VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Why Putin Fears Ukraine
During his marathon press conference yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doesn’t want Russia to turn into a second Ukraine.
This Journalist Has Asked Putin The Same Question 4 Years In A Row
Every year since 2014, Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbalyuk has used Vladimir Putin’s annual marathon news conference to press the Russian president on Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and its involvement in Ukraine’s eastern unrest.
Detaining ‘Witnesses Of The Constitution’ On Constitution Day
To mark Constitution Day in Russia on December 12, Current Time TV revisited the detentions on this day last year of demonstrators reciting the constitution on Moscow’s streets. (over 613k views on Current Time TV Facebook)
Moderate Imam Fights Radicalism In Kosovo
Wahhabi radicals have been trying to help recruit Islamic State fighters in the majority-Muslim country of Kosovo, but one imam there has been praised for confronting them.
Migrants Sleep In Makeshift Camps In Serbia
Hundreds of refugees and migrants have been sleeping rough in frigid temperatures in Serbia, after refusing official accommodation.
OTHER NEWS
Moscow Court Convicts Former Economy Minister On Bribery Charges
A Moscow court has found former Russian Economy Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev guilty of taking a "large bribe" in a high-profile corruption case and sentenced him to eight years in a strict-regime prison.
The Four-Hour Press Conference -- In 2000 Words
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his run for a fourth presidential term, this time as an independent; attacked opposition candidate Aleksei Navalny; defended U.S. President Donald Trump; and accused the United States of violating a key nuclear arms control treaty during his annual, marathon press conference.
U.S. Jets Fire Flares In Tense Encounter With Russian Jets Over Syria
U.S. and Russian air force jets have had a tense midair encounter in eastern Syria, with the Americans firing flares and deploying chaff in an effort to persuade the Russian jets to leave, the Pentagon says.
Britain Warns Of Potential Russian Attack On Underwater Internet Cables
Britain's military chief says Russia could pose a major threat to NATO countries by attacking underwater communication cables crucial for international trade and the Internet.
EU Leaders Agree To Extend Ukraine-Related Sanctions For Six Months
European Union leaders have agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia until July 2018 over Moscow's aggressive actions in Ukraine.
Russian Truckers Seek To Mount New Protest
Russian truck drivers who oppose a road tax are trying to mount a nationwide protest, despite the jailing of two of their leaders and a "foreign agent" designation from the government.
Russia Silences Crimea Critics, Selectively
Since its seizure of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, Russia has used a statute criminalizing public calls for separatism to jail, selectively, at least a half dozen people for criticizing that land grab.
Duma Rejects Media Request To Confirm MP’s Offshore Account
A Russian State Duma commission has rejected a request by the independent TV channel Rain (Dozhd) to determine whether United Russia party deputy Alexei Ezubov holds an offshore account in Bermuda. Russian law prohibits deputies from engaging in entrepreneurial and some commercial activities. (in Russian, Current Time)
Russian Movie Makes Oscar Shortlist
Loveless, a movie directed by Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, which won a prize at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, has been shortlisted for an Oscar for the best foreign language film. (in Russian, Current Time)
Investors Wary Of Poroshenko’s Roshen Company
A director for the Rothschild Group, the firm holding Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s shares in the Roshen company in a blind trust, has reported difficulties in finding a buyer for the candy producer, which Poroshenko promised to sell back in 2014. Ukrainian experts told RFE/RL that potential investors worry about corruption and the impact of political uncertainty on share prices. (Ukrainian Service)
Hundreds Of Kazakh Miners Call Off Strikes
Hundreds of workers who have been striking underground for days at coal mines in central Kazakhstan have reportedly called off their protests.
Tug-Of-War: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Look To Settle Decades-Old Border Dispute