The Week's Best: Stories You May Have Missed

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 if you liked what you read.

​'Golden Century': Towering At The Heart Of Bulgaria's Real-Estate Scandal​

It was meant to be one of Bulgaria's tallest buildings, but the Sofia construction project could become an unfinished monument to a real estate scandal involving the ruling GERB party. By Ron Synovitz, Polina Paunova​

'I Don't See A Future Here': Life In Eastern Ukraine After Five Years Of War

Twelve stories of those living in the territories in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed forces. By the Donbas Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

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How The Looming Soviet Threat Gave Rise To NATO

How The Looming Soviet Threat Gave Rise To NATO​

It's been 70 years since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization came into being when 12 countries pledged to defend each other should any of them come under attack. RFE/RL takes a look at NATO's origins, and how Soviet expansionism and its objections to a United Nations force, led to its creation. By Neil Bowdler, AP

Chinese Fireworks Seem To Ring In Creeping Balkan Influence​

While Russia, the EU, and the U.S. jockey for position in Balkans, Beijing lends its way into the mix. By Alan Crosby

​Command Performance? On Ukraine's Front Lines, Troops Aren't Necessarily Sold On Poroshenko

Petro Poroshenko is trying to burnish his image as commander in chief to boost his reelection chances in a presidential runoff. But when it comes to the troops, is their wish really his command?​ By Christopher Miller​

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Toll From Land Mines Rises Sharply In Afghanistan

Toll From Land Mines Rises Sharply In Afghanistan​

Samiullah, a 12-year-old from Faryab Province, lost both legs in a land mine explosion while carrying water to help his family. He's just one of thousands of Afghan mine victims, and their numbers are rising steeply as the conflict with Taliban militants drags on. On International Mine Awareness Day on April 4, the UN and other organizations are redoubling their efforts to warn civilians about this hidden threat. By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, AFP

​Left Out: Afghanistan Watches Its Own Peace Process From The Sidelines​

The prospect of a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan is closer than it has ever been. But Afghanistan’s own government finds itself looking in from the outside. By Frud Bezhan

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Floods Devastate Iran, Wipe Out Villages, Bridges

​Floods Devastate Iran, Wipe Out Villages, Bridges​

Towns and villages across large parts of Iran have been deluged over the past two weeks in the heaviest flooding the country has seen in at least a decade. By John Mastrini

​Rising Mortality Rates Challenge Russia's Efforts To Kick-Start Population Growth​

Amid a population slump, President Vladimir Putin's administration is seeking to ensure the "preservation of the Russian nation." By Matthew Luxmoore

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Over 1,000 Jews Murdered By Nazis Unearthed In Belarus

Over 1,000 Jews Murdered By Nazis Unearthed In Belarus

Construction workers in the Belarusian city of Brest have unearthed a World War II-era mass grave thought to contain the remains of over a thousand murdered Jews from the city's ghetto. The building works have now stopped and the remains are being exhumed. By Current Time, Neil Bowdler

Poll: Majority Of Russians Support Crimea Annexation, But Worry About Economic Effects

A new poll shows that a majority of Russians still support the Kremlin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula, but far fewer back any similar move toward the parts of the war-torn eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk held by Russia-backed separatists. By Mike Eckel

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This Is Why You Should Think Twice Before Burning A Flag

​This Is Why You Should Think Twice Before Burning A Flag​

A traditional form of protest in some countries, a grave insult in others. Here's what you should know before you desecrate a flag. By Carlos Coelo, Luke Allnutt