Here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL’s team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days, including content from Gandhara, the RFE/RL website focusing exclusively on developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Special Project: The Committee Men
The untold details of corruption scandals and scams that swirled around Vladimir Putin and his associates as he began his political ascent. By Current Time and RFE/RL’s Russian Service
No Bread And No School For Many In Southeastern Iranian Province
Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan is the most impoverished province in the country. Malnutrition is rife in the village of Mirabad, where people survive on subsistence farming and many children can’t attend school because they don’t have a birth certificate. By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and Ilya Jazayeri
Inside Tito’s Secret Bunker
Amid repeated hints from the Kremlin that nuclear war is again possible in Europe, a secret atomic bomb shelter in Bosnia-Herzegovina is seeing a surge in interest from tourists. By Amos Chapple
Mother Of Ukrainian Soldier Missing In Azovstal Steel Plant Shares His Messages
The mother of Ukrainian soldier Mark Zatoloka says her son was holding out in the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol. Speaking in Kyiv on May 11, Inna Zatoloka shared his terse but poignant text messages. She says she is now in the dark about his condition and whereabouts. By RFE/RL
Iran Slams Brakes On Bus Drivers’ Strike To Keep Protests Off The Streets Of Tehran
Iranian authorities have been rocked by anti-government protests demanding the end of the country’s clerical regime amid skyrocketing inflation and subsidy cuts. Now they are trying to contain a strike by bus drivers in Tehran that threatens to bring unrest to the streets of the capital. By RFE/RL’s Radio Farda
Russia’s Capture Of Azovstal: Symbolic Success, ‘Pyrrhic’ Victory?
Ukraine’s decision to end its defense of the Azovstal steel plant in the devastated city of Mariupol is a success for Moscow amid setbacks. But at this stage of the war in Ukraine, it represents a symbolic victory for the Kremlin rather than a significant military breakthrough, analysts said. By Todd Prince
Fear Grips Afghanistan’s Sufi Community Following Deadly Attacks
Islamic State-Khorasan militants have carried out two deadly attacks against the Sufi community in Afghanistan in recent weeks. The Sufis, who follow a mystical and moderate form of Islam, are seen as heretics by extremist Islamist groups. Sufis who spoke to RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi said they are gripped by fear and have stopped worshipping in their mosques. By Radio Azadi and Abubakar Siddique
Bypassing Bosnia: The Massive Bridge Set To Transform Balkan Travel
Croatia’s Peljesac Bridge will soon allow travelers to skirt around border checkpoints, but not everyone is excited about the spectacular structure. By Amos Chapple
Nordic Firepower: The Native Military Hardware Sweden, Finland Would Bring To NATO
A selection of the domestically produced weapons and vehicles that would bolster NATO’s arsenal if Finland and Sweden are successful in their bids to join the military alliance. By RFE/RL
Hostilities Grow Between Taliban And Tajikistan Amid Border Closure, Truck Seizures
The already tense relations between Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities and neighboring Tajikistan have worsened in recent weeks. In the latest incident to test the countries’ relations, the Taliban closed the border with Tajikistan and seized dozens of Tajik trucks transporting goods to Afghanistan. By Abubakar Siddique
