Here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL's vast 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.
'High Time To Get Out': Harrowing Escapes By Ukrainian Civilians From Russian Occupation In Kherson
As the battle for the strategically important city of Kherson looms over the region and Russian occupation authorities deport civilians to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, civilians in villages under fire are crossing the front line to get to Ukrainian-controlled territory. By Aleksander Palikot
See Also: Bad News Politically, Shrewd Move Militarily? What Russia's Kherson Retreat Means -- And What It Doesn't.
Why The Dutch Are Blocking Schengen Entry For Bulgaria And Romania
Dutch resistance is widely blamed for keeping Bulgaria and Romania out of Europe's border-free zone despite EU institutional acknowledgment that they're "more than ready to join." By Elitsa Simeonova and Andy Heil
'They Torture And Kill Us': Gay Afghan Men Fear For Lives Under The Taliban
Two gay Afghan men have told RFE/RL they live in constant fear under Taliban rule and have to meet their partners in secret. In a January report, Human Rights Watch found LGBT people in Afghanistan faced a"desperate situation and grave threats to their safety" with reports of killings, gang rapes, and mob attacks. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and Neil Bowdler
Protesting Rapper's Video Foretelling Iranian Regime's Future Leads To Arrest As Fans Fear For His Life
Shortly after the release of his new video, Omen, which makes foreboding predictions about the future of Iran's clerical leadership if it continues its violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations, Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was arrested and hasn't been heard from since. By RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Uniforms For Pregnant Soldiers: Ukrainian Volunteers Tailor Gear For Women At War
More than 5,000 women are serving in the Ukrainian Army amid Russia's ongoing invasion and occupation of their country. From special uniforms for pregnant soldiers to female toiletry kits, the Zemlyachky Foundation is tailoring military gear for Ukrainian women at war. By Current Time and Yulia Zhukova
Satellite Images Show A Russian Buildup In Belarus. Experts Say It May Be A Bluff.
Russia has erected hundreds of tents at three new encampments in Belarus, satellite images obtained by RFE/RL show. Is it an indication that a new invasion into Ukraine from Belarus is in the offing? Or something else? By Andrei Shauhiula, Todd Prince, and Wojtek Grojec
Ukrainian Woman Recounts Beating, Humiliation At Russian Filtration Camp
Olena Strukalyova says she was forced to remove her clothes and saw a man being brutally beaten at a Russian filtration camp, which civilians from occupied areas of Ukraine had to pass through before being taken to Russia. Ukraine estimates that 1.6 million of its citizens have been through these camps, while Russia puts the number even higher. Strukalyova, from Mariupol, says she was vetted several times before crossing into Russia -- she then immediately traveled to Georgia. By Tornike Mandaria and RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Authorities In Chechnya Use Aggressive Shaming To Boost Number Of Volunteers For Russia's Ukraine War
"What kind of people are you?" Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said in a rant aimed at shaming residents of the Russian region into volunteering to fight in Ukraine. Nonetheless, Chechnya's parliament speaker said there were more than 1,000 vacancies in the region's security units. By Beka Atsayev
'Beaten And Humiliated': Taliban Cracks Down On Afghan Universities In Bid To Curb Women's Protests
The Taliban has cracked down on universities in Afghanistan in recent weeks. University campuses have become a hotbed of anti-Taliban protests led by female students. In the latest incident, the Taliban beat a group of women who held a rally outside their university in Badakhshan Province. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi
Russian Occupation Meant A Mother Could Not Provide For Her Special-Needs Son
With a special-needs son, medication shortages and stale, overpriced food in the shops, life in the Russian-occupied Kherson region became intolerable after five months for one Ukrainian mother. Anastasia Borysova tried to carry on living in Nova Kakhovka after Russian troops seized control of the city, but she could not get her son the care he needs -- nor even basic groceries sometimes. The family made it to Odesa after pleading with border guards to be allowed to leave Kherson. By Kateryna Bankova and Will Tizard
Ethnic Balancing? Kazakhstan Settles Returnees In Regions With Significant Russian-Speaking Populations
Ethnic Kazakhs who have returned to their ancestral homeland from abroad say they are being resettled in northern areas that have large numbers of ethnic Russians. The government insists the program tackles underpopulation -- but others say Astana wants to balance the ethnic makeup of those regions. By Farangis Najibullah
The Female Ukrainian Soldier Behind Iconic Invasion Photos
Iryna Rybakova's photographs have been published throughout the world's media, yet using her camera is only one part of her job as a junior lieutenant and press officer with the Ukrainian military. By Amos Chapple
