Hey, you're busy! We know rferl.org isn't the only website you read. And that it's just possible you may have missed some of our most compelling journalism this week. To make sure you're up-to-date, here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL's team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.
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Kazakh Women Shave Heads To Demand Political Freedom And Democracy
Kazakh Women Shave Heads To Demand Political Freedom And Democracy
Women in Kazakhstan have posted videos online in which they shave their heads in a sign of protest against the repression of opposition activists. Many are demanding freedom and democratic reforms. As one woman put it: "I live in a prison called Kazakhstan." By Current Time, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, and Ray Furlong
Meat, Butter Considered 'Luxuries' As Tajiks Face Steep Price Hikes
Soaring food prices in Tajikistan, the poorest country in Central Asia, are pushing more people into extreme poverty. Many families are forced to purchase only basic staples, an alarming trend in a country where an estimated one-third of the population faces malnutrition. By Farangis Najibullah
Who Wants To Be A Mayor? Remote Russian City Of Magadan Has No Applicants
When the Far Eastern Russian city of Magadan put out a call for applicants to be “city manager” – essentially, the mayor – the silence was deafening. By Viktoria Drachkova and Robert Coalson
No. 1 With A Bullet: Armenian Artist Fashions Weapons Of War Into Elegant Messages Of Peace
A jeweler works the scraps of combat -- from sniper bullets to shards of grenades -- into exquisite pieces of wearable art. By Amos Chapple
They Count The Votes?! Watching U.S. Nail-Biter, Many Russians Bemoan The State Of Their 'Democracy'
The official Russian state line on the U.S. presidential election seems to be to gloat over the divisions and problems while speculating on the possibility of violence and collapse. But for many Russians, the spectacle of a competitive election and of candidates fighting for the support of citizens as a desirable alternative to the ‘managed democracy’ that has emerged under 20 years of President Vladimir Putin’s rule. By Robert Coalson
'20 Calls A Day': Frazzled Medics In Eastern Siberia Struggle To Cope With New COVID-19 Spike
Medical workers in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast say that shortages of personnel and other problems are making it difficult to cope with the latest spike in coronavirus infections. Meanwhile social media posts from the eastern Siberian region tell of people waiting days for an ambulance to arrive. By Maria Chernova and Robert Coalson
Azerbaijani Forces Close In On Nagorno-Karabakh's 'Unassailable' Mountain Fortress City
Azerbaijan’s military is closing in on Nagorno-Karabakh’s strategic mountain fortress city of Shushi/Susa and the breakaway region’s vital southern supply route from Armenia. By Ron Synovitz
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'Bodies Are Everywhere': Russia Struggles With COVID-19 Spike
'Bodies Are Everywhere': Russia Struggles With COVID-19 Spike
COVID-19 cases are growing fast in Russia and the situation is becoming dire in some regions. The country reported a record 18,283 new cases on October 30. There are shortages of medical supplies and personnel in a number of cities. And some morgues are full of bodies, with not enough pathologists to handle the dead. By Current Time and Stuart Greer
Margarita Karamian, an ethnic Armenian refugee from the town of Hadrut on the frontlines of the war over Nagorno-Karabakh
'This Is A Different War': Nagorno-Karabakh Refugee Shudders At Video Showing Neighbors' Execution
A Nagorno-Karabakh war refugee from Hadrut tells the story of two ethnic Armenian men whose execution in the town was filmed and distributed on social media. By Ron Synovitz and Harutyun Mansuryan
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Leon Theremin: Inventor Or Spy?
Leon Theremin: Inventor Or Spy?
Meet Leon Theremin, a Russian physicist, inventor, and musician, who developed not only a musical instrument that can be played without being touched, but also a spying device that was successfully planted in the U.S. ambassador's residence in Moscow. By Kristyna Foltynova