VISUAL REPORTS
Monumental Controversy: Moscow's Latest Statue
A new statue of late Uzbek President Islam Karimov was unveiled in Moscow on October 18 -- amid a petition drive to have it immediately pulled down.
Sue Thy Neighbor: Ukrainian Village Divided Over Church
The Patriarchate of Constantinople agreed on October 11 to recognize the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In one Ukrainian village, a schism has already been playing out with a fight over the only local church.
Crimean Tatars Stand By Woman Sentenced For Insulting Police
A Crimean Tatar woman felt she was unfairly sentenced by a Russian court to community service for “insulting a police officer” after her son was arrested for a Facebook post.
Artist Challenges Limits Of 'System’ In Kazakhstan
Kazakh artist Askhat Akhmedyarov creates in different genres -- video, photo, performance, installation, and painting -- to push Kazakhstan society to think and to act.
OTHER NEWS
Kremlin Wants Explanation Of Trump Plan To Nix Nuke Treaty
The U.S. withdrawal from a landmark nuclear arms control treaty could make the world "more dangerous" and force Moscow to take steps to restore the balance of power, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 22, two days after President Donald Trump declared that the United States would withdraw from the 1987 INF pact.
Moscow Mayor Revokes Permission To Honor Soviet Victims At FSB Headquarters
The prominent Russian human rights group Memorial says city authorities have revoked permission to hold an annual ceremony near former KGB headquarters in Moscow honoring the victims of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's purges. Memorial has held the ceremony on October 29 every year since 2006.
Comedy On Leningrad Siege Attracts Spotlight And Scandal
Holiday, the latest film by Russian director Aleksei Krasovsky, is a comedy set during the Siege of Leningrad in 1941, the 900-day blockade of the city by advancing Nazi forces that claimed over 1 million lives. The film’s unorthodox approach to a topic considered sacred by many in Russia carries the risk that it will be banned from cinemas before it's even complete.
Renewed Focus On Aliyev Family’s London Properties
A lurid multimillion-dollar shopping spree at Harrods of London by the wife of a jailed Baku banker has prompted renewed interest in runaway corruption in Azerbaijan and luxury U.K. properties thought to be connected to Azerbaijan's first family.
Macedonian Name Change Moves Ahead After Crucial Parliament Vote
Macedonia's parliament has taken a critical step toward renaming the country North Macedonia, a move that would end a decades-long dispute with Greece and pave the way for Skopje to join NATO and the European Union.
Will Macedonia’s Orthodox Church Also Break Away?
Deep concerns have emerged within the Serbian Orthodox Church over a move by the leadership of Orthodox Christianity toward recognizing the Ukrainian church's independence from Moscow.
Bosnia’s Post-election Blues
Despite long-shot hopes of a breakthrough in this month's elections, it looks more like Bosnians have to settle for familiar tribal politics and a tense calm.
Atambaev Ally To Face Prosecution
Ikramjan Ilmiyanov, a former adviser to ex-President Almazbek Atambaev, is being held on suspicion of financial fraud after being detained in Russia and brought back to Kyrgyzstan by law enforcement authorities.
POLL: Majority Of Russians Watch And Trust State TV
A recent poll conducted by Russia’s Mediastandart fund and Zircon research group finds that 69 percent of Russians watch TV on a daily basis, and that Russian state TV is trusted by 63 percent of respondents overall, although trust among youth is “noticeably lower.” Sixty percent of respondents use the Internet, with youth ascribing high levels of trust to search engines, social media and YouTube. Eleven percent of respondents listen daily to the radio. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
FURTHER AFIELD: Afghanistan’s Parliamentary Elections Marred By Violence, Delays
An estimated 4 million of Afghanistan’s 8.8 million registered voters cast ballots at over 4,500 polling centers across the country in parliamentary elections over the weekend that were marred by deadly militant attacks and delays caused by technical and security issues.