Thursday, February 09, 2012
Pro-government supporters at a rally in support of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 4.

Video Workers of the World, Rally!

Officials say nearly 140,000 protesters turned out for February 4 rally in support of Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin. But not all were there by choice. In addition to paid "rent-a-crowd" protesters, many public sector workers were forcibly delivered to the gathering, under pressure of disciplinary action or losing their jobs. Critics say there are few alternatives for workers who want to keep their professional and political lives separate. More

The Mes Aynak archaeological site in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Cultural Riches Threatened By Mineral Wealth

More than 10 years ago, the Taliban blew up Afghanistan's ancient Buddha statues of Bamiyan, sparking international outcry. Now, the country's diverse cultural heritage is facing a new threat as a Chinese mining company prepares to destroy another ancient archeological site. More

A midwife helps a mother with her newborn baby at the Razai Foundation Maternity Hospital in Herat. In Afghanistan, not having a son can doom a mother's marriage.

Baby Girls Seen As Mixed Blessing In Afghanistan

Many Afghan families put a premium on sons, rather than daughters, as chillingly highlighted by a recent report that a woman may have been killed by her husband for the crime of not delivering a boy. More

A homeless man stands outside a temporary shelter in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk

Cold-Weather Deaths Shed Light On Plight of Ukraine's Homeless

Ukrainian officials say that at least 135 people have died as a result of the ongoing cold spell gripping Europe. Authorities have erected heated tents and provided food and warm tea to help residents cope with the subzero temperatures. But homeless people and social workers in the capital Kyiv say authorities are not doing enough to help the country's most vulnerable citizens find shelter from the cold. More

A cardboard Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini arrives in Tehran to mark the 33rd anniversary of his triumphant return to Iran following the Islamic Revolution.

Iran's 'Cardboard Khomeini' Faces Criticism, Condemnation

Iran's "Cardboard Khomeini" is fueling a firestorm of criticism in the Middle Eastern country after cutouts of the Islamic republic's founder appeared at a number of events, and photos mocking the mock-up went viral. More

Recent Features

Moscow pensioners Irina and Vladislav participated in anti-Soviet protests over 20 years ago.

Perestroika Veterans Pass The Torch To A New Protest Generation

Amid the young middle class professionals that made up the backbone of the anti-Kremlin rally in Moscow, there were pensioners who were veterans of an earlier protest era.
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Vitaly, a banking consultant, attended the rally with friends.

'Why I Came To The Anti-Kremlin Protest'

RFE/RL correspondent Tom Balmforth took to the streets of Moscow to ask people why they had attended the anti-Putin rally.
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Russian pro-democracy protesters are expected to brave Arctic temperatures for a demonstration on February 4.

One More Cup Of Coffee To Stay Warm At The Rally

For the tens of thousands of protesters expected to take to the streets in frigid Moscow on February 4, staying warm will pose a challenge. A hip online magazine in the capital is seeking to help them out with a handy guide
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The embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin in the mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow.

Video Anchorwoman Asks: Is It Time To Bury Vladimir Putin?

An inadvertent slip of the tongue during a live news broadcast has turned a Siberian news presenter into an Internet sensation.
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"The main impression...after being 15 minutes in her presence is that she is not frightened," a colleague says of Natasa Kandic (above).

The Truth-Teller: Natasa Kandic, Urging Serbs To Face The Past

More than a decade has passed since the end of the Balkan wars, where international observers say ethnic Serb fighters were responsible for the bulk of atrocities in the region, particularly Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. But despite the handover of major war-crimes suspects like Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, Belgrade remains reluctant to face the sins of the past. Lawyer Natasa Kandic has built an unpopular and often dangerous career out of pushing her country to face the truth about its history.
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in Kabul on February 1.

Interview: Rashid On 'Bad Timing' Of NATO Report On Pakistan And Taliban

Ahmed Rashid, a journalist and the well-respected author of several books on the Taliban and militant Islam, answers questions about the impact of a leaked NATO report that alleges that Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency is "intimately involved" with the Afghan insurgency. Rashid spoke with RFE/RL correspondent Abubakar Siddique.
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Writer, journalist, and poet Dmitry Bykov, whose "Citizen Poet" project has become an online sensation

Russia's Liberal Intelligentsia Begins To Stir

As Russia braces for a third major anti-Kremlin rally this weekend, the country's liberal intelligentsia is taking center stage.
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The recently unveiled logo for Eurovision 2012

In Baku, Eurovision Supervisor Talks Of Human Rights, Hopes For Event

Azerbaijan has hosted its first formal ceremony as this year's host of the Eurovision Song Contest, unveiling its logo and slogan and participating in the official handover of the contest to Baku from last year's host, Duesseldorf, Germany.
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A victim of the January 27 bombing in Baghdad lies on a stretcher after treatment. It was the latest in a wave of attacks that have killed more than 340 people over the past 30 days.

Violence Soars As Political Crisis Paralyzes Iraq

Violence is increasing as Iraq goes through its worst crisis since U.S. troops left in mid-December. Many see the escalating violence as part and parcel of political feuding in Baghdad.
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Zoran Laketa lost his father and brother in the war

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, One Family, Three Armies, And A Lost Generation

Zoran Laketa knows what it's like to fire a gun and wonder if the soldier on the other side of the front line just might be his brother. Or his father.
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