Mostar is in a state of limbo over its debilitated "eternal mayor." But he can't be legally replaced until fresh local elections, but court rulings and a political impasse have prevented a vote there since 2008.
A row has broken out between Russia and the Czech Republic over a Prague district mayor's plan to build a monument to the Vlasov army. Led by a former Soviet military officer, the force, also known as the Russian Liberation Army, did little actual fighting during World War II. So why is it still a taboo topic in Russia?
Three years ago, Uzbekistan went through its first major political upheaval in decades after the death of longtime President Islam Karimov. The transition prompted debate inside and outside Uzbekistan as to whether the country was headed for a political thaw or a continuation of an autocratic regime under different leadership. Pyotr Trotsenko, a correspondent for RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service, or Radio Azattyq, traveled through Uzbekistan in November to investigate the shifting landscape.
After a huge public outcry over his arrest for political speeches on YouTube, a Russian student blogger who fanned the summer's protest wave left court on a suspended sentence. It’s the latest case of public pressure appearing to force authorities to make concessions.
The Putin era has been marked by events such as terror attacks, deadly disasters, and politically charged court cases. Yegor Zhukov, a student who was convicted of public calls for extremism in a closely watched trial, delivered a stinging verdict against the state in his closing remarks in court.
Leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France meet on December 9 to seek progress toward ending the only war on the European continent.
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Kyrgyzstan’s culture minister says a “feminist” exhibition that includes nudity will continue despite its main organizer being forced to quit and several items being confiscated after complaints by nationalists.
A 27-year-old engineer killed in Iran’s brutal crackdown on protests triggered by a sharp hike in gas prices has become a face for the violent upheaval that shook the Islamic republic.
Before his arrest in August, Yegor Zhukov had attracted a sizable following on his YouTube channel, with political diatribes. His final words at his trial in Moscow, on the eve of his verdict and sentencing, have drawn even more attention.
Twenty years after a treaty spawned a Union State linking Russia and Belarus, Moscow is stepping up efforts to secure a greater hold over the smaller former Soviet republic. But in Minsk, few expect much more than a symbolic declaration on the pact’s anniversary on December 8 -- and fewer still would welcome a merger with their country's massive eastern neighbor.
As the leaders of Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia press on with plans to ease cross-border traffic, getting their other Western Balkan neighbors on board could make all the difference.
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