VISUAL REPORTS
Coronavirus Tears At Ties On Russia-China Border
Trade, study, and tourism have ground to a halt between the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk and the Chinese city of Heihe since Russia closed the border amid coronavirus fears.
Latvia Considers Restricting Russian-Language TV Programs
After blocking nine Russian TV channels last November, Latvia is now considering further steps to push back against suspected propaganda from Russian broadcast outlets. But one Russia-friendly local TV station is fighting back.
Jamming With Junk: Ukrainian Craftsman Transforms Trash Into Music
People around the world have learned the virtues of recycling, but a craftsman in Kyiv goes much further. He upcycles discarded furniture into musical instruments.
Advice To My Younger Self: Women From The Balkans
To mark International Women's Day on March 8, RFE/RL asked several women what advice they would give their younger selves. In this segment, women from Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Bulgaria offer their thoughts.
OTHER NEWS
U.S., Britain Again Accuse Russia Of Cyberattacks On Georgia
The United States, Britain, and Estonia have accused Russian military intelligence of conducting massive cyberattacks against the Georgian government and media websites in a bid "to sow discord and disrupt the lives of ordinary Georgians."
St. Petersburg Economic Forum Canceled Due To Coronavirus
Russian media reports that the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, planned for early June, has been cancelled due to fears over the coronavirus. Russia considers the Forum a premier showcase for its business elite; it is normally attended by the Russian president and members of the government, and draws high-profile international participation. (Russian Service)
Navalny's Group Fined For Failing To Register As Foreign Agent
A Russian court has fined opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation for failing to register as a foreign agent under a controversial Russian law.
Court In Crimea Sentences Jehovah’s Witness To Six Years In Prison
A Russian-controlled court in Ukraine’s Crimea region has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to six years in prison for being a member of an extremist group, in what Amnesty International called "the latest example of the wholesale export of Russia’s brutally repressive policies" to the Black Sea peninsula.
Russian Journalist Golunov Sent For Psychiatric Examination
Russian investigative reporter Ivan Golunov, whose arrest on fabricated charges last June sparked a public outcry, says the Kremlin’s Investigative Committee sent him for psychiatric testing for mental disorders, acuity, and dependence on psychoactive substances. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russian Plan Seeks To Populate Arctic
Russia is promising payouts and infrastructure development to persuade more people to live in its energy-rich but foreboding Arctic regions as part of a 15-year strategic plan.
The ‘Katyn Lie’ Is Alive In Russia, Eighty Years On
In November 2010, the Russian State Duma took a big step toward healing a decades-old rift with Poland by officially accepting Soviet responsibility for the Katyn massacre -- the mass killing of some 22,000 Polish military officers, religious figures, and intelligentsia in 1940.
Ukraine Parliament Votes No-Confidence In Top Prosecutor
The Ukrainian parliament has passed a no-confidence vote in Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka, the latest move in a reshuffle that has ousted the prime minister and most members of the government. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party has proposed deputy Serhiy Ionushas as Ryaboshapka's replacement.
New Ukrainian PM Rules Out Restoration Of Crimean Water Supply
Newly appointed Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal has surprised observers by raising the sensitive issue of Crimea’s threatened water supply, only two days into office. Ukraine used to provide 85% of the peninsula’s fresh water, but Shmygal posted remarks on social media saying this is no longer possible as long as Russia’s occupation of Crimea continues. Crimean Tatar Majlis Chairman Refat Chubarov called Shmygal’s comment a betrayal.
Moldova's Most Notorious Oligarch Has Been In The U.S. Despite Sanctions
Vladimir Plahotniuc is one of the most powerful, and most notorious, tycoons in Moldova's three decades of independence, a man linked to the "theft of the century" -- the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014.
Jailed Azerbaijani Journalist 'Punished For Refusing To Vote'
The parents of Bahruz Aliyev, a journalist serving a long-term prison sentence in Azerbaijan, allege that their son was placed in a special punishment cell at Baku’s Prison No.13 after he refused to vote in last month’s parliamentary elections.
Former Armenian Defense Minister Charged With Embezzlement
Former Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian has been charged in what authorities say is a larger investigation with embezzling more than $2 million worth of state funds during his tenure.
U.A.E. Extradites Ablyazov Associate To Kazakhstan
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has extradited to Kazakhstan the former managing director of the country's BTA Bank, Rustam Ibragimov, an alleged associate opposition figure Mukhtar Ablyazov, who resides in France.
Turkmenistan Reports First Coronavirus Infections
Medical sources in Turkmenistan claim at least two Turkmen have tested positive for the coronavirus at a hospital near the capital, Ashgabat, the first officially registered cases of the virus in Central Asia.
COMMENTARY: Nazarbaev's Golden Sunset Is Dimming Fast
Actions taken by former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev over nearly three decades of authoritarian rule are at the root of recent social discontent in Kazakhstan, as reflected in unsanctioned rallies erupting around the country and protesters’ shouts of “Shal Ket!” (Go away old man!).
IRAN: Iranian Commander Says Coronavirus Might Be U.S. Biological Weapon
AFGHANISTAN: U.S. - Taliban Deal Rekindles Afghanistan - Pakistan Rivalry
PRESSROOM: Ukrainian Journalist Tereshchuk Comments On Arson Attack