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- By RFE/RL
COVID-19: Afghanistan Freeing Thousands Of Inmates; Romania Surpasses 1,000 Cases
The global death toll from the coronavirus has reached nearly 24,000 with more than 526,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Afghanistan
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered the release of up to 10,000 prison inmates in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Ghani’s decree was directed at women, young offenders, critically ill patients, and prisoners aged more than 55, Attorney General Farid Hamidi told a Kabul news conference on March 26.
Calling the move a “responsible decision to safeguard the health of the people,” Hamidi said the decree “is not for those who have committed crimes against national and international security."
The announcement comes as Afghanistan's government is negotiating a prisoner exchange with Taliban as a confidence-building measure ahead of proposed peace talks under a U.S.-brokered process.
Afghanistan has recorded 90 confirmed coronavirus cases and two deaths, according to a tally on March 26 compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
However, the true figures are feared to be much higher as the war-torn country struggles to administer tests and screen an influx of Afghans returning from neighboring Iran -- one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic.
Ghani's decree calls for a special committee to be set up to prepare a list of prisoners to be released.
Prisons chief Ahmad Rashed Totakhail said between 9,000 and 10,000 inmates would be released during the coming 10 days.
An official in Ghani's office said “several thousand prisoners will be released soon.” He also insisted that those freed would not include members of the Taliban or the Islamic State militant group.
Ukraine
Ukraine has reported 40 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours as the government has implemented an additional measure to maintain physical distancing in public transport.
The Health Ministry’s Center for Public Health says there are 196 confirmed laboratory cases of the COVID-19 respiratory illness in the country as of 10 p.m. on March 26.
On the same day, the cabinet issued a nationwide directive limiting passengers in all public transportation. All above-ground transportation such as minibuses, buses, trolleybuses, and trams should only ride up to half capacity.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, meanwhile, in an online video address to the nation reiterated the country’s decision to shut cross-border travel after March 27, including for Ukrainian nationals.
He also added that 100,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests from South Korea for the coronavirus will be delivered on March 27.
On the same day, Zelenskiy said that "200,000 medical respirators, protective suits for doctors, 100,000 PCR tests, ventilators, [and] a large number of masks for pharmacies” will be delivered from China.
Romania
Romania surpassed 1,000 cases of the coronavirus on March 26, one month after the first confirmed infection there, prompting the resignation of the country's health minister.
Authorities on March 26 reported 123 more infections and four more deaths during the previous 24 hours, bringing the total in Romania to 1,029 confirmed cases with 18 deaths.
Health Minister Victor Costache resigned on March 26 amid criticism of the government's handling of the outbreak.
President Klaus Iohannis appointed a deputy minister, Nelu Tataru, to replace Costache.
Tataru has been one of the main public faces of the government's response to the crisis.
Costache on March 25 said all of Bucharest's population would be tested for COVID-19, a plan widely criticized as unfeasible and misguided.
Romania's hospitals have struggled to cope with an increasing number of patients.
Health workers say they do not have access to testing and adequate equipment with only about 16,000 people tested so far.
Out of 18 deaths, eight were patients at a hospital in the northeastern city of Suceava, a facility that has become the center of Romania's coronavirus outbreak.
Eleven other Romanian coronavirus patients have died abroad -- eight in Italy, two in France, and one in Britain.
About 4 million Romanians work abroad, most of them in Italy and Spain, Europe's worst-affected countries.
Romania declared a state of emergency on March 16 and went into a "total quarantine" on March 25, with army troops deployed to help enforce the order.
Iohannis on March 26 reiterated his appeal to Romanians to obey the lockdown order and remain at home.
Russia
The Russian government has ordered the suspension of all regular and charter flights in and out of the country effective from March 27 as the country battles to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Russian officials on March 26 reported a total of 840 confirmed coronavirus infections in the country, up from 658 a day before, with 136 of the new cases in Moscow alone.
Russia's coronavirus task force also confirmed the country's first two deaths from COVID-19, describing the victims as elderly patients from the Moscow region who were suffering from pneumonia and complications.
On March 19, Moscow health authorities had reported the death of a 79-year-old woman as coronavirus-related, but hours later a new statement was released saying an autopsy had confirmed the woman had died of a blood clot and not from the virus.
"Regular and charter flights from Russian airports to and from foreign airports are to be suspended starting at midnight on March 27, 2020, with the exception of flights aimed at bringing Russian nationals back from overseas…and flights carried out in accordance with the government’s decisions,” the government said on its website.
Russia had already put restrictions in place regarding air transportation.
As of March 23, Russian airlines were only allowed to service foreign capitals or large cities like New York and only from Moscow airports.
The moves come as countries throughout the world are restricting entry and exit from their borders in attempts to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
On March 25, President Vladimir Putin postponed next month's referendum on sweeping constitutional changes that could allow him to remain in power until 2036 because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
Putin said a new date for the April 22 vote would be determined based on the recommendations of health experts.
Putin’s announcement came after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered provincial governors to move at a quicker pace to provide hospital beds for coronavirus patients, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin ordered the closure of all the capital's eateries, shopping malls, and parks from March 28 to April 5.
Later on March 26, Putin proposed at a Group of 20 (G20) video conference that a freeze be placed on economic sanctions to allow countries to better combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is accusing the Russian government of stepping up control of news reporting in connection with the coronavirus pandemic on the “pretext” of combating disinformation.
In a statement on March 26, the Paris-based media freedom watchdog said Russian journalists covering the coronavirus crisis are being targeted by Roskomnadzor, the country’s media regulator, which it has included in its list of Digital Predators of Press Freedom.
Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, urged the Russian authorities not to “take advantage of this epidemic to restrict press freedom.”
Cavelier also called for “the repeal of the excessively vague ‘fake news’ law,” which she said “violates the freedom to inform.”
Russia is ranked 149th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2019 World Press Freedom Index.
Iran
Iran has announced 157 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the official toll to 2,234, as a ban on intercity travel came into effect amid fears of a second wave of infections in one of the world's worst-hit countries
Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told a news conference that a record-breaking 2,389 new cases have been confirmed over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of declared infections to 29,406.
Jahanpur said that the spread of the new coronavirus and its rate of infection was "growing steadily" in Iran.
The travel ban was imposed after officials had complained that many Iranians ignored the authorities' advice to stay at home and cancel travel plans for the Persian New Year holidays that began on March 20.
"Those who have traveled for the Iranian New Year holidays should immediately return to their cities without making any stop in the cities on their way back home," Hossein Zolfaghari, a member of Iran's national headquarters for fighting the coronavirus, said on March 26.
"The closure of universities and schools as well as the suspension of gatherings has been extended," Zolfaghari said, adding that violators of the measures will face legal consequences.
On March 25, the government warned about the danger of ignoring the authorities' travel guidelines.
"This could cause a second wave of the coronavirus," government spokesman Ali Rabiei said, according to state TV.
President Hassan Rohani said Iran will contain the coronavirus spread in two weeks, adding that further measures have been taken to ease the economic impact of the outbreak on lower-income citizens.
"We will send a letter to Iran's supreme leader today to seek permission for the withdrawal of $1 billion from Iran's sovereign wealth fund," Rohani said in a meeting, broadcast live on state TV.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the last say on all state matters.
Iran has rejected an offer from the Geneva-based medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to set up a 50-bed inflatable hospital in the central city of Isfahan to deal with the outbreak.
It has also refused the United States' offer of humanitarian assistance, saying that Washington should lift sanctions if it wants to help Tehran fight the epidemic.
Iran has been under crippling U.S. sanctions in connection with its nuclear and missile programs.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's two largest cities will implement lockdown measures.
The fresh restrictions were announced on March 26 as Kazakhstan's government confirmed the country's first death from coronavirus.
Residents of Nur-Sultan and Almaty will be barred from leaving their homes except for work or to buy food or medicines, starting from March 28, the government said.
Authorities will also close all intercity transport terminals and public spaces in Shymkent, Kazakhstan's third-largest city, in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the government said.
Kazakhstan on March 26 had confirmed 109 cases.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has announced the first confirmed death from the coronavirus even as it stepped up measures to stem the spread of the pandemic in the Central Asian nation.
The Health Ministry on March 27 said a 72-year-old man in the city of Namangan had suffered from other medical ailments before contracting the coronavirus.
Namangan, in the Ferghana Valley, is the second-largest Uzbek city after the capital, Tashkent, to impose a lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As of early March 27, Uzbekistan has confirmed 75 cases of infection to the COVID-19 virus. Experts warn, however, that it is impossible to know the true number of infections in any country because of a lack of testing.
Uzbekistan, a country of 32 million people, has locked down several cities and districts, including the capital, Tashkent, where municipal authorities imposed restrictions on movements on March 24.
On March 27, authorities in the province of Navoi said they were locking down the cities of Navoi and Zarafshan.
On the same day, officials in Bukhara, a major tourism area, said they would close the city’s borders.
Municipal authorities announced restrictions in Samarkand and in the Ferghana Valley city of Andijon on March 26.
Authorities also said they were offering large bonus payment for workers in the medical field after at least 11 infections were reported among such workers.
Doctors every two weeks are to receive $2,500 -- several times their normal monthly pay -- while nurses and laboratory workers will get $1,500, junior medical workers $1,000, and others $500, according to a Reuters report.
Armenia
Armenia has reported its first death related to the coronavirus outbreak after a 72-year-old female patient died in hospital.
Health Ministry spokeswoman Alina Nikoghosian on March 26 said the patient was being treated at the intensive care department of Yerevan’s Nork Infectious Disease Clinical Hospital when she passed away.
A total of 290 people have been officially diagnosed with the coronavirus in Armenia -- the highest number among South Caucasus countries.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said that two elderly patients were in critical condition, one of whom is a U.S. citizen.
Health authorities say 18 people have recovered from the respiratory illness.
Armenia introduced a one-month state of emergency on March 16 in a bid to slow the spread of the outbreak.
Since March 25, police have been enforcing a nationwide lockdown after new restrictions were imposed to limit freedom of movement.
With reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, AP, Akipress, and Interfax
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Georgian Opposition To Stage Rally Outside Court Of Appeal
Georgia's opposition has announced a fresh demonstration on November 5 to protest the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections claimed by the ruling Georgian Dream party amid accusations of widespread vote-rigging and irregularities at the polling stations.
The protest has been announced for 3 p.m. local time outside the Appeals Court in Tbilisi and comes after thousands demonstrated in the capital for the second night in a row on November 4 to demand new elections.
The site of the protest had been initially set for outside Tbilisi's Sports Palace but was changed as Georgia's Appeals Court is due to review rulings by local courts in the towns of Tetritskaro and Gori regarding irregularities during the October 26 vote.
The Tetritskaro court canceled the election results at 30 polling stations due to the violation of the secrecy of the vote, while the Gori court ordered a recount of invalid ballots from 15 polling stations.
In Tetsikaro, Judge Vladimir Kuchua ruled in favor of the complaint filed by a civic group called the Young Lawyers' Association, deciding to annul the result at 30 polling stations based on evidence presented by the group.
Georgia's Central Election Commission challenged the two courts' decisions, declaring them unfounded.
The Russia-friendly Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012, claimed victory in the election, with preliminary official results showing it garnered nearly 54 percent of the vote.
The opposition and the country's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.
At the rally on November 4, opposition leaders called for continuous protests and civil resistance until the election results are overturned and new elections are called.
The thousands of participant in the rally, which included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, gathered near the House of Justice and marched about 5 kilometers waving Georgian and European Union flags through the Georgian capital, before ending their protest on Tbilisi's Marjanishvili Square.
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Strong Georgia, said the protesters needed to "save their energy" for future rallies, noting plans were always announced 10 minutes ahead of time.
"The location will be announced, but our route will not be known to [the authorities]," Khazaradze said at the end of the demonstration on November 4. "We should revive the whole of Tbilisi in this way every day."
Thunberg expressed her support for the protest.
"I am here to support the fight for democracy and freedom of the Georgian people who have been standing up time and time again against the repression they are facing from the state," Thunberg said.
"I want to show that I am one of many tens of thousands of people who are standing up in the fight for democracy and freedom for the Georgian people," she was quoted as saying.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States had made clear it supports the people of Georgia and their hopes of joining the European Union and their "further integration with their Euro and Atlantic partners."
He told reporters at a briefing in Washington on November 4 that the United States responded to the government’s passage of a controversial "foreign influence" law and legislation curbing LGBT rights by suspending $95 million of the assistance and by putting other assistance under review.
"We will continue to look at whether there are additional measures that are appropriate and if so, we won’t hesitate to use them," Miller said.
Iranian Foreign Minister In Pakistan To Discuss Ties, Middle East
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Islamabad at the start of a two-day official visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and other officials, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced on November 5. Araghchi and the Pakistani officials will discuss improving bilateral ties and the current crisis in the Middle East, the Ministry said in a statement. The visit also "provides an important opportunity to advance cooperation and dialogue between Pakistan and Iran on a wide range of areas including trade, energy and security," the statement said. Iran and Israel are currently engaged in a standoff, with Tehran threatening to launch another retaliatory strike in response to an Israeli attack on October 26 that targeted Iranian military facilities. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Russian Strikes On Ukrainian Cities Kill 6, Wound Several
A strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhya on November 5 killed at least six people and wounded another nine, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram, as Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities.
"Six people died and nine were wounded," Fedorov said, adding that a fire broke out at the missile's point of impact. He said the attack targeted an infrastructure object, without giving details.
The city, with a pre-war population of more than 700,000, is located some 55 kilometers northeast of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, that has been under Russian control since shortly after the start of Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier in the day, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the Ukrainian capital had been subjected to two waves of Russian drone attacks on the city's northeastern Obolonskiy district and the southern Holosyivskiy district, although it was not immediately clear whether there were casualties or damage.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, two women were wounded by Russian shelling early on November 5, Mayor Ihor Terekhov announced. A third person was wounded in a missile attack on the region's Kapitolivka village.
In recent weeks, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities have been subjected to Russian strikes on an almost daily basis as Ukraine braces for a third winter of war.
During the two previous cold seasons, Russian attacks largely crippled Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing electricity shortages that added to the hardships of civilians.
Ukraine's air force separately said Odesa, Ukraine's main Black Sea port, had been targeted by two Kinzhal guided missiles that were shot down. Odesa region is Ukraine's main gateway for the country's grain and other produce exports.
The air force said that its air-defense systems also downed 48 of the 79 drones launched by Russia at 8 Ukrainian regions -- Odesa, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskiy.
Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its air-defense capabilities destroyed six Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region.
- By RFE/RL
Russia, Iran Are Accelerating Disinformation Campaigns As U.S. Votes, Security Agencies Warn
U.S. intelligence and security officials have accused Russia and Iran of ramping up cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to sow discord as Americans head to the polls on November 5 to vote in a tense presidential election.
Russia-linked influence actors "are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences," said a statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on November 4.
"These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials," it added.
U.S. intelligence agencies have warned for months of Russian government-backed efforts to influence the vote that pits former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, and his opponent, Democratic party nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Opinion polls ahead of Election Day say the race is too close to call, raising tensions as voters head to the polls after an acrimonious campaign.
Highlighting an example of the disinformation tactics being used, the U.S. agencies said in the statement that Russian influence actors recently posted and amplified an article falsely claiming that U.S. officials across swing states plan to orchestrate election fraud using a range of tactics, such as ballot stuffing and cyberattacks.
They also said Russian influence actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona, which involved creating fake overseas ballots and changing voter rolls to favor Harris.
The Arizona Secretary of State has already refuted the video’s claim as false.
While "Russia is the most active threat," the statement said Iran also remains a "significant foreign influence threat" to the election.
"We have assessed that Iran has conducted malicious cyber activities to compromise former President Trump's campaign," the intelligence agencies said.
"Iranian influence actors may also seek to create fake media content intended to suppress voting or stoke violence, as they have done in past election cycles."
The agencies urged voters to "seek out information from trusted, official sources, in particular state and local election officials" in light of the "continued influence efforts by foreign adversaries and the increasing volume of inauthentic content online."
Both Tehran and Moscow have denied playing a role in any disinformation campaigns during the U.S. presidential election.
Number Of North Korean Troops In Kursk Grows To 11,000, Zelenskiy Says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 4 that 11,000 North Korean troops had reached Russia's Kursk region, according to Kyiv's intelligence agencies.
Zelenskiy said in his evening address that he had been briefed by Ukraine’s intelligence agencies on the movements and regretted that Western allies have not reacted more firmly.
"There are already 11,000 (North Koreans) in the Kursk region," Zelenskiy said. "We see an increase in North Koreans and no increase in the reaction of our partners. Unfortunately."
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
According to estimates of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the number of North Korean troops transferred to Russia is now about 12,000, including 500 officers, three of them generals.
The Pentagon on November 4 estimated the number of North Korean troops in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine slightly lower, at 10,000.
The total number of North Korean forces in Russia "could be closer to around 11,000-12,000," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told reporters at a briefing.
Top U.S. officials last week put the number of North Korean soldiers in Kursk -- where Ukrainian troops control several hundred square kilometers of Russian territory after launching a ground offensive in August -- at about 8,000 out of a total of 10,000 in Russia.
Ryder said the Pentagon could not at this point confirm reports that they had entered combat, but all North Korean forces are being issued Russian uniforms and Russian equipment.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on October 31 that the troops were expected to be deployed into combat in the coming days. He said they would become legitimate military targets once they entered the battlefield.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell met earlier on November 4 in Seoul with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. They issued a joint statement condemning in the "strongest possible terms" North Korea’s deployment.
“We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear- or ballistic missile-related technology to [North Korea], which would jeopardize the international nonproliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe,” the statement said.
North Korea and Russia haven't confirmed the North Korean deployment, but they have argued that their military cooperation doesn't break international laws.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on November 4 in Moscow. State television showed them greeting each other.
Details of the meeting were not available, but Choe conveyed "sincere, warm, comradely greetings" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa
Thousands Protest Georgia's 'Stolen Election' In Tbilisi
Thousands of people demonstrated in Tbilisi for the second night in a row on November 4 to demand new elections after the ruling Georgian Dream party was declared the winner amid allegations of vote-rigging.
The rally ended in Marjanishvili Square after participants, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, gathered near the House of Justice and marched about 5 kilometers waving Georgian and European Union flags through the Georgian capital.
"I am here to support the fight for democracy and freedom of the Georgian people who have been standing up time and time again against the reppression they are facing from the state," Thunberg said.
Opposition leaders called for continuous waves of protest and civil resistance until the election results are overturned and new elections are called. A new protest is planned for November 5.
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Strong Georgia, said the protesters needed to "save their energy" for future rallies, noting that plans were always announced 10 minutes ahead of time.
"The location will be announced, but our route will not be known to [the authorities]," Khazaradze said at the end of the demonstration on November 4. "We should revive the whole of Tbilisi in this way every day."
Thunberg expressed her support for the protest.
"I want to show that I am one of many tens of thousands of people who are standing up in the fight for democracy and freedom for the Georgian people," she was quoted as saying.
Russian-friendly Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012, claimed victory in the October 26 election, with preliminary official results showing that it garnered nearly 54 percent of the vote.
The opposition and the country's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, refused to recognize the validity of the results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference.
The elections continue to draw criticism internationally.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States had made clear that it supports the people of Georgia and their hopes of joining the European Union and their "further integration with their Euro and Atlantic partners."
He told reporters at a briefing in Washington on November 4 that the United States responded to the government’s passage of a controversial "foreign influence" law and legislation curbing LGBT rights by suspending $95 million of the assistance and by putting other assistance under review.
"We will continue to look at whether there are additional measures that are appropriate and if so, we won’t hesitate to use them," Miller said.
Serbian Minister Resigns Following Deadly Train Station Accident
The Serbian minister of construction, transport, and infrastructure has announced that he will resign on November 5 following the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in which 14 people died and three were severely injured. Goran Vesic said that he did not accept responsibility for the incident but was stepping down for "moral reasons." He said he couldn't accept blame for the deaths, "as neither I nor my team bear any responsibility for the tragedy." The cause of the collapse of the concrete canopy is still unknown. Vesic urged the Prosecutor-General's Office to determine accountability for the deaths. Since the canopy collapsed on November 1, critics have called for accountability from the authorities. A protest in Belgrade on November 3 demanded Vesic's resignation.
German Prosecutors Drop Probe Against Russian-Uzbek Billionaire Usmanov
German prosecutors have dropped a money-laundering investigation into Uzbek-born Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, but he will be required to pay a fine of 4 million euros ($4.36 million), the prosecutor’s office said on November 4.
Usmanov, 71, will be required to split the payment between charities and the state in an outcome that does not imply any guilt, the prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt said.
"The accused's alleged offenses did not result in any financial damage to the Federal Republic of Germany, the state of Hesse, or any natural or legal person in Germany," a spokesman for the prosecutors said.
He added that "the alleged offenses occurred some time ago."
The proceedings had been provisionally suspended on October 11 with Usmanov's consent, chief prosecutor Georg Ungefuk told RFE/RL.
The 4 million-euro fine will be split between several charitable organizations and the state treasury, with the charities receiving 1.5 million euros and the state treasury receiving the rest.
Usmanov's lawyers said that after more than 2 1/2 years, the investigation had failed to prove the main accusations against him, including that of money laundering.
"We have always insisted on the innocence of our client," Wannemacher & Partner lawyers Uwe Lehmbruck and Markus Gotzens said in a statement, calling it an important step toward protecting the reputation of Usmanov.
A Berlin expert on criminal law told RFE/RL that it would have been practically impossible to prosecute the case. If the case had gone to court, it might have been dismissed due to insufficient evidence. The Frankfurt prosecutor's office likely decided to impose the highest possible monetary penalty and close the investigation.
German investigations of Usmanov, who according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index has a total net worth of $14.4 billion, came to light in January 2023. His superyacht worth an estimated $600 million was seized in March 2022.
The billionaire who made his fortune in mining, industry, telecoms, and media was added to the EU and the U.S. sanctions lists shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The EU described him as having "particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin" and having been "referred to as one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite oligarchs" in announcing the sanctions against him.
Usmanov has rejected having any ties to Putin.
The European Court of Justice on February 7 rejected appeals filed by Usmanov and former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov against European sanctions imposed on them for having close ties to the Kremlin and supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Usmanov in June filed a lawsuit against the bank UBS Europe SE in Frankfurt over what his lawyers said were unsubstantiated reports made about his transactions that triggered an investigation of him.
With reporting by dpa and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Kazakhstan, China Strengthen Economic Ties With $2.5 Billion In New Investments
Kazakhstan has signed eight commercial agreements worth $2.5 billion with Chinese companies, significantly enhancing bilateral economic relations between the two countries. The agreements were signed on November 4 during Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov's visit to Shanghai. The agreements support a broader strategy by Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and Chinese President Xi Jinping to double trade turnover, which reached a record $41 billion last year, the Kazakh prime minister's press service said. Bektenov's visit highlights China’s growing influence in Central Asia in light of Russia's traditional dominance. As China invests heavily in infrastructure and energy projects, Central Asian states are diversifying their foreign relations to reduce reliance on Moscow. At an investment roundtable, Bektenov emphasized the potential for joint projects and industrial cooperation. Major Chinese firms outlined plans to enhance operations in Kazakhstan, including energy initiatives and localized automotive production. There are already around 5,000 joint ventures between the two countries.
- By RFE/RL
EU, Seoul Condemn North Korean Involvement In Russia's War In Ukraine
The European Union and South Korea condemned "in the strongest possible terms" North Korea's transfer of weapons to Russia and the deployment of special forces to help the Kremlin with its "unlawful war of aggression" against Ukraine.
The statement came after the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, met in Seoul on November 4 as fears grow over Pyongyang's role in the war triggered by Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"This constitutes a serious breach of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the statement said.
"Such cooperation between the DPRK (North Korea) and Russia is not only in flagrant violation of multiple UNSC resolutions, but it also prolongs the suffering of the Ukrainian people and threatens the security of the world, including that of the Republic of Korea and Europe."
After weeks of intelligence reports warning that thousands of North Korean troops were heading to Russia, confirmation from the NATO military alliance came late last month that Pyongyang's soldiers are not only on Russian soil but have already been deployed in a western region bordering Ukraine.
The Kremlin has neither denied nor directly confirmed the presence of North Korean troops on its soil.
The deployment not only raised fears of a potential escalation of the war in Ukraine, but sent shock waves through the Indo-Pacific region over what the Kremlin may be supplying Pyongyang in return.
"We are closely monitoring what Russia provides to the DPRK in return for its provision of arms and military personnel, including Russia's possible provision of materials and technology to the DPRK in support of Pyongyang's military objectives," the joint EU-South Korean statement said.
"We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic-missile-related technology to the DPRK, which would jeopardize the international nonproliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe," it added.
Kyrgyz Opposition Politician Beknazarov Released Pending Embezzlement Trial
Kyrgyz opposition politician Azimbek Beknazarov, who has been accused of embezzlement in 2010 while he was a member of the interim government, was released from detention on November 4 but ordered not to leave Bishkek while the investigation continues. Beknazarov, in custody since September 12, has consistently claimed his detention is politically motivated, citing a prior investigation by a parliamentary commission and the Prosecutor-General's Office that found no wrongdoing on his part. At 68, Beknazarov has a long political history, having served as a lawmaker, prosecutor-general, and deputy chairman of the interim government after the 2010 crisis that followed deadly protests toppling then-President Kurmanbek Bakiev. Beknazarov was among 27 activists acquitted in June of charges of "calling for mass unrest" and "plotting to seize power" in a high-profile case related to a deal that saw Kyrgyzstan hand over a disputed reservoir to Uzbekistan last year. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Russia Grants Citizenship To 3,344 Foreigners Under Ukraine Service Decree
Russia has granted citizenship to 3,344 foreigners since the start of the year under a decree by President Vladimir Putin that allows passports to be issued to participants in the invasion of Ukraine and their family members.
Irina Volk, the official representative of the Russian Interior Ministry, announced the figures on November 4, although it remains unclear whether they only included passports issued to military personnel or also their relatives.
The decree permits citizenship for military personnel who sign a one-year contract with the Russian Army or pro-Russian military formations fighting in Ukraine, following a similar law enacted in 2022.
In parallel, Russia has implemented laws allowing for the revocation of citizenship from naturalized citizens who refuse military service registration.
Volk said earlier that 1,117 such naturalized Russians lost their citizenship in the first eight months of 2024.
Last month, the Interior Ministry began enforcing the law, significantly expanding the grounds for citizenship revocation.
To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
Jewish Man Executed In Iran For Murder He Said Was In Self-Defense
Iran, at a time of rising tensions with Israel, has executed a Jewish man who was convicted of murder, a charge his family rejected saying he acted in self- defense after being attacked.
The Mizan news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary, quoted Hamidreza Karimi, the prosecutor of the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, as saying Arvin Ghahremani, 23, was executed on November 4.
Ghahremani, 18 at the time, was found guilty of stabbing another man to death in 2022 outside a gym in Kermanshah. The victim had owed money to Ghahremani and, according to his family, an altercation broke out over the dispute.
The victim was armed and Ghahremani acted in self-defense, they said, saying he even tried to help keep the victim alive after the altercation.
After being sentenced to death, Ghahrmani's lawyers failed to get the family of the Muslim victim, whose identity was not revealed, to pardon him and spare his life.
Islamic legislation provides for qisas, or equivalent punishment, in murder cases.
However, rights groups have long said that the law discriminates against non-Muslims, who often receive harsher punishments than Muslims convicted of similar offenses.
Ghahremani's lawyers had requested a retrial three different times, but each motion was rejected by Iranian courts.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group condemned the execution of Ghahremani, who the group said was 20 years old, not 23.
The group also disputed Ghahremani's guilt, saying he had been attacked with a knife by the victim. It also said that the victim's family initially agreed to spare Ghahremani but changed their mind after finding out he was Jewish.
"Arvin was a Jew, and the institutionalized anti-Semitism in the Islamic republic undoubtedly played a crucial role in the implementation of his sentence," IHR Director Mahmood Amiri-Moghadam said in a statement, adding that the case had "significant flaws."
Jews are a small minority estimated at some 20,000 in Iran, a mainly Shi'ite Muslim nation of nearly 92 million people. Many Jews fled Iran in the aftermath of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 as the new regime adopted a sharp anti-Israel stance, including not recognizing Israel's right to exist.
Israel and Iran's proxies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip have been fighting a war over the past year since one of the groups, Hamas, invaded Israel and killed some 1,200 people in an unprovoked attack.
The group, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, also took around 240 hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
Russian Crackdown On Military Corruption Continues With New Arrest
A top official from Russia's National Guard was sent to pretrial detention on November 4 on corruption charges amid a crackdown on military graft. Major General Mirza Mirzayev, the deputy head of logistics for the National Guard, was charged with extortion. Media reports say the court denied Mirzayev's request for house arrest, mandating pretrial detention until January 2, 2025. Mirzayev allegedly demanded a bribe of 140 million rubles (more than $1.4 million) from a supplier of modular buildings. The funds were reportedly funneled to him through an intermediary, who has been detained. Mirzayev's arrest follows other corruption cases involving high-ranking National Guard officials, including Colonel Oleg Gamayunov, who was detained in September for alleged fraud exceeding 80 million rubles ($815,000). To read the original story by RFE/RL's North Realities, click here.
Germany's Baerbock In Kyiv As Russia Pounds Ukraine's Infrastructure
KYIV -- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with Ukrainian officials on November 4 in Kyiv where she arrived in a show of support for Ukraine as Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine nears the 1,000-day mark amid daily strikes on the war-wracked country's infrastructure and heavy fighting in the east.
"Germany, together with many partners around the world, stands firmly by Ukraine's side," Baerbock said upon arrival on her eighth visit since the start of the war.
"We will support the Ukrainians for as long as they need us so that they can follow their path to a just peace," she said after arriving in Kyiv by train.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
Baerbock's visit comes as Ukrainians face the prospect of a third winter of war amid energy shortages and the reported arrival of North Korean troops to fight on Russia's side.
"Almost 1,000 days of rocket attacks, wailing sirens and the noise of tanks. Almost 1,000 days of power cuts, collapse of heating systems, and countless missed lessons," Baerbock said in a separate statement.
"For almost 1,000 days now, Putin’s war has been shaking the everyday life of Ukrainians to the core – yet not their courage and their hope of a life in safety in a free Ukraine," she said.
"We are countering this brutality with our humanity and support -- not only so that the Ukrainian people can survive the winter but also so that their country can continue to exist."
Russia on November 4 launched 80 drones and several missiles and guided aerial bombs in another massive attack on 11 Ukrainian regions, Ukraine's air force reported, adding that its air-defense systems shot down 50 over the Kyiv, Sumy, Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Kirovohrad regions.
It said that another 27 drones were lost in various parts of Ukraine.
Separately, Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, warned North Korea in a message on Telegram.
"North Korean military will die in Kursk region, because they, like the Russian army, pose a threat to Ukraine. They are present there and, of course, they will die,” Yermak said on November 4.
Zelenskiy has criticized Ukraine's Western allies for their muted response to the reported deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to the eastern Russian region of Kursk, where Ukrainian troops in August launched a surprise offensive.
However, on November 4, Zelenskiy sounded some optimism about weapons and ammunition deliveries from Ukraine's allies after a meeting with General Oleksandr Syrskiy, the commander in chief of Ukraine's forces, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
"There have been significant improvements in partner supplies to the front line, with an increase in deliveries under support packages. Artillery supplies have also seen marked improvements," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
Pro-EU Sandu's Reelection Proof Of Russia's 'Failure,' Biden Says
CHISINAU -- Final preliminary results show Moldova's pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, has won a second term, a critical milestone for the integration of one of Europe's poorest countries into the European Union that U.S. President Joe Biden said was proof that Russian interference "failed."
With all ballots counted, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said Sandu received 55.33 percent while her Russian-friendly opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo, mustered 44.67 percent -- a lead of just over 179,000 votes.
Sandu's victory -- coming just one week after another former Soviet republic, Georgia, suffered a setback on its EU path when elections were won by Moscow-friendly incumbents -- came as a relief for Moldova's Western partners, who immediately hailed it as proof that democracy can win over Russian meddling.
"For months, Russia sought to undermine Moldova’s democratic institutions and election processes. But Russia failed," Biden said in a statement.
"The Moldovan people have exercised their democratic right to choose their own future, and they have chosen to pursue a path aligned with Europe and democracies everywhere," Biden added.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also criticized Russian meddling in the election.
"Russia did everything in its power to disrupt the election, to undermine Moldova’s democracy...including through vote buying, disinformation, and malicious cyber-activity, but the people of Moldova came forward and made their voice heard," Miller told reporters at the State Department on November 4.
During Sandu's first term, Moldova secured EU candidate status in 2022 and opened accession talks earlier this year after firmly aligning itself with its eastern neighbor, Ukraine, after Russia's unprovoked invasion in 2022, and joining the EU sanctions regime against Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the result in a message on X, noting that it will help cement Moldova's path toward Euro-Atlantic integration.
"Congratulations, dear Maia Sandu, on your victory tonight. It takes a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you've faced in this election," von der Leyen wrote. "I'm glad to continue working with you towards a European future for Moldova and its people."
"Moldovans have shown once again their determination to build a European future despite hybrid attempts to undermine democracy," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on X.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed Sandu's victory in a message on X, saying that Moldovans had made "a clear choice" toward Western integration.
"Congratulations to Maia Sandu on winning the presidential election in Moldova. Ukraine supports the European choice of the Moldovan people and stands ready to work together to strengthen our partnership," Zelenskiy wrote.
"Moldovans have made a clear choice -- they chose a path toward economic growth and social stability," he wrote.
French President Emmanuel Macron, a staunch supporter of Moldova's EU path, hailed Sandu's victory, saying on X that "democracy has triumphed over all interference and maneuvers."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a former European Council president, and Marcel Ciolacu, the prime minister of Moldova's western neighbor, EU and NATO member Romania, were also among the first to congratulate Sandu.
"Moldovans from all over the world wrote history today. They reconfirmed in front of the whole world not only their courage, but also their full confidence in their European future!" Ciolacu wrote on Facebook.
Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship, which allows them to travel and work in the West.
Shortly after midnight on November 4, when it became clear that her lead, boosted by votes from the Western diaspora, was irreversible, a jubilant Sandu told her supporters, "Moldova, you are victorious!"
"Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books. Today, you have saved Moldova! In our choice for a dignified future, no one lost," she added.
Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general backed by the pro-Russian Socialist Party, called on his supporters to keep calm after his initial lead narrowed as votes were being counted from the large cities and from Moldova's Western diaspora.
"Democracy means, above all, maturity in facing the result," he said.
But the Socialists later issued a statement saying that they did not recognize Sandu's victory because it was based on the votes from abroad.
"Maia Sandu is an illegitimate president, recognized only by her sponsors and supporters abroad. The people of Moldova feel betrayed and robbed," the party said in a statement.
In Georgia, President Salome Zurabishvili applauded Sandu's victory, voicing her admiration for the decisive role played by the diaspora votes.
"Moldovan elections are the best 'evidence' of stolen Georgia's elections: despite similar Russian interference and massive rigging, Moldova was saved by 300,000 diaspora voters...our 1 million strong diaspora was barred. Only 34 000 were 'allowed' to vote," Zurabishvili, who has been in opposition to the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, wrote on X.
The CEC reported that turnout surpassed 54 percent, stronger than in the first round and also higher than in the 2020 presidential runoff.
According to the CEC, foreign voting went to Sandu by a large margin, with the incumbent winning 81 percent to 19 percent over the challenger. Votes in Chisinau also went to Sandu by a 57-43 margin.
Moldova has just over 3 million registered voters, including those in the diaspora. It also has a sizable Russian minority and a Moscow-backed separatist region, Transdniester, located on the left bank of the Dniester River.
The vote in the Western diaspora was also credited with helping the "yes" side eke out a razor-thin victory in an EU referendum held simultaneously with the first round on October 20.
A U.S.-educated, ex-World Bank official, Sandu, 52, became Moldova's first female president with a landslide victory in 2020, running on a strong pro-EU message and vowing to fight corruption.
Stoianoglo, 57, from Gagauzia -- a Turkic-speaking autonomous region of Moldova with pro-Russian sentiment -- campaigned on a law-and-order theme, although critics slammed him for what they say was a failure to address high-level corruption during his time in office.
Amnesty Calls For Release Of Iranian Woman Who Removed Clothes In Protest
Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of a young woman who took most of her clothes off during an apparent protest against harassment outside her Tehran university on November 2.
Iranian authorities arrested the female student -- who has not been identified -- after she stripped to her underwear on the street outside the university.
Video footage was first posted by an Iranian student channel, the Amir Kabir newsletter, and then later by the Hengaw rights group, Amnesty International, and others.
“Pending her release, authorities must protect her from torture & other ill-treatment & ensure access to family & lawyer." Amnesty said.
"Allegations of beatings & sexual violence against her during arrest need independent & impartial investigations," it added. "Those responsible must held to account.”
To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
U.S. Says It's Gathering Information On Imprisoned Ex-RFE/RL Journalist In Iran
The United States says it is gathering information about the case of former Radio Farda journalist Reza Valizadeh, a dual citizen, who has been in prison in Iran for the past weeks.
Valizadeh was arrested in late September in Tehran, a source close to the family told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda last month. Valizadeh left his job as a staff member at Radio Farda in November 2022.
In his last post on X on August 13, Valizadeh said he had traveled to Tehran on March 16. He also said he had “unfinished negotiations” with the intelligence branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). It is not clear under what circumstances he wrote this post.
“We are working with our Swiss partners who serve as the protecting power for the United States in Iran to gather more information about this case,” the State Department told AP. “Iran routinely imprisons U.S. citizens and other countries’ citizens unjustly for political purposes. This practice is cruel and contrary to international law.”
RFE/RL said in a statement that it was aware of Valizadeh’s detention in Iran. “We have had no official confirmation of the charges against him, “the statement said, adding: “We are profoundly concerned about the continued arrest, harassment and threats against media professionals by the Iranian regime.”
Iranian officials have not publicly commented on Valizadeh’s arrest.
Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries. In September 2023, Iran released five Americans jailed in Iran in a prisoner swap.
Valizadeh is the first U.S. citizen known to have been arrested since that deal.
Iran is also among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176 out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom index. The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.
- By RFE/RL
Iranian President Says Cease-Fire Could Affect Tehran's Response To Israeli Strike
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian said that if a cease-fire were reached by Israel and Tehran-allied groups in the region, the action "could affect the intensity" of any retaliatory strike by Iran’s military, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained his tough stance during a visit to the Lebanese border on November 3, saying the Hezbollah extremist group must be pushed back beyond the Litani River and be prevented from rearming.
Israel for the past several months has been striking suspected sites of Hezbollah -- which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.
Much of Hezbollah’s leadership has been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and around the capital, Beirut.
The attacks on Hezbollah have intensified since the Israeli Army invaded the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by its Hamas rulers that killed around than 1,200 Israelis and took some 250 hostages. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU.
Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel, saying it will continue its attacks until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks inside Lebanon have killed nearly 3,000 people, according to officials there, and have destroyed much of Gaza, with a reported death toll of 43,341.
Many leaders in the West and elsewhere have feared a wider war erupting in the Middle East, especially with Israel and Iran trading tit-for-tat air strikes against each other. Many are awaiting Tehran’s next move following Israel’s October 26 strike against military sites inside Iran.
"If they [the Israelis] reconsider their behavior, accept a cease-fire, and stop massacring the oppressed and innocent people of the region, it could affect the intensity and type of our response," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by the IRNA state news agency.
But he added that Tehran "will not leave unanswered any aggression against its sovereignty and security."
Pezeshkian, who took office in late July, has been labeled a moderate by some Western observers of the Iranian political situation.
A day earlier, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened Israel and the United States with “a teeth-shattering response” to recent Israeli attacks on Iran and its proxy groups – which it referred to as its “resistance front” -- in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu said that "I want to be clear: With or without [a cease-fire] agreement, the key to restoring peace and security in the north, the key to bringing our northern residents back home safely, is first and foremost to push Hezbollah back beyond the Litani River, secondly to target any attempt to rearm, and thirdly to respond firmly to any action taken against us."
Israel "will definitely do everything that should be done…whether in terms of military, weapons, or political work," he said.
The Litani River is some 30 kilometers inside Lebanon from the border and would create a buffer zone between Hezbollah forces and Israeli territory, which Netanyahu has insisted upon.
In a report by Axios on November 2, a U.S. official and a former Israeli official said the U.S. administration had warned Tehran in recent days that it won’t be able to restrain Israel should Iran launch another attack against the U.S. ally.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Led By Russia, Saudi Arabia, OPEC+ To Extend Output Cuts To Help Bolster Oil Prices
OPEC+ members led by Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed to extend voluntary oil output cuts through the end of the year, the group said on its website on November 3. It said the "eight OPEC+ countries Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, which previously announced additional voluntary adjustments in April and November 2023, have agreed to extend the…voluntary production adjustments of 2.2 million barrels per day for one month until the end of December 2024." OPEC+ nations have sought to bolster the price of oil amid slowing global demand by reducing the supply of crude in world markets.
- By RFE/RL
Lahore -- World's Most Polluted City -- Sets Emergency Shutdown Measures
An unprecedented level of air pollution in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, has forced authorities to take emergency measures, including the closing of primary schools and the issuance of work-from-home orders.
The air-quality index on November 3 in the city of more than 14 million people near the Indian border rose above 1,000 -- far exceeding the 300 level that is considered "dangerous," according to the Swiss-based firm IQAir.
The Punjab regional government called the pollution "unprecedented” – blaming pollutants caused by diesel fumes, smoke from agricultural burning, and heating processes.
IQAir said the level of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) -- which causes the most damage to residents’ health -- in Lahore is currently 44.4 times the WHO annual air-quality guideline value.
Pollution and related health risks have long been an issue for Lahore and other cities in the region. The latest numbers qualified Lahore to move to the top of the unenviable list of the world’s most polluted cities.
Lahore authorities closed down primary schools for one week and urged parents to ensure that their children wear masks.
"Weather forecasts for the next six days show that wind patterns will remain the same. Therefore, we are closing all government and private primary schools in Lahore for a week," Jahangir Anwar, a senior environmental protection official in Lahore, told the AFP news agency.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, the senior minister of Punjab Province, urged all residents to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed.
She added that 50 percent of staff at government and private offices would be mandated to work from home as of November 4.
Officials said conditions will be reexamined on November 10.
Aurangzeb attributed the dangerous situation to winds carrying pollutants from neighboring India, along with the local factors.
"This cannot be solved without talks with India," she said.
In a 2019 report, the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute wrote that “inhabitants of cities throughout Asia pay the steepest price” from pollution.
“If current air-pollution concentrations are sustained, the average person in major Asian cities like Beijing, Lahore, and Delhi will live more than five years less than if their air met guidelines established by the World Health Organization.”
With reporting by AFP, Dawn, and Reuters
Protesters Target Serbian Government Over Railway Station Accident That Killed 14
BELGRADE -- Hundreds of protesters railed against the government, demanding resignations and accusing ministers of culpability in the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station that killed at least 14 people.
The November 1 disaster in Serbia's second-largest city, Novi Sad, has sparked widespread anger.
Protesters, some with their hands painted red to symbolize blood, rallied in capital Belgrade November 3, calling for the resignation of the government’s construction minister.
Others carried signs and banners reading: "A crime, not a tragedy," and “Corruption kills."
Investigators said they had questioned more than two dozen people, trying to pinpoint the causes of the canopy's collapse.
The station recently underwent a major renovation, but railway officials said the work did not include the concrete overhang that fell.
Gas Fire Kills At Least 6 In Afghan Capital
A fire erupted at a gas distribution company in Kabul, killing at least six people, officials said. Noorullah Ansar, a Taliban-appointed official with the Afghan capital’s Disaster Management and Fire Department, said the blaze, which erupted in the Paghman district on the evening of November 2, also injured at least nine others. Other reports said the casualty toll could reach into the dozens.
- By RFE/RL
Ukraine Reports 'Hottest Situation' In East As Russia Claims It's Taken Key Village
The Ukrainian military reported fierce battles near the industrial town of Kurakhove and acknowledged that Russian forces carried out over 100 assaults around a key Donbas village, though it did not comment on Moscow's claim to have captured it.
The comments on November 3 follow a night in which Russia and Ukraine again launched drone attacks against each other, with Russian drones damaging buildings and power lines in Kyiv in the early morning hours.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
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Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said Ukraine launched nearly 20 drones at targets in southern Russia, but it claimed all were intercepted.
The overnight mutual barrage comes as Russian forces accelerate their battlefield advances, pushing back Ukraine’s exhausted and outmanned defenses in the eastern Donbas region.
On November 3, Russian troops claimed to have captured a Donbas village located less than 6 kilometers from Pokrovsk, a major logistics hub.
Russian forces "liberated the settlement of Vyshneve following offensive operations,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Kyiv did not immediately comment on the claim, but Ukraine's General Staff in its daily update acknowledged that Russian forces had launched 19 attacks on the Pokrovsk region.
"In containing the pressure, defense forces repelled enemy attacks. The occupiers are focusing their main efforts near [the villages] of Promin and Vyshneve."
It added that the “hottest situation” was near the industrial town of Kurakhove.
A day earlier, Russian troops claimed to have taken Kurakhivka, another, larger village that is close Kurakhove, on a major reservoir.
"Currently, the enemy has attacked the positions of the defense forces 110 times. It is most active in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk directions, where it carried out more than half of all attacks," it said.
Capturing Pokrovsk, a key transit and supply point for Ukraine that connects several major outposts in the Donbas, is one of Russia's main objectives in the region. It is also home to a major coke mine that is crucial to Ukraine's steel production.
Ukraine has struggled with manpower as well as an equipment and weapons shortage, hindering its ability to withstand the Russian advances.
The U.S. Defense Department announced a new $425 million package of weapons and other equipment for Kyiv, though it’s unclear how soon the materiel will arrive or if it will make a difference on the battlefield.
The November 1 announcement was likely the last before U.S. Election Day, on November 5, which will prove pivotal to future Western support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has spent months urging Western suppliers to allow Kyiv to use their advanced weaponry to strike deeper inside Russia, and last week he accused them of inaction in response to Russia's alleged plan to deploy thousands of North Korean troops to Ukraine.
The United States and allies have ruled out the use of Western weapons to strike deep in Russia over fears that it could result in a nuclear retaliation from Moscow.
Meanwhile, a report in The Washington Post said EU leaders were "bracing for a possible rupture of transatlantic relations in the event former President Donald Trump prevails" in the November 5 presidential election.
"What will happen if a president is elected for a second time in America who declares NATO obsolete and is no longer willing to keep security promises?” Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democrats, was quoted by the Post as having told supporters.
“Then we will be on our own. And by that, I don’t just mean us Germans, but we Europeans."
Trump, who is in a tight battle with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, has expressed doubts about NATO's viability and has favored what his critics say are pro-Russia policies. Harris has strongly supported continued assistance to Ukraine.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service and AFP
Pro-Western Sandu Wins Second Term As Moldovan President
CHISINAU – Moldova's pro-Western incumbent President Maia Sandu has defeated Russia-friendly challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo in balloting marred by accusations of Russian interference and voter fraud.
With 99.7 percent of ballots counted in the November 3 runoff vote, the Central Election Commission said Sandu had 55.35 percent of the vote to Stoianoglo’s 44.65 percent, a lead of almost 165,000 votes in preliminary results.
"Moldova, you are victorious!" a jubilant Sandu, who was boosted by votes in the capital, Chisinau, and from diaspora votes, said shortly after midnight.
"Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books. Today, you have saved Moldova! In our choice for a dignified future, no one lost," she added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the result in a message on X.
"Congratulations, dear Maia Sandu, on your victory tonight. It takes a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you’ve faced in this election," von der Leyen wrote. "I’m glad to continue working with you towards a European future for Moldova and its people."
Stoianoglo, who has not conceded, called on his supporters to keep calm.
"Democracy means, above all, maturity in facing the result," he said.
Stoianoglo had held the early lead, but it continued to narrow as votes were being counted from the large cities, and from Moldova's Western diaspora.
The Central Election Commission reported that turnout surpassed 54 percent, stronger than in the first round and also higher than in the 2020 presidential runoff.
Sandu won the first round on October 20 with 42 percent of the vote compared to 26 percent for Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general who received backing from the pro-Russia Socialist Party of Moldova.
In comments to reporters after casting her ballot at a Chisinau polling station, Sandu said she voted "with Moldova."
"Thieves want to buy our vote, they want to buy our country, but the power of the people is infinitely greater than any of their malice," she said. "The power of Moldova is in each of you, go out to vote with faith and hope. Heads up, Moldovans!"
As Sandu was declaring victory, Stoianoglo called for calm, saying "democracy means, first of all, maturity in the face of the result."
The vote came amid accusations of Russian meddling in both the presidential race and a referendum on Moldova’s potential further integration with the European Union -- a direction Sandu and her supporters strongly back.
The pro-EU side scored a razor-thin victory in the referendum -- the "yes" vote getting 50.38 percent – but Sandu quickly alleged that “criminal groups together with foreign forces" tried to "buy 300,000 votes,” making the final result significantly closer than pre-vote polls had indicated.
Surveys also indicated that Sandu would take an easy victory in the first round of the presidential election, but Stoianoglo surprised with a better-than-expected total, forcing the runoff vote.
Sandu's national-security adviser posted a statement to X, claiming "massive interference" by Russia in the runoff vote.
"An effort with high potential to distort the outcome," Stanislav Secrieru said in his post. He gave no details.
Moldova has 3.02 million registered voters, including those in the diaspora. Voters in the West were credited with helping the "yes" side eke out the narrow victory in the EU referendum and helped Sandu in the runoff election.
According to the CEC, foreign voting went to Sandu by a large margin, with the incumbent winning 81 percent to 19 percent over the challenger.
Votes in Chisinau also went to Sandu by a 57-43 percent margin.
While the position of president is technically a ceremonial position in Moldova, holders of the office often wield considerable political influence. A president may serve for two consecutive four-year terms.
During Sandu's first term, Moldova firmly aligned with Ukraine after Russia's unprovoked invasion in 2022, and joined the EU sanctions regime.
Moldova secured EU candidate status in 2022 and opened accession talks earlier this year.
Scattered irregularities were reported during the early voting hours on November 3, including incidents of purported photographing of ballots -- which voters in the past have used to prove their choice in potential vote-buying cases.
Angelica Caraman, head of the election commission, said that as of 4 p.m., 18 cases of alleged electoral corruption had been officially reported, while police authorities said they had registered at least 126 complaints of electoral violations.
Authorities reported that outside the country, voters were being transported in large groups to two polling stations in Moscow as well as polling stations in the Belarusian capital, Minsk; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Istanbul, Turkey, including by airplane. Moldovan voters in those countries are known to typically support pro-Russian groups.
Election officials called on citizens to report any attempts to transport voters to polling stations in an organized manner. Similar violations were flagged by independent observers from Promo-Lex, a democracy watchdog.
There were also reports of apparently fake bomb threats called into polling stations in Moldova and in several countries, including in Britain, Germany, and Romania.
Sandu, 52, is a Harvard graduate and former employee at the World Bank. She became Moldova's first female president with a landslide victory in 2020, running on a strong pro-EU message and vows to fight corruption.
But her support may have slipped during her first term amid an economy that was ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic and rising tensions with Russia.
Throughout her presidency, Sandu has been criticized by pro-Kremlin political parties who have accused her of stoking conflict with Moscow.
Stoianoglo, 57, from Gagauzia -- a Turkic-speaking autonomous region of Moldova with pro-Russia sentiment -- was Moldova's prosecutor-general between 2019 and 2021. He campaigned on a law-and-order theme, although critics have slammed him for what they say was a failure to address high-level corruption during his time in office.
Stoianoglo has claimed he holds no political affiliation and has rejected accusations that he is "Moscow's man."
His reaction to the war in Ukraine has been ambiguous -- expressing a "negative attitude" toward the conflict but not directly condemning Russia for the invasion.
Although he has often taken anti-EU stances, he is also a Romanian -- and thus EU -- citizen, and his daughter reportedly works at the European Central Bank.
After media reports revealed that he possessed a Romanian passport, he argued that he obtained it in 2019 in an "apolitical context," without elaborating.
Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship, which gives them the opportunity to travel freely to the EU and work there.
Moldova is one of Europe's poorest countries with a sizable Russian minority and a Moscow-backed separatist region, Transdniester, located on the left bank of the Dniester River.
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