- + Iranian Political Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike Over Wave Of Executions—A group of Iranian political prisoners around the country have launched a hunger strike to protest a wave of death sentences that could push Iran's ex...
- + Turkmenistan Opens Section Of Ashgabat-Turkmenabat Highway—Turkmenistan has opened a section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway linking the cities of Tejen and Mary in southeastern Turkmenistan. [Category: Ne...
- + Head Of Anti-Graft Agency In Montenegro Arrested On Suspicion Of Abuse Of Office—The director of Montenegro’s Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) has been arrested after a search of the ACA's offices and vehicles in Podgorica in the lates...
- + Kyrgyz Ministry Reportedly Asks Internet Providers To Limit TikTok Accessibility—Media reports in Kyrgyzstan cited the Digital Development Ministry as saying that it had instructed Internet providers to limit access to TikTok as of...
- + Memorial Human Rights Group Recognizes Imprisoned Bashkir Anti-War Activist As Political Prisoner—The Memorial human rights group has recognized activist Ramila Saitova (aka Galim) from Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan, who was sentenced in Decem...
- + Kazakhs Prepare For Second Wave As Central Asia, Russia Struggle With Floods—In the Kazakh city of Oral, thousands of residents are building dams and preparing for another wave of flooding that could arrive on April 20. With no...
- + Raisi Reiterates Warning As Israel Mulls Response To Weekend Air Attack—Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has reiterated his warning to Israel that "the tiniest invasion" would trigger a swift and severe response amid global...
- + Water Level Rising 'Dangerously' In Tobol River Crossing Russia, Kazakhstan—Water levels in the Tobol River in the Russian region of Kurgan have risen "dangerously," amid flooding in the border region with Kazakhstan caused by...
- + Iran's Afghan Community Worried About Prospect Of War With Israel—Members of Iran's sizable Afghan community are worried about the prospect of a full-blown war between Tehran and its archfoe, Israel. In the wake of I...
- + As Iran And Israel Escalate Conflict, Arab States Stick To Their Guns—As Israel and Iran engage in a dangerous game of one-upmanship that threatens to plunge the Middle East into a broader conflict, Arab countries have s...
- + Deadly Russian Attack Hits Chernihiv With Air Defenses Lacking—At least 17 people have died and several others were injured in a Russian air strike on the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. The air attack came after an ...
- + 70 killed As Afghanistan Hit By Heavy Rains—Around 70 people have been killed by heavy rains lashing Afghanistan over the past five days, the government's disaster management department said on ...
- + Russian Dissident Kara-Murza Faces Brutal Prison Transfer, Says Lawyer—Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza faces a long and arduous transfer from a Siberian penal colony to a Moscow court to appeal against his 25-year s...
- + U.K. Says Israel 'Making Decision To Act' As Iran Vows To Respond To Any Incursion—British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on April 17 that Israel “is making a decision to act” in response to Iran's missile and drone attack over...
- + Iran Says UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Will Visit Tehran—The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will shortly be travelling to Tehran to resume nuclear talks with the Irania...
- + Another Tajik Arrested In Connection With Moscow Terrorist Attack—Russian authorities have arrested a dual Tajik–Russian national in connection with the March 22 terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue...
- + Kremlin Confirms Russian Peacekeepers Leaving Nagorno-Karabakh—The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian peacekeepers are leaving Azerbaijan's once-breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. [Category: News, Armenia, Azer...
- + Protesters Give Georgian Government Ultimatum To Pull Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Law—The Georgian parliament on April 17 approved the first reading of a controversial "foreign agents," bill with 83 lawmakers supporting the legislation ...
- + Georgian Riot Police Use Pepper Spray, Detain Protesters—Riot police used pepper spray against demonstrators and detained several of them in the Georgian capital on April 16. This came after thousands of pro...
- + Putin's Classmate Named Russian Supreme Court Chair—Russia's Federation Council on April 17 voted to appoint Irina Podnosova, who in 1975 graduated from the Leningrad State University's law school along...
- + Ukraine Will Become NATO Member, Predicts Former NATO Deputy Secretary-General—As NATO approaches its 75th anniversary, the military alliance faces an "extraordinarily difficult moment" posed by Russia's full-scale invasion of Uk...
- + 'The Best' For Putin: How The Kremlin Stands To Gain From Iran's Attack On Israel—Iran’s attack on Israel is drawing the attention of the West and world away from Russia’s war on Ukraine. It is adding to uncertainly over the fate of...
- + Residents Scramble To Evacuate As Floodwaters Engulf Kazakh City—Severe floods that have left many areas of Kazakhstan under water continue to force people from their homes with more than 110,000 people now evacuate...
- + Iran Takes Legal Action Against Analyst, Newspaper Over Criticism Of Israel Attack—Iran's judiciary has initiated legal proceedings against the Tehran-based Etemad newspaper and political analyst Abbas Abdi over comments related to t...
- + Iranians Voice Concern Following Attack On Israel —Despite images of celebrating crowds on the streets of Tehran, RFE/RL listeners in Iran have contacted us to voice apprehension about the possible con...
- + Kazakhstan Floods Displace More Than 110,000 People From Their Homes—Spring flooding, described as some of the worst in 80 years, continues to wreak havoc across Kazakhstan, with over 110,000 people being forced to evac...
- + Belarusian Journalist Sentenced To 15 Days For Sending Links Court Says Were 'Extremist'—Dzianis Nosav, a journalist for the Vecherny Babruysk newspaper, was sentenced to 15 days in jail by a court in Belarus for sending links to "extremis...
- + Georgian MP Punches Lawmaker Over 'Foreign Agents' Bill—A Georgian opposition lawmaker attacked a member of the ruling party as he tried to present a controversial "foreign agents" bill in parliament that h...
- + Wider Europe Briefing: Kosovo Could Finally Get In The Council Of Europe —This week I'm drilling down on two big issues: Kosovo's chances of joining the Council of Europe and the weakening of the EU's sanctions on Russia. [...
- + 4 Civilians Killed As Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pleads For Patriot Systems—Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on April 15 again called for Kyiv's Western allies to "urgently" deliver desperately needed additional air-de...
- + Heavy Rains, Lightning Kill 36 In Pakistan—Lightning and heavy rains have killed at least 36 people, mostly farmers, across Pakistan in the past three days, officials said on April 15, as autho...
- + 'On The Brink': Leaders Call For Restraint As World Awaits Israeli Response To Iran Attack—Leading diplomats and politicians across the globe, fearing another major escalation of fighting in the Middle East, urged restraint as the world wait...
- + Nearly 125,000 Evacuated Due To Floods In Kazakhstan, Russia—Almost 125,000 people have been evacuated from areas hit by massive floods in parts of Russia and Kazakhstan where water levels continue to rise in se...
- + Armenia, Azerbaijan To Clash At UN Top Court—Azerbaijan and Armenia will fight out a long-running "ethnic cleansing" dispute at the top United Nations court from April 15, just as military tensio...
- + Jordan Summons Iranian Ambassador To Protest Interference In Its Afairs—Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on April 14 said his country had summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against Iranian comments that were...
- + Saudi Foreign Minister To Lead Delegaton On Pakistan Visit—A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah will visit Pakistan on April 15-16 as part of ...
- + U.S. Speaker Says Will Try To Pass Israel Aid, But Ukraine Package Uncertain—U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on April 14 said he would try to pass aid to Israel in the upcoming week, after Iran's mass drone a...
- + 'Geopolitical Situation' Blamed As Price Of Kyrgyzstan's Favorite Fermented Drink Skyrockets—Spring is here and on the streets of Kyrgyzstan's capital that means one thing: Shoro season. But prices for the fermented drinks made by one of the c...
- + Israel Promises Victory After Iranian Attack Risks Broader Middle East Conflict—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that his country would emerge victorious following an unprecedented attack from Iran. According to the...
- + Flash Flooding Kills At Least 33 People In Kabul, Other Afghan Regions—Flash flooding caused by heavy rains has destroyed hundreds of homes and killed at least 33 people over the past three days in the Afghan capital, Kab...
- + Explainer: The 'Kamikaze' Drones Iran Used To Attack Israel—Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel has put the spotlight on Tehran's arsenal of cheap but effective suicide drones. Scores of Iranian-made Shahed-1...
- + Facebook Restrictions The 'Last Nail In The Coffin' For Free Speech In Afghanistan—The Taliban says it has finalized plans to block or restrict access to Facebook, arguing the step is necessary to keep youths' attention focused on ed...
- + Ukraine's Zelenskiy Calls For Urgent Aid To Counter Russian Air Strikes—President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Ukraine's allies to provide additional support, while his defense minister visited outmanned and outgunned tro...
- + Are Tajik Government Policies Helping Create Terrorists?—Can an authoritarian government's policies contribute to its citizens becoming terrorists? Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s government has received fi...
- + Iran's Unprecedented But Choreographed Attack On Israel Underlines Tehran's Limits—Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel on April 13 was intended to project strength. But the highly choreographed nature of the assault also underlined...
- + Ukraine Commander Says Moscow Seeks Fall Of Chasiv Yar By May 9—Russia's top leadership has ordered the military to capture the city of Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, in time for the May 9 commemoration of the ...
- + Explosions, Sirens Over Jerusalem As Iran Attacks With Drones, Missiles—The sound of explosions and sirens echoed throughout Jerusalem in the early hours of April 14 after Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles at Isr...
- + Russian Officials Urge Evacuation Of Parts Of Kurgan Region Amid Flooding—Officials in Russia's Kurgan region in the southern Urals are urging residents of districts threatened by flooding to evacuate immediately. [Category:...
- + Photos Of The Week (April 8-14, 2024)—Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the 15th week of 2024 from around RFE/RL's region. [Category: Photo Galleries, Photo Galleries] ...
- + Iranians Celebrate After Iran Launches Drone Attack On Israel—Iranians celebrate in Tehran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched a missile attack on Israel overnight on April 13-14. [Catego...
- + Uzbekistan Cracks Down On 'Religious Extremism' In Aftermath Of Moscow Terror Attack—Uzbek police have conducted dozens of raids targeting religious extremists and terrorists, arrested suspects, and warned the public to avoid "extremis...
- + Bulgaria's Georgieva Appointed To New Five-Year Term Atop IMF—Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist, will serve as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a second five-year term, the Washington-b...
- + Germany To Send Additional Patriot System To Ukraine As Scholz, Zelenskiy Talk—Germany will send an additional Patriot air-defense system to Ukraine to bolster its hard-pressed military and help it fend off increased Russian air ...
- + Under Investigation Across Europe, Pro-Kremlin Voice Of Europe Has Deep Balkan Ties—A right-wing Serbian politician, blacklisted by Kyiv for his anti-Ukrainian activities, has been linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, the Kremlin-friendly for...
- + Iranian Student Still Missing Days After Being Detained—A university law student who has been a supporter of Iran's Women, Life, Freedom movement is still missing several days after her arrest by security f...
- + Many Critics, Few Enthusiasts As Ukraine Moves To Fill The Ranks For The Fight Against Russia's Invasion—After long delays and heated debate, the Ukrainian parliament has passed a mobilization bill seeking to strengthen the army as invading Russian forces...
- + Israel, Allies Intercept 'Vast Majority' Of Drones, Missiles Launched By Iran—Air-raid sirens blared across many parts of Israel as an expected barrage of drones and missiles launched by Iran appeared to enter Israeli airspace. ...
- + Last Reactor At Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Put Into Cold State—The last reactor at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine has been shut down as fighting continues in the area for...
- + Situation In East Has 'Deteriorated,' Ukrainian Commander Says, As Dry Conditions Aid Russia—Russian attacks have intensified in eastern Ukraine and conditions for Kyiv's forces have "deteriorated significantly" as dry, warmer weather is allow...
- + U.S., Britain Take Action Targeting Russian Aluminum, Copper, Nickel—Washington and London has prohibited metal-trading exchanges from accepting new aluminum, copper, and nickel produced by Russia and barred the import ...
- + Belarusian Rock Band Known For 2020 Protest Song Branded 'Extremists'—The Belarusian dissident rock band Nizkiz and its three members have been declared extremists and sentenced to 2 1/2 years of restrictions on their fr...
- + Bosnian Tycoon With Ties To Dodik Posthumously Removed From U.S. Sanctions List—The late Bosnian tycoon Slobodan Stankovic and his engineering company have been removed from the U.S. blacklist of sanctioned individuals. [Category:...
- + Militants Block Highway In Southwest Pakistan, Kill 11—Unidentified gunmen have killed 11 people in separate incidents on the same highway in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan Province. [Category: News, ...
- + Water Levels Rise Again To Record Levels In Southern Russia, Kazakhstan—Authorities in the Russian city of Orenburg called on thousands of residents to evacuate immediately on April 12 due to rapidly rising floodwaters aft...
- + Biden Says He Expects Iran To Attack Israel Soon, Warns: 'Don't'—U.S. President Joe Biden on April 12 said he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner, rather than later" and warned Tehran not to proceed. [Category: I...
- + At Least 50,000 Russian Military Deaths, Likely Thousands More, Recorded In Ukraine War—An independent Russian media outlet has documented more than 50,000 deaths among Russian military personnel since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine m...
- + Mass Evacuations Ordered In Southern Russia, Northern Kazakhstan As Floods Surge—Tens of thousands of residents have fled the southern Russian city of Orenburg as the worst floods in decades continue to inundate the region. Many mo...
- + 4 Armenian Soldiers Killed When Truck Plunges Into Ravine—At least four Armenian soldiers were killed and 20 others injured on April 12 when the military vehicle they were in veered off the road and fell into...
- + China Is Surging Equipment Sales To Russia For Ukraine War, U.S. Finds—China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics, and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, air...
- + Russia Summons French Ambassador Over Minister's 'Unacceptable' Comments—Russia on April 12 summoned the French ambassador to Moscow following "unacceptable" comments by French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, the Russia...
- + Tajik Foreign Minister Speaks Out About Treatment Of Crocus City Hall Suspects—Tajikistan's foreign minister on April 12 condemned the treatment of the mostly Tajik suspects in last month’s terrorist attack on a Moscow-area conce...
- + Netherlands Pledges Additional 1 Billion Euros In Military Support For Ukraine—The Netherlands will provide Ukraine with an additional 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion) in military support this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Z...
- + Key Iranian Commanders Are Being Assassinated Abroad. How Will That Affect Tehran's Proxy Network?—Suspected Israeli air strikes have killed at least 18 members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Syria since December. Experts say Israel...
- + Argentine Court Finds Iran, Proxies To Blame For 1994 Jewish Center Bombing—A high court in Argentina has ruled that Iran, and its Lebanese proxy Hizballah, are responsible for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in ...
- + Ukraine's Three-Front War: Advancing Russians, Depleted Artillery, Exhausted Troops—The eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar is being wiped from the map as Russian jets drop heavy, guided bombs that flatten apartment blocks and elite ...
- + Former Ukrainian Secret Service Employee Injured When Car Explodes In Moscow—A former Ukrainian secret service employee was injured when a device under his car exploded in Moscow on April 12. [Category: News, Russia, Ukraine]
- + Outnumbered And Outgunned, Ukraine Struggles To Slow Russian Advance—With a possible Russian offensive looming, Ukraine is fighting to hold the front line amid shortages in weapons and manpower. Ukrainian President Volo...
- + France To Co-Sponsor UN Resolution On Bosnian Genocide, Says Srebrenica Memorial—France will be one of the co-sponsors of a draft UN resolution on Srebrenica, the Srebrenica Memorial Center announced on April 12, a move that would ...
- + Ukraine, Russia Exchange Bodies Of More Than 120 Fallen Troops—The bodies of 99 fallen Ukrainian soldiers were returned to Kyiv, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported i...
- + Silenced: The Russian Targets Of The Kremlin's Extreme New Wartime Laws—Hundreds of Russians have been handed yearslong prison terms under new censorship laws that assign severe penalties for discussing the invasion of Ukr...
- + Little Cheer As Afghans Mark Eid Under Taliban Rule—The Muslim festival of Eid Al-Fitr passed peacefully but with few celebrations in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Extra security was in place at mosques an...
- + The Week's Best: 10 Stories And Videos You Shouldn't Miss—We know you're busy and probably don't have the time to read all of our coverage each and every day. Here are some of the highlights produced in Engli...
- + In Russia And Kazakhstan, The Worst Is Yet To Come As Flooding Intensifies —Floodwaters continue to rise across Russia and Kazakhstan as major rivers burst their banks resulting in some of the worst flooding in decades. [Categ...
- + Tajik Regime Alarmed As Moscow Terror Attack Fallout Has Migrants Streaming Home —Mass migration and money sent by Tajiks working in Russia aren’t just a lifeline to Tajik families, they are a source of political stability for the c...
- + Brussels Says It Suspects Russia Of Interfering In EU Elections—Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on April 12 an investigation into suspected Russian interference in European-wide elections in June...
- + Moscow Expels Slovenian Diplomat In Tit-For-Tat Move—Russia has ordered a Slovenian diplomat to leave the country in a retaliatory move after Ljubljana expelled a Russian diplomat, Russia's Foreign Minis...
- + Ukrainian With 'No Chance' Of Walking Now A Para Powerlifter—Dmytro Polovich was born with cerebral palsy and he was given no chance of ever walking. But with the help of his mother, Polovich defied the odds and...
- + Tehran Police To Launch New Phase Of Hijab Enforcement—Tehran police said they will launch a new phase of enforcement of the mandatory hijab law from April 13 even though the new "hijab and chastity" bill ...
- + Russia Strikes More Ukraine Energy Infrastructure—An energy facility in Ukraine's southern region of Dnipropetrovsk has sustained damage after catching fire following a Russian drone attack early on A...
- + Israel Vows Defense If Iran Responds To Attack On Consulate—Israel&#e2;Pcs military says it is prepared to defend the country and strike back if Iran retaliates for a deadly air strike on the Irania...
- + EU Wants 'Substantial' Talks Between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Says Envoy—A top EU diplomat on April 11 said he wants to see "genuine, substantial negotiations" between Armenia and Azerbaijan leading to a peace treaty, agree...
- + Russia Sends Military Instructors To Niger—Russian military instructors arrived in Niger in a plane loaded with military equipment, Niger state television RTN said on April 11, citing an agreem...
- + Lufthansa Extends Suspension Of Flights To Tehran Amid Rising Tensions—Germany's Lufthansa extended a suspension of its flights to Tehran on April 11 with the Middle East on alert for Iranian retaliation for a suspected I...
- + Father Of Slain Iranian Protester Detained, Whereabouts Unknown—The father of Reza Lotfi, who was among the hundreds of protesters killed by security forces during nationwide protests that swept across Iran in 2022...
- + Outnumbered And Outgunned, Ukraine Struggles To Slow Russian Advance—With a possible Russian offensive looming, Ukraine is fighting to hold the front line amid shortages in weapons and manpower. Ukrainian President Volo...
- + Turkmen Workers Executing 'Orders From Above' As Killing Of Dogs, Cats Continues—Former Turkmen utility workers ordered to cull dogs and cats in Ashgabat speak about the systematic nature of the brutal killings amid reports the pra...
- + Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Ups Risk Of Baltic Sea Spill, Finland's Border Guard Says—The risk of a large Baltic Sea oil spill has risen since Russia began using a "shadow fleet" of tankers to circumvent curbs on its oil exports, Finlan...
- + German Foreign Minister Phones Iranian Counterpart As Mideast Tensions Rise—German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock phoned her Iranian counterpart on April 11 to urge de-escalation amid rising concerns of a direct Iranian at...
- + IMF Chief Says Pakistan Seeking Potential Follow-Up Loan Program—Pakistan is in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a potential follow-up program to its nine-month, $3 billion stand-by arrangem...
- + Recent Attacks On Nuclear Plant In Ukraine Raise Safety Concern To New Level, IAEA Chief Says—Attacks over the weekend on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine have raised the level of concern over the safety of the facility to an eve...
- + What Is Jaish Al-Adl, The Separatist Group Targeting Iranian Forces?—Iran has suffered a series of deadly attacks on its armed forces in the restive Sistan-Baluchistan Province in recent months. The group claiming the a...
- + Memoir Navalny Wrote Before Death To Be Published In October—Aleksei Navalny, the late Russian anti-corruption campaigner and opposition leader, began writing a memoir four years ago that will go on sale later t...
- + Belarusian Accused Of Insulting Lukashenka Dies Awaiting Trial—A Belarusian man accused of insulting authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka has died in a pretrial detention center in the city of Brest, just day...
- + Kyiv Memorial For Brothers In Arms Who Fought And Died For Ukraine—Every week, memorial services are held in the heart of Kyiv for fallen Ukrainian soldiers. Two best friends -- who fought and died side by side in eas...
- + Ambassador Warns Georgia 'Foreign Agents' Bill 'Incompatible' With EU Values—The European Union's ambassador to Georgia has criticized the reintroduction of a "foreign agents" bill in parliament -- legislation compared with a s...
- + Record Flooding In Russia, Kazakhstan Expected To Worsen—Heavy rains and a rapid rise in temperatures causing a massive snowmelt continue to create "difficult" conditions in southern Russia and northern Kaza...
- + Unlocking North Macedonia's Tourism Potential—While North Macedonia experiences an increase in tourists, there's a concerning trend of visitors spending fewer days in the country. Is the state's m...
- + New Mobilization Law Draws Mixed Reaction From War-Weary Ukrainians—Ukrainians have expressed mixed feelings to RFE/RL over a new law that was passed by parliament on April 11 aimed at boosting the country's depleted t...
- + Rights Groups Call On UN To Pressure Iran On Drug-Related Executions—More than 80 human rights organizations from Iran and around the world have called on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to condition its on...
- + The Great Escape Of Artyom Uss—How a Balkan crime gang sprang a Russian businessman from Italian house arrest. [Category: Russia, Features, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Russ...
- + Ukrainian Parliament Passes New Mobilization Law—Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has passed a law on military mobilization that will boost the number of its troops, two lawmakers reported, ...
- + Russia Says It Killed 2 Militants In North Caucasus—Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAK) said two alleged militants were killed in a "counterterrorism" operation that started on April 11 in ...
- + Before-And-After Satellite Imagery Reveals Devastation From Floodwaters In Russia—Before-and-after satellite imagery reveals the floodwaters that have forced thousands of residents to evacuate from the Russian city of Orsk. [Categor...
- + Inside Ukraine’s Fast-Tracked Sniper Training Course—At a secret location within earshot of the fighting in Ukraine, camouflaged snipers receive specialized training in a fraction of the time it would ha...
- + Zelenskiy Pleads For Air Defenses After 'Vile' Russian Strikes—Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been left without electricity following massive Russian air strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure, which prompt...
- + Freedom House Sounds Alarm As Democracy Plummets Amid Autocratic Surge For 20th Year—Democratic governance in Central Europe and Central Asia declined for a 20th consecutive year, according to rights watchdog Freedom House, driven by M...
- + Kara-Murza's Wife Accuses Russia Of Using Punitive Cell To Hasten Prisoners' Illnesses—The wife of Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza said her husband has been held in solitary confinement for the last six months in a jail...
- + Central Asians Celebrate Eid In Moscow Amid Tight Security—Despite heightened security measures following the deadly attack on Crocus City Hall, thousands of Central Asian migrants attended Eid al-Fitr prayers...
- + Russia Ranked Top Of Global Cybercrime Index, With Ukraine Second—Russia, Ukraine, and China have been named as the world’s cybercrime hotspots in a new study ranking the most significant sources of cybercrime threat...
- + 'There's Nothing For Us In Russia': Family Threatened With Deportation From Serbia—The Terekh family moved to Serbia from Russia in 2019, seeking a better life. They've found jobs, paid taxes, and say they never made trouble. But now...
- + Kazakh Journalists Banned From Courtroom At Murder Trial Of Former Cabinet Minister—Judge Aizhan Qulbaeva on April 10 banned journalists from the high-profile murder trial of former cabinet member Quandyq Bishimbaev after several memb...
- + Top U.S. General Tells Congress Ukraine 'Cannot Sustain Fight Against Russia Alone'—The top U.S. general in Europe has warned that Ukraine cannot sustain its fight against Russia alone as a major spending bill languishes in the House ...
- + Russia Issues Arrest Warrant For Ex-Chief Of Memorial's Branch In Perm—A court in the Russian city of Perm on April 10 issued an arrest warrant for Robert Latypov, the self-exiled former chief of the Nobel Prize-winning M...
- + Siberian Court Sends Man To Prison For Attempt To Join Pro-Ukrainian Militia—A court in the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk on April 10 sentenced a 20-year-old man to nine years in prison for attempting to join the so-called Ru...
- + Former Pro-Russia Lawmaker Detained During Attempt To Leave Ukraine—The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on April 10 that its officers had detained a former regional lawmaker of the banned pro-Russia Party of Reg...
- + Imprisoned Kazakh Activist Launches Hunger Strike Over Medical Assistance—Imprisoned Kazakh activist Aigerim Tileuzhanova has launched a hunger strike to protest against what she called a "violation of her rights" in a corre...
- + Igor Girkin, Imprisoned Russian Nationalist, Plans To Join Troops Invading Ukraine—Russian nationalist Igor Girkin (aka Strelkov), who was sentenced to four years in prison in January on a charge of making public calls for extremist ...
- + 'Very Tense': Anger Rises To Surface Over Government Response To Kazakh, Russian Floods—Floodwaters continue to submerge large areas of southern Russia and northern Kazakhstan with officials predicting the worse is yet to come as a massiv...
- + From Our Regions: Millions Celebrate Eid al-Fitr—Worshippers are marking the conclusion of the monthlong dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan with a three-day celebration known as Eid al-Fitr. [Category...
- + Russia Uses Pay, Perks To Promote Labor Migration To Occupied Areas In Ukraine—Kyiv charges that Moscow has formed a “great occupation corps” of professionals and skilled and unskilled labor from Russia to put down roots in the o...
- + Russia Investigates Online Post By Journalist In Exile—Russia's government-linked Baza Telegram channel said on April 10 that the Investigative Committee had launched a probe against Zalina Marshenkulova, ...
- + Romania Cancels Showing Of 2 Russian Movies—Romania's Culture Ministry has canceled the showing of two Russian movies after RFE/RL publicized an initiative by the Russian Center, which ostensibl...
- + Russian Space Agency Scrubs Launch Of Rocket For Second Day In A Row—Russia's space agency scrapped the launch of a heavy-lift rocket from a new facility for the second day in a row. [Category: News, Russia] [Link to me...
- + Russia Seeks To Recruit 400,000 Contract Soldiers This Year, U.K. Says—Russia is aiming to sign up 400,000 contract soldiers this year to beef up its forces that have suffered huge losses in the Ukraine war, Britain's Min...
- + Drone Captures Scale Of Flooding As Kazakhstan Says Almost 100,000 Evacuated—Kazakh officials say nearly 100,000 people have now been evacuated due to flooding in the Central Asian country. Drone footage captured by RFE/RL's Ka...
- + At Least 5 Iranian Officers Dead In Clash With Militants In Restive Southeast—At least five Iranian law enforcement officers were killed in clashes with the Jaish al-Adl militant group in the southeastern province of Sistan-Balu...
- + Video from Vladimir Jovancic's TikTok showing a boat in an unknown location— [Category: Videos] [Link to media]
- + Turkmen Pop Star's Fate Unknown After Drug Arrest In Iran—Controversial Turkmen popstar Nazir Habibov's reported arrest in Iran last month for drug possession has caused concern among his fans, and it's uncle...
- + Prison Term Of Former Head Of Navalny's Bashkortostan Team Extended—The Supreme Court of Russia's Bashkortostan region on April 9 extended the prison sentence of Lilia Chanysheva, the former head of late opposition lea...
- + A Flood Of Anger As Russia Struggles With Raging Waters—Russia's southern region of Orenburg and neighboring Kazakhstan continue to struggle with floodwaters that have forced thousands of residents to be ev...
- + Iran Blocks 'Blind Date' As Part Of Social-Media Crackdown—Iran's judicial authorities have seized the Instagram page of the popular online program Blind Date, hosted by an Iranian influencer known as Viny, as...
- + Kremlin Warns Worse To Come As Floods Ravage Russia, Kazakhstan—The Kremlin has warned that water levels have yet to peak in several regions of the country as tens of thousands in southern Russia -- and in neighbor...
- + Some Members Of Kyrgyz Investigative Group Released To House Arrest—A Bishkek court on April 9 ordered four of eight jailed reporters from the Temirov Live investigative group to be transferred to house arrest. [Catego...
- + EU Drops Sanctions On Iranian Tech Firm Accused Of Internet Censorship—A European Union official says the bloc has removed sanctions on the Iranian tech startup ArvanCloud because it "no longer" saw the need to keep them ...
- + Russian Strikes Hit School, Shops In Eastern Ukraine—At least one woman was killed and three others wounded in the Ukrainian town of Bilopillya, in the Sumy region, after the Russian military dropped fou...
- + U.S. Sent Seized Iranian Munitions To Ukraine—The United States has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being transferred from Iran to Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yeme...
- + Tajik Man Arrested In Italy For Alleged Terrorism-Related Crimes—Italian police said on April 8 that a Tajik man was arrested in Rome as he arrived from the Netherlands on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic ...
- + Belarusian Activist Gets 10 Years In Prison For Supporting Ukraine—A court in the southeastern Belarusian region of Homel sentenced activist Ivan Sukhamerau to 10 years in prison on April 8 on charges of taking part i...
- + Ukraine Says It Struck Russian Aviation Center In Voronezh—The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has confirmed that an aviation training center in Russia's southwestern Voronezh ...
- + Tajik President Calls Current Global Situation 'Cold War's New Phase'—Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called the current global situation "a new phase of the Cold War" and called on his compatriots to be politically vigil...
- + Kosovo's 'First Ashkali Actor' Fights Prejudice To Build Dreams—Ergjan Mehmeti says he's the first actor from Kosovo's small Ashkali community. Ashkalis are an ethnic minority, who have struggled with discriminatio...
- + Ukraine Strikes Reportedly Prompt Russia To Ask Kazakhstan For Gasoline—Reuters cited three sources on April 8 as saying Russia had asked Kazakhstan to supply it with 100,000 tons of gasoline in case of shortages caused by...
- + Bulgaria's Caretaker Government Takes Office As Snap Elections Announced—A Bulgarian caretaker government led by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev was sworn in by parliament on April 9 after being appointed by President Rumen...
- + Top Shots: Compelling Images From Around Our Region—Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the 15th week of 2024 from around RFE/RL's region. [Category: Photo Galleries, Photo Galleries] ...
- + Ukraine Says It Repelled 20 Russian Drone Attacks On 7 Regions—Ukraine's Air Force said it destroyed all 20 drones launched by Russia early on April 9 at seven of its regions -- Mykolayiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dniprope...
- + In Major Upgrade Of Serbian Air Force, Vucic Agrees Jet Deal With France—Serbia and France have reached agreement on Belgrade buying 12 French-made Rafale fighter jets, President Aleksandar Vucic said, a move that will lead...
- + Serbia's Vucic In Paris To Discuss Fighter Jets, Nuclear Power, Kosovar Relations—Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is on a two-day working visit to France where he is expected to discuss the acquisition of 12 Rafale fighter jets a...
- + In A First, Ukraine Cites Damage To Russian Warship In Baltic Sea—Ukraine's military intelligence reportedly carried out a special operation that damaged a Russian warship docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the...
- + In A First, Ukraine Claims To Damage Russian Ship In Baltic—Ukraine's military intelligence have carried out a special operation that damaged a Russian warship docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Balti...
- + Millions Of Kazakhs Watch As Ex-Minister Goes On Trial For Wife's Brutal Death—Millions have tuned in to watch live broadcasts of the trial of a former minister who is charged with murdering his wife. Lawyers and activists hope t...
- + Will Ukraine Be Affected By Slovakia's New Pro-Russian President?—Peter Pellegrini's election win on April 6 gives Slovakia a Russian-friendly president whose views are in line with those of Slovak Prime Minister Rob...
- + Iranian University Threatens Female Students Over Graduation Celebration—The president of Iran's Al-Zahra University has threatened legal action against a group of female students after video of them celebrating their gradu...
- + Ukraine Denies Involvement In Attack On Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant—Kyiv has denied involvement in the April 7 attack on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IA...
- + Kyrgyz Man Who Mutilated Ex-Wife Jailed For 20 Years—The Chui regional court in northern Kyrgyzstan on April 8 rejected an appeal by a man who was handed a 20-year prison sentence in January for severely...
- + Russian Anti-War Activist Who Helped Ukrainian Refugees Dies In Custody—Russian anti-war activist Aleksandr Demidenko, who helped hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in the Belgorod region to return to Ukraine, died in custody ...
- + Another Azerbaijani Opposition Activist Gets Lengthy Prison Term—A court in Azerbaijan has handed a lengthy prison term to another activist from the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP) amid an ongoing c...
- + Ombudsman Confirms Jailed Kyrgyz Journalist Attacked By Guards—Representatives of the Kyrgyz Ombudsman's Institute have confirmed that guards physically attacked journalist Makhabat Tajibek-kyzy and two of her cel...
- + Wider Europe Briefing: The EU Initiative To Send Russian Money To Ukraine—This week I'm drilling down on two big issues: how the EU could transfer profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine -- perhaps as soon as July -- a...
- + Minsk Launches Probe Against Leader Of Belarusian Aid Group In Ukraine—Belarusian authorities said on April 8 that they have launched a probe against self-exiled activist Bazhena Zholudz, the leader of the Kyiv-based Bela...
- + Ukraine's Recaptured Villages, Then And Now—Two years after Russian forces retreated from the Kyiv region, RFE/RL photojournalist Serhiy Nuzhnenko revisited the same sites he photographed then t...
- + Tajik Opposition Activist Arrested In Lithuania—Ignotas Sungaila, the lawyer of self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sulaimon Davlatov, told RFE/RL on April 8 that a court in Lithuania had sent his...
- + Molotov Cocktails Thrown At Russian Embassy In Vilnius—Unidentified people threw bottles containing a flammable liquid at the Russian Embassy building in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, for two nights in a r...
- + At Baku's Request, Kyrgyzstan Extradites 5 With Alleged Links To Matraimov—Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) said on April 8 that it extradited to Azerbaijan five alleged members of "an organized crimi...
- + Thousands Evacuated In Russia, Kazakhstan Amid Raging Floodwaters—Thousands of residents have been evacuated in southern Russia and northern Kazakhstan as melting snow and a burst dam continue to raise water levels t...
- + Russia Declares Federal Emergency As Floodwaters Force Evacuations—Floodwaters continue to rise in the aftermath of a burst dam in the Russian city of Orsk in the Ural Mountains. Investigators have launched a criminal...
- + The War And Terror—President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warns that Ukraine could lose the war if new U.S. aid is not approved. Is Russia about to make major advances? And why i...
- + Zelenskiy Warns Of Defeat Without U.S. Aid Amid Barrage Of Deadly Russian Strikes—Russia continued its strategic bombardment of Ukraine on April 8, killing three in a strike in the southern region of Zaporizhzhya, one day after Pres...
- + Ukrainian Commander Orders Probe Into Enlistment Attempt Of Critical Journalist—The commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskiy, said he ordered an internal audit following a report that a journalist was summon...
- + Iran Set To Release Four Environmental Activists Jailed Since 2016—Iran has pardoned and is set to release four environmental activists who were jailed in 2016 on chargest of espionage they deny. [Category: Iran, News...
- + Armenia Says Peace Talks Remain Stuck As Baku Fumes Over Brussels Meeting—Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached several agreements as part of their continuous peace treaty negotiations, but they remain divided on two main issu...
- + Romanian Intellectuals Publicly Appeal To Putin And Xi For Help, But Some Now Getting Cold Feet—An organization called the Group for Romania says the country has become "a colony" of "Judeo-Westerners" and called on China and Russia to save them....
- + Iranian Official Warns Israeli Embassies No Longer Safe—A senior Iranian official said on April 7 that none of Israel's embassies were safe anymore, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported. [Category: ...
- + Russia Declares Federal Emergency In Flood-Hit Orenburg Region—Russia's government on April 7 declared flood-hit areas in the Orenburg region a federal emergency, state media reported. [Category: News, Russia] [Li...
- + 'Nail In The Coffin': Disappointed Hungarians March Against Government—Tens of thousands joined an anti-government rally organized by Peter Magyar, a former insider of Hungary's ruling Fidesz party, in Budapest on April 6...
- + Tbilisi's Ancient Narikala Fortress To Get New Lease On Life—Restoration work has begun on a fourth-century fortress from Tbilisi's storied architectural and historic past. [Category: Georgia, Features, Photo Ga...
- + Russia's Foreign Minister To Visit China On April 8-9—Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Moscow's key diplomatic and economic partner China on April 8-9 to discuss a "wide range of issues,"...
- + Overworked And Underpaid, Many Iranian Doctors Migrate -- And Some Even Take Their Lives—Iran is facing what is being described as a suicide "crisis" among young doctors. Resident doctors say they are overworked, underpaid, and often humil...
- + Yulia Navalnaya To Receive German Democracy Prize—The late Russian dissident Aleksei Navalny and his wife will receive the Freedom Prize of the Media from a leading German forum this year, with Yulia ...
- + Turkey Cancels Visa-Free Travel For Tajik Citizens—Turkey has cancelled visa-free travel for Tajik nationals, the office of the Turkish president said on April 6, without giving any reason behind the d...
- + Zelenskiy Calls On West To Supply Air Defense As Russian Strikes Intensify—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Western allies to supply his country with air-defense systems as Russian air attacks against Ukraini...
- + Tajikistan Rejects Russian Official's Comment About Mercenary Recruitment—The Tajik Foreign Ministry on April 6 rejected a statement by the director of Russia’s Security Council that Ukraine has recruited mercenaries in Taji...
- + Gunmen Kill 3 Police In Separate Incidents In Northwestern Pakistan—Three police officers were killed in two separate incidents in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, police said on April 6. [C...
- + Zelenskiy Says More Soldiers, Equipment Needed To Disrupt Russian Offensive—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukraine should prepare "significant personnel," including reserves, to disrupt Russia's latest offensive ...
- + Hungarian Opposition Rallies At Another Mass Demonstration In Budapest—Tens of thousands of people turned took to the streets of Budapest on April 6 for the third mass demonstration in less than a month called by Peter Ma...
- + Concern Grows For Jailed Belarusian Opposition Figure In Solitary—Jailed Belarusian opposition figure Maryya Kalesnikava has reportedly been held illegally in solitary confinement for more than a year and has had no ...
- + Russian Strikes Leave 7 Dead, Destroy Shopping Center—A barrage of Russian attacks with S-300 missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones killed at least seven people in Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv...
- + 'Mushroom Websites' Spread A Deluge Of Disinformation In Bulgaria—Bulgaria has long proved prone to pro-Russian disinformation campaigns, and those efforts have intensified amid the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of U...
- + Armenia, Azerbaijan Exchange Gunfire, Accusations Overnight—Armenia and Azerbaijan fired at one another's positions along their shared border, with both sides accusing the other of violating a cease-fire. [Cate...
- + New Rules For Music In Chechnya: Can't Be Too Slow, Can't Be Too Fast—Chechen authorities have ordered that all musical, vocal, and choreographic works performed in the Russian region must have a playback at between 80 a...
- + Russia Uses Modified Soviet-Era Bombs In Ukraine—Russia is using modified Soviet-era winged bombs, according to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the eastern Donetsk region. Massive craters in and ...
- + Rescuers Evacuate Thousands In Southern Russia After Partial Dam Rupture—Rescuers have evacuated thousands of people from a southern Russian region after a dam partially burst, and was on the verge of complete rupture. [Cat...
- + Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine—RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight o...
- + Skirting The Soviets: How Eight American Pilots First Circled The World—How a group of American aviators became the first people to fly around the world in an epic, 175-day adventure. [Category: Features, Romania, Russia, ...
- + Soyuz Capsule Lands In Kazakhstan With 3 Returning From Space Station—A Russian Soyuz capsule touched down on Kazakhstan's steppes, returning an American, a Russian, and a Belarusian from the International Space Station ...
- + Washington Says It Warned, Not Asked, Iran Against Attacks On U.S. Troops—The United States has warned Iran against attacking its troops and bases in the Middle East as Tehran plans its response to a suspected Israeli strike...
- + Another Tajik Arrested Over Moscow Concert Hall Attack; 11 Detained In All—A Moscow court ordered the arrest of a Tajik man in connection with last month's terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall, bringing the total number o...
- + At Least 7 Dead In Eastern Ukraine In Drone Attack—Russian drones hit Kharkiv overnight, killing at least six people and wounding 10, officials said, in the latest in a series of increasingly frequent ...
- + At Least 6 Dead In Eastern Ukraine In Drone Attack—Russian drones hit Kharkiv overnight, killing at least six people and wounding 10, officials said, in the latest in a series of increasingly frequent ...
- + Washington Concerned Over 'Foreign Agents' Bill In Georgia—The United States expressed concern on April 5 after Georgia's ruling party resubmitted a proposal that critics say is aimed at crushing dissent and w...
- + Migrants Wait In Line 'For Days' For Papers, Fearing Deportation From Russia—Migrant workers are reporting massive crowds at immigration centers in Russia, where the process of getting visas has become close to impossible. Russ...
- + Moldovan Separatists Say Drone Struck Military Base In Transdniester—Russian-backed separatists in Moldova claimed on April 5 that a drone hit a military base about 6 kilometers from the border with Ukraine but caused n...
- + Evacuation Under Way In Russian City Near Kazakh Border After Dam Bursts—A dam burst on April 5 in the Russian city of Orsk in the Ural Mountains and an evacuation is under way, local emergency services said. [Category: New...
- + Uzbek Film Festival Showing Ukrainian War Film Canceled—The Uzbek Culture Ministry said on April 5 that the Artdocfest/Asia film festival was blocked because its organizers "did not obtain permission" to ho...
- + Montenegrin Supreme Court Sends 'Crypto King' Case Back To Lower Court—The Supreme Court of Montenegro on April 5 overturned the extradition of reputed "cryptocurrency king" Do Kwon to South Korea and referred the case ba...
- + Law Targeting Foreign-Funded NGOs Sends Chill Through Kyrgyz Civil Society—After a decade of trying, supporters of a Russian-style law regulating foreign-funded civic organizations in Kyrgyzstan have finally had their way. Wi...
- + EU, Washington Pledge Funds As Armenia Turns Away From Moscow—The European Union and the United States have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to Armenia as Yerevan looks westward amid failing relations with...
- + Japan Names Additional Goods Banned For Export To Russia—Japan's Trade Ministry on April 5 officially named goods banned from being exported to Russia in accordance with additional sanctions Tokyo imposed on...
- + Russia's Endangered Amur Leopard Population Has Climbed, Officials Say—Russian authorities say the population of the critically endangered Amur leopard has increased slightly, a sign they say of improving conservation mea...
- + Orban To Receive Award From EU-Sanctioned Bosnian Serb Separatist Leader—Viktor Orban was set to receive a state award from the Milorad Dodik, the Western-sanctioned Bosnian Serb separatist leader, as the Hungarian prime mi...
- + Iran-Backed Militias Have Been Meeting In Southern Lebanon, Sources Say—Militias supported by Iran from across the Middle East, including groups from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestinian factions, have been holding secret...
- + Jailed Russian Opposition Activist Again Sent To Solitary Confinement, Lawyer Says—A Russian defense lawyer says jailed opposition activist Ilya Yashin has again been ordered to a punishment cell for allegedly violating prison rules....
- + Russian Forces Advance Toward Chasiv Yar; Dozens Of Ukraine Drones Target Russian Sites—Russian forces have reportedly entered the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, as exhausted and artillery-depleted Ukrainian troops struggle to hold defenses of ...
- + Latvian Minister Says Proposed NATO Fund For Ukraine Would Show Unity Within Alliance—Latvia’s foreign minister says a proposal to create a 100 billion euro ($107 billion), five-year fund for Ukraine would improve coordination among NAT...
- + North Macedonia Starts Monthlong Presidential Campaign—North Macedonia's presidential race kicked off, with seven candidates competing for the largely ceremonial post in a two-round vote that concludes in ...
- + Governor Of Russia's Murmansk Region Stabbed After Town Hall Meeting—The governor of Russia's Murmansk region was stabbed on April 4 after a meeting with residents in a local town hall, Russian news agencies quoted the ...
- + Orban Visits Bosnia Ahead Of Hungary's EU Presidency In Second Half Of 2024—Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on April 4 discussed bilateral cooperation in a number of areas with top officials of Bosnia-Herzegovina as Hung...
- + Navalny Street In The Hague? Some Dutch And Russians Call For A Lasting Tribute—Mourners in many countries created temporary memorials to Aleksei Navalny after his death in a Russian prison in February. In the Netherlands, activis...
- + Russia 'Punishes' Tajik Migrants With Entry Denials, Deportations After Terror Attack—Many Tajik migrants have been denied entry to Russia or deported from the country without explanation, while others report being beaten by police as a...
- + Russian Twin Drone Strikes Kill Civilians, Rescuers In Kharkiv—Russian drones struck several regions across Ukraine overnight on April 4, including Kharkiv, where four people died and 12 were injured. Ukraine’s St...
- + Moldova's Customs Chief Resigns After Authorities Launch Corruption Probe—The director of the Customs Service in Moldova resigned on April 4 after law enforcement officials announced an investigation into corruption at Chisi...
- + U.S. Has Not Asked India To Cut Russian Oil Purchases, U.S. Treasury Official Says—The United States has not asked India to cut Russian oil imports as the goal of sanctions and the $60 per barrel price cap imposed by the Group of Sev...
- + Ukrainian Strikes May Have Hit 15 Percent Of Russian Refinery Capacity, Says NATO Official—Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries may have disrupted more than 15 percent of Russian capacity, a NATO official said on April 4. [Category: N...
- + Why Georgia's Government Is Trying (Again) To Introduce An Unpopular 'Foreign Agents' Law—Georgia's opposition calls it the "Russian law." The ruling party insists the bill is simply copied and pasted from U.S. legislation. But the newly re...
- + U.S. Issues Fresh Sanctions Targeting Owner Of Vessels Suspected Of Loading Iranian Commodities—The U.S. Treasury Department imposed new Iran-related counterterrorism sanctions against Oceanlink Maritime DMCC and its vessels on April 4, citing it...
- + Georgian Government Rejects President Zurabishvili's Request To Visit Lithuania—Georgia's government has rejected President Salome Zurabishvili's request to allow her to pay a working visit to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, next...
- + Exclusive: Russian Prisoner Released To Fight In Ukraine Implicated In Murder, Attempted Rape Of Civilians—An investigation by Current Time reveals that a Russian soldier who allegedly murdered two civilians and attempted to rape another in occupied souther...
- + Far-Right German Lawmaker Denies Receiving Payments From Russia-Linked Propaganda Platform—A lawmaker with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has denied allegations connecting him with Russian propaganda and disinformation cam...
- + EU 'Dithers' As Foreign Agent Laws Spread Across Europe And Central Asia, Says Rights Watchdog—The European Union's "dithering" has allowed "foreign agent" laws to spread in Europe and Central Asia, Human Rights Watch says, increasing the risk t...
- + U.S., Finland Agree To Cooperate On Combating Foreign Disinformation—The United States and Finland have agreed to cooperate in “countering foreign state information manipulation,” the U.S. State Department announced on ...
- + Russia Detains 3 More Central Asians For Alleged Role In Deadly Concert Hall Attack—Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on April 4 that it has detained three more Central Asian natives on suspicion of involvement in last mont...
- + RFE/RL Freelance Journalist Attacked By Armed Men In Islamabad—Ahmad Hanayesh, a freelance journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, sustained injuries in an attack by unknown gunmen in Islamabad on April 3. [Category:...
- + One Of Two Power Lines At Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant Cut Off Grid—Ukraine's power generating company, Enerhoatom, said on April 4 that one of the two power lines at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was disconnect...
- + Locals Describe Chaos, Confusion As More Kazakhs Forced To Flee Floods—Floodwaters in the western Kazakh city of Oral are forcing residents to move to safer ground. Many complain official rescue efforts have been disorgan...
- + Kazakh Prison Guards To Face Trial For Allegedly Torturing Inmates—Prosecutors in the central Kazakh region of Ulytau said on April 3 that seven prison guards and five soldiers from the State Penitentiary Service will...
- + 8 Uzbeks Killed In Traffic Accident In Kazakhstan—Police in the northwestern Kazakh region of Aqtobe said on April 4 that eight Uzbek citizens had died in a traffic accident on a highway connecting wi...
- + French President Has No Doubt Russia Will Target Paris Olympics—French President Emmanuel Macron said on April 4 that he has no doubt Russia will malevolently target the Paris Olympics this summer. [Category: News,...
- + Israel Boosts Defenses After Iran Revenge Threat—The Israeli military halted leave for all combat units on April 4 amid concerns of a possible escalation in violence after the killing of Iranian gene...
- + Finland Extends Russian Border Closing Indefinitely—The Finnish government said it will extend the closure of border stations with Russia until further notice and added several ports to its list where t...
- + Navalny Mural In Argentina Prompts Confrontation With Police—Supporters of the late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny gathered to paint a mural in his honor in Buenos Aires, before a face-off with Argent...
- + Iranian Prison Officials Reportedly Relent, Send Prominent Activist To Hospital—Imprisoned Islamic scholar and civil rights activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi has been transferred from Tehran's notorious Evin prison to a hospital after re...
- + U.S. Fugitive Reportedly Fighting With Russian Troops In Ukraine—The Agentsvo Telegram channel says Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former city councilor in Holyoke, Massachusetts, who is wanted at home for the alleged posses...
- + Amnesty Deplores 'Horrifying Surge' In Iranian Executions—Executions in Iran hit an eight-year high in 2023, according to Amnesty International, more than half of which came for drug-related convictions. [Cat...
- + Ukraine's First Purpose-Built Subterranean School To Open In Kharkiv—Located 6 meters underground, the first purpose-built "bunker school" designed to shield students from Russian bombardment is now ready for students i...
- + 'Despicable' Russian Strikes On Kharkiv Apartment Building Leave 4 Dead—Russian drones struck several regions across Ukraine overnight, including Kharkiv, where four people died and 12 were injured after two residential bu...
- + NATO Marks 75 Years As Ukraine War, Rising Populism Gnaw At Its Unity—NATO will celebrate 75 years of collective defense across Europe and North America on April 4 as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine enters its third y...
- + Moscow Court Rejects Appeal Of Crocus Terrorism Suspect—The Moscow City Court on April 3 rejected an appeal filed by Isroil Islomov against his two-month detention after his arrest on suspicion of involveme...
- + 5 Iranian Security Officers Reported Killed In Clashes—Eight gunmen and five members of Iran's security forces were killed in clashes at two separate points in southeastern Iran, state media said on April ...
- + Republika Srpska Moves Ahead With Proposed 'Foreign Agents' Law—Republika Srpska is going ahead with its controversial proposed law on "foreign agents," which aims to curb the work of nonprofit organizations financ...
- + French, Russian Defense Ministers Discuss Crocus Attack, Ukraine In Rare Phone Call—The French and Russian defense ministers spoke by phone on April 3 in a rare call that touched on the war in Ukraine and the terrorist attack at an en...
- + Far-Right German Lawmaker Asked To Clarify Report That He Got Money From Pro-Russian Portal—The leadership of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has asked one of its lawmakers to clarify a report that he received money from a p...
- + Blinken Speaks With Aliyev About Easing Tensions Between Azerbaijan And Armenia—U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on April 3 about the importance of advancing the peace process be...
- + Russian Alliances With North Korea, Iran Have Security Consequences, NATO Chief Warns—North Korea and Iran's military support for Russia has serious global security consequences that the 32-member NATO alliance cannot ignore, Secretary-...
- + Criminal Case Against Kyrgyz News Agency Suspended—One of Kyrgyzstan’s first online news websites, 24.kg, reported on April 3 that the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) has suspended a crimi...
- + Russia Begins Closing Prisons As Both Convicts And Staff Head To War—With Russia's Defense Ministry recruiting many thousands of convicts to fight in Ukraine, prison populations in Russia have dwindled, leading official...
- + Search Begins For Missing Chechen Woman Months After Disappearance—Police in St. Petersburg have opened a probe into the disappearance of a Chechen woman whose whereabouts have been unknown since August when she was s...
- + Kharkiv Residents Power Through Russia's Relentless Attacks On Energy Grid—The sounds of generators echo through the streets of Kharkiv after Russian strikes largely cut power to Ukraine's second-largest city. Residents are c...
- + Ukrainian Medics Near Avdiyivka Face Steady Stream Of Wounded —As Russian troops continue to grind past Avdiyivka, Ukrainian soldiers trying to hold the defensive line are suffering casualties and medics are scram...
- + Disabled Russian Anti-War Teen Loses Appeal Against Long Prison Sentence—A Russian court on April 3 rejected an appeal filed by a 17-year-old against a six-year prison term he was handed in November for throwing Molotov coc...
- + Secret Spy Weapons Of The Cold War—Several devices designed during the Cold War to kill, injure, or monoitor adversaries might have been dismissed as urban legends if examples had not b...
- + Long-Delayed U.S. Aid To Ukraine May Soon Take Shape. Here's How.—U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson may propose a Ukraine aid bill as early as next week, following a six-month delay that has undermined Kyiv’s defense a...
- + Minimal Health Care, No Room To Move: Jailed RFE/RL Journalist Describes Russian Prison—A court in the Russian city of Kazan has ruled to extend the pretrial detention of RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until June 5, and rejected her re...
- + Hungarian Beekeepers Stung By Honey Imports From Ukraine, China—Beekeepers in Hungary say their "survival is at stake" because of plunging domestic honey prices. Some say the recent government decision to lift the ...
- + Russia Says 4 Held In Daghestan On Suspicion Of Aiding Moscow Concert Gunmen—Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on April 1 that it has detained four people in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan suspected of provid...
- + Iranian Journalist Stabbed In Britain Says He's Out Of Hospital And 'Recovering'—Pouria Zeraati, the London-based Iran International news network TV host who was stabbed outside his home in Britain, said he has been discharged from...
- + Azerbaijani Opposition Activist Sentenced To 5 Years On Fraud Charges He Rejects—Azerbaijani activist Elxan Aliyev was sentenced on April 1 to five years in prison on fraud charges that he and his supporters have rejected as politi...
- + Father Of Moscow Attack Suspect Says Son Said He Was Coming Home—Barotali Mirzoev says his son told the family two days before the Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow that he was returning home to Tajikistan. Dalerj...
- + Suspected Israeli Air Strike 'Flattens' Iranian Consulate In Damascus, Kills Top Quds Commander—Multiple people were killed, including a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), in an Israeli air strike on the Iranian Consul...
- + Kremlin-Installed Official Killed In Blast In Occupied Ukrainian Region—A Kremlin-installed official in the Russian-occupied city of Starobilsk in Ukraine’s Luhansk region was killed in a car bombing on April 1, Russian of...
- + Report: Anti-Kremlin Hackers Stole Russian Prisoner Database To Avenge Navalny—Hackers claim to have broken into the Russian prisoner database and displayed pictures of anti-Kremlin activist Aleksei Navalny while also stealing in...
- + At Least 8 Killed In Train-Bus Crash In Russia's Yaroslavl Region—At least eight people were killed in Russia’s Yaroslavl region after a fast train smashed into a passenger bus at a railway crossing, the Emergency Si...
- + Russia Extends Detention Of RFE/RL Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva—A Russian court has extended the pretrial detention of RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until June 5. [Category: News, Russia] [Link to media]
- + Pakistan Suspends Sentence For Ex-PM Khan And Wife In Graft Case, But Couple Won't Be Freed—A Pakistani appeals court on April 1 suspended a 14-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a corrupti...
- + Russia Ends Search For Trapped Miners In Far East—Authorities in Russia’s Far East on April 1 called off a rescue effort for 13 workers trapped deep underground in a collapsed gold mine and declared t...
- + Ukraine Claims Russia Targeted Kyiv With 5 Hypersonic Missiles This Year—Russia has used five hypersonic Zircon missiles to attack Kyiv since the start of the year, the city's military administration said on April 1. [Cate...
- + Iran Alerted Russia Before Moscow Attack, Sources Say—Iran tipped off Russia about the possibility of a major "terrorist operation" on its soil ahead of the concert hall massacre near Moscow last month, t...
- + New Probe Claims Russia May Be Linked To Mysterious 'Havana Syndrome'—A new joint investigation claims the mysterious Havana Syndrome, which has afflicted U.S. diplomats and intelligence agents in several spots around th...
- + Karakalpak Activist Wanted In Uzbekistan Detained In Kazakhstan—Kazakh security forces have detained a Karakalpak activist and member of an opposition party at the request of Uzbek authorities, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Serv...
- + Iran's Repression Of Baha'is Amounts To 'Crime Against Humanity,' Says Rights Watchdog—Iran’s “decades-long systematic repression” of the Baha’i community “amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution,” Human Rights Watch said in...
- + France Seeking 'Clear Message' From China To Russia Over Ukraine War—French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on April 1 that Paris expects China to send "clear messages" to its close partner Russia over its war i...
- + 'Historic Moment:' Romanians, Bulgarians Hail Eased Schengen Travel—Airline passengers in Romania and Bulgaria welcomed their countries' partial accession to the Schengen Area on March 31. Both nations are now part of ...
- + EU Monitors See 'No Unusual Movements' By Armenian Troops After Azerbaijani Claim—The European Union’s border-monitoring mission in Armenia (EUMA) has reported no unusual movements of the Armenian military after Azerbaijan earlier o...
- + Pakistani Man Who Allegedly Filmed Sister's 'Honor' Killing Arrested—A Pakistani man who allegedly filmed his brother strangling their sister to death has been arrested as part of the latest "honor" killing that has out...
- + North Macedonia's 'Mea Culpa' On Pesticide-Laden Produce Headed For The EU—North Macedonia has admitted that four shipments of produce containing dangerous levels of banned pesticides were headed for the EU. Croatia stopped t...
- + Ambassadors To Russia Honor Crocus Massacre Victims—Diplomats accredited in Russia laid flowers at the site of the Crocus City Hall terror attack in Krasnogorsk, just outside Moscow. U.S. Ambassador to ...
- + Tajiks In Russia Living In Fear After Moscow Terrorist Attack—Russian security forces arrested several Tajik citizens in the wake of the March 22 attack on the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow that left more than ...
- + Russia Launches 'Counterterrorism Operation' In Daghestan; 3 Detained—Three people have been detained after Russia launched what it described as a “counterterrorism operation” in the southern region of Daghestan, Russian...
- + Zelenskiy Vows Ukraine Will 'Endure' Amid Relentless Russian Missiles, Drones—Ukraine suffered another night of Russian bombardment, with drones and missiles targeting civilian sites in the south and the west of the country, Kyi...
- + Bulgaria, Romania Hail Schengen Zone Entry, Eye Full Accession—Romania and Bulgaria have formally joined -- at least partially -- Europe’s visa-free Schengen travel zone as of March 31, a move widely hailed in bot...
- + Photos Of The Week (March 25-31, 2024)—Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the 13th week of 2024 from around RFE/RL's region. [Category: Photo Galleries, Photo Galleries] ...
- + Two Years Later, Massacre Of Ukrainian Civilians In Bucha Is 'Impossible To Forget' —In the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces took the city of Bucha, near Kyiv, and killed hundreds of civilians, acco...
- + Serbian President Taps Defense Minister To Form New Government—Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has tapped Defense Minister Milos Vucevic to form a new government following contested parliamentary elections last...
- + Navalny Trial Takes Center Stage In Swedish Royal Theater—Navalny: The Trial by the Royal Drama Theater in Stockholm brings the late Russian opposition leader's battle against Russian President Vladimir Putin...
- + Russia Accelerates Deportations As Many Tajik Migrants Leave On Own Accord—Russia is deporting hundreds of foreigners for immigration violations in the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack in nearly two decades. [Category: ...
- + Russia Adds Two Managers Of LGBT Nightclub To 'Terrorist' List—Russia has added the art director and administrator of an Orenburg nightclub to its list of terrorists and extremists amid accusations the venue promo...
- + Iranian Judiciary Rejects Allegations Over Death Of Young Woman—Iranian justice authorities have rejected a report that a 20-year-old woman had been questioned by the intelligence services a day before she died at ...
- + 2 Soldiers Killed In Attack In Pakistan's Balochistan Province—Two soldiers were killed and four injured in an attack in Pakistan’s tumultuous southwestern province of Balochistan on March 31, officials told RFERL...
- + Ambassadors Lay Flowers At Site Of Moscow Concert Hall Massacre—Foreign diplomats in Russia laid flowers on March 30 at the site of last week’s attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people. [Cate...
As of 4/17/24 9:59pm. Last new 4/17/24 9:59pm. Score: 96
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