VIDEO REPORTS
Georgians Rally In Support Of Embattled Private TV Station
Supporters of the Rustavi 2 television station gathered outside its Tbilisi headquarters as the company faced legal action that could shut it down, and which opposition parties say is an assault on independent media.
The Daily Vertical: Is The Force With Odesa?
The city of Odesa, long mired in corruption, will be in the spotlight on Sunday when Ukrainians go to the polls.
There were chaotic scenes at the country’s border with Croatia yesterday, as some 12,000 refugees and migrants were reported to have entered Slovenia in a single day.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Vote-Counting Procedures Unclear To Most Ukrainians
A recent survey shows that only 12 percent of respondents are aware of the new electoral law and 20 percent understand the electoral process, conditions that could lead to confusion and frustration during Sunday’s vote. (In Ukrainian)
Russian-Speaking Militants Prepare To Fight Assad
Two Russian-speaking militant groups, including a battalion within Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate the Al-Nusra Front, claim they are preparing to fight Syrian government forces in the central province of Hama.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Russian political commentator Dmitri Oreshkin says that the level of popular support for President Vladimir Putin, comparable to that once enjoyed by Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi is indicative of a totalitarian mindset. (In Russian)
Russian Communist Party Proposes Prison for ‘Nontraditional’ Behavior
Russia’s Communist party introduced a bill that would designate the display of “nontraditional” sexual orientation an offence to public morality and an infringement on traditional values, subject to a 4,000-5,000 ruble fine (65 - 80 USD) or 15 days in jail. (Current Time TV)
In the skillfully produced clip, a hefty, hissing python slithers right up to the Chechen leader, who stares it down and tosses it aside, explaining, "The snake symbolizes the forces of evil that have taken over huge territories of the globe where millions of people suffer."
Belarusian Opposition Candidate Defends Presidential Bid
Tatsyana Karatkevich, who ran against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in an election he won by a landslide earlier this month, said that ignoring the election would have made the opposition look no better than the government in the eyes of voters.
Kazakh President Warns The 'Real Crisis Is Coming'
Economic and financial pressures, many relating to Kazakhstan’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, suggest that Kazakhstan’s domestic crisis may grow worse.