PHOTOGALLERY
Tourism Revives Remote Tajik Mountain Village
VIDEO REPORTS
Invitation For Montenegro Is Signal Moscow Cannot Stop NATO Enlargement
The decision set off a firestorm of protest from Moscow, where officials said that NATO’s continuing expansion is likely to provoke a response.
Ukrainian Conscripts Train In Zaporizhya
New recruits who will serve as military police in southern Ukraine train at the military base “Sarmat.”
Ex-Gitmo Inmate Leads Fight Against IS Militants
Haji Ghalib spent four years as a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay, but is now leading the fight against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan. (Afghan Service)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Putin Visits Crimea, Promises Power
In a surprise visit to the territory on December 2, Russia’s president announced the construction of an “energy bridge" to be operational by December 15, and proclaimed Crimea’s energy independence from Ukraine.
Kremlin Unaware Of Navalny Probe Of Prosecutor-General
An extensive report alleges that Artyom Chaika, the son of Russia’s prosecutor-general and a permanent resident of Switzerland, has illegally privatized industrial facilities and businesses in Russia and purchased luxury properties in Greece and Switzerland.
Ukraine To Double Defense Spending In 2016
Spending on security and defense will increase to 5 percent of GDP in response to fighting in the country’s eastern regions, despite the budget deficit. (In Ukrainian)
New Silkway Proposes Alternative to Russia
Representatives of large transport and logistics operators from Turkey, China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia agreed in Istanbul on November 28 to form a consortium to transport goods from China to Europe, bypassing Russia. (In Russian)
Kadyrov Confirms IS Execution Of Russian Citizen
The Chechen head promised to deal with the killer, but denied a statement by the militant group that the victim worked for the Russian intelligence service. (Current Time TV)
Families of the Russian passenger plane that crashed in Egypt on October 31 published an open letter to the press complaining about the lack of information about the investigation and the government's failure to return their relatives’ bodies. (In Russian)
Aleksievich: "Nadiya Savchenko Is A Ukrainian Joan Of Arc"
Speaking in Belarus yesterday, the Nobel laureate said, "I greatly admire Savchenko, a person who defends her homeland, a real soldier…..Belarus...went through a guerrilla war, when a big state takes on another state.... Then, it all depends on the courage of individuals, on self-sacrifice.” (In Belarusian)
FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Smartest Man In The Balkans
A profile of the remarkably successful career of Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.
INFOGRAPHIC: NATO's Enlargement Over Time
NATO foreign ministers have invited Montenegro to join the military alliance in 2017. Here is a look at NATO's enlargement over the years.