Margot Buff is a multimedia editor for RFE/RL.
Doctors and nurses treating patients with COVID-19 are enduring brutally long hours, the emotional toll of mounting deaths, and the fear of becoming sick themselves.
With countless businesses closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, governments are taking drastic action to try to shore up their countries' economies. The measures range from monetary policy to direct food assistance for struggling citizens.
More countries and regions are advising -- or requiring -- all residents to wear face masks in public to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. While fabric masks don't provide full protection, doctors say they can help block transmission from people who don't yet know they're sick.
Nurses and doctors treating coronavirus patients need disposable gloves, masks, gowns, and face shields to protect themselves from infection. But a global shortage of protective gear is putting health workers in even greater danger.
There are not enough coronavirus tests to go around, but new technologies are rushing through to market, giving doctors much-needed tools to fight the pandemic. Experts say testing is crucial not just to treat individual patients, but to track and limit the spread of the disease.
A vaccine that protects against the coronavirus could be more than a year from being developed and approved. But other research efforts are moving rapidly, focusing on drugs that could help treat the symptoms of COVID-19 or block it from spreading.
One of the best protections against the coronavirus is also the simplest: washing your hands. Doctors advise soap, warm water, and a thorough scrubbing to get rid of potential infectious material.
A new study reports that the coronavirus can live on some surfaces for up to three days -- confirming doctors' advice that washing one's hands frequently is a crucial step to help avoid infection.
As Iran battles the coronavirus epidemic, people across the country have been working to ease the impact of the crisis. Volunteers are distributing food aid to poor families, sterilizing surfaces in public places, and sewing extra face masks for health workers.
Iranian worshipers visiting holy shrines in Qom and Mashhad tried to force their way inside after they were barred from entering. The shrines and several others were ordered closed in the latest measure to try to control the spread of coronavirus.
As Iranians isolate themselves to keep the coronavirus epidemic from spreading further, residents of one Tehran apartment complex found a way to unite: singing along with patriotic songs and pop hits blaring from their windows.
A YouTube vlogger hung a portrait of President Vladimir Putin in the elevator of a Moscow apartment building. The residents' reactions, caught on video, ranged from amused to profane.
Azerbaijanis cast their ballots in early parliamentary elections on February 9 -- and some apparently cast multiple ballots. Along with irregularities such as ballot-box stuffing and so-called carousel voting at multiple stations, there were also reports of independent observers being harassed or expelled.
Alexandru Rjavitin fled from forced service in a paramilitary unit in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniester, saying he had endured brutal beatings and extortion. When he returned to visit his family in December 2019, he disappeared without explanation. Then Rjavitin reappeared on Transdniestrian TV, apparently serving with his old unit and retracting his charges of abuse.
The coronavirus outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, has claimed hundreds of lives, sickened thousands, and continues to spread beyond China's borders. Here are a few key facts about the disease.
A growing number of Russians are relying on loans to make ends meet each month. That means ballooning household debts and booming business for poorly regulated lenders and collection agencies that often use aggressive tactics. (AFP, Margot Buff)
On January 3, a U.S. air strike in Baghdad killed Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian commander who led the elite Quds Force wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Soleimani was considered one of the most powerful men in Iran and the architect of Tehran's foreign policy in the region.
In Moscow, large-scale Orthodox icons rendered in spray paint decorate bridges and underpasses. They're the work of artist Aleksandr Tsypkov and fellow creators who believe that everyone, not just church-goers, should be able to see religious art.
This year, viewers have had to wade through manipulated videos passed off as real, blogs written by anonymous trolls, and a widely debunked theory with adherents in the White House. That’s not to mention the many routine instances of wrong or misleading info spread by media outlets, politicians, and others. Here are 10 stories from 2019 of disinformation running rampant.
Afghans who can't afford doctors, can't reach one easily, or don't trust them often opt for a visit to a bonesetter. These traditional practitioners offer low-cost treatment for breaks, sprains, and other injuries. But some doctors say patients who use them are putting themselves in danger.
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