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Thursday 21 January 2021

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January 21, 2021
Kazakh Police 'Kettle' Freezing Protesters For Nine Hours, Blasting 'Blizzard' Song

A so-called “kettling” operation against a handful of protesters in Kazakhstan went far beyond the way police in the West use the controversial tactic to control mass demonstrations.

January 21, 2021
Tajiks Bury 'Juro Ako' -- Khujand's Beloved Last Jew

Residents of the northern Tajik city of Khujand have buried the city’s last Jew, marking the end of an era. Jura Abaev had emigrated to Israel three times but returned to Khujand within months each time, saying it was the only place he felt truly at home.
January 20, 2021
'Swamp Of Poverty': Uzbek Cotton Farmers Refusing To Work With 'Cluster' Monopoly

Uzbekistan’s agriculture "cluster" reforms have proven to be a new form of “hidden” or “secret privatization” -- a scheme used during the 1990s by corrupt officials and their private-sector cronies in former communist countries of Eastern Europe to plunder state firms.
January 20, 2021
Back To The Beach In Bulgaria. Or Is It A Beach At All?

A legal battle over whether a small strip of Black Sea shoreline is a beach or not reveals a struggle to impose the rule of law over one of Bulgaria's most influential politicians.
January 20, 2021
We See You! How Russia Has Expanded Its Video-Surveillance System

In 2020, Russia ranked third in the world in terms of the number of CCTV cameras on its territory. The country also invested millions of dollars in facial-recognition software and launched one of the world's most comprehensive surveillance systems in Moscow. While authorities say this will increase
January 20, 2021
Long Lost Love: Moldovan Villagers From Important Soviet Photo Discovery Found

The stories behind the now famous portraits by Moldova's "Village Genius."
January 19, 2021
In A Response To Navalny's Arrest, Clues To Biden's Russia Policy

Russia's detention of Aleksei Navalny, and his earlier poisoning with a powerful, banned, Soviet-era nerve agent, pose an early challenge to the incoming Biden administration. Can the new White House balance human rights concerns with things like expiring nuclear arms treaties?
January 19, 2021
Leaked Belarusian Audio Points To Plan For Barbed-Wire-Bound 'Camp' For Protesters

A group of former Belarusian security and justice officials has released an explosive audio recording said to be a top Interior Ministry official talking about plans to build an internment camp for protesters and urging officers to use force at anti-government rallies.
January 19, 2021
Popular Soviet War Ballad May Come To The Defense Of The Motherland As Russia's Olympic 'Anthem'

As Russian athletes prepare to compete in the Olympics without the backing of a national flag or anthem, they have suggested that a popular WWII song be played during ceremonies. Katyusha, a song that gained popularity after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, is being floated as a replacement.
January 18, 2021
'Take To The Streets': With Call For Protests, Navalny Throws Down Gauntlet To Kremlin -- And Russian Society

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed his most prominent opponent, taking pains to avoiding even uttering his name. But Aleksei Navalny’s return after a near-fatal poisoning, and his call for protests, is testing the Kremlin’s approach -- and challenging Russians to take sides.
January 17, 2021
Praise And Humor -- And Words Of Warning For Putin -- As Navalny Returns To Russia And Is Detained

Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny returned to Russia after five months recuperating from a poisoning he blames on Vladimir Putin, accompanied by social-media comments on the latest twist in the struggle between two of Russia’s most prominent political figures.
January 17, 2021
Outcry Over Power Outages, Smog Forces Iran To Act Against Bitcoin Miners

Bitcoin mining has allowed Tehran to circumvent some U.S. sanctions. But the country is now being hit by regular power outages and smog linked to the energy-sucking cryptocurrency operations.

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Thursday 21 January 2021

Kazakh Police 'Kettle' Freezing Protesters For Nine Hours, Blasting 'Blizzard' Song

Tajiks Bury 'Juro Ako' -- Khujand's Beloved Last Jew

'Swamp Of Poverty': Uzbek Cotton Farmers Refusing To Work With 'Cluster' Monopoly

Back To The Beach In Bulgaria. Or Is It A Beach At All?

We See You! How Russia Has Expanded Its Video-Surveillance System

Long Lost Love: Moldovan Villagers From Important Soviet Photo Discovery Found

In A Response To Navalny's Arrest, Clues To Biden's Russia Policy

Leaked Belarusian Audio Points To Plan For Barbed-Wire-Bound 'Camp' For Protesters

Popular Soviet War Ballad May Come To The Defense Of The Motherland As Russia's Olympic 'Anthem'

'Take To The Streets': With Call For Protests, Navalny Throws Down Gauntlet To Kremlin -- And Russian Society

Praise And Humor -- And Words Of Warning For Putin -- As Navalny Returns To Russia And Is Detained

Outcry Over Power Outages, Smog Forces Iran To Act Against Bitcoin Miners

Editor's Picks

'Shot Like Partridges': The Crushing Of The Kronstadt Uprising

'Prisoners Of Conscience': A Look At Some Of The Biggest Names On The List

'Enemy Of My Enemy:' In Ukraine, Mixed Feelings About Kremlin Foe Navalny

Saakashvili Says Political Crisis In Georgia Has Deep Roots

Before Lenin: The Monuments Of Tsarist Russia

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Tajik Couple Leaves Free Bread In A 'Magic Box' For The Poor