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.
Can Central Asian Cities Resolve Their Big, Ugly Smog Problems?
With Bishkek's air being cited as the dirtiest in the world, Central Asian officials are finally focusing on the fossil-fuel based heating, old cars, and poor city planning that are seen as the main causes of their severe air-pollution problems. By Chris Rickleton
What Every President Gets Wrong About Vladimir Putin
A bestselling author who is now covering his fifth administration as the White House correspondent for The New York Times, Peter Baker was a reporter in Moscow in the early days of the presidency of Vladimir Putin, who came to power in 2000. In an interview with RFE/RL, Baker discusses the response of the Biden administration to the war in Ukraine -- and the many miscalculations U.S. presidents have made about Putin. By Vazha Tavberidze
Mr. Zelenskiy Goes To Washington. So What Did He Get From It?
Ukraine’s president got a ride in a U.S. government jet, a red-carpet welcome at the White House, and more than dozen standing ovations from members of Congress -- plus a new Patriot air defense system. But did he get what he really wanted? By Mike Eckel and Todd Prince
Fire And Ice: Siberians Ponder The Message Behind Chita's Militarized New Year's Decorations
Officials in the Siberian city of Chita have raised eyebrows by commissioning 24 ice and plastic sculptures of Russian combat soldiers and placing them around the city as New Year's decorations. By RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities
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Rebuilding Bucha And Irpin Nine Months After Russian Onslaught
Rebuilding Bucha And Irpin Nine Months After Russian Onslaught
The cities of Bucha and Irpin in the Kyiv region were both heavily damaged during the brief but brutal occupation by Russian forces at the start of their invasion of Ukraine. Many houses were completely destroyed or in need of major repairs. But the Ukrainian government lacks the funds for widespread reconstruction, leaving many residents forced to restore their own homes. By Yulia Zhukova, Current Time, and Austin Malloy
Inside Stepanakert As Azerbaijani Blockade Continues
A local photojournalist details life inside Nagorno-Karabakh as provisions begin to run out and Azerbaijani "environmentalists" continue a blockade of the only supply road into the breakaway region. By Marut Vanian and RFE/RL
How It Started: Russia Amid The Birth Of The U.S.S.R.
Photos capture life on the ground and in the corridors of power as the Soviet Union was formed, amid turmoil and hunger, a century ago. By Amos Chapple
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Afghan Women Weep And Protest Ban From University Education
Afghan Women Weep And Protest Ban From University Education
Women in Afghanistan have been reacting with shock and anger since the Taliban banned them from universities. Current and future female students across the nation feel their futures are being erased. Countries and human rights groups around the world have harshly criticized the Taliban's decision. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and Austin Malloy
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Exiled Afghan Musicians Who Fled The Taliban Fear Deportation From Pakistan
Exiled Afghan Musicians Who Fled The Taliban Fear Deportation From Pakistan
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, an estimated 800 Afghan artists have emigrated to Pakistan. Faiz Muhammad Sakhi is one of them and currently teaches music in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. He says he and other musicians face many problems, including police harassment. By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal and Neil Bowdler
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Bulgarian Brothers Battle Fish-Killing Hydropower
Bulgarian Brothers Battle Fish-Killing Hydropower
Two Bulgarian brothers are campaigning for limits to be placed on the size of dams, arguing that many existing hydropower installations in their country are destroying aquatic life. By Damian Vodenicharov, RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, and Ray Furlong