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.

Belarus's 'Slipper Revolution' Seeks To Stamp Out Lukashenka. Is He At Risk?

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka could be facing the most serious challenge since he came to power in 1994, amid protests by thousands and calls by a popular blogger for a "slipper revolution" to squash the "cockroach" whose handling of the coronavirus has left many wondering whether he is fit to rule. But Lukashenka's levers of control mean he may have a lock on yet another term in an August presidential vote. By Tony Wesolowsky

Who Killed Ultron, The Bulgarian Black Vulture?

A black vulture donated by Belgium to help bring the raptors back to Bulgaria was tragically killed. Officials' neglect has compounded the crime. By Polina Paunova and Andy Heil

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'He's Innocent': Activist's Wife Reflects On His Decade In Kyrgyz Jail

'He's Innocent': Activist's Wife Reflects On His Decade In Kyrgyz Jail

It's been 10 years since Azimjan Askarov was arrested by Kyrgyz security forces in connection with ethnic Uzbek-Kyrgyz clashes that first erupted in the city of Osh. The violence left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. His wife, Khadicha Askarova, told RFE/RL that in that time "our grandchildren have been born. Some of them have passed away." A court in Bishkek recently upheld the ethnic Uzbek human rights activist's life sentence, despite international pressure for his release. By Ray Furlong and RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service

Faces Of The Balkans, 100 Years Ago

Portraits captured by an American photographer who witnessed Europe's wild south in a deeply troubled time. By Amos Chapple

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Kyrgyzstan's Deadly Ethnic Clashes, 10 Years Later

Kyrgyzstan's Deadly Ethnic Clashes, 10 Years Later

It's been 10 years since violent clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in southern Kyrgyzstan claimed hundreds of lives. Fighting broke out in the country's second-biggest city of Osh and led to brutal killings, the destruction of thousands of homes of ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, and the mass displacement of ethnic Uzbeks. RFE/RL journalists who covered the violence look back at what happened. By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service

Iranian Links: New Taliban Splinter Group Emerges That Opposes U.S. Peace Deal

A new Taliban breakaway group with links to Iran has emerged that is opposed to the U.S.-Taliban peace deal aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan. By Frud Bezhan

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Power To The Putin: What's In Russia's Constitutional Reforms Package?

Power To The Putin: What's In Russia's Constitutional Reforms Package?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a package of constitutional reforms that would potentially allow him to remain in power until 2036, but that’s not all that’s changing. One official compared the package to a fixed-price meal. We took a look at what surprises Russians are being served along with their borsch and cutlets. By Ivan Gutterman and Carlos Coelho

Melting Down: Climate Change May Prove A Major Problem For Russia's Arctic Infrastructure

For Russia, the upside of global warming is more Arctic access, ice-free shipping, possibly more arable land. The downside is the potential of vast industrial infrastructure sinking as the permafrost it was built on thaws. A massive fuel spill near the city of Norilsk is Exhibit A. By Mike Eckel

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Video Shows Strange Circumstances Of Belarusian Politician's Arrest

Video Shows Strange Circumstances Of Belarusian Politician's Arrest

Belarusian authorities have charged opposition leader Syarhey Tsikhanouski with planning mass violations of public order, but what really happened when he was arrested? Video on his YouTube channel shows him being hounded by a mysterious woman in a denim jacket, before he is seized by riot police while trying to walk away. By Ray Furlong and Current Time