Free media in unfree societies. Local reporting and intensive coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, unrest in Iran, Taliban in Afghanistan, and more.
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Recent reports that 20 Bangladeshis were killed on the front lines in Russia's war against Ukraine have again raised accusations that Moscow is deceiving recruits and forcing them to fight.
@DaudKhattak1 explains. ⬇️
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, following two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-w…
The first trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US since early this year produced a measured humanitarian breakthrough, but little tangible progress toward ending the war. @ralexdc rferl.org/a/33895568.html
Harnessed to carts like horses. Watched by male guards while changing clothes.
As the country considers amnesty, former political prisoners describe life inside Belarus's women's prisons, where even hugging another inmate can be punished.
By @svaboda:
rferl.org/a/belarus-womens-p…
Who is "Kobra," the masked fighter featured in a Russian military TV documentary about the war in Ukraine?
An investigation by RFE/RL's @RSE_Balkan has traced his likely identity to Petar Popovic, a Bosnian national wanted by prosecutors for allegedly joining the Russian military.
Joining foreign military formations is a criminal offense in Bosnia-Herzegovina, punishable by at least three years in prison.
Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Iran "will not remove a single atom of enriched nuclear material" and that Russia, often cited as a potential destination for Iran's stockpile, was informed of the decision.
rferl.org/a/iran-enriched-ur…
Ukrainian advocacy groups are urging the outgoing US Congress to tighten restrictions on easing sanctions against Russia and accelerate military aid to Kyiv, warning that delays could weaken Ukraine's position as diplomatic contacts with Moscow resume.
By @ralexdc
rferl.org/a/ukraine-supporte…
More than a decade after construction began, Turkmenistan's TAPI gas pipeline is nearing its first customers in Afghanistan as the Iran war restores interest in the gas supply line.
rferl.org/a/tapi-pipeline-tu…
Once a political punchline, Mohsen Rezaei is back at the center of power in Iran. Who is the former Revolutionary Guards commander linked to a deadly 1994 bombing in Argentina?
By @KianSharifi
rferl.org/a/iran-security-ch…
The French government has said that Shahid Kaveh, an Iranian hacking group, was behind a cyberattack on refrigerators that ruined food at some 700 food outlets in October.
So who are they? By @rayfurlong
Moscow mass raid: Around 200 young people, including children, were detained. Those who were of military age say they were handed draft notices or pressured to sign contracts to fight in Ukraine.
By @CurrentTimeTv
The United States sees a “real shot” at serious progress toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine at talks between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow that kicked off in Abu Dhabi early on November 10, senior US officials told reporters, citing signs of growing willingness on both sides to reach a settlement.
rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-peace…
In this week's briefing, RFE/RL Europe Editor @RikardJozwiak is drilling down on two issues: why the EU cannot agree on an envoy for Russia-Ukraine peace talks and what safeguards Montenegro could face when it joins the bloc.
rferl.org/a/eu-ukraine-peace…
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev’s proposal to grant Russia observer status in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) took many by surprise, except, perhaps, for Moscow. rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-russi…
Sanctions and growing international isolation are closing off pathways for young Iranians hoping to study abroad. The suspension of major English-language exams in Iran has created yet another obstacle for prospective international students.
rferl.org/a/iran-english-tes…
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“Twenty of my fellow countrymen were killed in drone strikes right before my eyes,” said Razan, a Bangladeshi national who went to Russia for work and ended up fighting in Ukraine. @DaudKhattak1
rferl.org/a/bangladeshis-fig…
Trump says he believes "we’re very close to a deal" and that the war in Ukraine is "going to end soon."
Nevertheless, expectations of a breakthrough at the negotiations this week are low. Here are five reasons why ⬇️
By @sgutterman
rferl.org/a/war-negotiations…
A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at Russia's second-largest oil refinery in Kirishi, near St. Petersburg, on November 9, according to Leningrad regional Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko.
The governor said the fire had been contained and that a woman was killed by falling drone debris.
The refinery, which processes up to 20 million tons of crude oil annually, has been targeted by Ukrainian drones in previous attacks.
US President Donald Trump said he is "highly unlikely" to launch fresh air strikes against Iran as long as progress is seen taking place in the peace process.
"It depends on whether or not [the Iranian negotiators] sign a very strong agreement," Trump told CNN in a phone interview on November 8. "The answer is: Highly unlikely it's going to be necessary."
Trump also said that if strikes do resume, US forces have identified potential infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges "that we can knock down in literally one hour."
🔴 rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-t…
Ukrainian authorities battled to restore power to hundreds of thousands of people in the east of the country following Russian air strikes, while US President Donald Trump suggested in a TV interview that Kyiv may have to cede territory in any US-brokered peace deal.
rferl.org/a/ukraine-power-re…
