We know you're busy and probably don't have the time to read all of our coverage each and every day. That's why we've put together The Week's Best. Here are some of the highlights produced in English by RFE/RL's vast team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.
As Putin Readies For A Fifth Term, Russian Artists And Intellectuals Targeted For New Pressure
Last week, the Duma speaker proposed banning copyright payments to "foreign agents." Earlier in the month, President Vladimir Putin signed a law forbidding advertising on so-called "foreign agent media." The measures are in line with expectations that greater repression awaits in Putin's new term. By RFE/RL's North.Realities and Todd Prince
See Also:
Shpilkin's Razor: How A Statistical Model Raises Questions About Putin's Election. Again.
The Russian Polling Places Where Putin Lost, Even By The Official Count
Historian Says Putin Has Slipped Up Geostrategically, Geoeconomically, And Geopolitically
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Kosovo Serbs Struggle To Access Cash Amid Foreign Currency Ban
Kosovo Serbs Struggle To Access Cash Amid Foreign-Currency Ban
On February 1, Kosovo enacted a ban on the use of foreign currency in the country, complicating daily life for many ethnic Serbs who receive pensions and other payments in Serbian dinars. As the United States pressures Kosovo to rethink the ban, some residents are forced to travel across the Serbian border to collect their money. By the Kosovo Unit of RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Michael Clarke: If Ukraine Can Survive The Year, 'Pendulum Could Shift' Against Russia
From weapons shortages to Western fatigue, Ukraine faces more than a few hurdles against invading Russian forces. But Michael Clarke, a British defense and security expert, predicts the "pendulum could swing" against Russia in 2025. By Vazha Tavberidze
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Locals Fear Being Cut Off Amid Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Talks
Locals Fear Being Cut Off Amid Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Talks
Locals in Armenia's Tavush Province fear they will be cut off from key roads amid peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the armed conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan is demanding that Armenia cede four villages. By RFE/RL's Armenian Service and Karine Simonian
'I Feel Like An Alien': Afghan Muslims Decry India's New Citizenship Law
India's new immigration law grants citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians. But the law excludes Muslims, including thousands of Afghans who have lived in the South Asian country for decades. By Faiza Ibrahimi, Sana Kakar, and Abubakar Siddique
Secrets Of The Lake: At A Georgian Church Camp, A Cleric Is Accused Of Being A Predator
Five women in Georgia have alleged that they were sexually abused by a metropolitan in the Georgian Orthodox Church, raising troubling questions about the impunity enjoyed by high-ranking clerics. By Natasia Arabuli
Photoshop Agitprop: The Reality-Altering Imagery Of Turkmenistan's New President
As Britain's royal family scrambles to address furors over photoshopped images, Turkmenistan keeps on releasing heavily altered images to document the activities of its authoritarian leadership. By Amos Chapple
Central Asians Find New Routes On American Journey As Turkey Blocks Them
Dozens of Central Asians and Russians have been barred from boarding planes in Istanbul after Turkish Airlines introduced new restrictions for passengers traveling to Mexico and several other Latin American countries -- popular destinations for migrants trying to reach the southern U.S. border. By Farangis Najibullah
Inside One Armenian Town's Quest For Guinness Records Glory
If there were a Guinness record for most world records per capita in one town, it would doubtless be held by Talin, Armenia. The town has just 7,000 inhabitants but they have broken dozens of records, and at the Home of the Titans gym they are training for more. By Joshua Kucera
Persia From Above, A Century Ago
In 1924, Swiss aviator and photographer Walter Mittelholzer captured an extraordinary series of images of today’s Iran from the air as the country stood on the cusp of being transformed by modernization. By Amos Chapple