Claire Bigg covers Russia, Ukraine, and the post-Soviet world, with a focus on human rights, civil society, and social issues.
Central and Eastern European dignitaries used a prominent democracy conference this week to voice concerns over Russia's increasingly assertive stance and poor human rights record -- two ills that some say are being aggravated by U.S. President Barack Obama's efforts to "reset" relations with Moscow.
Prague this week plays host to a global meeting of astronauts and cosmonauts. Some big names are in attendance, including Soviet space hero Aleksei Leonov and China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei.
The United States government has loosened its control over how the Internet is run.
Pope Benedict XVI is in the Czech Republic on his first visit to that country as head of the Roman Catholic Church. He hopes to bolster the dwindling Catholic community in one of Europe's most secular places.
Poland and the Czech Republic are reeling from Washington's decision to scrap plans for a missile shield with components in both countries. The U.S. says the replacement system will be more effective, but many in Central Europe think Washington walked out on its allies.
The Belarusian opposition is reeling from the publication of an online diary in which an activist admits infiltrating the opposition for the KGB secret service. The confession, which contains damaging accusations against opposition leaders, has raised questions both about its authenticity and its author's motives.
A group of protesters has been camped outside Ukrainian government headquarters since mid-April to demand land in the Crimean peninsula. This is the most sustained protest to date by Crimean Tatars, who have relentlessly campaigned for the restitution of land confiscated during the mass deportation of their nation 65 years ago.
A Moscow court has begun hearing a new trial into the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. The retrial comes after the Supreme Court overturned acquittal verdicts in what critics say was a botched first process.
Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's powerful Orthodox Church, is making a highly controversial visit to Ukraine. While some Ukrainians welcome his stated goal of uniting fractious Orthodox Christians, critics accuse Kirill of advancing the Kremlin's agenda on Ukrainian soil.
Moldova is bracing for potentially decisive elections that could lift it out of political deadlock or plunge it into fresh chaos. But the country's large -- and deep-pocketed -- diaspora complains it's being excluded.
Slain activist Natalya Estemirova helped hundreds of ordinary Chechens document abuses. Now, in the wake of her murder, rights group Memorial is suspending operations in Chechnya. The step effectively removes the last remaining line of defense for the republic's vulnerable residents.
Natalya Estemirova's killing is not an isolated act of violence -- it is the latest in a string of assaults and murders of human rights campaigners and others who have denounced abuses in Chechnya and the surrounding republics. Many say the trail of blood leads to Chechnya's leader, iron-fisted Ramzan Kadyrov.
Vladislav Surkov, the man seen as the Kremlin's chief ideologist, is known for his media shyness. But he has been unusually visible in recent months, making calls for liberal reform that suggest a change of course is under way in the Kremlin.
British-born U.S. balloonist John Stuart-Jervis had made a career of airborne adventure, serving as a Royal Navy fighter pilot before moving on to commercial air shipping, parachuting, and work as a flight instructor. In 1995, at the age of 68, he entered the Gordon Bennett Cup, the world's most prestigious hot-air balloon race. But the event ended in tragedy when the Belarusian army shot down his balloon, killing him and his partner, and sparking a major diplomatic dispute with Washington. Fou
On the night of June 21, 2004, hundreds of armed Chechen rebels stormed the southern Russian city of Nazran, leaving a trail of destruction and death in their wake. The raid alarmed the Kremlin, which had boasted of bringing stability to the North Caucasus after a decade of war with Chechen separatists. Five years later, Moscow has done little to contain militancy from spreading through the region.
Karel Gott, the Czech pop-music icon whose legions of fans continue to adore him in much of Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Germany, is marking his 70th birthday with a very Gott-like gala event billed as the "concert of the century."
Russia has banned hundreds of dairy products from Belarus, citing health concerns. But the move is widely seen as retaliation for Minsk's defiant tone and recent coziness with Europe. Not for the first time, Russia has allowed its public health chief to flex his muscles amid high-profile diplomatic spats with its neighbors.
As Eastern Europe prepares to mark 20 years since the fall of communism, many countries find themselves grappling with spiraling racist violence. Why have ultranationalist groups been gaining momentum and claiming a rising number of victims?
From Turkey to France, European customers have seen their Russian gas deliveries come to a halt, and governments are taking emergency measures to deal with the crisis amid a severe cold snap. But as the gas feud continues, rivals Russia and Ukraine aren't feeling the cold.
The once-booming ruble has been hit hard by the global financial crisis -- after years of economic prosperity, Russians are suddenly having to tighten their belts. Could mounting public discontent become a genuine threat to the Kremlin?
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