Hey, you're busy! We know rferl.org isn't the only website you read. And that it's just possible you may have missed some of our most compelling journalism this 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.
'Hopeless And Dissatisfied': Growing Anger At Iranian Officials As Protests Spread
Water shortages in Iran's southwestern province of Khuzestan have sparked angry protests that have spread to other cities and provinces, including the capital, Tehran, where protesters have chanted antiestablishment slogans. By Golnaz Esfandiari and Mohammad Zarghami
The Sinister Side Of Kyrgyzstan's Online Sex Industry
An RFE/RL investigation into live webcam sites reveals how young Kyrgyz women trying to make ends meet as online sex workers are subject to abuse, blackmail, and even rape. By Ulanbek Asanaliev, Ray Furlong, and Carl Schreck
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'I Had To Say Something': Horrific Child Murder Prompts Tajik Animated Film
'I Had To Say Something': Horrific Child Murder Prompts Tajik Animated Film
An animated film has been made in Tajikistan reflecting on the controversial case of a 5-year-old girl who was raped and killed near Moscow. Filmmaker Lolisanam Ulugova says she was moved to create the movie after seeing the girl's father in tears. Four years after the events, the case is still going through the Russian courts. By Ray Furlong and Current Time
Exclusive: Taliban Puts Tajik Militants Partially In Charge Of Afghanistan's Northern Border
The Taliban says it has no plans to destabilize Afghanistan’s neighbors, but the Islamist group has put the Tajik militant group Jamaat Ansarullah in charge of security in several captured districts near the border with Tajikistan. By Mumin Ahmadi, Mullorajab Yusufi, and Nigorai Fazliddin
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Amid COVID Surge, Russian Doctors Use Social Media As Information Lifeline
Amid COVID Surge, Russian Doctors Use Social Media As Information Lifeline
As medical workers in Russia struggle with a third wave of COVID-19 infections, many are reaching out to the public directly to share information. Some are using social media to report on shortages and crisis conditions, while others have a simple message to their fellow Russians: get vaccinated. By Current Time and Margot Buff
China Used Vaccines, Trade To Get Ukraine To Drop Support For Xinjiang Scrutiny
Beijing pressured Kyiv to withdraw its support from an inquiry into human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, Ukrainian officials and lawmakers have told RFE/RL. By Yevhen Solonyna and Reid Standish
Iranian Battles Iranian Refugee At The Tokyo Olympics
It was an unusual matchup as two Iranian female taekwondo fighters were pitted against each other at the Tokyo Olympics: one who emigrated from Iran last year after criticizing the oppression of women and who represented the Refugee Team, the other fighting for Iran. By Golnaz Esfandiari
In Blacklisting A U.S. College, Russia Shutters A Program That Bridged An International Divide
Moscow’s decision to brand Bard College an "undesirable organization" has shut a student exchange program that built bridges between Russia and the United States. “For many Russian students, this was the first step to an international education,” one professor said. “Now all this is gone.” By Matthew Luxmoore