Tajikistan Urged To Accredit RFE/RL Journalists
The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have added their voices to an international campaign urging the government of Tajikistan to comply with local law and international conventions and accredit as many as 18 journalists and staff with RFE/RL’s Tajik Service, who risk losing their right to work on November 1.
VISUAL REPORTS
Russia Finds New Islands Revealed By Melting Arctic Ice
There's not much uncharted territory left to discover on Earth -- except at the poles, where new land is emerging as ice sheets melt. This summer, Russian researchers explored five Arctic islands newly revealed by a thawing glacier.
Police In Kazakh Capital Forcibly Detain Dozens
Police in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, detained dozens of people on October 26 who gathered to protest the "expansion" of business ties between China and Kazakhstan and call for the release of political prisoners.
'OMON Simulator' Lets Gamers Play Russian Riot Police
A new video game lets players step into the role of a baton-wielding Russian riot police officer, or an anti-corruption protester facing off against the cops. The game is violent, but some activists say it helps them handle the fear and tension of real-life protests.
Unpacking A Revolution
All over the Eastern Bloc, repressive governments thought they were molding youngsters into the communist citizenry of the future. They were wrong.
OTHER NEWS
Kyiv Starts Troop Withdrawal From Eastern Ukraine Town
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystayko said a planned troop withdrawal has started in the town of Zolote in the eastern Luhansk region, where Ukrainian armed forces have been fighting Russia-backed separatists for more than five years.
Russian Opposition Leaders Ordered To Pay $1.4 Million To Putin's Chef
A Moscow court ruled on October 28 that Aleksei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation financially damaged the business interests of Moscow Pupil, a food supplier to schools connected to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The court ordered that 88 million rubles ($1.4 million) be paid in compensation to the company.
Microsoft Says Russian Fancy Bear On Hacking Spree Again
Microsoft has said in a statement on October 28 that the Russian cybercriminal group Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear/APT2, has again been targeting sports organizations and anti-doping authorities in several countries for attacks.
Russian Bloggers React To Butina’s Return From The U.S.
A number of Russian bloggers and commentators have reacted to the arrival of convicted Russian agent Maria Butina back to Moscow, following her release from a U.S. prison. Her complaints about the lack of meat and bananas and cereal for breakfast while behind bars have sparked numerous memes on social media platforms. At the same time, many Russians have praised Butina and called her detention arbitrary. Butina arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on October 26, where she was met by her father and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. (Russian Service)
Relatives Fear Missing Chechen Man Is ‘Disappeared’
Ramzan Shaikhayev has not been seen or heard from since September 9, when he received a phone call instructing him to go outside his home in Argun for what his relatives assumed was to be a "meeting" with law enforcement officials. The Memorial Human Rights Center has said there are grounds to suspect Shaikhayev was abducted by Chechen security services.
Help The Homeless, But Not In Our Neighborhood, Some Moscow Residents Say
"If you want to do good deeds, do them – but don't make those around you uncomfortable," said Kira Gorchakova, a resident of Moscow’s Begovoi district, where an NGO has proposed locating a shelter and consultative center for homeless people.
Medvedev Orders Gambling Zone In Crimea
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the creation of a “Gold Coast” gambling zone in Russia-annexed Crimea, to be located in the resort city of Yalta. President Valdimir Putin signed a law providing for such a development in July 2014, after Russia annexed the peninsula. Russian gambling zones current exist in Sochi and the Federation’s far east Primorye region. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russians Remember Victims Of Stalin's Great Purge
Thousands of people lined up at the Solovetsky Kamen memorial on Moscow's Lubyanka Square on October 29 to pay their respects at a daylong, annual ceremony called Returning The Names, organized by the Memorial Human Rights Center.
Ukraine Takes Step To Privatize State Assets, Attract Investment
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 28 signed a law abolishing a two-decade-old list of over 1,000 state-run enterprises that were barred from privatization.
Cyberattack Hits Georgian Websites
Two Georgian television stations and thousands of websites have been knocked out in a cyberattack on October 28 that also affected court websites containing docket information and personal data. Many website home pages were reportedly replaced with an image of former President Mikheil Saakashvili with the caption "I'll be back.”
NATO 'Respects' Serbia's Joint Military Drills With Russia
NATO said it "respects" Serbia's decision to hold joint air military exercises with Russia in which the Russian S-400 and Pantsir-S air-defense missile systems are being deployed.
Russian Diplomat Leaves Bulgaria Amid Spying Accusations
A Russian diplomat has left Bulgaria after the Eastern European country’s prosecutor launched an investigation into potential spying operations. The unnamed diplomat, who is one of nine first secretaries serving at the Russian Embassy in Sofia, is suspected of gathering classified information.
From Stasi To Bellingcat: Former East German Agent Turns Investigative Reporter
Bellingcat researcher Timmi Allen zooms in on Google Earth to a Berlin police station where he once worked for East Germany's feared secret police, the Stasi. "Under this [station] there is a deep bunker that was supposed to be able to withstand a nuclear bomb," he says.
Ethnic Kazakhs From China's Xinjiang Receive Asylum-Seeker Status In Kazakhstan
Two ethnic Kazakhs from China's northwestern region of Xinjiang have been given asylum-seeker status in Kazakhstan. Murager Alimuly and Qaster Musakhanuly, both Chinese citizens, are expected to receive ID cards confirming their status on October 29.
Mass Amnesty In Tajikistan Takes Effect
A first group of inmates has been released as a mass amnesty announced last week in Tajikistan came into force on October 29. Some 2,000 inmates, including 165 women, some 60 teenagers under the age of 18, and individuals sentenced for "liking online extremist posts," were released over the weekend.
MAJLIS PODCAST: Pressure On Tajikistan Press Grows As Crucial Ruling Looms
OBITUARY: Soviet Dissident Vladimir Bukovsky Dies Aged 76