VISUAL REPORTS
Balkan War Crimes Convict Dies In Hague Court
Convicted Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak died after drinking an unknown liquid in court after his conviction and 20-year sentence was upheld on appeal at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
No-Sight Seeing In St. Petersburg
A tour company called St. Petersburg By Touch takes blindfolded participants on a walk through the Russian city, aided by canes and a blind tour guide.
Kosovars Demonstrate Against Macedonian Convictions
A crowd in Pristina protested against the conviction of Kosovar citizens in Macedonia for taking part in a 2015 gunbattle with police.
Tajik Family Lives In An Empty Elevator Shaft
Shukria Sharipova, a Tajik widow, and three of her children have made a home in the elevator shaft in an unfinished building.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. Congressional Press Office Strips RT Of Credentials
The organization overseeing media access to the U.S. Congress has stripped Russia state-funded TV channel RT of its press credentials, just weeks after the TV channel complied with an order by the U.S. Justice Department to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Russian Authorities Preparing Response To RT Ban In Congress
Russian media report that the State Duma is preparing urgent, "retaliatory measures" in response to a decision by the U.S. Congressional Press Office to strip RT journalists of accreditation. (Russian Service)
Russian Duma Proposes Fines For Media Violating ‘Foreign Agent’ Law
The Russian Duma is reviewing a bill that, effective January 1, 2018, proposes to penalize foreign media labeled as a “foreign agent” if they violate the law with fines ranging from $170 to $8,500 initially, and from $1,709 to $85,400 for repeated violations. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
HRW Says Russia Using 'Undesirable’ Law To Target Groups Over Hyperlinks
Russian individuals and groups are being persecuted for posting hyperlinks to websites of foreign organizations declared "undesirable" under legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin in 2015, Human Rights Watch says.
Russia Accuses U.S.- Led Forces Of Trying To Partition Syria
Russian news agencies report that Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has accused the U.S.- led coalition in Syria of trying to partition the country by setting up local governing bodies in areas seized from the Islamic State extremist group.
U.S. Diplomat Dismisses Prospects For Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
A U.S. diplomat told European journalists in a telephone briefing on November 29 that U.S. officials "don't see the possibility that Nord Stream 2 can be built."
Canadian Man's Guilty Plea In Yahoo Hack Offers Glimpse Of Russian Spy Case
A Canadian man has pleaded guilty to his role in the 2014 hack of Yahoo's e-mail servers, the latest development in an investigation that has ensnared officers of Russia's main security agency.
Putin Promises Payouts For Firstborn Babies
Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't formally said he will stand for reelection in March, but his campaign appeared well under way this week as he unveiled a new monthly payout for firstborn babies.
Probe Into ‘Ritual Killing’ Of Tsar's Family Revives Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theory
Russian investigators say they are probing the possibility that Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered in a "ritual killing," appearing to give new life to an old conspiracy theory criticized by Jewish community members as blatantly anti-Semitic.
Minsk Contact Group Agrees To Prisoner Exchange By New Year
In trilateral talks in Minsk on November 29, members of the Minsk group mediating the conflict in eastern Ukraine agreed to a prisoner exchange using the formula “306 for 74,” according to which Russia-backed separatists will exchange 74 prisoners in exchange for 306 prisoners presently held by Ukraine. (Ukrainian Service)
Poroshenko Declares December 25 Public Holiday
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law declaring December 25 a public holiday, in an act that the head of the country’s Security and Defense Council has said would allow Ukrainians to "distance ourselves from Moscow's calendar and Russian imperial standards."
Belarus, Kazakh Leaders Hail Partnership In Minsk
The presidents of Kazakhstan and Belarus agreed to boost their countries' trade and economic ties after a bilateral meeting in Minsk.
Mirziyoev Reshuffles Uzbek Cabinet
State media reports in Uzbekistan say President Shavkat Mirziyoev has reshuffled the cabinet, replacing long-serving ministers of economy and trade.
Copper Miners In Kazakhstan Strike Underground
Dozens of copper miners in Kazakhstan's central region of Qaraghandy are refusing to come to the surface in a labor action taken to demand wage increases.
Central Almaty Street Gets New Name
The Almaty City Council has renamed the city’s Dmitry Furmanov Street to Nursultan Nazarbaev Avenue.
BLOGGING THE BALKANS: The Cultured Destroyers Of Culture
FURTHER AFIELD: Witness In Iran Sanctions Case Tells U.S. Court He Bribed Turkish Minister
A U.S. government witness has testified that he paid over $50 million in bribes to Turkey's economy minister in 2012 as part of a $1 billion scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions.
INFOGRAPHIC: Russia Vs. EU: Who Invests More In Serbia?