- + Tensions High As Georgian Parliament Resumes 'Foreign Agent' Debate—The parliament of Georgia remained on security alert on May 1 following overnight clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against a foreig...
- + Three Killed By Russian Missile Strike In Odesa—Three civilians were killed in a Russian missile strike against the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa overnight on May 1, local authorities said. Oleh...
- + Georgian Police Clash With Protesters As Mass Protests Continue —Thousands of Georgian opposition supporters came out on April 30 for another night of protests against the so-called "foreign agents" bill, legislatio...
- + Bulgarian Parliament Adopts Broad Ban On Gambling Advertising—The Bulgarian parliament has unanimously approved legislation to ban advertising for gambling on nearly all forms of media from television and radio t...
- + Georgian 'Foreign Agent' Bill Would Hamper NGOs, OSCE Official Warns—Civil society in Georgia will be “negatively” impacted if parliament approves a so-called “foreign agents” bill that has sparked huge protests in the ...
- + Secret Documents Show Iranian Forces Assaulted And Molested Teen Killed In Custody, Says BBC—"Highly confidential" documents uncovered by British broadcaster BBC indicate that Nika Shakarami, a 17-year-old Iranian protester, was sexually assau...
- + Nuclear Watchdog Chief Set To Visit Iran On May 6-8—International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi is scheduled to visit Iran to take part in a nuclear conference from May 6-8 and meet Iranian o...
- + Kyiv Dismantles Monument Honoring Centuries-Old Russian-Ukrainian Agreement—Kyiv authorities on April 30 started dismantling a monument honoring the Pereyaslav Agreement signed in 1654 at talks organized for the Ukrainian Coss...
- + Ukraine Says Russia Used Cluster Bomb In Odesa Strike On 'Harry Potter' Castle—A Ukrainian Army spokesman told RFE/RL on April 30 that Russia used a cluster bomb in a deadly attack on a law school dubbed "Harry Potter's Castle" i...
- + 5 Russians Suspected Of Arson Attack On Helicopter Arrested—A Moscow court on April 30 ordered pretrial detention for at least two months for five young people suspected of an arson attack on a Ka-32 helicopter...
- + Serbia Finally Grants Special Passports To (A Few) Refugees—A Kazakh refugee in Serbia who has waited nine years for official residence status has finally been given a new kind of document: a "refugee passport....
- + Jailed Iranian Scholar Released From Prison Due To Health Issues—Imprisoned Islamic scholar and civil activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi has been released on bail amid concerns over her deteriorating health after she was mo...
- + Fugitive Businessman Extradited To Montenegro From Great Britain—Dusko Knezevic, once a close ally of former Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, has been extradited to Montenegro from Britain to face corruption c...
- + Austin Calls On Countries That Have Patriot Air Defense Systems To Transfer Them To Ukraine—U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on April 30 appealed to the partners of the United States to transfer Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, w...
- + Russian Strike On Odesa Hits 'Harry Potter's Castle,' 5 Killed—A Russian missile attack on a building known as "Harry Potter's Castle" in the Ukrainian port of Odesa has killed at least five people and wounded sev...
- + Ukrainian Photo Exhibit In Kosovo Offers Hope For The Future—The exhibit, Ukraine: A War Crime, opened in Pristina on April 29. It draws its inspiration from the book of the same name, which includes images and ...
- + Kazakh Journalist Charged With Hooliganism Over Flood-Related Video—The West Kazakhstan region's police department told RFE/RL on April 30 that journalist Raul Uporov, who extensively covered ongoing unprecedented floo...
- + Estonia Says Russia Violating International Rules With GPS Interference—Estonia accused Russia of violating international airspace regulations by interfering with GPS signals. [Category: News, Russia] [Link to media]
- + Kazakh Activists Under Pressure Before Announced Rallies—Kazakh authorities have jailed several opposition activists on the eve of rallies planned by the opposition across the country on May 1. [Category: Ne...
- + 2 Killed In Russian Strike On Ukraine's Kharkiv —Two people were killed and six wounded in a Russian strike on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, early on April 30, regional head Oleh Synyehubov...
- + Russian Missile Attack Hits Ukraine's 'Harry Potter's Castle' In Odesa—A Russian missile attack on a building known as "Harry Potter's Castle" in the Ukrainian port of Odesa killed at least five people on April 29. Among ...
- + Former Kazakh Interior Minister Detained Over Deadly 2022 Unrest—The Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office said investigators have detained former Interior Minister Erlan Turghymbaev on a charge of abuse of office and ...
- + Some 400 Naturalized Russians Stripped Of Citizenship Under New Law—Interior Ministry officials are quoted as saying on April 30 that 398 naturalized Russian citizens had been stripped of their passports after Russia a...
- + Riot Police Attempt To Break Up Large Protest Against Foreign Agents Bill In Tbilisi—Georgian security forces used tear gas against protesters in a crackdown on a large demonstration outside parliament late on April 30 as after lawmake...
- + Georgian Parliament Pushes 'Foreign Agents' Bill Despite Mass Protests, Western Warnings—Georgia's parliament is set to vote on the second reading of a so-called "foreign agents" bill -- regarded by many as mirroring one used by the Kremli...
- + 7 Killed In Attack On Afghan Mosque —Seven people were killed in an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Afghanistan's Herat Province late on April 29. [Category: Afghanistan, News]
- + Ex-NSA Employee Who Tried To Spy For Russia Sentenced To 21 Years—A cyberspecialist who briefly worked at the top secret U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) was sentenced on April 29 to more than 21 years in prison f...
- + Georgian 'Foreign Agents' Bill Sparks Mass Rallies On Both Sides Of The Issue—Thousands of Georgians demonstrated in rival pro- and anti-government rallies as parliament resumed discussions of the so-called "foreign agents" bill...
- + Duchess Sophie Visits Ukraine In First Trip By British Royal Since Start Of War—Sophie, Britain's duchess of Edinburgh, has visited Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife in the first trip to the country ...
- + Russian Envoy Meets Sudan's Army Commander In Show Of Support—Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov visited Sudan on April 29 in a signal of support for the Sudanese Army, which is locked in a war with...
- + Hungarian Highway Contract Worth $45 Billion Won By Equity Funds Close To Gov't—The total value of a 35-year contract to maintain, operate, and build most of Hungary's highways won by seven private equity funds whose owners have c...
- + Head Of Independent Election Monitor Detained In Azerbaijan—Police in Baku detained the chairman of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Education Center, Anar Mammadli, his colleagues said on April 29. [Categ...
- + Booming Trade, 'Expansion' Rumors On Kazakhstan's Chinese Border —RFE/RL photo correspondent Petr Trotsenko traveled to Kazakhstan's southeastern town of Zharkent to see how ordinary life has been impacted by a roari...
- + Secretive Uzbek Network Scrambles To Cover Online Tracks After RFE/RL Exposé—A shadowy Uzbek firm with ties to the president’s family has scrambled to reanimate its dormant website after a recent RFE/RL investigation revealed i...
- + Former Prisoners In Iran Slam Swedish Government For Inaction In Djalali Case—A group of former prisoners who were once detained in Iran have slammed the Swedish government, saying it had failed to take enough action to secure t...
- + Toomaj Salehi, The Iranian Rapper Sentenced To Death Amid Global Outcry—There has been global outrage after Iran handed a death sentence to Toomaj Salehi, a 33-year-old rapper who was detained for supporting nationwide pro...
- + Russian Arrested In Germany For Allegedly Killing 2 Ukrainians—Police in Germany said on April 28 that they had arrested a 57-year-old Russian man on suspicion of stabbing two Ukrainian soldiers to death in a shop...
- + Tens Of Thousands In Kazakhstan Return Home As Flooding Recedes—Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry said on April 29 that among those forced to flee the recent unprecedented flooding in the north, 38,521 people had r...
- + Russian Charged With Discrediting Military Over Dyed Hair—Moscow resident Stanislav Netyosov was charged with discrediting the Russian military after he dyed his hair blue and yellow, which police considered ...
- + 'Success For Putin': Ukraine Struggles To Weather Russian Advance In The Donetsk Region—Outgunned Ukrainian troops are fighting to hold off Russian assaults as Moscow looks to capture more territory in the Donbas region. Speaking with RFE...
- + With ATACMS In Hand, Ukraine Looks To Neutralize Putin's Fortress In Crimea—Russia has spent billions of dollars militarizing Ukraine’s occupied Crimea region since 2014, and it’s been a launching pad for air attacks since 202...
- + Czechs Confirm Russian Involvement In Blasts At Ammunition Depots In 2014—Czech police confirmed on April 29 that agents of Russia's military intelligence (GRU) were involved in two ammunition depot blasts that killed two wo...
- + Strike On Odesa Kills 5; Zelenskiy Urges Allies To Hasten Weapon Deliveries—A Russian missile attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed four people and injured 28 on April 29, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelen...
- + Ukraine's Zelenskiy Urges NATO Chief To Hasten Weapons Deliveries—NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made a surprise visit to Kyiv on April 29 where he told Ukraine that arms and ammunition would start streaming...
- + Frontline Transit: Poignant Moments Of Ukrainian Soldiers' Journey To And From War—Evocative scenes captured at a train station in Kramatorsk serve as a stark reminder of the resilience and profound toll exacted by Russia's full-scal...
- + Wider Europe Briefing: The Georgian Gamble And The Big EU Enlargement 20 Years Later—Is the EU ready for another “big bang" enlargement? [Category: Wider Europe, Features] [Link to media]
- + Russia Says It Has Captured A Village In Donetsk—The Russian Defense Ministry said on April 29 that it has captured a village in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, and is advancing westwards as dep...
- + Nationwide Anti-Polio Campaign Kicks Off In Afghanistan—A nationwide polio vaccination campaign started on April 29 in Afghanistan, Taliban authorities announced. [Category: News, Afghanistan] [Link to medi...
- + About 1,000 Tajik Nationals Stranded At Moscow Airports—The Tajik Foreign Ministry said on April 28 that 954 Tajik nationals have been left stranded at Moscow airports due to tightened passport and custom c...
- + Kyrgyz Man Convicted Of Being Mercenary To Get Russian Citizenship—A Kyrgyz man who was handed a suspended seven-year prison term for joining Russian armed forces invading Ukraine is expected to obtain Russian citizen...
- + 2 Police Officers Killed In Russia's Karachai-Cherkessia—Authorities in Russia's North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia said on April 29 that two police officers were killed and four were wounded overn...
- + Putin Likely Didn't Directly Order Death Of Navalny, U.S. Official Says—U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alekse...
- + Georgians Again Protest Against 'Russian-Style Foreign Agents Law'—Thousands of people took to the streets of the Georgian capital again to protest plans by the ruling party to introduce a law that domestic critics an...
- + Pakistan Prime Minister Discusses New Loan Program With IMF Chief—Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed a new loan program with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on April 28, his office said. [Ca...
- + Iran Bans Egyptian TV Series On Life Of 11th-Century Figure Hassan Sabah—Iranian authorities have banned the controversial Egyptian television series Hashashin (Assassin) about the life of Hassan Sabah, citing historical “d...
- + 2 More Russian Journalists Arrested As Crackdown On Independent Media Heightens—The crackdown on independent media in Russian mounted over the weekend, with two journalists having alleged ties to the late Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Co...
- + Russia Threatens West With 'Severe' Response If Its Assets Are Touched—Russian officials threatened the West on April 28 with a "severe" response in the event that frozen Russian assets are confiscated, promising "endless...
- + Senior Judge Kidnapped By Armed Men In Northwestern Pakistan—A senior judge serving the South Waziristan district in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province has been kidnapped by armed men. [Category...
- + Armenian Protests Continue Against Plans To Cede Territory To Rival Azerbaijan—Armenians have blocked the Yerevan-Gyumri highway as protests continue against plans to hand over several border areas to rival Azerbaijan as part of ...
- + British Foreign Secretary Cameron Visits Central Asia—British Foreign Secretary David Cameron just completed an official trip to all five Central Asian states. For Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan...
- + Iran Unveils New 'Kamikaze' Drone—The Iranian military on April 28 presented a new attack drone designed to fly into targets and explode, like the kind used by Russia in the war in Ukr...
- + Ukraine's Top General Says Frontline Conditions Worsen, Troops Fall Back—Ukraine’s top general warned on April 28 that the situation for Kyiv’s forces in the east has deteriorated, with Russia attacking “along the entire fr...
- + Russia Continues Intense Assault On Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure—Russia has followed up on a massive strike against Ukrainian energy infrastructure with a fresh attack. [Category: News, Russia, Ukraine, Russia Invad...
- + Tajikistan Advises Citizens To Avoid Traveling To Russia—Tajikistan has advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia amid increased pressures faced by Central Asians there following the deadly Cr...
- + Photos Of The Week (April 22-28, 2024)—Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the 17th week of 2024 from around RFE/RL's region. [Category: Photo Galleries, Photo Galleries] ...
- + Bus Traveling From Yerevan To Iran Crashes, Killing At Least 5—At least five people were killed in a bus accident in southern Armenia, the Caucasus nation’s Interior Ministry said on April 27. A statement said nin...
- + Bus Traveling From Yerevan To Iran Crashes, Killing At Least 5, Authorities Say—At least five people were killed in a bus accident in southern Armenia, the Caucasus nation’s Interior Ministry said on April 27. A statement said nin...
- + Arrest Warrant Issued For Suspect In Alleged Bribery Case Of Russian Deputy Defense Minister—Russian media reported on April 27 that another suspect has been taken into custody in the criminal case involving Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivano...
- + Kazakhstan Postpones 'Games Of The Future' Amid Flood Costs—Kazakhstan said it is postponing the planned 2025 Games of the Future tournament and other major events to save money amid costs related to the massiv...
- + Russian Missile Hits Ukrainian Health-Care Compound—A Russian missile left a large crater next to a psychiatric hospital in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on the night of April 26-27. The blast wounded o...
- + Moscow Journalist Arrested For Alleged Work On Navalny's YouTube Channel—Moscow journalist Konstantin Gabov has been arrested on charges of participating in the Navalny LIVE YouTube channel, the Basmanny District Court pres...
- + U.S. Senators Warn Tbilisi That 'Foreign Agents' Law Could Disrupt Relations—A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. senators warned in a letter to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that the Caucasus nation’s plan to reintroduce ...
- + Armenian Police Clash With Residents Of Village To Be Handed Over To Azerbaijan—Scuffles were reported on April 26 between police and residents of a village in Armenia that is due to be handed over to Azerbaijan as part of a bord...
- + Armenian Protesters Scuffle With Police Amid Nervousness Over Border Demarcation—Armenian protesters scuffled with the police near the border with Azerbaijan late on April 26. Emotions got heated in the village of Kirants as the pr...
- + Russian Court Places Forbes Reporter Under House Arrest —A Russian court on April 27 ordered a journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, Sergei Mingazov, to be placed under house arrest [Categor...
- + Russia Launches 'Massive' Strikes, Hits Power Stations, Psychiatric Hospital—Ukraine said Russia had launched a massive attack overnight targeting energy installations, while a Russian oil refinery said it had suspended operati...
- + Russia Launches 'Massive' Strikes Against Ukrainian Thermal Power Stations—Ukraine said Russia had launched a massive attack overnight targeting energy installations, while a Russian oil refinery said it had suspended operati...
- + Iran Says Crew Of Israel-Linked Ship To Be Released—Iran’s foreign minister said the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel have been granted consular access and are expected to be fr...
- + Memorial Concert For Navalny Set For June 4 In Berlin—Associates of Aleksei Navalny, who died in February in a Russian penal colony, say a concert has been scheduled in his memory in Berlin on June 4, whi...
- + Memorial Concert For Navalny Scheduled To Take Place June 4 In Berlin—Associates of Aleksei Navalny, who died in February in a Russian penal colony, say a concert has been scheduled in his memory in Berlin on June 4, whi...
- + Ukrainian Men Abroad Scramble In Wake Of Mobilization Crackdown—Ukraine has announced new rules for men of fighting age living abroad -- leaving many in doubt about how the change will affect them. From May 18, Ukr...
- + Orban Challenger Leads Protest Calling For Reforms Of Child Protections In Hungary—Peter Magyar, an aspiring challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, renewed his calls for change on April 26 as he led a protest of several...
- + Hacker Group Claims It Penetrated Belarusian KGB Network—A group known as Cyberpartisans claims it has infiltrated the network of Belarus’s main security agency and accessed the personnel files of thousands ...
- + David Cameron's Very Central Asian Week: More Than Just A Jaunt?—British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s visit to the five countries of former Soviet Central Asia and Mongolia was certainly colorful. But with Russ...
- + Aliyev Rejects Criticism Over Arrest Of Journalists In Azerbaijan—Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on April 26 rejected criticism over the arrests of journalists and said the fact that people had access to the Inte...
- + Briton Charged Over Alleged Russian-Linked Arson Attack—A British man has been charged over alleged hostile state activity intended to benefit Russia, including by allegedly recruiting others for an arson a...
- + Language Teacher Sentenced To 11 Years Amid Iran's Crackdown On Kurds—A Kurdish-language teacher in the Iranian city of Sanandaj has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for her cultural activities and support for the Wo...
- + Ethnic Tensions High As Kazakh Village Shaken By Alleged School Rape—Extra security was deployed to the southern Kazakh village of Zaghambar on April 24 after a reported rape appeared to spark interethnic violence. Seve...
- + Another Tajik Detained In Russia Connection With Crocus Attack —Russian authorities have reportedly arrested another Tajik national in connection with the March 22 terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert v...
- + After Historic Floods, Some In Southern Russia Now Living In Tents —After residents of a village in Russia's Tyumen region escaped historic floodwaters, they received no help from the authorities or rescue services des...
- + The Azadi Briefing: Afghans Protest Taliban's Decision To Abolish Pension System—An estimated 150,000 Afghan retirees have not received their pensions since the Taliban seized power in 2021. [Category: Azadi Briefing, Features, Afg...
- + On Chernobyl Anniversary, Zelenskiy Warns Zaporizhzhya Could Be Next—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the continued occupation by Russia of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant -- Europe's largest ...
- + Russian Shelling Of Kharkiv Wounds 4, Including 3 Children—Four people, including three children, were wounded early on April 26 when Russian troops shelled the village of Derhachi in Ukraine's Kharkiv region,...
- + Bodies Of 140 Fallen Soldiers Returned To Ukraine—The bodies of 140 Ukrainian servicemen killed in action have been returned to Ukraine, the Kyiv-based Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of P...
- + Tensions High In Kazakh Village After Alleged Rape Of Teenage Girl—Tension remains high in Kazakhstan’s southern town of Zaghambar as authorities deployed special forces there on April 24-25 after police detained a te...
- + The Week's Best: 11 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...
- + Ex-Deputy Chief Of Kyrgyz Anti-Monopoly Service Detained—A court in Kyrgyzstan on April 26 sent former Deputy Chief of the Anti-Monopoly Service Akjoltoi Tukunov to pretrial detention for at least two months...
- + Kyrgyz Opposition Politician To Appeal Fraud Conviction—The leader of United Kyrgyzstan opposition party Adakhan Madumarov told journalists after he was released from a detention center on April 26 that he ...
- + Russian Justice Ministry Wants To Ban Nonexistent Separatist Movement —Russia's Justice Ministry said on April 26 that it had asked the Supreme Court to ban what it called the "International Anti-Russia Separatist Movemen...
- + Russian 'Crab King' Sentenced In Absentia To 17 Years For Ordering Rival's Murder—A Russian court sentenced businessman Oleg Kan in absentia on April 26 to 17 years in prison after being convicted of ordering the assassination of a ...
- + Report: Spain To Send Patriot Missiles To Ukraine —Spain will send a small number of Patriot missiles to Ukraine in response to pressure from EU and NATO allies to send more military aid to Kyiv, accor...
- + Ukrainian Minister Released On Bail After Corruption Accusations—Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskiy was released from custody on April 26 after posting bail following his arrest earlier in the day over ac...
- + Ukraine Urgently Needs Air-Defense Systems, Zelenskiy Tells Contact Group—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on Ukraine's Western partners to provide additional defense systems to create an air shield against...
- + Siberian Teens Get Prison Terms Over Anti-War Graffiti —A military court in Siberia has handed prison terms to two teenagers over graffiti they painted protesting Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in 202...
- + Detained Former Karabakh Separatist Official Ends Hunger Strike, Says Family—Ruben Vardanian, a former Russian citizen of Armenian descent who served as prime minister in the de facto government of the breakaway region of Nagor...
- + Detained Former Karabakh Separatist Official Ends Hunger Strike -- Family—Ruben Vardanian, a former Russian citizen of Armenian descent who served as prime minister in the de facto government of the breakaway region of Nagor...
- + Putin Announces Plans To Visit China In May—Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit China in May. Putin announced the plans on April 25 at a congress of the Russian Union of Industrialis...
- + U.S. Targets Iranian Drone Industry In New Sanctions Announcement—The U.S. Treasury Department on April 25 issued further sanctions targeting companies that manufacture, sell, and ship Iranian drones as part of an ef...
- + Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Offers To Resign After Corruption Allegations—Ukraine's agriculture minister offered to resign on April 25 after he was named as a suspect in a multimillion-dollar corruption investigation. [Categ...
- + Putin Says Nationalization Of Private Companies Possible —Russian President Vladimir Putin said on April 25 that in the interest of the country's national defense it is possible to nationalize industrial faci...
- + Exclusive: Inside A Crippled Ukrainian Power Plant Destroyed By Russian Missiles—RFE/RL has been given exclusive access to a Ukrainian thermal power plant that was badly damaged after Russian missile attacks in late March. Official...
- + Britain Open To Deeper Partnership With Kazakhstan, Cameron Tells RFE/RL—British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told RFE/RL that his country is open for deeper partnership with Kazakhstan. [Category: News, Kazakhstan] [Lin...
- + Iranian Activists Slam Government For Stepped Up Hijab Enforcement —Iranian civil political activists, including several who are currently imprisoned, have condemned the government's "military" aggression toward women ...
- + As Georgia Bids To Become A Tax Haven, Critics Worry It's All To Protect Oligarch Ivanishvili—Georgia has been slammed for trying to pass a Russian-style “foreign agent” law, while recent tax changes that critics warn will attract dirty money a...
- + What's Behind The Arrest Of Russia's Deputy Defense Minister?—Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov has been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes worth $10 billion, according to Russian media. He could f...
- + In Their Own Words: Migrant Women Rescued From The Mediterranean—A Sarajevo exhibition is providing women a voice as to why they made the perilous journey to cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Membe...
- + MEPs Vote On Resolution Demanding Release Of Kurmasheva, Gershkovich, Others Held In Russia—European lawmakers are expected to vote on April 26 on a resolution that calls for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all political prisoner...
- + 4 Arrested In Georgia For Stealing Rare Books In Europe—Four people were arrested in Georgia as part of a Europe-wide operation to bust a gang of thieves specialized in the stealing of rare books, the Georg...
- + Kyrgyz Activist In Disputed Border Deal Fined, Released—A Bishkek court fined activist Kanykei Aranova 120,000 soms ($1,350) on April 25 for inciting hatred and released her on condition that she will not l...
- + 'Almost Naked' Party Organizer Fined For Discrediting Russian Army—A Moscow court on April 25 fined Anastasia Ivleyeva, the organizer of a party in December that sparked a scandal, 50,000 rubles ($535) on a charge of ...
- + What The U.S. Weapons Package For Ukraine Looks Like—Washington announced a major new military aid package for Ukraine on April 24. This is what the weaponry and equipment tranche, which will reportedly ...
- + What Ukraine's $61 Billion Weapons Package Looks Like—Washington announced a major new military aid package for Ukraine on April 24. This is what the weaponry and equipment tranche, which will reportedly ...
- + Lukashenka Says Dozens Of Russian Nukes Deployed in Belarus—Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that "several dozen Russian nuclear weapons" were deployed in Belarus, a move that has raised concerns ...
- + An Uzbek Gas Firm's Shadowy Dealings: RFE/RL's Investigation In A Nutshell—Friends in high places come with lucrative benefits in Uzbekistan. For a phantom company with connections to the president’s son-in-law, these include...
- + Exclusive: How A Secretive Uzbek Firm Linked To The President's Family Earned Millions On Sweetheart Deals—Three years ago, an unknown Uzbek company registered in an apartment emerged from nowhere to land more than $100 million in state contracts before van...
- + 'Europe Could Die,' Macron Warns, Calls For Stronger Defenses Amid War In Ukraine—President Emmanuel Macron appealed on April 25 for stronger, more integrated European defenses and said the continent must not become a vassal of the ...
- + Lengthy Prison Term Requested In Deadly Kazakh Bus Driver Attack Case—Prosecutors in Kazakhstan asked a court to sentence to eight years in prison a man accused of attacking a bus driver in Almaty in December 2023, causi...
- + Russian Arrest Warrant Issued For Ex-Chess Champion Garry Kasparov—A court in Russia's Komi region on April 24 issued an arrest warrant for Garry Kasparov, opposition politician and a co-founder of the Free Russia For...
- + Germany Charges Seven Central Asian Men With Terrorism—The German Federal Prosecutor's Office said on April 24 it had charged seven men from Central Asia -- five from Tajikistan, one from Turkmenistan , an...
- + Doniyor Kadirov Together With Aziz Komilov—Doniyor Kadirov posted an Instagram video of himself together with Kamilov and Russian mixed-martial-arts star Khabib Nurmagomedov. [Category: Uzbekis...
- + Russian Defense Ministry Contractor Arrested In Bribery Case—The Basmanny district court in Moscow on April 25 sent Aleksandr Fomin, one of the co-founders of the construction company Olympcitystroy, to pretrial...
- + U.S. Confirms It Sent Missiles With 300-Kilometer Range To Ukraine—The U.S. State Department confirmed on April 24 that the United States sent long-range missile systems known as ATACMS to Ukraine for use inside its t...
- + Russia Vetoes UN Resolution Calling For Prevention Of Nuclear Arms Race In Space—Russia on April 24 vetoed a UN resolution sponsored by the United States and Japan calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in ...
- + Ukraine Welcomes Long-Delayed U.S. Military Aid, Vows To Make Up For Lost Time —U.S. President Joe Biden signed a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine on April 24 and said shipments of arms will begin within hours. Ukraini...
- + Why Is Viktor Orban Keeping The 100-Year-Old Treaty Of Trianon Alive?—A newly refurbished museum in Hungary is devoted to the 1920 Trianon Treaty, in which Hungary lost around two-thirds of its territory. The state-funde...
- + Iran Sentences Dissident Rapper To Death—Iranian dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi has been sentenced to death by a court in Isfahan, his lawyer has told an Iranian newspaper on April 24. [Categ...
- + Kazakh Foreign Minister, U.K. Foreign Secretary Hold Talks In Astana—Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtileu and visiting British Foreign Secretary David Cameron held talks on April 24 in Astana, focusing on bilateral ti...
- + The Two Problems That Bulgaria Can't Solve—As the country approaches its sixth parliamentary elections in three years, two perennial and pervasive issues remain: corruption and the malign influ...
- + On Genocide Remembrance Day, Armenians Told To 'Overcome Trauma' Of 1915 Mass Killings —Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian urged Armenians to “overcome the trauma” of the massacre of their ethnic kin by Ottoman Turks more than a century ago a...
- + With Conflicts Raging In Ukraine, Middle East, Amnesty Warns Rights Under Threat—Rights watchdog Amnesty International has warned that world order is under threat amid a wave of international rule breaking, deepening global inequal...
- + Arson Attacks Reported In Kazakh Town After Alleged Rape Of Teen Girl —Law enforcement beefed up security measures in Kazakhstan’s southern town of Zaghambar on April 24 amid a series of crimes feared to be part of ethnic...
- + Iran's 'Ambassadors Of Kindness' Enforce Hijab In New Head Scarf Crackdown—Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has established a new unit in Tehran to enforce religious dress codes amid a fresh crackdown (called ...
- + Biden Signs Ukraine Aid Package, Says Weapons Shipments To Start In Coming Hours—U.S. President Joe Biden has signed a long-delayed military aid package hours after it was passed by the Senate, saying U.S. military aid will begin f...
- + Church, Entire Village 'Erased' In Azerbaijan's Recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh—Six months after Baku's complete recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh from ethnic Armenians, satellite images suggest massive demolition of Armenian heritage...
- + Pardoned Georgian Activist Vows To Continue Protesting Law On Foreign Agents —Georgian activist Lazare Grigoriadis said after he was released from prison on April 24 due to presidential clemency that he will continue to protest ...
- + Romania Expands NATO Air Base Near The Black Sea—Work is under way to expand Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base into one of the largest NATO bases in Europe. The facility is located about 400 kil...
- + Armenians Hold Somber Memorials To Mark Genocide Remembrance Day—Somber commemorations for the victims of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians were held on April 24 at Armenia’s Genocide Museum complex in Yerevan. [C...
- + Another Former Wagner Fighter Imprisoned For Crime In Russia—A court in Russia's Kirov region sentenced a former fighter with the Wagner mercenary group on April 24 for murdering and raping a woman. [Category: N...
- + What Is The Treaty Of Trianon And Why It Still Matters?—The Treaty of Trianon set the terms of peace for Hungary -- a member of the defeated Central Powers -- after World War I. The Allies imposed tough ter...
- + Russian Anti-War Activist Loses Appeal Against Conviction—A Russian court on April 24 rejected an appeal filed by anti-war activist Svetlana Marina against a "forced labor" sentence she was handed last month ...
- + Opposition Candidate Leads Presidential Race In North Macedonia —Presidential elections are under way in North Macedonia as its 2.3 million people become increasingly anxious to see their tiny Balkan country finally...
- + North Macedonia Votes For President With Eyes On EU Membership—Presidential elections are under way in North Macedonia as its 2.3 million people become increasingly anxious to see their tiny Balkan country finally...
- + Relatives Demand Open Trial For Kyrgyz Group That Protested Border Deal—Dozens of relatives of 27 members of a Kyrgyz group that is on trial for protesting a border deal rallied in Bishkek on April 24, demanding the trial ...
- + 8 Members Of Tajik Opposition Group Detained In Italy —Activists from the Tajik opposition movement Group 24 said on April 24 that police in Italy detained the movement's eight members a day earlier. [Cate...
- + Russian Court Orders Seizure Of JPMorgan Chase Funds In VTB Lawsuit—A Russian court has ordered the seizure of funds in JPMorgan Chase bank accounts in Russia, court filings showed on April 24, in a lawsuit filed by st...
- + China In Eurasia Briefing: Previewing Xi's Big Europe Trip—Plus: Chinese spy scandals, a diplomatic fumble in Georgia, a Russian oligarch looks east, and much more. [Category: China In Eurasia, Features] [Link...
- + UK's Sunak To Discuss European Security, Ukraine With Scholz In Berlin—UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will talk defense and security with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on April 24 when the British leader makes his first tr...
- + Orthodox Priest Suspended After Presiding At Navalny's Funeral—Russian priest Dimitry Safronov has been suspended for three years and demoted after he oversaw a farewell ceremony at the funeral of outspoken Kremli...
- + Oil Refinery Reportedly On Fire In Russia's Smolensk—Ukrainian drones struck fuel and energy facilities in Russia's Smolensk region, setting them on fire, regional head Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram ea...
- + Armenian Police Clear Protesters, Cars From Road After Four-Day Blockade—Police in Armenia's northeastern Tavush Province forcefully pushed protesters and their cars off a road they had been blockading since late on April 1...
- + Russian Deputy Defense Minister Detained On Suspicion Of Corruption—Russian law enforcement officials have detained Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of taking a bribe, the Investigative Committee said ...
- + Latest U.S. Sanctions On Iran Target Four People, Two Companies Suspected Of Hacking—The United States on April 23 imposed more sanctions against Iran, designating four people and two companies that the U.S. Treasury Department said we...
- + Mass Snowmelt, Heavy Rains Worsen Flood Devastation Across Central Asia—Sudden spring warming and rains are continuing to complicate flood recovery across Central Asia. Devastating mudslides in Kyrgyzstan and overflowing r...
- + Farewell Barak: Uzbekistan Absorbs Kyrgyz Exclave As Part Of Historic Border Deal —Residents of the former Kyrgyz exclave of Barak inside Uzbekistan bade farewell to their home village with mixed emotions this month, as the historic ...
- + Writers, Artists Demand Iran Release Cartoonist Arrested For Trying To Hang Picture—PEN America, along with a group of organizations that support cartoonists and artists, has condemned the violent arrest of Atena Farghadani, an Irania...
- + What's Behind The Deadly Surge Of Violence In Pakistan's Balochistan?—Pakistan's volatile province of Balochistan has seen a sharp increase in deadly attacks in recent months. Most of the attacks have been claimed by a B...
- + Ukrainian Mobile Pharmacy Provides Lifeline For Isolated Kharkiv Residents—Russian forces have been stepping up strikes on Kharkiv city, Ukraine's second-largest urban center. The city had been suffering from blackouts and po...
- + One Winner Of The Ukraine War Is Azerbaijan—Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has just visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days after Russian peacekeepers began to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, more th...
- + Five Suspects Named In Deadly Attack On Police In Russia's Karachai-Cherkessia—Authorities in Russia's North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia on April 23 identified five men suspected of opening fire on a police patrol a da...
- + Iran Homing In On Africa With Trade Promises, Chaos—Tehran is making a major push to increase trade and political ties to African states, giving it new routes to bypass sanctions and confront global adv...
- + Sister Of Iranian Teen Killed In Anti-Government Protests Released From Prison—The sister of a 16-year-old killed in 2022 in anti-government protests has been freed from an Iranian jail after a week of detention for violating Ira...
- + U.S. Journalist Gershkovich's Appeal Against Russian Detention Denied—A Moscow court on April 23 rejected an appeal by jailed U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is charged with espionage, against the extension of his ...
- + No Russian Fencers At Paris Olympics, European Fencing Says—No fencers from Russia or Belarus will take part in the Paris Olympics after those eligible under a neutral banner did not enter European qualifiers, ...
- + The Iranian Cartoonist Arrested For Her Art—Prominent Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani has been detained by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) after attempting to post her work on a wall near th...
- + RFE/RL, Kazakh Foreign Ministry Reach Agreement On Accreditation—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has reached agreement with the Kazakh Foreign Ministry over the accreditation of dozens of its journalists in...
- + Ukraine Restricts Consular Services For Conscription-Age Men Living Abroad—Ukraine has moved to restrict consular services at its diplomatic missions for men of conscription age (18-60) who live abroad as Kyiv tries to increa...
- + Torture Conviction Of Five Russian Prison Officers Canceled, Sent Back For Retrial—A court of appeals in Siberia has canceled the conviction of five former prison officials who were sentenced in a high-profile case involving the tort...
- + Bosnian Police Officials Arrested In Large-Scale Drug Operation—Bosnian police have raided multiple locations in Sarajevo in a large-scale antidrug operation that led to the arrest of 23 people, including several h...
- + In Sign Of Thawing Relations With Saudis, Iranian Pilgrims Leave For Mecca—For the first time in nine years, a group of Iranian pilgrims has arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, a sign of thawing ...
- + U.S. Senate Expected To Vote On Long-Delayed Ukraine Military Aid Bill—The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a long-delayed military aid package that includes more than $60 billion for Ukraine as early as April 23 after ...
- + U.K. To Announce Largest-Ever Military Support Package For Ukraine—British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce a $617 million uplift in military support for Ukraine on a visit to Poland on April 23, warning that ...
- + Swiss Report Big Drop In Frozen Russian Assets—Switzerland has frozen Russian assets worth 5.8 billion Swiss francs ($6.36 billion), the government said on April 23, a big drop that could intensify...
- + Children Among 9 Wounded In Russian Attack On Odesa—A Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa early on April 23 wounded nine people, including four children, regional administrati...
- + Kosovo, Serbia Trade Accusations At UN Security Council Meeting—The presidents of Serbia and Kosovo traded accusations on April 22 at a session of the UN Security Council in New York called to consider a report on ...
- + U.K.'s Cameron Seeks To Define Common Interests On Visit To Kyrgyzstan—British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he's seeking to highlight the common interests of Britain and Kyrgyzstan on his first visit to the Centra...
- + Biden Assures Zelenskiy That He Will Sign Military-Aid Bill Immediately —U.S. President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call on April 22 that he will immediately sign legislation providi...
- + On Central Asian Trip, U.K. Foreign Secretary Cameron Criticizes Russia's 'Aggression'—British Foreign Secretary David Cameron visited Kyrgyzstan on April 22 as part of a diplomatic tour across Central Asia. In an interview with RFE/RL's...
- + Exiled Journalist Warns Georgia's 'Foreign Agents' Law Is 'First Step On Road To Repression'—Georgian-Russian journalist Yekaterina Kotrikadze talked to RFE/RL's Georgian Service about the risks facing Georgians if a government bill to curb "f...
- + EU Ministers Agree To Expand Iran Sanctions—EU foreign ministers agreed in principle on April 22 to expand sanctions on Iran following Tehran's missile and drone attack on Israel, the bloc's for...
- + Ukrainian Frontline Gunners Await More U.S. Shells For 'Best Artillery Weapon' —On the eve of the Ukraine aid vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, gunners with Kyiv's 148th Separate Artillery Brigade told RFE/RL that Ukraine...
- + At Home In Kharkiv, My City Under Siege—Ten years after witnessing Russian-backed separatists attempt to seize her native city of Kharkiv, photographer Olga Ivashchenko returned to witness w...
- + As Ukraine Considers Recruiting Convicts, A Drug Smuggler Wants To Fight Russia—A Ukrainian drug smuggler says he'd rather be in the army than in jail -- and he may get his chance if a law is passed allowing convicts to be recruit...
- + Ex-Employee Of Banned Belsat TV Jailed On Extremism Charge—The Minsk City Court on April 22 sentenced a former employee of the Poland-based Belsat television channel, which was declared extremist and banned in...
- + Russia Sentences Spokesman For Facebook Owner To Six Years In Prison—A military court in Russia on April 22 sentenced Andy Stone, the spokesman for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in absentia to six ...
- + Mudslides Triggered By Heavy Rains In Kyrgyzstan Kill 1—Kyrgyzstan’s Emergencies Ministry said over the weekend that a mudslide in the southern region of Osh killed one person on April 20. [Category: News, ...
- + Top Shots: Compelling Images From Around Our Region—Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the 17th week of 2024 from around RFE/RL's region. [Category: Photo Galleries, Photo Galleries] ...
- + Ex-Wagner Mercenary Allegedly Dismembers Woman After Returning From Ukraine—Police in Russia's northwestern Leningrad region detained Aleksei Serov, a former fighter for the Wagner mercenary group, over the weekend on suspicio...
- + Wider Europe Briefing: Why Doesn't The EU Sanction Corrupt Politicians?—I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two issues related to sanctions: Will Russia be hit by another round? And ...
- + After The Vote: The Effects Of U.S. Aid For Ukraine—After an excruciating six-month wait, new U.S. aid for Ukraine's defense could become law this week. Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent for the...
- + Additional Rescue Teams Sent To West Kazakhstan To Tackle Flood Situation—The Kazakh government has sent additional rescue teams to West Kazakhstan Province to deal with ongoing floods, which have hit much of the country's n...
- + A Rare Glimpse Into Ukrainian Gunners Battling Both Russian Forces And A Shortage Of Shells—One of the few reporters granted access to cover combat on the front lines, RFE/RL photojournalist Serhiy Nuzhnenko ventured deep into the Donbas to d...
- + Muscovite Gets Five Years Of 'Forced Labor' For Talking To RFE/RL—A Moscow court on April 22 sentenced a 38-year-old man to five years of so-called forced labor for condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine during an o...
- + 'There Is Hope': Ukrainians Welcome Passage Of U.S. Military Aid—Ukrainians welcomed news that the U.S. House of Representatives had passed a long-delayed aid bill critical to Ukraine's defense against Russia’s ongo...
- + Iran, Pakistan Hold First Talks Since Cross-Border Strikes—Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 22 in Islamabad in their first meeting since their co...
- + Two Police Officers Killed In Attack In Russia's North Caucasus—The Interior Ministry in Russia's North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia said on April 22 that unknown attackers opened fire on a police patrol,...
- + Ukraine Downs Several Russian Kamikaze Drones—The Ukrainian Air Force shot down five combat drones and one reconnaissance drone launched by Russia in the early hours of April 22. [Category: News, ...
- + 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...
- + Zelenskiy Says Russia Wants To Capture Chasiv Yar By May 9—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with a U.S. broadcaster on April 21 that Russia wants to occupy Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk...
- + Low Voter Turnout Scuttles Mayoral Recall Vote In Northern Kosovo—The Central Election Commission of Kosovo said turnout for elections on April 21 in four mostly Serbian municipalities in the north of the country fel...
- + Ukrainian Navy Says It Hit Russian Salvage Ship In Sevastopol—Ukraine says its navy struck another ship belonging to Russia's Black Sea fleet. [Category: News, Russia, Ukraine, Russia Invades Ukraine] [Link to me...
- + Zelenskiy Says U.S. Breakthrough On Military Aid Gives Ukraine A 'Chance For Victory'—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he sees "a chance for victory" for Ukraine over invading Russian forces after passage of a long-delayed a...
- + Northern Kosovo Holds Mayoral Votes Amid Boycott By Serbian Parties—Voters in four mostly Serb municipalities of northern Kosovo went to the polls on April 21 to decide the fate of ethnic Albanian mayors whose installa...
- + Kosovo*: Its Footnote Is Both A Blessing And A Curse—A simple asterisk on most diplomatic documents and reports on Kosovo has made it easier for Pristina to interact with international organizations and ...
- + Khamenei Thanks Troops After Iran, Israel Appear To Downplay Risk Of Wider Conflict—Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly expressed gratitude to Iran's armed forces one week after they targeted Israel with more than 300 m...
- + Iranian Commander Announces New Morality Enforcement Body—The commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) troops in the Iranian capital on April 21 announced the creation of a new enforcement body ...
- + 'You Can Wear A Hijab In The Village But Not In Russia': Nationalists Target Central Asians In Siberia—Facing raids by Russian nationalists and indifference from police, small businesses owned by Central Asians have been targeted in the aftermath of the...
- + Iran's President Raisi To Make Official Visit To Pakistan This Week—Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will make an official visit to Pakistan on April 22-24 accompanied by his wife, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollah...
- + Iran Disputes Reports Of First Delivery Of Russian Su-35 Fighter Jets—Iranian officials have denied media reports about the imminent delivery of new Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Iran. [Category: Iran, News] [Link...
- + Moldova Faces New Challenge From Restive Gagauzia Region—Moldova's pro-European government faces a new challenge from its restive pro-Moscow Gagauzia region after its leaders denounced proposed judicial refo...
- + Ukraine Says It Will Resume Small Power Exports —Ukraine plans to resume minor amounts of electricity exports on April 21, but it expects substantial power imports during peak consumption periods, th...
- + Latest Attack On Pakistani Customs Officials Kills 3—Police in the western Pakistani city of Dera Ismail Khan say unidentified men opened fire on a vehicle carrying customs officials on April 21, killing...
- + Boycotted Mayoral Votes Under Way In Serb Areas Of North Kosovo—Polling is officially under way in four mostly Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo over the fates of ethnic Albanian mayors whose installment spark...
- + Zelenskiy Bans Ukrainian Troops From Gambling Online—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued an immediate decree on April 20 banning members of the military from online gambling sites. [Category: ...
- + Kyiv, Europeans Welcome U.S. House Approval Of Long-Delayed $61 Billion Aid Package For Ukraine—Ukraine and its European allies have welcomed the U.S. House of Representatives's passage of a long-delayed aid bill critical to Ukraine's defense aga...
- + Navalnaya Warns Of Putin's Willingness To Strike In Europe—The exiled widow of the late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has said "nobody knows" what to expect from Russian President Vladimir Putin an...
- + Russia Likely Lost 100 Combat Planes In Ukraine War, Says U.K.—A Russian strategic bomber aircraft was likely brought down by the Ukrainian Air Force, according to an estimate by the British Defense Ministry, "the...
- + Pakistani Province Issues Flood Alert, Warns Of Heavy Loss Of Life From Glacial Melting—The northwest Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued a flood alert because of glacial melting and warned of a heavy loss of life if safet...
- + Armenian Border Area Residents Block Road, Decry Demarcation Deal—Dozens of residents blocked the road outside the Armenian village of Kirants, near the border with Azerbaijan, on April 20, a day after a border deal ...
- + U.S. House Approves Much-Delayed $61 Billion Aid Package For Ukraine—The U.S. House of Representatives on April 20 voted to approve a much-delayed aid package for Ukraine, seen as a critical lifeline for the country’s s...
- + Armenian Border Residents Protest As Yerevan, Baku Agree On Delimitation—Residents of several Armenian communities in northeastern Tavush Province began protests late on April 19 after authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan ...
- + Bulgaria Seizes Heroin Worth Nearly $9 million In Truck Heading From Iran To Western Europe—Bulgarian customs officials say they seized 403 kilograms of heroin found in a truck with Turkish registration en route from Iran to Western Europe. [...
- + Insta-Nazis: How Claims Of 'Rehabilitating Nazism' Are Molding A Militaristic Society In Putin's Russia—A 23-year-old blogger was given a 10-month labor sentence this month for a social-media video that Russian authorities say amounted to &#e2;P&...
- + Deadly Blast At Iraq Army Base Amid Israel-Iran Tensions—One person was killed and eight wounded in an overnight explosion at an Iraqi military base housing a coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups, officials...
- + Iranian Nobel Laureate Fears Israel Confrontation Prelude To Tighter Domestic Crackdown—In an interview with RFE/RL&#e2;Pcs Radio Farda, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi said she feared that Iran will use the confrontat...
- + Iran, Israel Appear To Step Back From Moves To Spark Wider Regional Conflict—Iran and Israel appeared to be easing off actions and rhetoric that could lead to a wider Middle East conflict after a series of apparent retaliatory ...
- + Iran Downplays Impact Of Israel's Reported Retaliatory Air Attack—Tehran has downplayed the scope and impact of a reported Israeli attack on targets inside Iran that appeared to be in retaliation for an unprecedented...
- + Ukrainian, Russian Forces Intensify Drone, Missile War —Ukrainian and Russian forces attacked the opposing side's energy infrastructure and armament-production sites overnight into April 20, officials said,...
- + Ukrainian, Russian Forces Intensify Drone, Missile War Ahead Of Expected U.S. Vote—Ukrainian and Russian forces attacked the opposing side's energy infrastructure and armament-production sites overnight into April 20, officials said,...
- + Ukraine Shoots Down 2 Of 7 Russian Missiles As Russia Says It Downs 50 Ukrainian Drones—Russian troops launched seven missiles from Belgorod region and the Black Sea at targets in Ukraine on April 20, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. [Ca...
- + U.S. House Begins Debate On Crucial Aid Package For Ukraine, Israel—The U.S. House of Representatives is to vote on April 20 on a much-delayed $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies after ...
- + House To Vote On Crucial U.S. Aid Package For Ukraine, Israel—The U.S. House of Representatives is to vote on April 20 on a much-delayed $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. allies after ...
- + Srebrenica Genocide Must Be Condemned, Denial Banned, 2 Members Of Bosnian Presidency Tell UN—The 1995 genocide in Srebrenica must be globally condemned, support for victims must be expressed, and denial of genocide and glorification of war cri...
- + The Kazakh-Uzbek 'Tandem': Good For Central Asia, Not So Good For Karakalpak Activists—Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Central Asia&#e2;Pcs two most-populous countries, have a lot to talk about these days, from security cooperatio...
- + U.S. National Dies In Occupied Donetsk, Says Russian Journalist—Russell Bentley, a U.S. national, has died in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in Ukraine, Margarita Simonyan, the head of Russia's state media ...
- + Imprisoned Mother Of Chechen Activists Loses Bid For Early Release For Health Reasons—Zarema Musayeva, the imprisoned mother of three self-exiled outspoken Chechen opposition activists, has lost a bid for early release because of her me...
- + Ukraine Says It Shot Down Russian Strategic Bomber —A Russian Tu-22M3 long-range warplane crashed in Russia's southern Stavropol region on April 19. Ukraine's air force says it was the first time it had...
- + Ukraine, Israel Aid Advances In Rare House Vote As Democrats Help Republicans—With rare bipartisan momentum, the U.S. House of Representatives pushed ahead on April 19 on a foreign aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel,...
- + Detained Former Karabakh Separatist Official Begins Hunger Strike, Says Family—Ruben Vardanian, a former Russian citizen of Armenian descent who served as prime minister in the de facto government of the breakaway region of Nagor...
- + Armenia Agrees To Return 4 Villages To Azerbaijan As First Step To Define Borders—Armenia has agreed to return four abandoned border villages that it has controlled since the early 1990s to Azerbaijan as the initial step in defining...
- + Former Bulgarian PM Blasts Powerful Oligarch Peevski As The Country's 'Biggest Evil'—In an interview with RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, former Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov blamed the U.S.-sanctioned oligarch Delyan Peevski for...
- + Burning Rubber: Montenegro's Dirty Habit Poses Serious Health Risks—Podgorica residents have been exposed to dangerous toxins for years, thanks to the practices of nearby waste companies, who burn worn-out tires to ext...
- + 'Security Measures' Taken For Kazakh Judge In Murder Trial Of Ex-Minister Amid Threats—Kazakhstan's Supreme Court said on April 19 that Judge Aizhan Qulbaeva -- who is presiding over the high-profile trial of former Kazakh Economy Minist...
- + Russian Military Court To Try Theater Director Berkovich, Playwright Petriichuk—Moscow theater director Yevgenia Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriichuk will face trial in a Russian military court after prosecutors affirmed c...
- + Belarusian Gets Prison Term For Sending $32 To Banned Groups—A court in Belarus has sentenced a man to 3 1/2 years in prison for sending the equivalent of $32 to three Belarusian groups, which were labeled extre...
- + Iran Has Strong Options For Retaliation Against Israel, Including Going Nuclear—Should Iran choose to escalate its showdown with Israel, it has many arrows in its quiver -- including the element of surprise, more sophisticated wea...
- + Freed From Prison In The Donbas, Journalist Joins Ukrainian Forces On Front Lines—Stanislav Aseyev, a former RFE/RL contributor, was held captive by Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donbas region for 2 1/2 years. After being f...
- + 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...
As of 5/1/24 5:17am. Last new 5/1/24 5:17am. Score: 99
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