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.
Given the ongoing developments in Kabul, we are also including content here from Gandhara, an RFE/RL website focusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan that is the go-to source for English-language reporting by our network of local journalists across the two countries.
Russia Says It's Not Weaponizing Its Gas Exports. Really?
Gas pipelines reversing flows. Heavy-handed energy contracts. Skyrocketing prices. Europe’s winter of discontent is only beginning. EU energy policies are partly to blame, but suspicions over the intentions of the continent’s largest supplier of gas, Russia, are mounting. By Mike Eckel
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Hungary's 'Unexpected Candidate' Could Be A Political Threat To The Populist Orban
Hungary's 'Unexpected Candidate' Could Be A Political Threat To The Populist Orban
Hungary's populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, could face his biggest electoral challenge yet in next spring's general election. Six of the country's opposition parties have formed an alliance and rallied around a Catholic, conservative mayor. His name is Peter Marki-Zay and his rural, right-wing roots could attract the kind of voters who have kept Orban in power for more than a decade. By RFE/RL's Hungarian Service and Stuart Greer
'He Had Plans, A Girlfriend': Family Doubts Official Claim Russian Soldier Committed Suicide
A 20-year-old Russian conscript died in early October at a base in the northern Murmansk region after nearly a month in a coma. Military officials say Yegor Voronkin committed suicide, but his family does not accept that explanation. By Darya Morozko and Robert Coalson
Despite Official Promises, Displaced Azerbaijanis Are Skeptical About Returning To Territory Won In Karabakh War
For many of the Azerbaijanis who fled fighting in the early 1990s, returning home to districts recaptured by Azerbaijan in 2020 might sound like a dream come true. But despite the official promises of return, many potential returnees are skeptical, worried that there won't be enough schools or jobs. By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
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Some Migrants Searching For A Better Life End Up In Serbian Graves
Some Migrants Searching For A Better Life End Up In Serbian Graves
As migrants from Afghanistan, Syria, and other countries cross the Balkans in hopes of reaching an EU country, there are some who never make it to their destinations. Serbian officials have confirmed the deaths of 68 refugees and migrants in the country since 2015, and the real number is thought to be much higher. By RFE/RL's Balkan Service
'A Joke': Iran Slams South Korea's Face Mask Donation Amid Tensions Over Frozen Funds
Iranian officials have slammed South Korea's decision to donate 2,000 face masks to a hospital in Tehran. The uproar comes as Seoul refuses to release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds, a move that has raised tensions between the two countries. By Golnaz Esfandiari
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A Disabled Georgian Battles For Inclusion And Independence
A Disabled Georgian Battles For Inclusion And Independence
Giorgi Khizanishvili, 26, lost both arms in an accident when he was 9 years old. Today, he works as a museum guide, advocates for the rights of the disabled, and competes in martial arts. Khizanishvili says there are two things that could make his life better: state support to hire a personal assistant, and an end to the social stigma that continues to follow him. By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
'He Hit Me And Just Kept Coming': Mob Allegedly Led By Bulgarian Presidential Candidate Attacks LGBT Center
Gloriya Filipova not only witnessed the attack on an LGBT center in Sofia on October 30, she says she was punched in the face by the alleged leader of the mob, Boyan Rasate, an ultraright candidate in Bulgaria's upcoming presidential election. Filipova recounts the mayhem to RFE/RL. By Elitsa Simeonova
Bruises, Bedsores, Vomit, And Feces: Disguised As A Medic, Desperate Russian Enters COVID Ward To Comfort Dying Grandmother
For three days last month, a Russian man dressed up as a medic to enter the "red zone" of a COVID hospital after he learned that his severely ill grandmother was not being treated properly. When he was discovered, he was kicked out and accused him of "discrediting the Health Ministry." By Sania Yusupova and Robert Coalson
Tbilisi's Soviet Underworld
A Georgian photographer uncovers the secret spaces abandoned under the streets of Tbilisi. By Amos Chapple