Hooded shop mannequins have become a symbol of Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
Ukrainian holdouts in Soledar and Bakhmut are bloodying Moscow's troops in fierce fighting as Russia claims victory.
Bucharest's massive, staggeringly expensive People's Salvation Cathedral is years away from its scheduled opening, but the architectural colossus already dominates the skyline of the Romanian capital.
Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the second week of 2023 from around RFE/RL's region.
The furious attacks by Moscow's forces to capture the destroyed city of Bakhmut are intensifying. Reports of infantry charges like those seen in World War I have left fields covered in dead Russian soldiers.
As Pakistan lurches from one disaster to another, it finds itself in the midst of an accelerating food crisis at a time when the government is short on funds. With wheat and flour prices skyrocketing, armed guards must now accompany distribution trucks.
Since taking power in August 2021, the Taliban has banned sports for Afghan female athletes as part of an escalating campaign of restrictions that have hindered daily life for women.
Russian forces in Ukraine are trying to capture the eastern salt-mining town of Soledar in a sustained offensive that Kyiv's Defense Ministry has described as "maniacal." In 2019, RFE/RL's Amos Chapple visited Soledar as the salt-mining operation was hoping to crack Western markets.
The controversial project has brought long-term economic risk by saddling Montenegro with debts to China, but many locals see potential in the highway.
In the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where the energy grid is teetering on the verge of collapse due to repeated Russian attacks, the Kazakh community has found a novel way to allow locals to stay warm and partake in traditional Kazakh sweets.
Soviet-era helicopters have been providing close air support for Ukrainian troops as they seek out Russian positions on the front line near Kherson.
Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the first week of 2023 from around RFE/RL's region.
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