We know that rferl.org isn't the only website you read, and it's possible that you may have missed some of our most interesting journalism from the past 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. Share this story on social media using the buttons on this page if you liked what you read.
Two Decades On, Smoldering Questions About Putin’s Vault To Power
Weeks after Vladimir Putin was plucked out of relative obscurity and named successor to Boris Yeltsin, Russia was panicked by a string of apartment building bombings that killed hundreds in Moscow and elsewhere. Twenty years later, there is still no definitive conclusion about who was responsible. By Mike Eckel
Teflon Putin? Over 20 Years In Power, Scandals Don't Seem To Stick To The Russian President
Plagiarism, poisonings, corruption, embezzlement, lethal incompetence. These accusations and others have been leveled at Vladimir Putin and his allies – many of them documented in reports that have been overlooked or ignored by Kremlin-friendly media. As Putin enters his 21st year in power as president or prime minister, RFE/RL looks at 21 potential scandals that have left him largely unscathed. By Tony Wesolowsky and Robert Coalson
Unflagging Protest: Holding Outlawed Belarus Banner, Pensioner's Passion Irritates Authorities And Inspires Opposition
Grasping the banned red-and-white flag of the Belarusian first republic, 72-year-old Nina Bahinskaya has been a fixture at protests for decades -- ever since she learned of the repression unleashed in her country in the Stalin era. She has racked up thousands of dollars in fines, and become an inspiration to opponents of authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's long rule. By Valeriya Ulasik, Alena Shalayeva, and Tony Wesolowsky
After Night Of Bloodshed, Kyrgyz Police Regroup And Arrest Atambaev
After almost 24 hours of bloodshed, death, and tense confrontations with state security forces, former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev simply walked out of his house and into a police van to end the violent standoff. By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
Has Anyone Seen The Turkmen President Lately?
The state-controlled Turkmen media has been clumsy and unconvincing in its attempts to quash talk that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is seriously ill or dead. By Bruce Pannier
Enigmatic Attorney Says He Hired D.C. Lobbyists For Zelenskiy 'Out Of Good Will' -- And Out Of His Own Pocket
We tracked down the enigmatic political consultant who hired a D.C. lobbying firm for Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Marcus Cohen told RFE/RL he paid nearly $70,000 out of his own pocket – out of good will toward the new Ukrainian president. By Christopher Miller
Caught Up In The Crackdown: One Muscovite’s Long Weekend In A Police Van, A Holding Cell, And A Courtroom
Almost 1,400 people were detained during unsanctioned protests in Moscow on July 27, some of them merely passers-by. This is the story of how one man was detained while sitting on a bench, held for two nights, convicted, and punished for participation in a protest he says he never attended. By Matthew Luxmoore
Kyrgyz Ex-President Detained After Special-Forces Officer Dies In Raid On His Compound
A member of Kyrgyz special forces was shot dead during a botched effort to detain former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev. A standoff at his compound followed. He was successfully detained the following day. By Ray Furlong and RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
How It Took The Disappearance Of Two Girls To Halt Romania's Controversial Legal Overhaul
It has taken a grisly murder case and a high court ruling to finally halt a government drive to pass controversial legal changes in Romania. By Alison Mutler
How Officials Are Spinning Moscow Protests As A Foreign Plot
If you’ve been watching Russian state TV over the past two weeks, you might be convinced that two successive weekends of Moscow protests were the work of foreign intelligence agencies, or meddlers from outside of Moscow, or others. By Mike Eckel
No One Safe As Moscow Police Lash Out
As Moscow police respond to peaceful protests with increasing brutality, we filmed all sorts of people caught up in the violence -- protesters, passersby, and even a member of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party. (Note: Some people may find the violence in this video disturbing.) By Ray Furlong, Current Time, and RFE/RL's Russian Service
Star-Crossed Lovers? Kazakhs Unearth Iron-Age Couple Tete-A-Tete
Archaeologists in Kazakhstan boast -- and toast -- the discovery of 3,000-year-old skeletons seemingly lost in each other's eye (sockets). By Andy Heil
As Moscow Jails Its Critics, Students Defend An Outspoken Peer
A 20-year-old university student faces eight years in prison after being arrested amid a crackdown on street protests in Moscow. But Yegor Zhukov isn’t just any normal student; he’s one of the Kremlin’s most outspoken young critics and a potential voice for a student opposition movement. By Matthew Luxmoore
