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Saturday, May 25, 2013

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Antigay Protesters Disrupt Rights Rally In Georgia

Thousands of antigay protesters led by Orthodox Christian clergy on May 17 prevented a gay-rights rally from taking place in Tbilisi. The protesters broke through a police cordon and charged the venue where the rally was to be held, forcing the rights activists to leave on buses under police protection. The gay-pride demonstration was scheduled to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. (Video by Tea Topuria, RFE/RL's Georgian Service)

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A Belarusian Former POW Remembers 1945 Liberation

In January 1944, 12-year-old Regina Laurynovich was imprisoned by Nazi troops in occupied Soviet Belarus. Along with hundreds of thousands of other Belarusians, she was sent to work in a forced labor camp in Germany, where she spent more than a year. RFE/RL spoke to Laurynovich about her memories of the war.

Vox Pops: Why Pakistan's Elections Matter

As Pakistan prepares for general elections on May 11, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal asked voters in Mingora, Swat district, why the upcoming poll is important to them. Although the campaign has been marred by violence, some voters expressed cautious optimism that the election could bring change. (Produced by Niaz Ahmad Khan, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal)

Ukrainians Protest Antidiscrimination Law

Some 300 protesters gathered in front of the Ukrainian parliament building on May 14 to object to a draft law that aims to prevent discrimination, including discrimination against sexual minorities. The demonstrators brought signed petitions which they said showed public disapproval of "the legalization of homosexuality." The parliament postponed its scheduled debate on the draft bill. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)

'Day Of Rejoicing' In Belarus's Dead Zone

On May 14, Belarusians celebrated the Radunitsa religious festival, during which believers visit the graves of relatives. In the village of New Gramyki, inside the area affected by the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, evacuated residents observed the holiday by visiting a cemetery in the so-called Dead Zone.

Bosnian Rockers Get Political With 'Absurdistan' Tour

The Bosnian band Dubioza Kolektiv is touring with a new album, "Absurdistan" ("Apsurdinstan" in Bosnian) that fuses rock, ska, and folk with lyrics that satirize right-wing politics and xenophobia. Members of the band told RFE/RL's Balkan Service that the themes of their songs resonate just as well throughout Europe as they do at home in Bosnia. (Produced by Nedim Dervisbegovic and Aleksandar Makaric, RFE/RL)

Volunteer 'Captains' Help Belarusians Amid Floods

Homes on the outskirts of the Belarusian city of Homel have been inundated with spring floods for several weeks. The situation has forced some residents to live in their attics, while people who own boats are stepping forward to help ferry their neighbors to work and school. (RFE/RL's Belarus Service)

A Blind Ride On A Motorbike

In northwest Pakistan, many people with disabilities are supported by their families, but Nadeem Khan, who is blind, has always wanted independence. He has worked hard to make sure that blindness is no obstacle to his work, his family life, or even his short rides on his motorcycle. (RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal)

Old Tractor Much In Demand With Kyrgyz Farmers

Zamir Akimov, 25, who lives in Kyrgyzstan's southwestern Batken region, always makes the most of spring, when his 40-year-old tractor is much in demand. He earns a living by helping farmers who don't have the machinery to plow their fields. (RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)

A Landmark In The Gay-Rights Movement

The Supreme Court in the United States is debating two landmark cases concerning the legality of same-sex marriage. The hearings have put gay rights in the national spotlight. But in some neighborhoods, those issues have always been front and center. Correspondent Olga Loginova visited the Stonewall Inn in New York, considered the birthplace of the U.S. gay rights movement.

In Baku, A Battle To Save Homes From Demolition

The Azerbaijani capital, Baku, is building a massive new park as part of celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the birth of late President Heydar Aliyev. But many people are threatened with displacement by the downtown project, and are protesting to keep their homes.

Flash Analysis: Serbia-Kosovo Talks

The eighth round of EU-mediated talks between Serbia and Kosovo has ended without any agreement reached between the two sides. RFE/RL's Arbana Vidishiqi discusses the stakes for Serbia, why the talks failed, and what comes next.

Vox Pops: Was Life Better Before The Iraq War?

As Iraq this week marked the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq asked residents of Baghdad if their lives were better before the war. Some respondents stressed that they now have greater freedom than under Saddam's regime, but for many people, the current lack of security was a more important factor.

Once Famous For Buddhas, Bamiyan Caves Now Shelter Returnees

Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Province was once known as the home of ancient Buddha statues until their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. Today, the cliffs and caves of Bamiyan have a different significance: They provide a home for hundreds of returned refugees who have nowhere else to go. (Produced by Mustafa Sarwar and Ghulam Abbas Nadery, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan)

A Fresh Entrepreneurial Idea In Bosnia

With Bosnia caught in unemployment crisis, a group of jobless young people in Sarajevo have launched an online market for organic vegetables. Their website, Krompir.ba ("Potato"), offers locally grown produce to an increasingly Internet-savvy market. (By RFE/RL Balkan Service's Selma Boracic)

Dangerous Illegal Coal Mining Thrives In Ukraine

The town of Snizhne in eastern Ukraine sits directly on top of surface coal deposits. Easy access to the coal -- along with high unemployment -- has fostered a booming business in illegal mining.

Video Flashback: The 2003 Invasion Of Iraq

On March 20, 2003, U.S. forces and their coalition allies began bombing targets in Iraq, marking the start of the Iraq War. Here are some of the most significant, and sometimes shocking, moments of the invasion and the early days of the war in Iraq. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT (Reuters)

Norouz Celebrations In Kabul

Afghans gathered by the Karte Sakhi Mosque in Kabul on March 21 to celebrate Norouz, the Persian New Year, which marks the beginning of spring. Participants in the celebrations raised a prayer pole symbolizing the 7th century Caliph Ali. Video by Sabawoon, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan

Inside Kyrgyz Prison, Families Stay Together, For Now

At a prison in Kyrgyzstan, women who were incarcerated while pregnant can keep their young children with them until age 3. The arrangement seems to make the best of a very difficult situation, but these families must still face the moment when they will be separated. (Produced by Eliza Kenenbaeva of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)

U.S. Designer: Russian Fashion On The Rise, But Rights Issues Play A Role

Moscow is gearing up for Fashion Week, a major event for the Russian design industry, at the end of March. Ahead of the Moscow festivities, RFE/RL's Russian Service spoke to Valerie Steele, a U.S. fashion historian, curator, and director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Steele praised some new trends in Russian design, but said that recent anti-homosexual initiatives in Russia are particularly harmful to the fashion industry, in which there are many prominent gay designers.

Even In Former Gulag, Stalin's Popularity Persists

Josef Stalin is remembered in the West as a brutal dictator who engineered mass famine, deportations, and the Gulag system. But in Russia, he is often seen as a strong and savvy leader -- even by those who suffered the most under his rule. In Vorkuta, a far-northern city founded as a labor camp, former Gulag prisoners give Stalin credit for winning World War II and have little to say about his policies of political repression. RFE/RL's Tom Balmforth spoke to former prisoners and other residents of Vorkuta about the complex legacy of the Soviet leader.

Hunting With Golden Eagles In Kazakhstan

Some 50 Kazakh falconers have taken part in an annual contest to prove their skill at hunting with golden eagles. The sport -- in which the eagles hunt rabbits and foxes on command -- is a Kazakh tradition that goes back many centuries.

'Darth Vader' Storms Ukrainian Justice Ministry

Activists dressed as Darth Vader from the "Star Wars" films and members of his Imperial Guard tried to enter the Justice Ministry in Kyiv. The activists were seeking an appointment to demand that the ministry stop pressuring the Internet Party of Ukraine, which advocates technological improvements to eliminate bureaucracy.

What Do Schoolkids Know About Stalin?

Ukraine is split between a largely Russian-speaking East and a nationalistic, Ukrainian-speaking West, and that divide can clearly be seen in citizens' attitudes to their own history.

In Georgia, Stalin's Birthplace, A Divided Legacy

Gori, a small town in central Georgia, is best known as the birthplace of Ioseb Jughashvili, the man who would rule the Soviet Union for three decades under his adopted name, Josef Stalin. For many older Georgians, Stalin is still a source of national pride, revered as the most powerful Georgian in history and the main victor of World War II. But what do members of today’s young generation think? To find out, RFE/RL Georgian Service correspondent Goga Aptsiauri visited a tenth-grade class at Gori’s gymnasium (high school), located at the former seminary from which Stalin graduated in 1894.

With No Track, Baghdad Racers 'Drift' Where They Can

A group of young Baghdad residents are drumming up enthusiasm for drifting -- a motorsport that involves slipping and sliding around a track. But with no official league or sponsorship, these fans have to gather in an empty lot, face-to-face with speeding cars. (Video by RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq)

Crumbling Classrooms In Northwest Pakistan

Pakistani schoolchildren in the Shabqadar district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province attend overcrowded classes in a leaky 100-year-old schoolhouse made of mud. The aging facilities are only one indication of the struggling educational system in this poor region. (Produced by Shah Nawaz Tarakzai, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal)

Hundreds Injured In Russian Meteorite Strike

Russian authorities say up to 500 people were seeking medical treatment for their injuries after a meteorite crashed in the central Russian city of Chelyabinsk, damaging a factory and nearby buildings. Amateur video captured the meteor streaking through the sky. (Reuters)

Stadium Construction Threatens Baku's Displaced People

Azerbaijan is preparing to host the first European Olympic Games in 2015, and contractors in Baku are building a massive new stadium for the 49-country event. But a settlement housing internally displaced people lies in the path of a new road that will serve the stadium. Residents say they expect their homes to be demolished -- they just haven't been told when. Produced by Nushaba Fatullayeva, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service

A New Life For A Russian Girl And Her American Family

Americans Kendra and Jason Skaggs were in the final stages of adopting a child from Russia when Moscow banned all U.S. adoptions, effective January 1. Their hopes were fading -- but because they were in the last steps of the process, a court allowed their adoption to go through. The parents were able to bring their 5-year-old daughter, Polina, to her new home in Arkansas last month. Polina, who was born with spina bifida and a clubfoot, is adjusting to life with her American parents and brother, and is rapidly learning English. Her mother Kendra sent this video of a day in the life of their family.

'Hanging A Potato' And Other Favorite Belarusian Phrases

February 21 is International Mother Language Day, a UN-sponsored event meant to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. In Belarus, one's mother language can sometimes be a thorny question. Both Belarusian and Russian are official languages, but Belarusian has gradually been marginalized in schools and government offices in recent years. In a 2009 census, 53 percent of respondents named Belarusian as their native language, down 20 percent in 10 years. Less than a quarter said they always speak Belarusian at home. When RFE/RL's Belarusian Service asked people in Minsk to name a favorite Belarusian word or phrase, some were inspired to quote poetry or bits of slang -- but many others struggled to find words.

Living With Wolves In Northern Belarus

Alena Seliakh rescues orphaned wolf pups in the forests near Braslau, in northern Belarus, and raises them together with her family. Her work has become an ecotourism business where visitors can meet these wild animals close up. But Alena says the wolves offer her much more than a livelihood: They also teach her something about human character.

Belarusian Man 'Escapes Russian Forced Labor'

A Belarusian man, Mikalay Shpak, has reunited with his family after what he says was a daring escape from forced labor in Russia. Shpak left Belarus to work in Russia in 2001 and hadn't been in touch with his family since 2005.

Kazakh Students Brew Up New Uses For Horse Milk

Kumis, or fermented mare's milk, is well known in Central Asia as a mildly alcoholic refreshment. Now a group of Kazakh university students have given kumis a new purpose as an ingredient in hand-made soap. (Produced by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service)

At Afghan Brickworks, Family Trapped In Cycle Of Debt

Zabit Khan and his nine children are bonded laborers working to pay off family debts at a brick factory in Afghanistan. The Khans are among thousands of Afghans stuck in an unending cycle of debt and poverty with little hope of escape. (Produced by Sabawoon of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan; written by Frud Bezhan)

Manmade Disaster Threatens Bosnian Wetlands

The Hutovo Blato park is one of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s natural treasures, home to hundreds of plant and bird species. But ecologists warn that little has been done to preserve the area's natural state and the wetlands are under threat of disappearing. (By RFE/RL Balkan Service's Mirsad Behram)

Bosnian Soccer Prodigy Weighs European Options

Miralem Ramic is a 12-year-old soccer sensation from a small town in Bosnia-Herzegovina. TV Liberty, the television branch of RFE/RL's Balkan Service, first reported on the newcomer in 2011; since then, major soccer clubs from across Europe have been knocking at his door. Balkan Service correspondent Maja Nikolic visited Miralem in the town of Kalesija to follow up on his recent successes.

As U.K. Withdraws Horse Meat, Kazakhs Ask, ‘What’s The Problem?’

The British supermarket chain Tesco this month withdrew burgers from its stores in the U.K. and Ireland when DNA tests revealed that the packages, labeled as beef, contained some horse meat. The meat is not sold in Britain and its presence in ground beef was seen as gross negligence by the supplier. But in Kazakhstan, where horse meat is seen as a delicacy, consumers are wondering what all the fuss is about. (Video by Madi Bekmaganbetov, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service)

A Day In The Life Of An Adoptive Family

Ileshea and Arthur Stowe adopted Mishka, an orphan from Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, four years ago. Mishka is now 5 years old and lives with his parents and their two other children, 11-year-old Mary Claire and 9-year-old Michael, in Maine. Families like the Stowes have been thrust into the spotlight in recent months as Russia imposed a ban on the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, effective from the beginning of the year. RFE/RL's Russian Service asked Ileshea Stowe to describe an ordinary day with Mishka.

For Returnee, Tragedy On Road Back To Afghanistan

Zar Gul, an elderly Afghan refugee, lost a leg and four members of her family in a roadside explosion while returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan. She is now one of the many displaced Afghans living in a Kabul refugee camp without a home or any source of support. (Video by Sabawoon of RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan)

Interview: Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili

During a visit to Armenia, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili spoke to RFE/RL's Armenian Service about his country's commitment to the EU and NATO. He also discussed the prospects for reconciliation with Russia.

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