rferl--2020-01-24--RFE/RL Files Documents To Register As 'Foreign Agent' With Russian Tax Service

PRAGUE -- RFE/RL 's Russian Service has filed documents with Russia 's Federal Tax Service to register as a `` foreign agent '' to comply with a law that critics say the Kremlin uses to muzzle dissent , limit news plurality , and discourage the free exchange of ideas .
Andrei Shary , the director of RFE/RL 's Russian Service , known locally as Radio Svoboda , said on January 24 that the papers had been filed in recent days .
`` This week we filed all of the necessary papers with Russian tax authorities after we received all necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Ministry , '' Shary said .
According to Shary , the ministry informed him that one registration covers all RFE/RL projects operating on Russian territory .
Russia passed the original `` foreign agent '' law -- which requires all nongovernmental organizations receiving foreign funding to register -- in 2012 following a major wave of anti-government protests .
In December , President Vladimir Putin signed an amendment to the law which brands reporters who work for organizations officially listed as foreign agents as foreign agents themselves .
The label is applied to individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive financial or other material support from them .
At the time , RFE/RL President Jamie Fly harshly criticized the amendment and called the law `` an outrage . ''
“ RFE/RL works with hundreds of Russian correspondents across the country who are a lifeline for news-deprived local communities and who tackle important issues ignored by state media , but who , according to this law , should now , absurdly , be considered ‘ foreign agents , ’ ” Fly said at the time .
“ These are exceptional and dedicated journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law targets their work and jeopardizes their security in an attempt to silence them and deprive Russian citizens of their right to seek reliable information.
” Russian officials have said the law was a `` symmetrical response '' after Russia 's state-funded channel RT -- which U.S. authorities accuse of spreading propaganda -- was required to register its U.S. operating unit under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) .
Critics of the law say it stigmatizes organizations with the designation and would do the same to journalists if they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large bureau in Moscow , has hundreds of contributors across Russia , and has recently launched dedicated reporting units to provide up-close coverage of northern Russia ( Sever.Realii ) and Siberia ( Sibir.Realii ) .
Its North Caucasus and Tatar-Bashkir language services have similarly sought to make their reporting more accessible to regional audiences by starting up websites -- Kavkaz.Realii and Idel.Realii -- in Russian .
Current Time , the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA , relies on a reporting network that covers the entire space of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within and beyond Russia ’ s borders .

PRAGUE -- RFE/RL's Russian Service has filed documents with Russia's Federal Tax Service to register as a "foreign agent" to comply with a law that critics say the Kremlin uses to muzzle dissent, limit news plurality, and discourage the free exchange of ideas.
Andrei Shary, the director of RFE/RL's Russian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, said on January 24 that the papers had been filed in recent days.
"This week we filed all of the necessary papers with Russian tax authorities after we received all necessary clarifications regarding the registration process from the Justice Ministry," Shary said.
According to Shary, the ministry informed him that one registration covers all RFE/RL projects operating on Russian territory.
Russia passed the original "foreign agent" law -- which requires all nongovernmental organizations receiving foreign funding to register -- in 2012 following a major wave of anti-government protests.
In December, President Vladimir Putin signed an amendment to the law which brands reporters who work for organizations officially listed as foreign agents as foreign agents themselves.
The label is applied to individuals who cooperate with foreign media outlets and receive financial or other material support from them.
At the time, RFE/RL President Jamie Fly harshly criticized the amendment and called the law "an outrage."
“RFE/RL works with hundreds of Russian correspondents across the country who are a lifeline for news-deprived local communities and who tackle important issues ignored by state media, but who, according to this law, should now, absurdly, be considered ‘foreign agents,’” Fly said at the time.
“These are exceptional and dedicated journalists. It is an outrage that this law targets their work and jeopardizes their security in an attempt to silence them and deprive Russian citizens of their right to seek reliable information.”
Russian officials have said the law was a "symmetrical response" after Russia's state-funded channel RT -- which U.S. authorities accuse of spreading propaganda -- was required to register its U.S. operating unit under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Critics of the law say it stigmatizes organizations with the designation and would do the same to journalists if they are labeled as foreign agents.
RFE/RL operates a large bureau in Moscow, has hundreds of contributors across Russia, and has recently launched dedicated reporting units to provide up-close coverage of northern Russia (Sever.Realii) and Siberia (Sibir.Realii).
Its North Caucasus and Tatar-Bashkir language services have similarly sought to make their reporting more accessible to regional audiences by starting up websites -- Kavkaz.Realii and Idel.Realii -- in Russian.
Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, relies on a reporting network that covers the entire space of the former Soviet Union to reach Russian speakers within and beyond Russia’s borders.


rferl--2020-01-24--Russian Activists Launch 'Public Campaign' Against Putin's 'Constitutional Coup'

A group of more than 30 activists , public figures and local Moscow politicians have created an online `` manifesto '' urging Russian citizens to resist President Vladimir Putin 's proposed constitutional amendments .
Novaya Gazeta , which published the document late on January 23 , said more than 8,000 have already signed the manifesto , which calls Putin 's amendments a `` constitutional coup '' that is directed at keeping `` Putin and his corrupt regime '' in power until he dies .
The document recognizes that the current Russian Constitution is far from ideal , but stresses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law for immediate political purposes will destroy the last institution that is protecting Russia from the complete usurpation of power . ''
It calls on like-minded Russians to sign the document and `` take part in a mass public campaign '' against Putin 's proposals .
Among the signatories was economist Sergei Guriyev , human rights activist Sergei Davidis , and political analysts Denis Bilunov , Ivan Preobrazhensky , and Aleksandr Shmelev .
Ten district council members from Moscow , including journalist Ilya Azar , Yulia Galyamina , and Yelena Rusakova , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although they violated the constitution , at least they did n't touch it or destroy it , '' Galyamina told RFE/RL .
`` Now they have opened Pandora 's box . ''
Putin , 67 , announced the proposed amendments during a 17-minute section of his January 15 state-of-the-nation address .
By January 23 , the text of the amendments had been endorsed by a hastily convened public advisory group and approved in their first reading by lawmakers in the Duma , the lower house of Russia 's legislature .
Russian media have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on the amendments will be held in April .
`` In truth , this is the usurpation of power , '' said opposition politician and signatory Andrei Pivovarov of the Open Russia foundation .
`` This has only been done to keep Putin and the group of figures surrounding him in power permanently .
`` We only have two months to inform as many people as possible about our view and get them to turn out and vote 'no , ' '' he added , saying the changes `` deprive us of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country . ''
The proposed amendments include limiting one person to two presidential terms , regardless of whether they are served consecutively .
They would tighten citizenship restrictions on presidential candidates , establish the priority of the Russian Constitution over international law , make the State Council an official state organ , and give the Duma the power to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet , as well as other changes .
In all , 22 articles of the constitution would be amended .
Many analysts believe the Kremlin is pushing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage political power after Putin 's current -- and final -- term ends in 2024 .
On January 20 , opposition figure Ilya Yashin urged Muscovites to protest the proposed amendments at a rally on February 29 that had been planned earlier to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination in Moscow of opposition leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov .
`` It will be a political march , the main aim of which will be to call for the rotation of power and to protest against the usurpation of power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as saying .
With reporting by Novaya Gazeta and Reuters

A group of more than 30 activists, public figures and local Moscow politicians have created an online "manifesto" urging Russian citizens to resist President Vladimir Putin's proposed constitutional amendments.
Novaya Gazeta, which published the document late on January 23, said more than 8,000 have already signed the manifesto, which calls Putin's amendments a "constitutional coup" that is directed at keeping "Putin and his corrupt regime" in power until he dies.
The document recognizes that the current Russian Constitution is far from ideal, but stresses that "changing the text of the basic law for immediate political purposes will destroy the last institution that is protecting Russia from the complete usurpation of power."
It calls on like-minded Russians to sign the document and "take part in a mass public campaign" against Putin's proposals.
Among the signatories was economist Sergei Guriyev, human rights activist Sergei Davidis, and political analysts Denis Bilunov, Ivan Preobrazhensky, and Aleksandr Shmelev.
Ten district council members from Moscow, including journalist Ilya Azar, Yulia Galyamina, and Yelena Rusakova, also signed the appeal.
"Earlier, although they violated the constitution, at least they didn't touch it or destroy it," Galyamina told RFE/RL. "Now they have opened Pandora's box."
Putin, 67, announced the proposed amendments during a 17-minute section of his January 15 state-of-the-nation address. By January 23, the text of the amendments had been endorsed by a hastily convened public advisory group and approved in their first reading by lawmakers in the Duma, the lower house of Russia's legislature.
Russian media have reported that a national "public vote" on the amendments will be held in April.
"In truth, this is the usurpation of power," said opposition politician and signatory Andrei Pivovarov of the Open Russia foundation.
"This has only been done to keep Putin and the group of figures surrounding him in power permanently.
"We only have two months to inform as many people as possible about our view and get them to turn out and vote 'no,'" he added, saying the changes "deprive us of any chance for positive developments in this country."
The proposed amendments include limiting one person to two presidential terms, regardless of whether they are served consecutively. They would tighten citizenship restrictions on presidential candidates, establish the priority of the Russian Constitution over international law, make the State Council an official state organ, and give the Duma the power to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet, as well as other changes.
In all, 22 articles of the constitution would be amended.
Many analysts believe the Kremlin is pushing the changes as part of a plan to manage political power after Putin's current -- and final -- term ends in 2024.
On January 20, opposition figure Ilya Yashin urged Muscovites to protest the proposed amendments at a rally on February 29 that had been planned earlier to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination in Moscow of opposition leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov.
"It will be a political march, the main aim of which will be to call for the rotation of power and to protest against the usurpation of power," Yashin was quoted by Reuters as saying.
With reporting by Novaya Gazeta and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-24--Bulgaria Expelling Two Russian Diplomats Over Espionage

Bulgaria is expelling two unnamed Russian diplomats accused of involvement in spying in the Balkan country .
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry says it summoned the Russian ambassador to Sofia on January 24 and handed him a note declaring the two diplomats -- a consular first secretary and an official at Russia 's trade representation -- personae non gratae .
Both were given 48 hours to leave the country , the ministry says .
The Russian Embassy says the two men will leave Bulgaria but insists that “ no evidence confirming their activities incompatible with their status were presented . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tit-for-tat measures , '' it says in a statement .
Bulgaria , a loyal Moscow ally during communist times , became a member of NATO in 2004 and joined the European Union in 2007 .
Earlier in the day , the Prosecutor-General 's Office said that both men collected `` state secrets in order to transfer it to a foreign state or organization . ''
One of the two diplomats collected information on Bulgaria 's election process , while the other was spying on the EU member state 's energy sector and energy-security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
The statement said a pretrial investigation of the two had begun , adding that they could not be charged due to diplomatic immunity .
In a separate case on January 23 , Bulgarian prosecutors announced charges in absentia against three Russians for the attempted murder of a weapons manufacturer , his son , and the production manager of the company .
The Sofia city prosecutor 's office said the three unidentified suspects intentionally attempted to poison the victims `` by intoxication with an unidentified phosphorus-organic substance . ''
Prosecutors said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 , and May 4 , 2015 , and targeted Emilian Gebrev , owner of EMCO Ltd. , his son , Hristo Gebrev , and manager Valentin Takhchiev .
All three survived the attacks .
In a statement on January 24 , the U.S. Embassy in Sofia said that it `` commended '' Bulgaria 's recent actions `` to defend the country 's independence and sovereignty from malign influence . ''
It cited the announcement of the expulsion of the two Russians for espionage and the announcement of charges against the three others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters , Interfax , and TASS

Bulgaria is expelling two unnamed Russian diplomats accused of involvement in spying in the Balkan country.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry says it summoned the Russian ambassador to Sofia on January 24 and handed him a note declaring the two diplomats -- a consular first secretary and an official at Russia's trade representation -- personae non gratae.
Both were given 48 hours to leave the country, the ministry says.
The Russian Embassy says the two men will leave Bulgaria but insists that “no evidence confirming their activities incompatible with their status were presented."
"Russia reserves the right to take tit-for-tat measures," it says in a statement.
Bulgaria, a loyal Moscow ally during communist times, became a member of NATO in 2004 and joined the European Union in 2007.
Earlier in the day, the Prosecutor-General's Office said that both men collected "state secrets in order to transfer it to a foreign state or organization."
One of the two diplomats collected information on Bulgaria's election process, while the other was spying on the EU member state's energy sector and energy-security measures, the office said in a statement.
The statement said a pretrial investigation of the two had begun, adding that they could not be charged due to diplomatic immunity.
In a separate case on January 23, Bulgarian prosecutors announced charges in absentia against three Russians for the attempted murder of a weapons manufacturer, his son, and the production manager of the company.
The Sofia city prosecutor's office said the three unidentified suspects intentionally attempted to poison the victims "by intoxication with an unidentified phosphorus-organic substance."
Prosecutors said the crimes were committed between April 28, 2015, and May 4, 2015, and targeted Emilian Gebrev, owner of EMCO Ltd., his son, Hristo Gebrev, and manager Valentin Takhchiev. All three survived the attacks.
In a statement on January 24, the U.S. Embassy in Sofia said that it "commended" Bulgaria's recent actions "to defend the country's independence and sovereignty from malign influence."
It cited the announcement of the expulsion of the two Russians for espionage and the announcement of charges against the three others for attempted murder.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and TASS


rferl--2020-01-25--Kremlin Denies Top Aide Surkov Stepping Down

The Kremlin has denied reports that a longtime key aide to President Vladimir Putin is stepping down .
The resignation of Vladislav Surkov was reported by Aleksei Chesnakov , an adviser to Surkov and director of Moscow 's Center for Political Studies .
In a Twitter post on January 25 on Twitter , Chesnakov said Surkov was resigning due to what he called a `` change of course on Ukraine . ''
However , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there is no decree yet on Surkov 's resignation .
He also told Russian media that there had been no change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As for the alleged change in the policy on the situation in Ukraine , this has nothing to do with reality and reflects only a personal viewpoint of the person who speaks about that , '' Peskov told the TASS news agency .
Surkov has played a leading Russian role in negotiations on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine , where more than 13,000 people have died in fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces since April 2014 .
Hostilities erupted there shortly after Russia annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula .
Widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cardinal , '' Surkov helped craft the Kremlin 's domination of domestic politics and Russia 's expansionist policies in Ukraine and elsewhere in the former Soviet space .
Surkov also helped build what is known as `` sovereign democracy '' and , as Putin 's top political aide , concentrate power in the president 's hands during his first two presidential terms between 2000 and 2008 .
He was pushed from the Kremlin in 2011 , after street protests against the system he helped create , and spent a year in government as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 2013 after a dispute with investigators looking into suspected fraud .
In September 2013 , Putin appointed Surkov as an aide , just four months after he quit the government .
He also serves as an adviser to Putin on aid to the Moscow-backed breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia , which Russia recognized as independent after a short war in 2008 with Georgia .
With reporting by Interfax and TASS

The Kremlin has denied reports that a longtime key aide to President Vladimir Putin is stepping down.
The resignation of Vladislav Surkov was reported by Aleksei Chesnakov, an adviser to Surkov and director of Moscow's Center for Political Studies.
In a Twitter post on January 25 on Twitter, Chesnakov said Surkov was resigning due to what he called a "change of course on Ukraine."
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there is no decree yet on Surkov's resignation. He also told Russian media that there had been no change in Kremlin policy on Ukraine.
"As for the alleged change in the policy on the situation in Ukraine, this has nothing to do with reality and reflects only a personal viewpoint of the person who speaks about that," Peskov told the TASS news agency.
Surkov has played a leading Russian role in negotiations on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where more than 13,000 people have died in fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces since April 2014. Hostilities erupted there shortly after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
Widely known as the Kremlin's "gray cardinal," Surkov helped craft the Kremlin's domination of domestic politics and Russia's expansionist policies in Ukraine and elsewhere in the former Soviet space.
Surkov also helped build what is known as "sovereign democracy" and, as Putin's top political aide, concentrate power in the president's hands during his first two presidential terms between 2000 and 2008.
He was pushed from the Kremlin in 2011, after street protests against the system he helped create, and spent a year in government as a deputy prime minister before quitting in May 2013 after a dispute with investigators looking into suspected fraud.
In September 2013, Putin appointed Surkov as an aide, just four months after he quit the government.
He also serves as an adviser to Putin on aid to the Moscow-backed breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Russia recognized as independent after a short war in 2008 with Georgia.
With reporting by Interfax and TASS


rferl--2020-01-25--Lukashenka Accuses Moscow Of Pressuring Belarus Into Russian Merger

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has accused Moscow of pressuring his country to merge with Russia and he vowed he would never let it happen .
Lukashenka , speaking on January 24 to workers at a paper plant in eastern Belarus , slammed Russia , the country 's main provider of cheap oil and natural gas , for exploiting Minsk 's reliance on oil deliveries to force it to be `` dissolved '' into Russia .
`` We have our own country , we 're sovereign and independent .
With our brains and hands , we earn what we can , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we ca n't be a part of some other country , '' Lukashenka said .
`` I ca n't betray you and dissolve Belarus , even into brotherly Russia . ''
`` Even if I agree to that , Belarusians would eat me alive within a year , '' said Lukashenka , who has been president since the position was created in 1994 .
`` It 's honorable to be the first [ president of Belarus ] , but I sure do n't want to be the last . ''
Belarus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding and is a key transit route for Russian energy supplies to Europe .
But Lukashenka , who has mocked the West 's portrayal of him as `` Europe 's last dictator '' and has not faced democratic elections , has also sought to maintain some distance between Minsk and Moscow .
Belarus has been at odds with Russia over oil-transit prices and tariffs for some time against a backdrop of increasing pressure by Moscow on Lukashenka to deepen integration between the two neighbors .
The two countries failed to agree on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to halt supplies to refineries in Belarus , although they were partially resumed on January 4 .
A two-month deal on gas prices hours before a December 31 deadline struck helped the sides avoid a gas shutoff to start the year .
Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement in 1999 to form a unified state , but little progress has been made in the ensuing two decades .
Belarus was a Soviet republic until winning independence in 1991 .
Meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenka last year failed to bring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted he was merely seeking `` equal '' terms .
Belarus was hit by rare public demonstrations in December , with protesters expressing anger over the perceived secrecy of the talks and objecting to closer ties to Russia .
The Kremlin , in defending higher energy prices and lower subsidies for Belarus , argues that Minsk should accept greater economic integration if it wants to continue receiving energy resources at Russia 's domestic prices .
Lukashenka has since vowed to find alternative oil suppliers and said on January 24 that Minsk was negotiating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi Arabia , and United Arab Emirates .
`` Americans , Saudi Arabia , the Emirates ...
I have a brilliant relationship with them .
They say they will supply as much oil as needed , '' Lukashenka said .
Earlier this week , Belarus announced a deal to import of oil from Norway .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit Minsk on February 1 , becoming the highest-level U.S. official to visit Belarus since diplomatic relations with the United States were frayed more than a decade ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Uladzimer Makey to `` underscore the U.S. commitment to a sovereign , independent , stable , and prosperous Belarus , and affirm our desire to normalize our bilateral relations , '' a State Department spokeswoman said .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has accused Moscow of pressuring his country to merge with Russia and he vowed he would never let it happen.
Lukashenka, speaking on January 24 to workers at a paper plant in eastern Belarus, slammed Russia, the country's main provider of cheap oil and natural gas, for exploiting Minsk's reliance on oil deliveries to force it to be "dissolved" into Russia.
"We have our own country, we're sovereign and independent. With our brains and hands, we earn what we can, we're building our own country. And we can't be a part of some other country," Lukashenka said.
"I can't betray you and dissolve Belarus, even into brotherly Russia."
"Even if I agree to that, Belarusians would eat me alive within a year," said Lukashenka, who has been president since the position was created in 1994.
"It's honorable to be the first [president of Belarus], but I sure don't want to be the last."
Belarus is heavily reliant on Russia for fuel and funding and is a key transit route for Russian energy supplies to Europe.
But Lukashenka, who has mocked the West's portrayal of him as "Europe's last dictator" and has not faced democratic elections, has also sought to maintain some distance between Minsk and Moscow.
Belarus has been at odds with Russia over oil-transit prices and tariffs for some time against a backdrop of increasing pressure by Moscow on Lukashenka to deepen integration between the two neighbors.
The two countries failed to agree on an oil-supply contract for 2020, leading Russia to halt supplies to refineries in Belarus, although they were partially resumed on January 4.
A two-month deal on gas prices hours before a December 31 deadline struck helped the sides avoid a gas shutoff to start the year.
Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement in 1999 to form a unified state, but little progress has been made in the ensuing two decades. Belarus was a Soviet republic until winning independence in 1991.
Meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenka last year failed to bring the two sides together as the Belarusian president noted he was merely seeking "equal" terms.
Belarus was hit by rare public demonstrations in December, with protesters expressing anger over the perceived secrecy of the talks and objecting to closer ties to Russia.
The Kremlin, in defending higher energy prices and lower subsidies for Belarus, argues that Minsk should accept greater economic integration if it wants to continue receiving energy resources at Russia's domestic prices.
Lukashenka has since vowed to find alternative oil suppliers and said on January 24 that Minsk was negotiating additional supplies with the United States, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.
"Americans, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates...I have a brilliant relationship with them. They say they will supply as much oil as needed," Lukashenka said.
Earlier this week, Belarus announced a deal to import of oil from Norway.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit Minsk on February 1, becoming the highest-level U.S. official to visit Belarus since diplomatic relations with the United States were frayed more than a decade ago.
He will meet with Lukashenka and Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey to "underscore the U.S. commitment to a sovereign, independent, stable, and prosperous Belarus, and affirm our desire to normalize our bilateral relations," a State Department spokeswoman said.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-25--Powerful Quake In Eastern Turkey Kills At Least 21

A powerful earthquake has hit the eastern Turkish province of Elazig , causing buildings to collapse and leaving at least 21 people dead and hundreds injured , officials say .
The magnitude-6.8 quake struck near the town of Sivrice in Elazig Province -- some 750 kilometers from the Turkish capital , Ankara -- shortly before 9 p.m. , the government 's disaster and emergency management agency said on January 24 .
It was followed by several aftershocks .
At least 17 people were killed in the city of Elazig , and four in the nearby city of Malatya , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some 920 injured are in hospitals in the region , it added .
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said authorities had directed rescue teams to the region and were searching for 30 people under the rubble of collapsed buildings .
He cited a figure of 533 people injured .
Soylu said Turkey , which straddles seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes , had learned lessons from previous disasters , helping it to react to this incident .
Drones were being used to aid search operations and communication between provinces , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit the western city of Izmit , leaving more than 17,000 people dead and about 500,000 homeless .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter that all efforts were being taken to `` ensure that the earthquake that occurred in Elazig and was felt in many provinces is overcome with the least amount of loss . ''
The earthquake struck in a remote , relatively sparsely populated area .
State media in Syria and Iran reported it was felt in those countries .
Lebanese media said the cities of Beirut and Tripoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by AFP , Reuters , and AP

A former top FBI counterintelligence agent pleaded guilty to charges related to his work for notorious Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, changing his plea after federal prosecutors filed new, reduced charges of conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Russia by working for the billionaire industrialist.
The move by Charles McGonigal, made on August 15 before a federal judge in New York City, ends a prosecution that had stunned the FBI, where McGonigal had investigated Russian influence operations for years while climbing the bureau’s ranks.
The 55-year-old also still faces a separate set of foreign agent charges in Washington, D.C., related to work he did for Albanian officials.
McGonigal, who retired as head counterintelligence in the FBI's New York bureau in 2018, was originally indicted in January by a grand jury on more serious charges of money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions.
Prosecutors alleged that McGonigal and a former Russian diplomat with whom he was associated, were paid more than $200,000 to do work for Deripaska, a wealthy Russian metals tycoon who has long been seen as a Kremlin insider. Deripaska was hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2018.
U.S. authorities said McGonigal was hired to dig up negative information on Vladimir Potanin, a rival oligarch to Deripaska. McGonigal and the former diplomat, Sergei Shestakov, also worked to try and get Deripaska removed from U.S. sanctions lists.
Shestakov has pleaded not guilty to the more serious charges than had been originally filed against McGonigal.
They "attempted to conceal Deripaska's involvement by, among other means, not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payment from Deripaska," the Justice Department said in a press release after McGonigal entered his plea.
McGonigal could receive up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in December.
The separate case filed in Washington, D.C., by federal prosecutors centers on work McGonigal allegedly did on behalf of a former Albanian intelligence officer, for which he was paid $225,000.
McGonigal also allegedly lied to the FBI about his contacts with foreign nationals and foreign travel while he was still employed by the bureau.
Deripaska also faces charges of violating U.S. sanctions through real estate deals and a complicated scheme under which he allegedly arranged for his girlfriend to travel to the United States to give birth to two of their children.


rferl--2020-01-24--Ukrainian Policies Create 'Hardships' On Pensioners In Separatist-Held Areas

Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) says Ukrainian pension policies impose `` hardships '' on pensioners with limited mobility who live in areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine .
Pensioners with limited mobility due to illness , disability , or advancing age who live in these areas face `` overwhelming difficulty accessing their pensions or do not get them at all , '' the New York-based human rights watchdog said in a statement on January 24 .
More than 450,000 of the 1.2 million pensioners living there do not receive their pensions , according to Ukraine 's ombudswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required people living in the separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to register as displaced persons and to cross the contact line to government-controlled areas to receive their pensions .
`` These policies are discriminatory , violate property rights , and simply cut off those who are physically unable to cross the line of contact from their pensions altogether , '' said Yulia Gorbunova , senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at HRW .
The group urged Ukrainian lawmakers to approve a pending draft law that would delink pension eligibility from displaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay pension arrears to those who have been denied pension payments or have been unable to access them .
But HRW said the bill would not address other difficulties that pensioners unable to travel face in accessing their pensions .
As an example , the watchdog cited the rule according to which pensioners from separatist-controlled areas have to appear in person every three months for an identity verification procedure at the only state bank where pensions are paid .
Unlike people living elsewhere in Ukraine , they may not appoint an authorized representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , the government should introduce a remote identity verification procedure and access to online notary services , according to HRW .
`` Older people in areas not controlled by the government who have limited mobility should be treated the same as other Ukrainian citizens , '' Gorbunova said .
“ It is heartbreaking to imagine that some of them live in acute poverty but are not getting the pensions to which they are legally entitled .
”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Ukrainian pension policies impose "hardships" on pensioners with limited mobility who live in areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Pensioners with limited mobility due to illness, disability, or advancing age who live in these areas face "overwhelming difficulty accessing their pensions or do not get them at all," the New York-based human rights watchdog said in a statement on January 24.
More than 450,000 of the 1.2 million pensioners living there do not receive their pensions, according to Ukraine's ombudswoman.
Since November 2014, Kyiv has required people living in the separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to register as displaced persons and to cross the contact line to government-controlled areas to receive their pensions.
"These policies are discriminatory, violate property rights, and simply cut off those who are physically unable to cross the line of contact from their pensions altogether," said Yulia Gorbunova, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at HRW.
The group urged Ukrainian lawmakers to approve a pending draft law that would delink pension eligibility from displaced person status and make it easier to pay pension arrears to those who have been denied pension payments or have been unable to access them.
But HRW said the bill would not address other difficulties that pensioners unable to travel face in accessing their pensions.
As an example, the watchdog cited the rule according to which pensioners from separatist-controlled areas have to appear in person every three months for an identity verification procedure at the only state bank where pensions are paid. Unlike people living elsewhere in Ukraine, they may not appoint an authorized representative to collect their pensions.
To address that, the government should introduce a remote identity verification procedure and access to online notary services, according to HRW.
"Older people in areas not controlled by the government who have limited mobility should be treated the same as other Ukrainian citizens," Gorbunova said. “It is heartbreaking to imagine that some of them live in acute poverty but are not getting the pensions to which they are legally entitled.”


rferl--2020-01-25--Eight Foreigners In Moscow Hospital May Have Coronavirus

Eight people , all believed to be from China , have been hospitalized in Moscow with a preliminary diagnosis of @ @ @ @ @ news agency reported , citing unidentified people in the medical field .
The eight individuals @ @ @ @ @ temperatures , TASS reported .
The individuals were part of a group of more than @ @ @ @ @ Moscow a few days ago .
They were staying in a hotel in northwestern Moscow @ @ @ @ @ first cases of coronavirus in Russia .
Cases of the virus have been reported in @ @ @ @ @ , Japan , Malaysia , the Philippines , South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand , @ @ @ @ @ and Singapore , as well as in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau @ @ @ @ @ have died from the virus , all in China .
Based on reporting by TASS @ @

Eight people, all believed to be from China, have been hospitalized in Moscow with a preliminary diagnosis of coronavirus, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported, citing unidentified people in the medical field.
The eight individuals were all suffering from high temperatures, TASS reported.
The individuals were part of a group of more than 20 foreigners that arrived in Moscow a few days ago. They were staying in a hotel in northwestern Moscow.
It would be the first cases of coronavirus in Russia.
Cases of the virus have been reported in the United States, France, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, as well as in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.
At least 41 people have died from the virus, all in China.
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-01-25--Russian Orthodox Church Official Says Serials About 'Healthy Family Life' Can Boost Population

A top official in the Russian Orthodox Church has recommended the state produce films and serials about `` healthy family life '' to help boost birthrates .
Metropolitan Ilarion told Russian state television that the population could be enhanced by changing people 's conception of family life through films and serials rather than by raising social benefits .
`` I think that if we want to significantly raise our demographic numbers , then no amount of material benefits will be enough , '' Ilarion said .
He said that current serials mainly showed family infidelity `` and the whole plot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is facing a demographic crisis as the number of women of childbearing age is decreasing , a result of the economic and political upheaval of the 1990s , when couples chose to have fewer children or not at all .
The country 's death rate has surpassed its birthrate the last three years , though immigration , mainly from Central Asia , has helped fill the gap .
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month that the government would expand and extend a social program aimed at stimulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The financial assistance will now be offered to a family when their first child is born .
The amount available for a second child will increase by nearly one-third to more than 600,000 rubles ( $ 10,000 ) .
The money can only be used for certain items , like buying a home or for education , and is not given directly to the family , but rather to the home builder or school .

A top official in the Russian Orthodox Church has recommended the state produce films and serials about "healthy family life" to help boost birthrates.
Metropolitan Ilarion told Russian state television that the population could be enhanced by changing people's conception of family life through films and serials rather than by raising social benefits.
"I think that if we want to significantly raise our demographic numbers, then no amount of material benefits will be enough," Ilarion said.
He said that current serials mainly showed family infidelity "and the whole plot is based on that."
Russia is facing a demographic crisis as the number of women of childbearing age is decreasing, a result of the economic and political upheaval of the 1990s, when couples chose to have fewer children or not at all.
The country's death rate has surpassed its birthrate the last three years, though immigration, mainly from Central Asia, has helped fill the gap.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month that the government would expand and extend a social program aimed at stimulating births by offering young families financial assistance.
The financial assistance will now be offered to a family when their first child is born. The amount available for a second child will increase by nearly one-third to more than 600,000 rubles ($10,000).
The money can only be used for certain items, like buying a home or for education, and is not given directly to the family, but rather to the home builder or school.


rferl--2020-01-25--Pompeo Accuses NPR Journalist Of Lying Following Controversial Interview

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused a journalist from National Public Radio ( NPR ) of lying after she published critical fragments of their conversation that eventually went viral .
NPR 's Mary Louise Kelly , the host of All Things Considered , said on January 24 that Pompeo got angry and ended an interview when she asked him questions about why he did n't defend former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , who was fired by President Donald Trump last year .
According to Kelly , she was then asked to go into Pompeo 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but told not to bring her recording equipment .
Kelly said that Pompeo yelled and used foul language as he claimed that most Americans do not know where Ukraine is located .
She said that he then ordered assistants to bring out an unmarked world map and asked her to locate Ukraine , which she said she accurately did .
Kelly has a master 's degree in European Studies from Cambridge .
Kelly said she was never told that the conversation in the living room was off the record .
Her description of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 24 , just a week before Pompeo heads to Kyiv for his first official visit to Ukraine since taking office in 2018 .
Amid the media uproar over Kelly 's account of their meeting , Pompeo shot back the following day in a public statement .
`` NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me , twice .
First , last month , in setting up our interview and , then again yesterday , in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record , '' Pompeo said in a statement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` another example '' of the media seeking to hurt Trump .
However , he did not deny her description of his comments .
The secretary 's statement ended with the sentence `` it is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine , '' which may imply that he is claiming that Kelly picked out the South Asian country on the unmarked map .
NPR issued a response to Pompeo 's statement , calling Kelly a reporter with `` utmost integrity '' and said it stood behind her report .
The Committee to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on January 25 criticizing Pompeo , saying his reaction was another sign of the Trump administration 's `` hostility '' toward the press .
`` These verbal attacks undermine efforts to protect journalists and erode U.S. standing as a beacon of press freedom , '' the committee said .
Yovanovitch , a career Foreign Service officer who had served as ambassador to three countries , was asked by the State Department to extend her term in Ukraine .
However , she was then subject to a smear campaign by Trump allies who accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political rival 's work in Ukraine .
During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , Trump called Yovanovitch `` bad news . ''
Pompeo , Yovanovitch 's boss , has avoided answering questions about why he did not publicly defend her reputation amid the smear campaign .

Ahead of a visit to Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused a journalist from National Public Radio (NPR) of lying after she published critical fragments of their conversation concerning Ukraine that eventually went viral.
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, the host of All Things Considered, said on January 24 that Pompeo got angry and ended an interview when she asked him questions about why he didn't defend former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was fired by President Donald Trump last year.
According to Kelly, she was then asked to go into Pompeo's private living room to continue the conversation but told not to bring her recording equipment. Kelly said that Pompeo yelled and used foul language as he said: “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?”
“He used the F-word in that sentence and many others,” Kelly said.
She said that he then ordered assistants to bring out an unmarked world map and asked her to locate Ukraine, which she said she accurately did. Kelly has a master's degree in European Studies from Cambridge.
Kelly said she was never told that the conversation in the living room was off the record.
Her description of their interaction went viral on Twitter on January 24, just a few days before Pompeo heads to Kyiv on January 30 for his first official visit to Ukraine since taking office in 2018.
Amid the media uproar over Kelly's account of their meeting, Pompeo shot back the following day in a public statement.
"NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me, twice. First, last month, in setting up our interview and, then again yesterday, in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record," Pompeo said.
Pompeo claimed it was "another example" of the media seeking to hurt Trump. However, he did not deny her description of his comments.
The secretary's statement ended with the sentence "it is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine," which seemed to imply that he is claiming that Kelly picked out the South Asian country on the unmarked map instead of Ukraine.
NPR issued a response to Pompeo's statement, calling Kelly a reporter with "utmost integrity" and said it stood behind her report.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also issued a statement later on January 25 criticizing Pompeo, saying his reaction was another sign of the Trump administration's "hostility" toward the press.
"These verbal attacks undermine efforts to protect journalists and erode U.S. standing as a beacon of press freedom," the committee said.
Yovanovitch, a career Foreign Service officer who had served as ambassador to three countries, was asked by the State Department to extend her term in Ukraine.
However, she was then subject to a smear campaign by Trump allies who accused her of impeding an investigation into his political rival's work in Ukraine. During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump called Yovanovitch "bad news."
Pompeo, Yovanovitch's boss, has avoided answering questions about why he did not publicly defend her reputation amid the smear campaign.
The U.S. Senate is currently conducting a trial after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on two articles -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Democrats have accused Trump of withholding military aid and a White House invitation as a means to pressure Zelenskiy to launch two investigations that would benefit the U.S. leader’s reelection chances.
Trump dismisses the accusations as a witch hunt and has said his dealings with Zelenskiy were "perfect."


rferl--2020-01-25--Ukrainian NGO Hires Former Trump Adviser To Secure Washington Meetings

A Ukrainian nongovernmental organization ( NGO ) has hired a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump to help secure meetings with officials in Washington in March .
The Kyiv-based Institute for Democracy and Development is seeking meetings with members of Congress , `` key representatives '' in the Trump administration , and civil society from March 2 to March 5 , it said in a Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) filing with the Department of Justice on January 21 and published three days later .
The NGO has agreed to pay Michael Caputo 's New York-based Zeppelin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as cover any expenses , according to the FARA filing .
Caputo , a Republican strategist who has done political consulting work in Russia and Ukraine in the past , advised Trump on the New York Republican primary in 2016 .
Caputo is married to a Ukrainian .
The NGO will send 10 to 15 representatives to Washington for meetings to discuss Ukraine 's `` civic development and the future of Ukraine-United States relations , '' the filing said .
U.S.-Ukraine relations have been impacted by an impeachment trial that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open two investigations beneficial to his 2020 reelection campaign by withholding military aid and a White House visit invitation .

A Ukrainian nongovernmental organization (NGO) has hired a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump to help secure meetings with officials in Washington in March.
The Kyiv-based Institute for Democracy and Development is seeking meetings with members of Congress, "key representatives" in the Trump administration, and civil society from March 2 to March 5, it said in a Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing with the Department of Justice on January 21 and published three days later.
The NGO has agreed to pay Michael Caputo's New York-based Zeppelin Communications $1 for organizing the meetings as well as cover any expenses, according to the FARA filing.
Caputo, a Republican strategist who has done political consulting work in Russia and Ukraine in the past, advised Trump on the New York Republican primary in 2016. Caputo is married to a Ukrainian.
The NGO will send 10 to 15 representatives to Washington for meetings to discuss Ukraine's "civic development and the future of Ukraine-United States relations," the filing said.
U.S.-Ukraine relations have been impacted by an impeachment trial that is seeking to determine whether Trump sought to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open two investigations beneficial to his 2020 reelection campaign by withholding military aid and a White House visit invitation.


rferl--2020-01-25--Putin Calls For Review Of Case Of Opposition Activist Kotov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Prosecutor-General 's Office to review the legality of the sentencing of an opposition activist imprisoned for repeatedly taking part in unauthorized rallies , the Kremlin said .
Konstantin Kotov was sentenced to four years in prison in September 2019 under a controversial law that criminalizes participation in more than one unsanctioned protest within a 180-day period .
Putin ordered an investigation into Kotov 's conviction to establish if the verdict was lawful and justified , the Kremlin said on its website .
The 34-year-old computer programmer was detained on August 10 for taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and independent candidates be put on the ballot for the Moscow City Duma election that was held on September 8 .
The barring of the would-be candidates sparked a wave of protests in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia last summer , some of which were violently suppressed by police as thousands were briefly detained , sparking international condemnation .
Kotov was one of several activists punished with prison sentences following the protests in what has been dubbed the `` Moscow Case . ''
A group of Russian Orthodox priests highlighted the case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , open letter expressing concern over the authorities ' crackdown on the protesters .

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Prosecutor-General's Office to review the legality of the sentencing of an opposition activist imprisoned for repeatedly taking part in unauthorized rallies, the Kremlin said.
Konstantin Kotov was sentenced to four years in prison in September 2019 under a controversial law that criminalizes participation in more than one unsanctioned protest within a 180-day period.
Putin ordered an investigation into Kotov's conviction to establish if the verdict was lawful and justified, the Kremlin said on its website.
The 34-year-old computer programmer was detained on August 10 for taking part in a rally to demand opposition and independent candidates be put on the ballot for the Moscow City Duma election that was held on September 8.
The barring of the would-be candidates sparked a wave of protests in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia last summer, some of which were violently suppressed by police as thousands were briefly detained, sparking international condemnation.
Kotov was one of several activists punished with prison sentences following the protests in what has been dubbed the "Moscow Case."
A group of Russian Orthodox priests highlighted the case of Kotov in a September 18, 2019, open letter expressing concern over the authorities' crackdown on the protesters.


rferl--2020-01-25--Four Workers Of French Christian Charity Missing In Iraq

Four workers for a French religious charity in Iraq have gone missing , their organization reports .
SOS Chretiens d'Orien ( Christians of the Middle East ) on January 24 said three French nationals and one Iraqi working for the French nongovernmental organization were missing in the capital , Baghdad .
SOS Chretiens d'Orient has been working to help persecuted Christians in Iraq since 2014 when Islamic State ( IS ) extremists overran Mosul , displacing tens of thousands of minority Christians and Yazidis .
It is active in the Iraqi Kurdish capital , Irbil , where many Christians fled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indication that ransom money had been demanded .
The organization 's director , Benjamin Blanchard , told a Paris news conference that the missing workers were in Baghdad `` to renew their visas and register the association with Iraqi authorities . ''
The French Foreign Ministry has been informed of the situation and said it was trying to obtain more information .
The incident comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States in the region following the targeted killing of a top Iranian military commander near Baghdad and subsequent anti-U.S. protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters , AFP , and AP

Four workers for a French religious charity in Iraq have gone missing, their organization reports.
SOS Chretiens d'Orien (Christians of the Middle East) on January 24 said three French nationals and one Iraqi working for the French nongovernmental organization were missing in the capital, Baghdad.
SOS Chretiens d'Orient has been working to help persecuted Christians in Iraq since 2014 when Islamic State (IS) extremists overran Mosul, displacing tens of thousands of minority Christians and Yazidis. It is active in the Iraqi Kurdish capital, Irbil, where many Christians fled.
The organization said there was no indication that ransom money had been demanded.
The organization's director, Benjamin Blanchard, told a Paris news conference that the missing workers were in Baghdad "to renew their visas and register the association with Iraqi authorities."
The French Foreign Ministry has been informed of the situation and said it was trying to obtain more information.
The incident comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States in the region following the targeted killing of a top Iranian military commander near Baghdad and subsequent anti-U.S. protests in Iraq.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP


rferl--2020-01-26--At Least 20 Wounded After Grenades Thrown At Afghan Wedding Party

Afghan officials say at least 20 people have been wounded after unknown assailants threw grenades at a wedding party in @ @ @ @ @ .
Investigation are under way into the incident that occurred in the town of Alishir @ @ @ @ @ Mangal said on January 26 .
The motive behind the attack is not yet known @ @ @ @ @ was no immediate responsibility for the attack , which happened late on January 25 .
@ @ @ @ @ bystander was killed and four other civilians were wounded when a police vehicle hit an @ @ @ @ @ capital , Kabul , police said on January 26 .
The vehicle was destroyed in @ @ @ @ @ on the evening of January 25 , Interior Ministry spokesman Nusrat Rahimi said .
No @ @ @ @ @ attack , but the Taliban often targets Afghan security forces .
Based on reporting by @ @ @ @ @ Radio Free Afghanistan

The education of girls and women is universally accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, including nearly 50 Muslim-majority nations.
But Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have banned teenage girls from attending school after the sixth grade since they returned to power two years ago. The ban was extended in December to women in universities.
Countless protests by Afghans inside the country, pressure from the international community, and lobbying by Muslim scholars and clerics have failed to convince the fundamentalist Taliban leaders to reopen schools.
Experts are divided over whether the ban is rooted in how the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam is shaped by conservative Pashtun tribal customs and cultural practices or if it is prompted by how senior Taliban ideologues interpret Islamic teachings.
Most Taliban leaders are ethnic Pashtun, Sunni Muslim clerics. Many were educated in Deobandi madrasahs in neighboring Pakistan. Deobandism emerged as a puritanical Islamic revivalist movement in 19-century British Colonial India. Based on the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence, it is a prominent strain among Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tribal Influences
Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, argues that the Taliban restrictions against women are linked to social customs and cultural practices in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
Most Taliban leaders come from various Pashtun rural tribal communities in these regions bordering Pakistan.
"They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or in a grave," Yousafzai said of the basic Taliban belief influenced by the status of women in the families of clerics and religious leaders in these Pashtun regions.
“Women living in the households of the current Taliban policymakers were never educated and never left their homes,” said Yousafzai, who has tracked the Islamist group since it emerged as a ragtag militia in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar in late 1994. “These women never performed any government or nongovernmental jobs.”
Yousafzai says the Taliban backs policies shaped by this worldview by leaning on Islamic teachings supporting such ideas. He says Taliban leaders rely on sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that discourage women from leaving their homes.
“Their primary belief is that pubescent girls should not leave home under any circumstance,” he said. “This is why they view women leaving home for education or work as engaging in moral corruption.”
In Afghanistan, a Muslim nation of some 40 million people, activists and rights advocates accuse the Taliban of implementing "gender apartheid" by denying women education, work, freedom of movement, and deciding how they can appear in public.
Most Muslims agree that Islam allows women to get an education. Yet the Taliban publicly says that it will allow girls access to education only after ensuring complete gender segregation and other unspecified conditions.
Almost all Afghan secondary schools were gender segregated and universities imposed a strict separation between men and women after the Taliban takeover.
Yousafzai says in conservative and traditional Muslim societies around the world, some clerics also favor restrictions on women's education, work, and their role in public life. But the governments in those countries usually oppose or limit such ideas.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia -- one of the most conservative Sunni Muslim nations -- has allowed women to drive and granted them freedom of movement without a male guardian. These steps are part of a reform and modernity drive by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
The Taliban ban on education has invited universal condemnation from Muslims globally.
“The Taliban's ban on women's education is not rooted in [the Islamic] Shari’a law but rather reflects cultural biases that contradict the teachings of Islam,” said Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the United States.
He said that contrary to Taliban practices, “Islam emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and encourages all individuals, regardless of gender, to acquire an education.”
Historical Conflict
But Islamic scholars and those who have attempted to convince the Taliban about reopening girls schools offer a different explanation.
John Mohammad Butt, an Islamic scholar and former BBC broadcaster who is the only Westerner to graduate from India’s Darul Uloom Deoband, argues that the Taliban's policy on girls' education is not tribal but shaped by the century-old conflict over modern education.
“The problem is that girls' education in Afghanistan -- indeed, contemporary education in general -- has generally been introduced in Afghanistan in line with a secular agenda,” he said.
In the 1920s, a coalition of conservative clerics and tribal and community leaders deposed reformist King Amanullah Khan. He wanted to modernize Afghanistan along Turkish leader Kamal Ataturk's secular lines and championed modern education and rights for women.
This opposition to modernity and secularism continued, and conservative clerics opposed women's education and work. It became a key part of the Islamist opposition to the pro-Soviet Afghan communist governments after the April 1978 military coup that ended the Afghan monarchy. The mujahedin accused the communists of spreading immorality by promoting women’s education and empowerment.
“This has led to particular wariness on the part of conservative circles in Afghanistan with regard to girls' education,” Butt said.
'Deep Ideological Conviction'
Obaidullah Baheer, a political science lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, became part of an effort to rescind the ban by talking to the Taliban last year.
But he says the effort failed because “the ban is a matter of deep ideological conviction” for the current supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Baheer says that the most prominent Taliban leaders have studied in Pakistani madrasahs and were thus disconnected from village and tribal life.
“They have been indoctrinated by the Deobandi school of thought so that they now enforce the strictest version of Islam on the Afghan population,” he said.
He argues that the ban on girls’ schools is a deliberate policy championed by Akhundzada, who he says has endorsed Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani's Arabic language book The Islamic Emirate And Its System. In this book, Haqqani supports a fringe Islamic opinion of preferring the choice of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives, Sawdah Bint Zam'ah, who chose to stay at home until her death.
Baheer says Haqqani ignores his other wives and other female companions that played an active role in many sectors of society and how they served as students and teachers for men.
“This fringe opinion is not held by all Taliban leaders but is one that the current absolute sovereign, the Taliban emir, seems to be convinced of,” he said.
Butt says that even Haqqani has acknowledged the principle that if there is something that women need to act upon, then that is also something that women need to learn about.
“I hope the Taliban authorities will come to realize in the not-too-distant future that education for women will make Afghan women into better Muslims,” he says. “It will enable them to make a stronger contribution to the well-being of their country.”
Two years after grappling with the issue, Western diplomats appear to be encouraging Afghan conservative and clerical circles to find ways to end the ban.
Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently tweeted that Afghan women must be educated and contribute to the economy to help their country stand on its own two feet.
“If change to policies is made, it will be because Afghans have asked for it, not a result of foreign requests,” he wrote.


rferl--2020-01-26--Britain’s Prince Charles Expresses Hopes Of Visiting Iran

Prince Charles , the heir to the British throne , said in a newspaper interview that he would like to make an official visit to Iran , calling it `` such an important part of the world . ''
`` Yes , obviously I would like to [ go to Iran ] , '' The Sunday Times quoted him as saying in an interview to be published on January 26 .
`` I know that Iran has been such an important part of the world for so many centuries and has contributed so much to human knowledge , culture , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really remarkable people . ''
However , asked about a future royal visit , a spokeswoman for Prince Charles said : `` There are no plans for the Prince of Wales to undertake an official visit to Iran . ''
The comments come as tensions remain high between Tehran and the West , particularly with Britain and the United States .
Washington and Tehran engaged in tit-for-tat military strikes earlier this month .
Britain , meanwhile , has demanded that Iran release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual nationals imprisoned there .
Last July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks after British forces near Gibraltar captured an Iranian oil tanker .
Both ships were eventually released .
The British prince told the newspaper that he tries to be a peacemaker and that he has prayed for peace in the Middle East .
`` I do think the most important thing is a just and lasting peace , '' he said .
Britain ’ s royal family generally steers clear of speaking on political matters in public .
Based on reporting by The Sunday Times and Reuters

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-01-26--All Reported Safe After Passenger Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Tehran

An Iranian passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing at a Tehran airport , the semiofficial Mehr news @ @ @ @ @ said the plane was heading from Tehran to Istanbul on January 25 but turned back @ @ @ @ @ following a technical problem .
Mehr quoted airport officials as saying the plane landed safely @ @ @ @ @ injuries to passengers or crew .
The plane had departed from Imam Khomeini airport .
@ @ @ @ @ the type of technical problem but said the plane belonged to the Iran Airtour company @ @ @ @ @ three weeks after Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps admitted that it had accidentally shot @ @ @ @ @ Tehran on January 8 , killing all 176 aboard .
Based on reporting by Mehr @ @


rferl--2020-01-26--Trump Heard Asking On Tape: How Long Can Ukraine Last 'In Fight With Russia'?

U.S. President Donald Trump asked dinner guests how long Ukraine would be able to resist Russian aggression , according to a tape recorded at a 2018 gathering with donors .
“ How long would they last in a fight with Russia ?
” Trump is heard asking in the audio portion of a video recording obtained by U.S. media outlets , including the Associated Press and ABC News , on January 24-25 .
Someone is heard on the tape saying , “ Without us , not very long . ''
“ Without us , '' Trump repeats .
Trump also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be OK '' in its conflict with Russia .
`` They feel they 're going to be OK if you support them , '' someone replies .
`` It 's always us that has to support everyone , '' says Trump , who then complains that European nations were not doing enough to share the burden .
The U.S. Senate is currently conducting a trial after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on two articles -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The Democrats have accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House invitation as a means to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch two investigations that would benefit the U.S. leader ’ s reelection chances .
Trump dismisses the accusations as a witch hunt and has said his dealings with Zelenskiy were `` perfect . ''
Since 2014 , Kyiv has been engaged in a war in eastern Ukraine against Russia-backed separatists in a battle that has killed more than 13,000 people .
Russia also seized and annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula in a move that has not been recognized by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the tape calling for the removal of U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , a key figure in the series of events that led to the president ’ s impeachment .
She was fired a year later following a campaign by Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , and others , including Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , close associates of Giuliani .
A video recording of an 80-minute dinner at the Trump Hotel in Washington was obtained on January 25 by the AP .
Excerpts were first published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The recording appears to contradict statements by Trump that he did not know Parnas or Fruman , who were indicted on campaign finance charges in 2019 .
Parnas ' attorney , Joseph Bondy , has confirmed that he turned over a recording of the dinner to authorities .
On the tape , Parnas appears to say , “ The biggest problem there , I think where we need to start is we got to get rid of the ambassador . ''
He later tells Trump : `` She 's basically walking around telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ na get impeached .
Just wait . '
'' Trump responds : `` Get rid of her !
Get her out tomorrow .
I do n't care .
Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
OK ?
Do it.
” Trump has said he had the right to fire Yovanovitch .
Trump removed her in May 2019 and said in a recent interview that he was `` not a fan . ''
With reporting by AP , ABC , Politico , and Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump asked dinner guests how long Ukraine would be able to resist Russian aggression, according to a tape recorded at a 2018 gathering with donors.
“How long would they last in a fight with Russia?” Trump is heard asking in the audio portion of a video recording obtained by U.S. media outlets, including the Associated Press and ABC News, on January 24-25.
Someone is heard on the tape saying, “Without us, not very long."
“Without us," Trump repeats.
Trump also asks whether Kyiv felt it was "going to be OK" in its conflict with Russia.
"They feel they're going to be OK if you support them," someone replies.
"It's always us that has to support everyone," says Trump, who then complains that European nations were not doing enough to share the burden.
The U.S. Senate is currently conducting a trial after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on two articles -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Democrats have accused Trump of withholding military aid and a White House invitation as a means to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch two investigations that would benefit the U.S. leader’s reelection chances.
Trump dismisses the accusations as a witch hunt and has said his dealings with Zelenskiy were "perfect."
Since 2014, Kyiv has been engaged in a war in eastern Ukraine against Russia-backed separatists in a battle that has killed more than 13,000 people. Russia also seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in a move that has not been recognized by the international community.
Trump is also heard on the tape calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, a key figure in the series of events that led to the president’s impeachment.
She was fired a year later following a campaign by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others, including Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, close associates of Giuliani.
A video recording of an 80-minute dinner at the Trump Hotel in Washington was obtained on January 25 by the AP. Excerpts were first published a day earlier by ABC News.
The recording appears to contradict statements by Trump that he did not know Parnas or Fruman, who were indicted on campaign finance charges in 2019.
Parnas' attorney, Joseph Bondy, has confirmed that he turned over a recording of the dinner to authorities.
On the tape, Parnas appears to say, “The biggest problem there, I think where we need to start is we got to get rid of the ambassador."
He later tells Trump: "She's basically walking around telling everybody, 'Wait, he's gonna get impeached. Just wait.'"
Trump responds: "Get rid of her! Get her out tomorrow. I don't care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”
Trump has said he had the right to fire Yovanovitch. Trump removed her in May 2019 and said in a recent interview that he was "not a fan."
With reporting by AP, ABC, Politico, and Reuters


rferl--2020-01-26--China's Xi Says Situation 'Grave' But Winnable As Virus Toll Mounts, Spreads

China 's president called the situation “ grave ” in his country as the rapidly spreading coronavirus claimed more lives and infected additional people , while countries throughout the world continued to detect further cases of the illness in their nations .
President Xi Jinping on January 25 said at a Communist Party leadership meeting that China was `` faced with the grave situation of an accelerating spread of the new coronavirus , '' which has killed at least 56 people and infected another 1,975 in the country .
However , Xi sought to reassure citizens , saying that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the battle '' amid reports that a mounting number of cities had undertaken virtual lockdowns with inbound and outbound transport being shut down .
The crisis has muted celebrations related to the Lunar New Year , normally China ’ s biggest holiday .
China Association of Travel Services has told travel agencies to halt all group tours , as millions of people traveling during the holiday have helped fuel the spread of the outbreak -- both inside the country and elsewhere .
State-run China Global Television Network said that a 62-year-old doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Wuhan -- considered the epicenter of the outbreak -- had died from the virus .
The U.S. State Department said late on January 25 that it was chartering a flight for early next week to evacuate staff from its consulate in Wuhan .
It also said it would transport other U.S. citizens who are at the greatest risk , but it warned that it would have `` limited capacity '' for private individuals .
So far , all of the deaths have been in China .
But a growing number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people returning from China -- especially from Wuhan .
Australia and Malaysia reported their first cases on January 25 -- four each -- and Japan reported its third case .
The United States has reported two cases , while Canada on January 25 announced it had detected its first patient , in Toronto -- a man in his 50s .
France confirmed three cases – the first in Europe -- on January 24 .
Cases have also been reported in South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand , Vietnam , Saudi Arabia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau .
Hong Kong said Disneyland and Ocean Park would be closed from January 26 to help prevent the spread of the virus .
Most of the deaths have been among patients aged 50 or over , officials said .
The virus is part of a large family of coronaviruses .
Some cases are mild , with others causing cold- and flu-like symptoms , including cough and fever .
In more severe cases , there is shortness of breath .
It can develop into pneumonia , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP , AFP , Reuters , and dpa

Chinese authorities said the ability of the new coronavirus to spread is strengthening and infections could continue to rise, with more than 2,700 people in the country infected and 80 killed by the disease.
China's Health Minister Ma Xiaowei said on January 26 that the country was entering a “crucial stage" as “it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger."
Xiaowei said travel restrictions and other strict measures should bring results “at the lowest cost and fastest speed.”
His remarks came as the World Health Organization's director-general said late on January 26 that he was on his way to Beijing to hold talks with Chinese officials and health experts about the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, Chinese State Council Premier Li Keqiang has visited Wuhan where the mysterious virus was first reported in December and which is the epicenter of the illness. He was the most senior government official to visit the city of more than 11 million people.
The State Council, China's cabinet, said Li would meet with patients and medical staff on the front line.
Nearly 960 medial teams were dispatched from seven provinces to Wuhan, along with seven additional supervision teams, according to the National Health Commission.
Countries throughout the world continued to detect further cases of the illness in their nations.
So far, all of the deaths have been in China. But a growing number of other countries are reporting cases, including Thailand, Australia, the United States, Canada, and France.
The mayor of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, said he expects another 1,000 new patients in the city.
The United States, France, and Japan were prepared to evacuate their citizens from the city.
President Xi Jinping on January 25 said China was "faced with the grave situation of an accelerating spread of the new coronavirus."
His remarks came amid reports that a mounting number of cities had undertaken virtual lockdowns with inbound and outbound transport being shut down.
China Association of Travel Services has told travel agencies to halt all group tours, as millions of people traveling during the holiday have helped fueled the spread of the outbreak -- both inside the country and elsewhere.
Most of the deaths have been among patients aged 50 or over, officials said.
The virus is part of a large family of coronaviruses. Some cases are mild, with others causing cold- and flulike symptoms, including cough and fever. In more severe cases, there is shortness of breath. It can develop into pneumonia, which can be fatal.
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-01-26--Turkey Quake Tolls Rises To 31 As Erdogan Warns Against Negative ‘Propaganda’

Turkish authorities have raised the death toll from a powerful earthquake to 31 people , and the president told people to ignore any “ propaganda ” claiming that the country was not prepared for such an event .
Rescue crews early on January 26 continued to search for people who remained trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings , as authorities said that 1,243 people were injured in the January 24 temblor that measured 6.5 to 6.8 on the Richter scale near the town of Sivrice in Elazig Province .
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a televised news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Province and four in neighboring Malatya .
The national disaster agency later raised the death toll .
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 34 of the injured were in intensive care but not in critical condition .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 25 attended the funeral of a mother and son killed in one of the hard-hit areas of the quake .
He warned people against repeating “ negative ” remarks suggesting that the country was unprepared for earthquakes .
“ Do not listen to rumors , do not listen to anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and know that we are your servants , ” Erdogan said .
The comments came after a prosecutor in the capital , Ankara , announced an investigation into “ provocative ” social-media posts .
The Anadolu news agency reported that Turkey ’ s broadcasting authority was also reviewing media coverage of the quake .
Amid reports of thousands of people in the region being forced to live outside their ruined homes , Erdogan said , “ We will not leave anyone in the open.
” Injuries were reported among residents in other southeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One resident , Suat , 45 , accused officials of lying , saying the government claims that “ only four people are trapped under the rubble .
It is not true .
I have five relatives in that building . ''
`` There are four floors and three flats per floor .
If there were five people per flat , do the math .
Why are they lying ? ''
While visiting Sivrice -- a town of about 4,000 people -- and the city of Elazig , some 565 kilometers east of Ankara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those affected by the disaster .
Sivrice is situated on the shores of Hazar Lake , a popular tourist spot and the source of the Tigris River .
The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency ( AFAD ) said the main quake was followed by 398 aftershocks , the strongest of which had magnitudes of 5.4 and 5.1 .
A UN spokesman said that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “ deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction of property in the wake of an earthquake in Elazig Province , Turkey.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitter historic rival -- offered to send rescue crews to assist the Turkish teams .
However , Erdogan appeared to reject offers of outside assistance , telling reporters , “ Our state does not need anything.
” Turkey sits on top of two major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent .
Elazig was hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in 2010 , killing 51 people .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and dpa


rferl--2020-01-25--Pompeo Accuses NPR Journalist Of Lying Following Contentious Interview About Ukraine

Ahead of a visit to Kyiv , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused a journalist from National Public Radio ( NPR ) of lying after she published critical fragments of their conversation concerning Ukraine that eventually went viral .
NPR 's Mary Louise Kelly , the host of All Things Considered , said on January 24 that Pompeo got angry and ended an interview when she asked him questions about why he did n't defend former U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , who was fired by President Donald Trump last year .
According to Kelly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo 's private living room to continue the conversation but told not to bring her recording equipment .
Kelly said that Pompeo yelled and used foul language as he said : “ Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ?
” “ He used the F-word in that sentence and many others , ” Kelly said .
She said that he then ordered assistants to bring out an unmarked world map and asked her to locate Ukraine , which she said she accurately did .
Kelly has a master 's degree in European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was never told that the conversation in the living room was off the record .
Her description of their interaction went viral on Twitter on January 24 , just a few days before Pompeo heads to Kyiv on January 30 for his first official visit to Ukraine since taking office in 2018 .
Amid the media uproar over Kelly 's account of their meeting , Pompeo shot back the following day in a public statement .
`` NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me , twice .
First , last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then again yesterday , in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record , '' Pompeo said .
Pompeo claimed it was `` another example '' of the media seeking to hurt Trump .
However , he did not deny her description of his comments .
The secretary 's statement ended with the sentence `` it is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine , '' which seemed to imply that he is claiming that Kelly picked out the South Asian country on the unmarked map instead of Ukraine .
NPR issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling Kelly a reporter with `` utmost integrity '' and said it stood behind her report .
The Committee to Protect Journalists also issued a statement later on January 25 criticizing Pompeo , saying his reaction was another sign of the Trump administration 's `` hostility '' toward the press .
`` These verbal attacks undermine efforts to protect journalists and erode U.S. standing as a beacon of press freedom , '' the committee said .
Yovanovitch , a career Foreign Service officer who had served as ambassador to three countries , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her term in Ukraine .
However , she was then subject to a smear campaign by Trump allies who accused her of impeding an investigation into his political rival 's work in Ukraine .
During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , Trump called Yovanovitch `` bad news . ''
Pompeo , Yovanovitch 's boss , has avoided answering questions about why he did not publicly defend her reputation amid the smear campaign .
The U.S. Senate is currently conducting a trial after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power and obstruction of Congress .
The Democrats have accused Trump of withholding military aid and a White House invitation as a means to pressure Zelenskiy to launch two investigations that would benefit the U.S. leader ’ s reelection chances .
Trump dismisses the accusations as a witch hunt and has said his dealings with Zelenskiy were `` perfect . ''


rferl--2020-01-26--Afghan Officials Say Four Children, Three Women Killed In Air Strikes

Afghan officials in the northern province of Balkh said at least seven civilians were killed in air strikes , prompting @ @ @ @ @ district governor 's office .
Local officials said three women and four children were killed @ @ @ @ @ the district of Balkh late on January 25 .
Several hundred people blocked a key @ @ @ @ @ gathered in front of the district governor 's office , demanding an investigation .
Khyber @ @ @ @ @ organizers of the demonstration who spoke to RFE/RL , accused government forces of targeting the @ @ @ @ @ and creating terror . ''
Afghan forces have been conducting ground attacks and air strikes @ @ @ @ @ a border with Uzbekistan , Turkmenistan , and Tajikistan .
The Defense Ministry said it @ @ @ @ @ to investigate the reports of civilian deaths .
The ministry said it had conducted operations @ @ @ @ @ Taliban during the last 24 hours , killing 51 militants .