VIDEO REPORTS
VOX POP: Who Is To Blame For Russian Ministers Taking Bribes?
Most respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow said this is how the power structure works, some said people in power steal everywhere, and some said society also shares the blame. (in Russian)
Poroshenko's Spanish Hideaway
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been criticized for allegedly trying to hide a luxury villa he uses on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
Kyrgyzstan’s Young Communists Propose A Monument To Stalin In Bishkek
Young party activists seek to revive the image and “ideal” of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, saying "It is time to remind capitalists of the sound of [the secret service’s] footsteps at night." (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Chernobyl Containment Shield Begins Moving Into Place
A massive steel cover, described as the largest movable structure on land, is slowly sliding into position over the destroyed reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
OTHER NEWS
Ulyukayev Arrest Could Cost Russia Dearly
The arrest of Economic Development Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev -- the most senior official to face trial in post-Soviet Russia -- threatens to shake the country's political and economic structures to their foundations.
Russian Court Sends Navalny's Case For Retrial
Russia's Supreme Court has sent the case of opposition figure Aleksei Navalny for retrial.
Russia Withdraws From ICC’s Founding Statute
Russia says it is formally withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the International Criminal Court.
Germany 'Alarmed' About Potential Russian Interference In Elections
The head of Germany's domestic BfV intelligence agency has expressed concern that Russia may try to interfere in the country's general elections next year.
Most Russians Support Putin As President After 2018
A Levada Center poll finds that 63 percent of respondents favor Russian President Vladimir Putin remaining in office after his term expires in 2018, up from 34 percent in 2012. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Ten Years On, No Justice In Litvinenko Case
Ten years after former Russian intelligence officer Aleksandr Litvinenko succumbed to a fatal dose of radioactive polonium in London, his wife lives with the pain of knowing his killers may never be brought to trial.
Poroshenko Calls On Trump To Help Counter 'Russian Aggression'
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for Washington’s "resolute support...in countering Russian aggression" during his first telephone conversation with President-elect Donald Trump since the U.S. election.
Kyiv Locked Down As Hundreds Protest Ukraine's Government
Ukrainian authorities locked down the heart of the capital on November 15 as hundreds of demonstrators protested outside government buildings over poor economic conditions and rising prices for vital necessities such as natural gas and bread.
UN Panel Condemns Rights Abuses In Crimea
A United Nations panel has condemned human rights abuses in Crimea and pressed Russia to allow UN monitors to visit the Ukrainian territory it annexed in 2014.
Azerbaijani Parliament To Consider Criminalizing Insults To The President
Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov has sent a proposal to the Azerbaijani parliament to criminalize the "denigration or humiliation of the honor and dignity of the president" online, with penalties to include a fine, two years of correctional labor, or up to two years in prison. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Can Georgia's Former Ruling Party Reinvent Itself?
Ever since Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party secured a constitutional majority in electoral runoffs last month, its most prominent rival, the United National Movement, has been riven by disagreements over tactics and strategy.
From Europe To Central Asia, Corruption Viewed As Major Problem
A new report by Transparency International says that 1 in 3 people living in the region stretching from Europe to Central Asia see corruption as among the biggest problems facing their country.
What Retirees In Crimea Can Expect From Russia
Russia has announced that retirees in Crimea will receive a one-time annual payment of 5000 rubles (approx. $76.6) in 2017 instead of monthly indexed pension payments. Political observers surmise that the Kremlin can no longer afford to adjust pensions for inflation, but is hoping a lump sum will help it maintain support among retirees in advance of possible early presidential elections in 2017. (in Russian)
IN MEMORIAM: Seven Years Since The Death Of Sergei Magnitskiy
Sergei Magnitskiy, a lawyer for the Hermitage Capital fund, died in a Moscow prison on November 16, 2009, after being jailed following his discovery of a massive tax fraud scheme involving $230 million and implicating Russian police and government officials. (in Russian)
INFOGRAPHIC: Internet Freedom In Decline