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.
The Black Sea Port That Could Define Georgia's Geopolitical Future
An ambitious and controversial deep-sea port on Georgia’s western coast could be a bellwether for whether Georgia continues to further integrate with the European Union and the West or pivots toward closer ties with Russia and China. By Reid Standish and Tamuna Chkareuli
A Russian Factory Is Using Underage Workers To Assemble Iranian 'Suicide' Drones Destined For Ukraine
Alabuga Polytechnic University -- located some 900 kilometers from Moscow -- is using its teenage students to work at a factory that assembles Iranian attack drones. The students face long hours and “exploitative” conditions. By RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities
'I Sent Tajik Men's Bodies From Bakhmut,' Central Asian Migrant Worker Claims
A Tajik man says he was among some 200 Central Asian migrants who went to work in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine last year but were then forced to join the Wagner mercenary group as fighters instead. Many of the men lost their lives in the fierce battles in Bakhmut, said the man, who was involved in sending the migrants’ bodies to their relatives in Central Asia. By Mumin Ahmadi
Draconian Decrees: The Taliban's Restrictions In Afghanistan
Since seizing power two years ago, the Taliban has imposed restrictions on every aspect of Afghans’ lives, including their appearances, freedom of movement, the right to work or study, and access to entertainment and uncensored information. The Taliban’s notorious religious police have enforced the new laws, often violently, in many areas. Those who violate the Taliban’s morality laws can be subject to public floggings, jail, or even death. By Frud Bezhan, Kristyna Foltynova, and Juan Carlos Herrera
'I Feel Suffocated': Taliban Intensifies Clampdown On Music In Afghanistan
The Taliban is intensifying the enforcement of its ban on music. In the western city of Herat, residents say that members of the Taliban's morality police have searched cars and confiscated MP3 players and USBs containing music. Others in the city complain that the militants are also searching homes and seizing musical instruments, which they then burn publicly. By Shapoor Saber
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Russian Journalist Says She Was Poisoned In Germany
Russian Journalist Says She Was Poisoned In Germany
Yelena Kostyuchenko believes she was poisoned last year in Germany, where she fled following her critical reporting in Ukraine while covering Russia's full-scale invasion. Kostyuchenko told Current Time that she experienced disorientation, stomach pains, swelling, and other symptoms. By Iryna Romaliyska, Current Tim, and Ray Furlong
In Rural Hungary, Traditional Matyo Embroidery Has Been A Lifeline For Hard-Up Elderly Women
At a time when rampant inflation has taken a sizeable chunk out of Hungarians' pensions, a start-up embroidery business in the economically deprived northeast is helping elderly women survive. By Lili Rutai
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Surgery Restores Hearing For Ukrainian Soldiers Deafened During Combat
Surgery Restores Hearing For Ukrainian Soldiers Deafened During Combat
Artillery fire from both sides has been a central element of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The cost to soldiers in hearing loss is difficult to gauge -- but a surgeon who restores broken eardrums and treats inner-ear bones has had success with at least 40 Ukrainian soldiers. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Taras Levchenko, and Will Tizard
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'I Live For My Children': Moldovan Woman Is Foster Mom To 28 Kids
'I Live For My Children': Moldovan Woman Is Foster Mom To 28 Kids
Over 30 years, Ana Furtuna from the Moldovan city of Drochia has been a foster parent to 28 children. When she and her husband first realized they would not be able to have their own children, they took in seven foster kids from an orphanage. When her husband died, Furtuna decided to divide the house between four children who still needed a home. By RFE/RL's Moldovan Service and Neil Bowdler
Iranian Authorities Ratchet Up Pressure Against Slain Demonstrators’ Families Ahead Of Protest Anniversary
As Iran’s antiestablishment protests approach their one-year mark, the authorities are stepping up pressure against the families of slain demonstrators to prevent tributes to those killed. Relatives of victims of the brutal state crackdown on dissent have reported being harassed and detained as part of security forces’ effort to keep the deaths of more than 500 demonstrators out of the public and even virtual spotlight. By Fereshteh Ghazi and Michael Scollon