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.
The New Old Frontier: Demarcation Sparks Tensions As Azerbaijani Control Returns Along Southern Armenian Border
A glance at the map makes the problem immediately evident: a new Azerbaijani-Armenian border is arising where a near-meaningless divider once existed between two Soviet provinces. By Neil Hauer
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Arrested Protesters And No Opposition Candidates: Elections, Kazakh-Style
Arrested Protesters And No Opposition Candidates: Elections, Kazakh-Style
There were no opposition parties in Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections, but the voting booths were open anyway to make sure people voted for the "right" candidates. Small protests calling for a genuine democratic choice were marred by arrests. By Ray Furlong, Current Time, and RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
With Return To Russia, Navalny Hedges Jail Threat Against Prospect Of Mobilizing Opposition To Putin
Poisoned Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny has announced his return to Russia on January 17. Analysts say he is balancing the very real threat of arrest against the much slimmer prospect of igniting a massive wave of protest against President Vladimir Putin's government. By Matthew Luxmoore
Ivanishvili Says He's Leaving Georgian Politics For Good. His Critics Have Heard That One Before
The man who created Georgia's ruling party more than eight years ago says he's leaving politics. But few in Tbilisi believe his announcement. By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
'Hello, My Dear': Lukashenka's Warm Hug For International Ice Hockey Chief Leaves Belarusian Opposition, Activists Steaming Mad
International Ice Hockey Federation head Rene Fasel met on January 11 with embattled Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka to discuss Minsk's plans to host the 2021 world hockey championships. The two exchanged warm words and hugs, prompting an angry reaction from the Belarusian opposition. By Robert Coalson
Thirty Years After Soviet Crackdown In Lithuania, Kremlin Accused Of Rewriting History
On January 13, 1991, Soviet tanks and troops moved against unarmed civilians defending a TV tower in Vilnius, a crucial moment in Lithuania's drive to regain independence – and on the path to the U.S.S.R.'s collapse. Thirty years later, critics say Moscow offers little or no contrition. By Tony Wesolowsky
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Snow Heaps More Misery On Migrants Living In Bosnian Forest
Snow Heaps More Misery On Migrants Living In Bosnian Forest
Snow and low temperatures have brought more misery for migrants living in a makeshift camp in a forest above the town of Velika Kladusa in northwestern Bosnia-Herzegovina. They set up the camp because they say they have been denied access to an official temporary shelter for migrants in the area. They say they're struggling to find food, drinking water, warm clothes, and firewood. Migrants come to this northwest corner of Bosnia seeking passage into nearby Croatia and the European Union. By RFE/RL's Balkan Service and Neil Bowdler
Moscow's Stalin-Themed Kebab Shop Purged Within 24 Hours Of Launch
A Stalin-themed shawarma stand in Moscow has been forced to close after a public outcry that led to the owner being carted off to a local police station and all his staff members to quit. "I haven't broken any laws," he told RFE/RL. By Matthew Luxmoore
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The Workers Keeping Balkan Cities Running Through COVID
The Essential Workers Who Keep Balkan Cities Running Through A Pandemic
Cooking meals, cleaning, policing the streets, and burying the dead: These are just a few of the essential jobs whose demands never let up during the coronavirus crisis. RFE/RL's Balkan Service profiled some of the people who keep their communities functioning despite the risks to their own health. By RFE/RL's Balkan Service
'A State Of Siege': Russian Buddhists, Mining Company In Mountaintop Showdown
A land dispute between a band of Buddhists and a mining company part-owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is coming to a head following years of stalemate. By Amos Chapple