Putin Defends Trump, Talks Global Warming, Olympic Ban At Annual Press Conference
At his annual marathon news conference, lasting four hours and 18 minutes, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended U.S. President Donald Trump, and talked about the threat of global warming and the Olympic ban on Russian athletes.
VISUAL REPORTS
Suspect Who Allegedly Shot FSB Officers Was Member Of Gun Club
Russian authorities have not identified the suspected assailant in the deadly shooting outside Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters in central Moscow on December 19, in which one civilian was killed and four FSB officers and one civilian were injured.
Teen Suicide Sparks Anti-Police Protests In Georgia
Protesters in Georgia say police drove a 15-year-old boy to take his own life after subjecting him to psychological abuse during questioning.
Bishkek Cafe Brews Kyrgyz Anti-Corruption Movement
Kyrgyz anti-corruption activists have led protests following a joint RFE/RL investigation into a massive money-laundering scheme. The anti-corruption UMUT 2020 movement -- whose founder’s husband was arrested yesterday -- began in a Bishkek cafe.
After Russian Loan, Businessman Orders Putin Statue For Kyrgyz Ski Resort
A new 2.5-meter statue of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been unveiled in a ski resort 30 kilometers south of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The statue was commissioned by businessman Akbar Roziev after he secured a loan from a Russian development fund.
Romania’s Revolution: A Graphic Novel
Read Alida Tomiuc's "graphic novel" recounting the events of 1989 through her parents' eyes.
PHOTOGALLERY: 40 Days of Darkness: Winter In Murmansk
RFE/RL Photographer Amos Chapple took a "night-mode" enabled smartphone camera to document life in Russia’s north through the polar night.
OTHER NEWS
EU Lawmakers Condemn Russian ‘Foreign Agent’ Law
The European Parliament on December 19 adopted a nonbinding resolution calling on Russian authorities to repeal the country’s controversial law on "foreign agents," and condemning efforts to restrict independent journalism and create an atmosphere hostile to civil society.
U.S. Concerned Russia-Backed UN Resolution Will Hurt Online Freedom
A State Department official told media on December 19 that a cybercrime resolution sponsored by Russia is part of an effort to push the Kremlin’s “vision of what the Internet should look like in the future,” and conflate “this idea of cybercrime with cybersecurity and cyber controls.”
UN Adopts Updated Resolution To Safeguard Rights In Crimea
The UN General Assembly on December 18 adopted a draft resolution seeking protection of human rights in Russian-annexed Crimea, according to Ukraine’s permanent mission to the international body in New York. Sixty-five countries voted in favor of the resolution; among those voting against were Russia, Belarus, Armenia, China, Venezuela, Syria, and Iran.
Former U.S. Ambassadors Say Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Pit U.S. Against Germany
Two former U.S. ambassadors Daniel Fried and Richard Morningstar criticized legislation that seeks to impose sanctions on companies building Russia’s $11-billion gas pipeline to Germany, saying it could harm relations between the two NATO countries.
Russia Proceeds With ‘Sovereign Internet’ Preparations
In accordance with the law establishing a “Sovereign Internet,” Russia’s Communication Ministry has sent a communique to telecom operators instructing them to check “the possibility of intercepting subscriber traffic, disclosing information about the subscriber, and blocking subscriber communication services.” (Russian Service)
Damage To Russian Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov In Excess Of $1 Billion
Russian media is reporting that the damage caused by a December 12 fire on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov at a shipyard near Murmansk amounts to over $1.5 billion. The fire killed two people and injured 14. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Former Ukrainian UN Envoy Named Ambassador To Washington
Ukraine's former two-term permanent representative to the UN, Volodymyr Yelchenko, has been named Kyiv’s new envoy to the United States. He replaces Valeriy Chaliy, whose tenure had expired.
Ukraine Lifts Prosecutorial Immunity For Members Of Parliament
Ukraine’s parliament has passed a bill that simplifies the procedure for prosecuting corrupt lawmakers, allowing law enforcement to bypass parliament when requesting permission to detain or arrest them. It also contains a disputed rule that gives the prosecutor-general the sole power to initiate criminal proceedings against members of parliament.
Ukraine Passes Law Fining Lawmakers For Multiple Voting
The Ukraine parliament on December 19 passed a law in its final reading that makes it a criminal offense for a member of parliament to vote for one or more lawmakers. It provides for accredited journalists in the chamber to report multiple voting violations to the parliamentary administrative office.
Ukraine’s PrivatBank Files Additional Court Claims Against Former Owners
Ukrainian state-owned PrivatBank on December 18 filed a $600 million lawsuit in Israel as part of its worldwide effort to recover assets it says the lender’s two previous majority shareholders had allegedly embezzled.
Bulgarian Poison Probe Uncovers Possible Link To Novichok Attack On Skripals
Bulgarian officials say an investigation into the attempted assassination of an arms maker is focusing on five suspected Russian agents -- including a Russian military intelligence general alleged to have commanded a team accused in the 2018 Novichok attack in Britain against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
Son Of Georgia's First President In 'Critical Condition' After Attack
A son of Georgia's first President Zviyad Gamsakhurdia is in critical condition after a violent attack in the capital, officials and medics say. Doctors in Tbilisi told reporters on December 20 that 43-year-old Tsotne Gamsakhurdia was hospitalized overnight with multiple skull fractures and stab wounds on his body.
Husband Of Kyrgyz Anti-Corruption Campaigner Detained Amid Customs Scandal
The husband of well-known Kyrgyz anti-corruption campaigner Shyryn Aitmatova has been detained amid an ongoing scandal over alleged corruption in the country’s customs service. Kyrgyz officials said Syrgak Kenjebaev had been detained on suspicion of fraud.
Two Tajik Suspects In 2017 Stockholm Attack Reportedly In Custody In Syria
Two Tajik men believed to be involved in a deadly 2017 truck attack in Stockholm -- one of whom had been believed dead -- are reportedly in custody in Syria. Swedish investigators said Parviz Saidrahmonov, known as Abu Davud, and Tojiddin Nazarov, known as Abu Osama Noraki were accomplices of Rakhmat Akilov, an ethnic Tajik from Uzbekistan, who was sentenced to life in prison in Stockholm in April 2018 for the Stockholm attack.
PRESSROOM: Reporting 1989: Romania