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.
Given the dramatic recent developments in Kabul and beyond, much of our content this week comes from Gandhara, an RFE/RL website focusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan that is a go-to source for English-language reporting by our networks of local journalists across the two countries.
Son Of Afghanistan's 'Lion Of Panjshir' Prepares To Resist Taliban Rule
Ahmad Masud, the son of a revered Afghan resistance fighter, says thousands of his troops are preparing to resist Taliban rule from their stronghold in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, about 100 kilometers northeast of Kabul. The mountainous area is the only region of the country that hasn't fallen to the hard-line Islamist group. By Stuart Greer
Also Read: 'Ready To Resist,' Residents Of Last Anti-Taliban Stronghold, Panjshir, Brace For Uncertain Future
Will The Taliban Stay United To Govern, Or Splinter Into Regional Fiefdoms?
Decisions now being made by the Taliban on a new governing structure will determine whether the movement remains united or splinters into regional Taliban fiefdoms. By Ron Synovitz
Afghans Flood Across Pakistan Border To Flee Taliban Rule
Desperate to escape Taliban rule, thousands of Afghans have been flooding into Pakistan from Afghanistan’s southeast Kandahar Province. Carrying their belongings in sacks on their shoulders, they funnel through a chain-link fence topped with razor wire at the border checkpoint near Spin Boldak to make their way to the Pakistani border city of Chaman. It appears to be the only international border open for Afghans to exit and people from across the country are making their way there. By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal and Stuart Greer
Russia Is Burning. Here's What You Need To Know.
Cold winters. Scorching summer. Endless taiga forests. And the world’s largest area of wildfires. The Siberian region of Yakutia is burning this summer, possibly like no other, and you should care. A lot. By Mike Eckel
Ukrainian Independence: What Freedom Means To Me
Everyday Ukrainians open up about their country on the 30th anniversary of its independence. By Amos Chapple
In Fertile Ukraine, A 20-Year Freeze On The Sale Of Farmland Is Lifted -- With Uncertain Consequences
After a 20-year moratorium that created deep disincentives to invest in improvements, Ukraine is allowing agricultural land sales in a bid to boost farming communities, crop yields, and the economy of “Europe’s Breadbasket.” Will it work? By Mark Raczkiewycz
Soviet Moldova, Then And Now
Thirty years after Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union, images from 2021 recapture the exact locations of archival photos taken throughout the country’s Soviet occupation. By Victor Maxian and Amos Chapple
The Protests That Brought The Soviet Union To Its Knees
At the end of the 1980s, protest movements across the Soviet Union sprung up, with people in the constituent republics calling for independence. Fed up with the broken, corrupt Soviet regime and fueled by burgeoning nationalism, protesters demanded an end to Soviet rule and a new, more equitable society. By Current Time
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Tehran Prison Abuse Revealed In Security Footage Leak
Tehran Prison Abuse Revealed In Security Footage Leak
A self-described hacking group has called for nationwide protests in Iran and the release of political prisoners after it obtained security-camera footage showing abuses at Tehran's notorious Evin prison. Videos sent to RFE/RL's Radio Farda and other media by the group, Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice), showed guards beating and dragging prisoners. In a rare admission, the head of the country's prisons apologized for the "unacceptable behavior" and promised "to deal seriously with the wrongdoers." (Warning: this video contains disturbing content) By RFE/RL's Radio Farda and Stuart Greer
Also Read: Hacked Videos Force The Unthinkable In Iran: Official Admission Of Abuses At Evin Prison