VIDEO REPORTS
Belarusians Protest Russian Air Base Plan
Hundreds of people demonstrated in the Belarusian capital city, Minsk, on October 4 to protest against plans for a Russian air base in the country.
Armenian Activists Protest Change To Constitution
Opposition groups demonstrated outside the Armenian parliament to protest proposed changes to the country's constitution that activists fear are intended to enable President Serzh Sarkisian to remain in power.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Russia Demands Amnesty For Separatists
During Friday’s meeting of the Minsk Group, Russian representatives reportedly demanded that Ukraine adopt a law granting amnesty to members of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk independent republics in eastern Ukraine. They stipulated further that the amnesty be introduced before local elections in the region. (Current Time TV)
Norwegian telecom giant Telenor says it will sell its 33 percent stake in the Russian phone company VimpelCom, reportedly valued at around $2.4 billion, which is facing an extensive corruption probe by U.S. authorities stemming from its operations in Uzbekistan.
U.S. Sanctions Russian IS Recruiters
The United States has imposed financial sanctions on two North Caucasus militants involved in recruiting fighters for the extremist group Islamic State (IS).
Russia’s Security Services Propose Restrictions On Ownership Data
In a move that critics say is intended to thwart investigations into corruption, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has proposed legislation that would make ownership data about real estate, aircraft, and ships available to "competent authorities" only. (Current Time TV)
Ukrainians Think Corruption Is No Lesser Problem Than War
Ukrainian sociologists report that the number of those who negatively assess the performance of the president and prime minister is growing, and that corruption and the unwillingness of political leaders to change the system are seen as bigger problems than the war in the country’s eastern regions. (In Ukrainian)
The main parties re-elected to Kyrgyzstan’s parliament on October 4 are pro-Russian, and campaigned on platforms tying the country’s economic well-being to Moscow.
Kunduz - A Bastion Of Instability in Central Asia
Nearly a quarter century after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia still sees Central Asia as its backyard. The Taliban’s capture last week of Afghanistan’s northern province Kunduz, which shares more than 2,000 kilometers of border with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, has revived concerns about security and insurgency in the region.