VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: The Kremlin’s Catalonian Conundrum
While the Kremlin has been very careful to describe the events in Spain as an internal matter, state-backed media tells a different story.
Victims Remembered On Anniversary Of Moscow Theater Siege
Family members placed flowers and photographs outside the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow, where 130 hostages were killed in a three-day siege that ended on October 26, 2002. Many relatives continue to accuse the Russian government of covering up its role in the deaths.
Azerbaijani Opposition Holds Rally In Baku
Hundreds of people have attended an opposition-organized anticorruption rally in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, under the slogan "No To Robbery."
Free Food For Drivers Stranded At Kazakh-Kyrgyz Border
Volunteers have been giving free food to truck drivers stranded at the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, after Kazakhstan imposed stricter customs checks amid a diplomatic row between the two countries. Kyrgyzstan's government has adopted a resolution aimed at assisting businesses that have suffered financial losses due to the bottleneck.
OTHER NEWS
A Lock-Tight Ukrainian Rocket Plant Emerges At Center Of Tech-Leak Scandal
As people around the globe watched in horrified fascination as North Korea conducted recent missile tests that raised the specter of nuclear war, a rocket design-and-manufacturing complex located 450 kilometers southeast of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, found itself at the center of a major geopolitical scandal.
U.S. Envoy Meets Freed Tatar Leaders In Kyiv
U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker has met with Crimean Tatar leaders Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz, who were released from custody in their Russian-occupied homeland this week.
Ekho Moskvy Accuses State Media Of Inciting Attacks Against Journalists
Ekho Moskvy chief editor Alexei Venediktov has announced his intention to relocate journalist Ksenia Larina from Russia after Larina was accused of lying by commentators on the Vesti FM radio program on October 24, only days after Ekho Moskvy journalist Tatyana Felgengauer was stabbed while at work. Venediktov said he will ask the Russian Investigative Committee to interrogate VGTRK, the state-owned network that owns Vesti FM, for inciting attacks against journalists. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russia To Unveil Monument To Victims Of Stalinist Repression
President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to appear at the unveiling of a memorial dedicated to victims of state repression during the Soviet era.
Missing Russian Helicopter Found In Arctic Seabed, Eight Presumed Dead
Norwegian rescue services say a Russian helicopter that disappeared off the Arctic Svalbard archipelago on October 26 has been found on the seabed; the eight Russians on board are presumed dead.
People Continue To Disappear In Chechnya
At least 43 people have disappeared in Chechnya in 2017 without a trace. Authorities claim they went to Syria to fight with extremists, while families remain silent out of fear. (Caucasus Realities website)
Azerbaijan Mulls Penalties For Loan Defaulters
As outstanding consumer debt in Azerbaijan balloons to a reported 1.8 billion manats ($1.07 billion), Azerbaijan’s parliament is considering how to ease penalties on defaulters and defuse growing tensions inside the country.
In The Balkans, Smoking Habits Buck Global Trend
Bucking the trend worldwide, smokers in the Balkans -- especially younger ones -- are lighting up in increasing numbers.
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Russia’s World Cup Mired In Mud
Critics are questioning plans to construct a giant football stadium for the 2018 Football World Cup on marshy terrain in the city of Kaliningrad, at an estimated cost of $311.5 million, with an additional $328.8 million slated for infrastructure projects. They fear the stadium will have little use after the tournament, and yet will incur maintenance costs amounting to approximately $5.1 million annually. (over 40k views on Russian Service website)
Majlis Podcast: The New Uzbekistan -- How Far Will It Go?