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.
We are also including content here from Gandhara, an RFE/RL website focusing on developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Tbilisi War: Then And Now
In December 1991, the central streets of Tbilisi boomed with artillery and gunfire in one of the most destructive chapters of the Georgian Civil War. Thirty years later, dog walkers and delivery drivers pass the same places where tanks once rumbled. By Amos Chapple
Tough Talk And Tough Talks: At Annual News Conference, Putin Sends Signals On Ukraine And NATO
With Russia’s sweeping security demands and fears of a new invasion of Ukraine in focus, President Vladimir Putin used his annual press conference to signal that the Kremlin wants results at talks with the West – but won’t wait long. By Steve Gutterman
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What Do You Think Of When You Hear The Words 'Soviet Union'?
What Do You Think Of When You Hear The Words 'Soviet Union'?
Young people across the former U.S.S.R. spoke to RFE/RL about what comes to mind when the Soviet Union is mentioned. By Current Time
The Ukrainian Town Where 'Masochism' Was Born
The writing of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch impacted the world, but in his birthplace of Lviv, in western Ukraine, his controversial legacy has not been officially recognized. By Amos Chapple
Learning To Get By: Russian Teachers Bemoan Low, Unpredictable Wages
A Russian vocational college teacher tried to survive for a month on his take-home pay of just under $200. He gave up after two weeks, highlighting the fact that -- as prices rise -- base pay for teachers across the country remains far below the target set by President Vladimir Putin in 2012. By Svetlana Prokopyeva and Robert Coalson
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With Four Kids By Her Side, A Tajik Mother Collects Trash To Make Meager Living
With Four Kids By Her Side, A Tajik Mother Collects Trash To Make Meager Living
Salomat Rajabova lets her children ride in a hand-drawn cart as she scours the streets of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, for plastic waste and bottles to sell. Since her husband divorced her, Rajabova has struggled to earn money while single-handedly caring for her family. By RFE/RL's Tajik Service
Unlocking Kyiv's Soviet-Era Bomb Shelters
Ukrainians turn to Cold War infrastructure while preparing for the worst amid fears of a Russian invasion. By Serhii Nuzhnenko
After Lightning Victory, Taliban Faces Battle To Hold On To Power In Afghanistan
The Taliban defied expectations by seizing power in Afghanistan during a lightning military campaign in August. But the militant group faces many challenges to its rule, including the threat by rival Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants, growing internal rifts, and its failure to win domestic or international support. By Abubakar Siddique
How The KGB Caught America's 'Volkswagen Spy'
A photo album sitting on the shelves of Ukraine's KGB archives reveals how an amateur U.S. spy was captured, then imprisoned, 60 years ago. By Amos Chapple
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Iran Condom Ban Sparks Fears Of Disease, Unwanted Pregnancies, And A Black Market
Iran Condom Ban Sparks Fears Of Disease, Unwanted Pregnancies, And A Black Market
Iran has passed a law banning the free, state-subsidized distribution of contraceptives in a bid to boost its population growth -- but the move has raised fears of catastrophic repercussions. Iran's government systematically cracks down on the free flow of information and those who speak to foreign media may be subject to persecution. For that reason, the identities of the interviewees are not disclosed and their faces are blurred or not shown. By RFE/RL's Radio Farda