VISUAL REPORTS
Putin’s Promises
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced he would seek reelection in March 2018. He made several promises last time he ran. How has he done in keeping them?
Yashin Says ‘Make Sobyanin Respect The Law’
Russian opposition politician and local lawmaker Ilya Yashin held a single-man picket on December 18 in front of the Russian Central Election Commission to demand fair elections. He accused Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of limiting demonstrations in Moscow’s Krasnoselsky district on December 24, the day when Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to launch his campaign. (Russian Service)
Bosnians Fight To Protect River From Hydropower Project
Locals living near the Vrbas River in northern Bosnia-Herzegovina are speaking out against a proposed hydropower project that would affect a 13-kilometer stretch of the river valley.
The Afghan Boy Who Supports Nine People
Mansur is just 13 but supports a family of nine by working at a Kabul market with nothing more than a wheelbarrow and his wits.
OTHER NEWS
Mattis Says Close U.S.-Russian Jet Encounters Over Syria May Not Be Accidental
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is questioning whether recent close encounters between Russian and U.S. warplanes over Syria were mistaken or the result of what he called "dangerous" maneuvers by some Russian fighter-jet pilots.
Kaspersky Lab Appeals To U.S. Court To Overturn Government Ban
The Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab says it has asked a federal court to overturn a ban on the use of its products in U.S. government agencies, claiming that the move violates the company's right to due process.
Russia Holding Norwegian Man On Suspicion Of Spying
Russia is holding a Norwegian man on suspicion of spying after he allegedly received classified documents from a Russian man who is also under arrest, an official said on December 19.
Russia's RT Launches New French Channel Despite 'Propaganda' Charges
Russian state broadcaster RT has launched a French-language channel despite being branded this year as a "propaganda" outlet for the Kremlin by officials in the United States, France, and other Western countries.
No Politics At Russia's New Year's Table As Moscow Lifts Ban On Baltic Sprats
Russians craving the oily canned fish known as sprats, an old staple of New Year's tables across Russia, had some cause to celebrate on December 18 as a ban on Baltic fish products introduced in mid-2015 was partially lifted.
Memorial's Arseny Roginsky Dies At 71
Arseny Roginsky, a veteran activist and chairman of the respected Memorial human rights society who spent a life chronicling abuses and injustice in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia, has died.
Kyiv Orders Evacuation Of Village In Ukraine’s East
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman has ordered the evacuation of Novoluganskoe, a village in the eastern Donetsk region that endured shelling on December 18 which, according to the Ukrainian military, injured eight people and damaged 50 houses. Shells also hit schools, a kindergarten, and a local medical clinic. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russia-Imposed Court In Crimea Upholds Journalist Semena's Verdict
The top court in Ukraine's Russia-controlled Crimea region has upheld a separatism conviction against journalist Mykola Semena in a case that has been criticized by media freedom advocates and Western governments.
Dozens Of Crimean Tatars Fined Over Protests On Peninsula
Courts in Russia-controlled Crimea on December 18 fined dozens of Crimean Tatars over single-person demonstrations, in a move Amnesty International called "a brazen crackdown."
Moldova Recalls Envoy From Moscow 'For Consultations'
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry cited “a recent increase in cases of harassment and intimidation of Moldovan officials and politicians by Russian authorities” as prompting a decision to recall Ambassador Andrei Neguta from Moscow.
Uzbekistan's Forced Subscribers Question Value Of State-Run Press
In Uzbekistan, where media has remained tightly controlled by the government even decades after the breakup of the Soviet Union, public-sector workers say they still don't have the freedom to choose whether to subscribe to state-run newspapers.
Russia Provides Tajikistan Free Military Equipment
Russia has delivered a new batch of military hardware to Tajikistan free of charge, as part of a “military and technical assistance” package. The transfer includes tanks, helicopters, cannon, anti-aircraft equipment, spare parts for armored vehicles, and communication and logistics equipment. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
RSF Says Syria, Iraq, Mexico Most Dangerous For Journalists
Reporters Without Borders says 65 professional journalists, citizen-journalists, and media workers were killed across the world in 2017, representing an 18 percent fall from last year’s figure.