VISUAL REPORTS
The Flies Have It: Russian Village Smothered In Pests
An invasion of flies has turned life in a village in Russia's Ural Mountains into something resembling an apocalypse movie. Residents say they are unable to live normally.
'My Eye Was Gone': Georgian Teen Fights For Justice Months After Protests
Georgian teen Mako Gomuri lost her eye during a violent crackdown on June's anti-government protests in Tbilisi. She wasn't the only one, and eye patches became symbols of the protests. Now, three months later, Gomuri is fighting for compensation for what she believes was an excessive use of police force.
Afghanistan Votes: RFE/RL Interview With President Ashraf Ghani
Ahead of Afghanistan’s elections on Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani, should he win, ruled out forming another national unity government on the model of the power-sharing agreement with Chief Executive Abduallah Abdullah that was brokered after disputed elections in 2014. He also rejected allegations of improprieties in his campaign.
INFOGRAPHIC: How People View The UN
As world leaders meet at United Nations headquarters in New York, a survey by Pew Research Center shows that support is strong in Europe, and most countries have a positive view of the organization.
OTHER NEWS
Russian Duma Moves Ahead On ‘Foreign Interference’ Of Media
Russia’s State Duma has announced that the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle has broken a Russian law on foreign interference by purportedly summoning people to attend an unauthorized rally in Moscow, an accusation the broadcaster has vehemently rejected. The Duma is calling on the foreign ministry to consider withdrawing the outlet’s accreditation, and has said it will investigate whether RFE/RL, Current Time TV, VOA, and Meduza have also violated the law. (in Russian, Current Time)
Ukrainian President Likely To Get Off Easy After Trump Conversation
Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has spurred impeachment proceedings in Washington. But political analysts, journalists, and politicians in Kyiv say the controversy is unlikely to make a dent in the recently elected Zelenskiy's 71 percent approval rating.
Former U.S. Soldier Who Fought With Ukrainian Far-Right Militia Wanted For U.S. Murder
A former U.S. Army soldier, who fought for a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group and has been linked to a bomb plot in the United States, has been detained in Ukraine on charges related to a double murder in the U.S. state of Florida last year.
Court Postpones Hearing Of Russian Actor Ustinov
The Moscow City Court has postponed a hearing into the appeal of actor Pavel Ustinov, who was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for violence against law enforcement during a protest rally in August he insists he did not take part in. Prosecutors said Ustinov's sentence was "too severe" and that corrective measures were possible without isolating him from society.
Why One Russian Priest Condemned The Kremlin's Crackdown On Protests
Father Andrei Lorgus is one of more than 180 Russian Orthodox priests who has signed an open letter urging authorities to scale back their clampdown on activists sentenced to prison for attending protests. It was an intervention in politics that church scholars say is unprecedented in Russia since the 1991 Soviet collapse.
Russian Priest With 70 Adopted Children Charged With Sexual Assault
A Russian Orthodox priest in the Urals region of Orenburg who adopted 70 children has been arrested and charged with sexual assault, debauchery, and failure to perform parental duties.
Russian Gay Couple With Adopted Children Seeks Political Asylum In U.S.
A Russian gay couple have asked for asylum in the United States after Russian authorities launched an investigation into their adoption of two children.
Russia Detains North Korean Fishermen On Suspicion Of Massive Poaching
Russia has detained 262 North Korean nationals and impounded three fishing vessels and five motorboats after the Federal Security Service accused them of poaching in Russia's "exclusive economic waters."
Ukrainian Regulator Rules Against Extending Broadcaster License
The Ukrainian National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting says it won't extend the broadcasting license of the television channel 112 Ukraine, citing the channel's “failure to fix violations of the broadcast concept since 2014." Lawmakers in October 2018 proposed sanctions against the broadcaster and NewsOne TV after 25,000 citizens signed a petition accusing them of "being tools of Russian propaganda in Ukraine."
Mykola Semena’s Two-Year Silence
September 22 marked two years since Crimean journalist and RFE/RL contributor Mykola Semena was convicted on a charge of “separatism” in Crimea because of an article he published challenging Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula.
Female Georgian Deputy Slaps Ruling Party Colleague In Face Over Comments
A meeting of Georgia's Legal Issues Committee turned into chaos after female lawmaker Eka Beselia meted out her own justice, slapping colleague Vano Zardiashvilia in the face after he made comments she found insulting.
Tajik Opposition Activist Odinaev Detained In Belarus, Faces Extradition
Tajik opposition activist Farhod Odinaev has been detained in Belarus at Tajikistan's request and may be extradited to Dushanbe, Belarusian rights group Human Constanta reports. According to the group, Tajik authorities want Odinaev for allegedly being a member of a banned organization.
Fresh Anti-Beard Campaign Reported In Uzbekistan
Vendors at a marketplace in Uzbekistan's eastern city of Namangan say authorities have been stopping traders and market visitors and forcing them to shave their beards.
COMMENTARY: Finally, A Defense Of Tajikistan’s Lawyers
AFGHANISTAN: Who’s Who Among The Afghan Presidential Candidates