Section: US & Canada
‘Iron Lilya’: Human Rights Defender Challenges Authority In Crimea
Human rights lawyer Lilya Gemedzhi defends Crimean Tatars against persecution in Russia-annexed Crimea. Wearing a hijab in court, she is a rare sight, and a hero to her clients and her four children. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Patriotic War Film Draws 8 Million Russians as Ties With West Fray
A state-funded Russian film that lionizes a Soviet World War II tank and its crew has become the second highest grossing home-grown production since the collapse of the Soviet Union, part of a Kremlin-backed drive to instill patriotism in young people. The Kremlin has long put the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany at the heart of a patriotic push...
Andreescu, Marino, Abanda and Dabrowski named to Canada’s Fed Cup roster
TORONTO — Heidi El Tabakh has caught a couple breaks for her upcoming debut as captain of the Canadian Fed Cup team. The recent breakout of teenager Bianca Andreescu has given her a bonafide No. 1 singles weapon in the World Group II first-round tie against the Netherlands. El Tabakh also doesn’t have to worry about ninth-ranked Kiki...
EU Again Urges Moscow To Release Ukrainian Sailors
The European Union has again called on Russia to immediately and unconditionally release the 24 Ukrainian Navy sailors seized along with their three naval vessels last year near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
‘Putin’s Chef’ Has His Fingers In Many Pies, Critics Say
Yevgeny Prigozhin, a high-end caterer with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. election and is linked to Russian mercenaries in Syria and Ukraine.(Image credit: Misha Japaridze/AP) …read more Source:...
The Quick Read on Venezuela’s Political Crisis
What Happened This Week: The U.S. government continues to tighten the screws on Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela; on Monday, the Trump administration announced extensive sanctions against Venezuela’s state-oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) in a push to collapse the regime in favor of Venezuela’s parliamentary leader...
Israel Leader Scorned for Wooing Holocaust-distorting Allies
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warm welcome to Lithuania’s prime minister marks his latest embrace of an eastern European leader who has offered strong political support while promoting a distorted image of the Holocaust. Lithuania is among a slew of former communist nations swept up in a wave of World War II-era...
The French Connection: Donbas Fighters Don Yellow Vests
French citizens who joined Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have now resurfaced among the Yellow Vest protesters in Paris. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Maria Butina: Naive Idealist or Dangerous Conspirator?
Even in the densely packed Soviet-era apartment blocks at the edge of this faded Siberian industrial hub, little redheaded Masha always seemed to stand out. “She was quite an unusual kid to some extent — physically quite tall in comparison with her peers, and she was in fact much more physically developed,” says her father, Valeriy...
Europe May Be at a Tipping Point. Here’s What the US Can Do.
This year is shaping up as an inflection point for Europe. Key national elections and European Union parliamentary elections could recast the Continent’s political discourse for years to come. Britain is set to leave the European Union at the end of March, and NATO will mark its 70th anniversary as it, fittingly, continues to return to its...
