VISUAL REPORTS
Putin, Patriarch Kirill Lay Flowers On National Unity Day
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, laid flowers at a monument on Moscow's Red Square honoring the commanders of a volunteer army that fought off troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Moscow in 1612. At least six protesters were detained at two small, state-sanctioned antigovernment rallies during the day.
Poroshenko, Patriarch Bartholomew Sign Accord On Independent Ukrainian Church
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed an agreement on November 3 in Istanbul paving the way for the establishment of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
RT Chief Simonyan Gives Crimea Annexation The 'Mamma Mia!' Treatment
Crimea Bridge: Made With Love! -- a new film written by RT Editor in Chief Margarita Simonyan and directed by her husband, Tigran Keosayan -- is an uber-patriotic romantic comedy that was filmed against the backdrop of the rising Crimean bridge linking Russia via the Kerch Strait with the peninsula.
Crimean TV Mocks Parent Worried By Chemical Leaks
A mother of four has been vilified by Russian media in Crimea for protesting against what she says may be continuing leaks from a chemical plant following its closure after an initial sulfur dioxide leak in September.
RFE/RL Reports Increased Attacks On Its Journalists
On the UNESCO International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has documented an expanding use of restrictive acts and intimidation targeting its journalists in no fewer than 12 countries where RFE/RL reports.
OTHER NEWS
Putin Praises GRU Spy Agency Blamed For Attacks In West
Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 2 praised the Russian military spy agency in a ceremony broadcast on national television marking the GRU’s 100th anniversary, saluting officers’ “personal daring and decisiveness.”
South Korean Media Reports Possible Kim Jong-Un Visit To Moscow
Citing the Ambassador of South Korea to Russia, South Korean media is reporting that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Russia this month, in response to an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin for a visit by year’s end. Putin would plan to visit the DPRK after. (Russian Service)
Kyiv Patriarch Warns Against Giving Kremlin Pretext For Incursions
The leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate says steps toward independence from Moscow must be carried out carefully to avoid giving the Kremlin a pretext for further Russian incursions into Ukrainian territory.
Rusal Aluminum Registers In Russia
The aluminium holding company Rusal, Russia’s only aluminium producer, once controlled by oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who has left the company due to U.S. sanctions, has announced it will change its registration from Britain’s Jersey Island to the Russian Federation. Observers say the move will allow the company to evade U.S. sanctions and recover its stock price. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Kyiv Says Ukrainian Soldier, Three Separatist Fighters Killed In East
Ukraine's government says one of its soldiers has been killed and four wounded as a result of clashes with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in one of 18 cease-fire violations recorded by Kyiv in the previous 24 hours.
Travels With Ivan: How The Soviet Secret Police Monitored John Steinbeck
In 1948, John Steinbeck and one of the world's most celebrated combat photojournalists, Robert Capa, published A Russian Journal, based on a 40-day tour of the Soviet Union that the two men undertook the previous summer. Current Time TV has gained access to a seven-page report filed by the Soviet secret police covering the Ukrainian portion of this historic journey.
Azerbaijani Authorities Say Two Extremists Killed In Ganje
Authorities say police killed two alleged religious extremists in a confrontation in Ganje, Azerbaijan's second-largest city and the site of past violence blamed on Islamic militants.
Former Armenian President's Son-in-Law Recalled From Ambassador Posts
Yerevan has recalled Mikayel Minasian, the son-in-law of former Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian, from his ambassadorial posts in the Vatican and Portugal.
Maintaining Law And Order In The Tajik Town That Spawned The Attack On Foreign Cyclists
Norak’s "Volunteer Patrol," a makeshift line of defense against extremism that has enlisted former police officers and vigilantes, has expanded after four foreign cyclists were killed and two others injured when they were mowed down in a vehicular attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group in July.
Boston Marathon Bomber's Friend Deported To Kazakhstan
U.S. immigration authorities have confirmed that Dias Kadyrbayev, a 24-year-old man who was convicted in June 2015 for concealing criminal evidence for his college friend, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was deported to his native Kazakhstan last month.
Controversial Uzbek Businessman Elected Head Of Amateur Boxing Federation
An Uzbek businessman with alleged ties to organized crime has been elected president of the amateur boxing federation (AIBA), despite fears that his appointment could lead to the sport's ejection from the Olympics.