica on October 4.
Medvedev Hails Russia's Close Ties To Cuba During Havana Visit
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has hailed his country's relations with Cuba, saying they have a "brilliant" future as he arrived in Havana for a two-day visit. Medvedev's visit comes as the island country goes through a new economic crisis while under severe U.S. sanctions.
Peskov Says Russia Interested In ‘All For All’ Prisoner Exchange
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told journalists that Moscow is interested in a further exchange of detainees with Ukraine, saying, “We would be happy to exchange “all for all,” this should be the end goal.” His remarks followed comments by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko about a possible prisoner swap next week. Peskov added “some work in this context is going on.” (Ukrainian Service)
Russian Rights Council Urges Prosecutor To Drop Terrorism Case Against Journalist
The Russian Presidential Human Rights Council has reportedly called on the Pskov regional prosecutor's office to drop criminal proceedings against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva on charges of "justifying terrorism." The council, an advisory body to the Kremlin, reportedly said in an October 2 statement that a Russian NGO that provides expert examinations of legal cases had found the charges unwarranted.
Russia Urged To End 'Witch-Hunt' Against Daghestani Newspaper
Reporters Without Borders has condemned a raid by dozens of police officers on Chernovik, an independent weekly in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Daghestan. The October 2 search was linked to an investigation into Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev, a Chernovik journalist held since June on terrorism charges.
Russian Journalist Detained In Tehran
Russian journalist Yulia Yuzik has been detained in Iran, her relatives, colleagues, and an official at the Russian Embassy in Tehran say. Her husband, journalist Boris Voitsekhovsky, told RFE/RL that she was accused of spying for Israel.
Anti-Putin Yakut Shaman Found Mentally Unfit
A psychiatric examination has determined that a Yakut shaman who was detained last month while walking from Siberia toward Moscow with the declared aim of "driving [President Vladimir] Putin out of the Kremlin" is mentally unfit to face trial.
Poroshenko Denies Ordering Suspension Of Burisma Investigation
Speaking to RFE/RL Ukrainian Service’s investigative program Schemes, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko denied giving orders to stop a criminal investigation of Burisma, the company where Hunter Biden served on the board of directors. Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin is on record saying that Poroshenko repeatedly asked him to review the case and “consider closing the investigation into this company.” (Ukrainian Service)
Ukrainian Ex-Governor Danilov Appointed National Security Chief
Oleksiy Danilov, a former member of parliament and ex-governor of the easternmost Luhansk region, has been appointed secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). Former National Security Chief Oleksandr Danylyuk told the BBC that a "cluster of events" led to his resignation after just four months on the job, but the last straw was the situation around the country's biggest lender Privatbank.
Kyiv Releases Belarusian Spy Ahead Of Bilateral Talks
Ukrainian authorities have released Belarusian citizen Yury Palityka, who is on trial for allegedly collecting classified information for an unspecified Belarusian state organization. Palityka's release came a day before scheduled talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the northwestern Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr.
Kyrgyz Authorities Reopen Saipov Case
Kyrgyz authorities have reopened a probe into the assassination of independent journalist Alisher Saipov, who was shot dead in the southern city of Osh almost 12 years ago.
PHOTOGALLERY: ‘Welcome To Hell, Part II’: The Second Chechen War