rferl--2020-02-22--More Than 100 Detained As Police Try To Block Opposition Rallies In Kazakhstan

ALMATY , Kazakhstan -- More than 100 people hoping to attend opposition rallies in Almaty and other cities in Kazakhstan have been detained by police , who were deployed in large numbers in a show of force to halt the unsanctioned events .
The activists from the unregistered Democratic Party shouted “ Freedom !
” as police detained them on February 22 not far from a central square where supporters had planned to hold an unsanctioned rally amid a heavy police presence in and around the location .
Kazakhstan has long been criticized for its restrictive laws regulating demonstrations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry out reforms after succeeding Nursultan Nazarbaev , who ruled the country for nearly 30 years .
On the eve of the rally , Zhanbolat Mamai , a leading figure in the Democratic Party , was arrested and sentenced to three days in administrative detention .
Among those detained on February 22 was Mamai ’ s wife , Inga Imanbai .
“ Were we asked whether we wanted a street named after Nazarbaev , or the capital to be named Nur-Sultan ?
We used to laugh about North Korea and Turkmenistan .
Nazarbaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Party will be , and will win , ” Imanbai told the gathering before police bundled her into a police car .
Despite no longer being president , Nazarbaev continues to head the ruling Nur-Otan party and remains chairman for life of the powerful Security Council .
Just one day after Nazarbaev resigned on March 19 , 2019 , the capital was renamed by decree from Astana to Nur-Sultan , despite opposition from the public .
Mamai , a filmmaker , told the AFP news agency on February 21 that `` at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had received sentences of up to five days in detention earlier this week .
In 2017 , Mamai was convicted on what he and supporters say were trumped-up money-laundering charges and handed a three-year suspended sentence that is still in force .
Later on February 22 , another opposition movement , Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan ( DVK ) , tried to hold a second rally in Almaty , but again police stepped in quickly to block activists from gathering .
According to an RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent , Internet access in Almaty was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as mobile phone services were being blocked .
There were also reports that police had detained other DVK supporters before a planned rally in the capital , Nur-Sultan , one of several other Kazakh cities where the DVK had planned to hold events .
A total of around 100 were detained in both Almaty and Nur-Sultan .
A further 20 were taken into police custody in the southern city of Shymkent , and another 10 in the northern city of Aqtobe .
The DVK was banned by a Kazakh court in 2018 as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazakh Prosecutor-General ’ s office called on citizens not to take part in what it called the `` illegal '' rallies planned by the DVK .
Deputy Prosecutor-General Bolat Dembaev 's statement announced via state-run media on February 20 warned citizens that law enforcement officers will `` undertake strict measures to prevent illegal rallies , '' adding that participants in `` illegal protests '' may face administrative and criminal charges .
`` Any actions by any person to organize or take part in an unsanctioned public event will be suppressed ...
The Prosecutor-General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strictly follow laws and to stay away from provocations and participation in illegal public activities , '' the statement said .
Dozens of DVK supporters and other activists across Kazakhstan had been fined or sentenced to jail terms ranging from 5 to 15 days ahead of the planned rallies on charges of organizing or taking part in earlier unsanctioned demonstrations .
The DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov , who has been living in self-imposed exile in Europe for more than a decade .
He thanked the state prosecutor for giving the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned demonstrations .
The Democratic Party had been planning to hold a congress in Almaty on February 22 , but cancelled it on February 19 because of the arrests and detentions of party activists .
Authorities have reportedly detained dozens of party supporters in cities around the country , most of them for allegedly participating in earlier unsanctioned demonstrations .
Kazakh law requires that a party 's founding congress be attended by at least 1,000 people .
Instead of the congress , Mamai 's group called on supporters to attend a February 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human rights proponents have said Kazakhstan ’ s law on public gatherings contradicts international standards as it requires preliminary permission from authorities to hold rallies and envisions prosecution for organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies even though the nation 's constitution guarantees its citizens the right of free assembly .
During a working visit to Nur-Sultan earlier this month , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded what he said was a `` real improvement in Kazashstan '' and `` real changes '' since Toqaev came to power last year .

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- More than 100 people planning to attend opposition rallies in Almaty and other cities in Kazakhstan have been detained by police, who were deployed in large numbers in a show of force to halt the unsanctioned events.
The activists from the unregistered Democratic Party shouted “Freedom!” as police detained them on February 22 not far from a central square where supporters had planned to hold an unsanctioned rally amid a heavy police presence in and around the location.
Police had been deployed in large numbers from early morning, sealing off the square and detaining many passersby.
Kazakhstan has long been criticized for its restrictive laws regulating demonstrations. President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev pledged in 2019 to carry out reforms after succeeding Nursultan Nazarbaev, who ruled the country for nearly 30 years.
On the eve of the rally, Zhanbolat Mamai, a leading figure in the Democratic Party, was arrested and sentenced to three days in administrative detention.
Among those detained on February 22 was Mamai’s wife, Inga Imanbai.
“Were we asked whether we wanted a street named after Nazarbaev, or the capital to be named Nur-Sultan? We used to laugh about North Korea and Turkmenistan. Nazarbaev’s power will end. The Democratic Party will be, and will win,” Imanbai told the gathering before police bundled her into a police car.
Despite no longer being president, Nazarbaev continues to head the ruling Nur-Otan party and remains chairman for life of the powerful Security Council. Just one day after Nazarbaev resigned on March 19, 2019, the capital was renamed by decree from Astana to Nur-Sultan, despite opposition from the public.
Mamai, a filmmaker, told the AFP news agency on February 21 that "at least ten" members of the group had received sentences of up to five days in detention earlier this week.
In 2017, Mamai was convicted on what he and supporters say were trumped-up money-laundering charges and handed a three-year suspended sentence that is still in force.
Later on February 22, another opposition movement, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK), tried to hold a second rally in Almaty, but again police stepped in quickly to block activists from gathering.
According to an RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent, Internet access in Almaty was limited during the day on February 22 as mobile phone services were being blocked.
There were also reports that police had detained other DVK supporters before a planned rally in the capital, Nur-Sultan, one of several other Kazakh cities where the DVK had planned to hold events.
A total of around 100 were detained in both Almaty and Nur-Sultan. A further 20 were taken into police custody in the southern city of Shymkent, and another 10 in the northern city of Aqtobe.
The DVK was banned by a Kazakh court in 2018 as extremist. On February 20, the Kazakh Prosecutor-General’s office called on citizens not to take part in what it called the "illegal" rallies planned by the DVK.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Bolat Dembaev's statement announced via state-run media on February 20 warned citizens that law enforcement officers will "undertake strict measures to prevent illegal rallies," adding that participants in "illegal protests" may face administrative and criminal charges.
"Any actions by any person to organize or take part in an unsanctioned public event will be suppressed... The Prosecutor-General's office calls on the citizens to strictly follow laws and to stay away from provocations and participation in illegal public activities," the statement said.
Dozens of DVK supporters and other activists across Kazakhstan had been fined or sentenced to jail terms ranging from 5 to 15 days ahead of the planned rallies on charges of organizing or taking part in earlier unsanctioned demonstrations.
The DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Europe for more than a decade. He thanked the state prosecutor for giving the group "an advert" ahead of the planned demonstrations.
The Democratic Party had been planning to hold a congress in Almaty on February 22, but cancelled it on February 19 because of the arrests and detentions of party activists.
Authorities have reportedly detained dozens of party supporters in cities around the country, most of them for allegedly participating in earlier unsanctioned demonstrations. Kazakh law requires that a party's founding congress be attended by at least 1,000 people.
Instead of the congress, Mamai's group called on supporters to attend a February 22 protest in the center of Almaty.
Human rights proponents have said Kazakhstan’s law on public gatherings contradicts international standards as it requires preliminary permission from authorities to hold rallies and envisions prosecution for organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies even though the nation's constitution guarantees its citizens the right of free assembly.
During a working visit to Nur-Sultan earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded what he said was a "real improvement in Kazakhstan" and "real changes" since Toqaev came to power last year.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-02-22--Afghan 'Reduction In Violence' Deal Appears To Hold During First Hours

KABUL -- A `` reduction in violence '' agreement with the Taliban appeared to be largely holding on February 22 , a hopeful initial indication that a peace deal between the United States and the militant group will be signed as expected in a week .
The quiet start to the day comes after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the peace deal is scheduled to be signed on February 29 provided the partial truce that entered into force at midnight proves successful .
Pompeo ’ s statement said the United States and the Taliban have been engaged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end the conflict in Afghanistan and reduce the U.S. presence in the region .
`` In recent weeks , in consultation with the Government of National Unity , U.S. negotiators in Doha have come to an understanding with the Taliban on a significant and nationwide reduction in violence across Afghanistan , '' Pompeo said .
`` Upon a successful implementation of this understanding , signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward .
We are preparing for the signing to take place on February 29 , '' Pompeo said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the final aim of delivering `` a comprehensive and permanent cease-fire and the future political roadmap for Afghanistan . ''
In a written statement , the Taliban confirmed the planned signing of a deal on February 29 `` in front of international observers '' and said that `` the groundwork for intra-Afghan talks will be resolved , '' although it did not mention when such talks would start .
The Taliban has previously refused to speak directly to the Afghan government , which it labeled a U.S. puppet .
In some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the reduction in violence was met with celebration .
Hundreds of residents in eastern Paktia Province , hit hard by Taliban attacks over the years , gathered in the capital city , Gardez , calling upon the Afghan government , the Taliban , and international community to redouble efforts to end the war .
In Jalalabad , the capital of insurgency-racked Nangarhar Province , residents gathered for a mass cycling event to mark the beginning of the reduction in violence .
Cyclists from Nangarhar and other areas of Afghanistan took part in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2001 invasion to drive the Taliban from power , about 2,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed , along with tens of thousands of Afghan soldiers , extremist fighters , and civilians .
A UN report released on February 22 says that more than 100,000 civilians have been killed or injured in the past 10 years since it began documenting casualties in the Afghan war .
The report said 3,493 civilians were killed last year and 6,989 were injured .
`` Almost no civilian in Afghanistan has escaped being personally affected in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Tadamichi Yamamoto , the secretary-general ’ s special representative for Afghanistan .
`` It is absolutely imperative for all parties to seize the moment to stop the fighting , as peace is long overdue .
Civilian lives must be protected and efforts for peace are under way . ''
Bismillah Watandost , a senior member of the People 's Peace Movement of Afghanistan , was quoted by AFP as saying , `` Afghans are tired of war . ''
He called on Afghans to march and `` demand an end to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and Taliban representatives began in Qatar in 2018 .
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Twitter that `` our NATO allies and partners agree the best path forward in Afghanistan is a negotiated and conditions-based political settlement between all Afghans . ''
`` The Taliban must demonstrate their commitment to a meaningful reduction in violence . ''
`` Should the Taliban reject the path of peace , we remain prepared to defend ourselves and our Afghan partners , '' he added .
President Donald Trump has said he wants to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12,000-13,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan , where they advise and train local troops and conduct anti-terror operations .
Afghan government troops will keep up normal military operations against other militants , such as the Islamic State ( IS ) group , during the reduction-in-violence period , officials said .
The details of the partial truce remain uncertain .
AFP quoted an insurgent in the Taliban stronghold of southern Kandahar Province as saying he had received orders to stand down .
Another Taliban commander there said he had only been ordered to halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

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--2020-02-22--Sanders Blasts 'Thug' Putin Amid Reports Moscow Trying To Aid Campaign

Russia is once again featuring proinently in the U.S. presidential campaign , with intelligence officials warning lawmakers that Moscow is meddling in the process to support President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Senator Bernie Sanders .
Sanders on February 21 blasted any efforts by Russia and its “ thug ” leader to interfere in the November election after reports surfaced of a briefing he recently received from U.S. intelligence officials .
“ I do n't care , frankly , who [ Russian President Vladimir ] Putin wants to be president .
My message to Putin is clear : Stay out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will make sure that you do , ” the 78-year-old Vermont senator said in a statement .
“ Unlike Donald Trump , I do not consider Vladimir Putin a good friend .
He is an autocratic thug who is attempting to destroy democracy and crush dissent in Russia , ” the statement said .
Sanders said that “ the Russians want to undermine American democracy by dividing us up and , unlike the current president , I stand firmly against their efforts , and any other foreign power that wants to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather Have Bernie ? '
The Washington Post on February 21 reported that U.S. officials have told Sanders , one of the leaders among Democratic contenders , that Russia was trying to help his campaign .
The report did not specify the type of help Russia was attempting to provide .
During a California campaign stop , Sanders did not provide specifics but said the `` intelligence community is telling us that Russia is interfering in this campaign right now in 2020 . ''
According to a U.S. criminal indictment filed in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow also took steps to support Sanders in the 2016 presidential campaign .
On February 20 , multiple media outlets reported that U.S. intelligence officials warned lawmakers that Russia was interfering in the 2020 presidential election in a bid to aid Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
Trump in a post on Twitter on February 21 rejected the reports , describing them as part of `` another misinformation campaign…launched by Democrats in Congress . ''
Later , during a campaign rally Las Vegas , he joked that Putin might actually prefer Sanders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he rather have , let ’ s say , Bernie ?
” Trump said .
“ Wouldn ’ t he rather have Bernie , who honeymooned in Moscow ? ''
U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller last March concluded that Russia carried out `` multiple , systematic efforts '' to interfere in the 2016 presidential election , including through hacking and social media manipulation .
The conclusions backed those made earlier by the U.S. intelligence community .
Trump has expressed admiration for Putin and declared desires to improve relations with Russia .
Democrats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy decisions .
Trump has denied the allegations and has said he has been tougher on Moscow than any other U.S. president .
Russia has also denied it has interfered in the U.S. political process .
The recent reports are in line with remarks made at a hearing this month by FBI Director Christopher Wray , who told the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee that Moscow was engaged in “ information warfare ” ahead of the November election through a covert social media campaign aimed at dividing the American public and sowing discord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and AFP

Russia is once again featuring proinently in the U.S. presidential campaign, with intelligence officials warning lawmakers that Moscow is meddling in the process to support President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders on February 21 blasted any efforts by Russia and its “thug” leader to interfere in the November election after reports surfaced of a briefing he recently received from U.S. intelligence officials.
“I don't care, frankly, who [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants to be president. My message to Putin is clear: Stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do,” the 78-year-old Vermont senator said in a statement.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I do not consider Vladimir Putin a good friend. He is an autocratic thug who is attempting to destroy democracy and crush dissent in Russia,” the statement said.
Sanders said that “the Russians want to undermine American democracy by dividing us up and, unlike the current president, I stand firmly against their efforts, and any other foreign power that wants to interfere in our election.”
'Wouldn't He Rather Have Bernie?'
The Washington Post on February 21 reported that U.S. officials have told Sanders, one of the leaders among Democratic contenders, that Russia was trying to help his campaign.
The report did not specify the type of help Russia was attempting to provide.
During a California campaign stop, Sanders did not provide specifics but said the "intelligence community is telling us that Russia is interfering in this campaign right now in 2020."
According to a U.S. criminal indictment filed in 2018 against a Russian Internet troll farm, Moscow also took steps to support Sanders in the 2016 presidential campaign.
On February 20, multiple media outlets reported that U.S. intelligence officials warned lawmakers that Russia was interfering in the 2020 presidential election in a bid to aid Trump’s reelection campaign.
Trump in a post on Twitter on February 21 rejected the reports, describing them as part of "another misinformation campaign…launched by Democrats in Congress."
Later, during a campaign rally Las Vegas, he joked that Putin might actually prefer Sanders in the White House.
“Wouldn't he rather have, let’s say, Bernie?” Trump said. “Wouldn’t he rather have Bernie, who honeymooned in Moscow?"
'Information Warfare'
U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller last March concluded that Russia carried out "multiple, systematic efforts" to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, including through hacking and social media manipulation.
The conclusions backed those made earlier by the U.S. intelligence community.
Trump has expressed admiration for Putin and declared desires to improve relations with Russia.
Democrats have accused him of favoring Russia in foreign policy decisions. Trump has denied the allegations and has said he has been tougher on Moscow than any other U.S. president.
Russia has also denied it has interfered in the U.S. political process.
The recent reports are in line with remarks made at a hearing this month by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who told the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee that Moscow was engaged in “information warfare” ahead of the November election through a covert social media campaign aimed at dividing the American public and sowing discord.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-02-22--Russia's Ovechkin Scores 700th Career NHL Goal

Russian hockey player Alex Ovechkin , captain of the Washington Capitals , has become the eighth player in the history @ @ @ @ @ Hockey League ( NHL ) to score 700 goals .
Ovechkin , 34 , scored @ @ @ @ @ in the third period of a match against the New Jersey Devils in Newark , @ @ @ @ @ not scored in five straight games after notching his 699th goal against Montreal on February @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow in 1985 and began his career with Dynamo Moscow at the age of @ @ @ @ @ him first overall in the 2004 NHL draft and made his NHL debut in October @ @ @ @ @ the Russian national team in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games .
Canadian Wayne @ @ @ @ @ list with 894 career goals .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

Russian hockey player Alex Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals, has become the eighth player in the history of the North American National Hockey League (NHL) to score 700 goals.
Ovechkin, 34, scored the goal on February 22 in the third period of a match against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey.
He had not scored in five straight games after notching his 699th goal against Montreal on February 17.
Ovechkin was born in Moscow in 1985 and began his career with Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16. The Capitals selected him first overall in the 2004 NHL draft and made his NHL debut in October 2005.
He played for the Russian national team in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Canadian Wayne Gretzky leads the NHL scoring list with 894 career goals.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-02-22--UN Reports More Than 10,000 Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan Last Year

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has reported that 3,404 civilians were killed and 6,989 were injured in violence there @ @ @ @ @ the report issued on February 22 by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ( @ @ @ @ @ the sixth consecutive year that civilian casualties have topped 10,000 .
However , the figures @ @ @ @ @ compared to 2018 .
`` Almost no civilian in Afghanistan has escaped being personally affected @ @ @ @ @ ongoing violence , '' UNAMA head Tadamichi Yamamoto said .
Yamamoto urged all sides to @ @ @ @ @ stop the fighting . ''
`` Civilian lives must be protected and efforts for peace @ @ @ @ @ he said .
On February 22 , a partial truce came into effect across the @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and Afghan forces have agreed to a `` reduction in violence '' for seven @ @ @ @ @ planned signing on February 29 of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal .
With reporting by dpa @ @


rferl--2020-02-22--U.S. Officials Link COVID-19 Disinformation Campaign To Russian Proxy Accounts

Officials in the United States have said that thousands of Russia-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm and misinformation about the COVID-19 crisis .
State Department officials involved in countering Russian disinformation said on February 22 that fake accounts are being used on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram and are operating in multiple languages .
`` Russia 's intent is to sow discord and undermine U.S. institutions and alliances from within , including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns , '' acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Philip Reeker was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russia-linked accounts `` are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response . ''
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on February 22 denounced the U.S. claims as `` a deliberate fake . ''
The U.S. officials said the disinformation campaign has spread unfounded allegations that the virus that causes COVID-19 was a biological weapon developed by the CIA `` to wage economic war on China '' or part of a Western effort `` to push anti-China messages . ''
According to a report prepared by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , several thousand online accounts – many of which have been previously tied to spreading Russia-friendly messages about the war in Syria or the so-called `` yellow vest '' protests in France – are posting `` almost near identical '' messages about the COVID-19 crisis .
The accounts post at similar times in English , Spanish , Italian , German , and French and , the report says , can be traced back to Russian proxies .
The messages are often similar to reports featured on Russian state media outlets such as RT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying Russian operatives seem to have been given `` carte blanche '' to attack the United States .
U.S. officials believe the disinformation campaign is already making it more difficult for countries to respond to the health crisis , particularly those in Africa and Asia because of spreading fears of Western actions .
With reporting by The Guardian , TASS , and AFP

Officials in the United States have said that thousands of Russia-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm and misinformation about the COVID-19 crisis.
State Department officials involved in countering Russian disinformation said on February 22 that fake accounts are being used on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and are operating in multiple languages.
"Russia's intent is to sow discord and undermine U.S. institutions and alliances from within, including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns," acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Philip Reeker was quoted as saying.
Reeker added that the Russia-linked accounts "are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on February 22 denounced the U.S. claims as "a deliberate fake."
The U.S. officials said the disinformation campaign has spread unfounded allegations that the virus that causes COVID-19 was a biological weapon developed by the CIA "to wage economic war on China" or part of a Western effort "to push anti-China messages."
'Carte Blanche' To Attack
According to a report prepared by the State Department's Global Engagement Center, several thousand online accounts – many of which have been previously tied to spreading Russia-friendly messages about the war in Syria or the so-called "yellow vest" protests in France – are posting "almost near identical" messages about the COVID-19 crisis. The accounts post at similar times in English, Spanish, Italian, German, and French and, the report says, can be traced back to Russian proxies.
The messages are often similar to reports featured on Russian state media outlets such as RT and Sputnik.
An unnamed State Department official was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying Russian operatives seem to have been given "carte blanche" to attack the United States.
U.S. officials believe the disinformation campaign is already making it more difficult for countries to respond to the health crisis, particularly those in Africa and Asia because of spreading fears of Western actions.
With reporting by The Guardian, TASS, and AFP


rferl--2020-02-22--Iran Reports More Coronavirus Deaths

Iran Reports More Coronavirus Deaths

Iranian health officials have confirmed the fifth and sixth deaths from the coronavirus in the country .
The country 's fifth fatality came from among 10 new confirmed cases of the virus , officials reported on February 22 .
The sixth fatality was a patient who died in the central city of Arak .
It was not clear exactly when the two deaths occurred .
Iran has reported more fatalities from COVID-19 than any other country besides China .
Two people had died earlier on February 21 from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus .
Two other deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jahanpour said that , of the 10 newly detected cases , two were in the capital , Tehran , and eight were in the holy city of Qom , located some 120 kilometers south of the capital .
Two elderly patients died from the virus in Qom on February 19 .
Jahanpour said the two patients in the capital had visited Qom or had links with the city .
Health officials said all religious gatherings in Qom had been suspended .
Minoo Mohraz , an Iranian Health Ministry official , had said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came from Chinese workers who work in Qom and traveled to China . ''
She did not elaborate .
A Chinese company has been building a solar power plant in Qom .
Cases have been reported in the provinces of Tehran , Gilan , Markazi , Qom , and Hamadan .
Ali Atta , a spokesman for the Tehran City Council , said authorities were distributing free masks at bus and metro stations .
Elsewhere , Saudi Arabia announced that citizens and residents of the kingdom are not permitted to travel to Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anyone previously in Iran will only be permitted entry to the country after the 14-day incubation period of the virus has passed .
Earlier in the week , Iraq , Kuwait , and Saudi Arabia suspended most flights to Iran .
In China , where the virus emerged , more than 2,300 people have died of the illness .
Another large cluster has been detected in South Korea , which reported 142 additional confirmed cases for February 21 , bringing the nation 's total to 346 .
In Italy , a 78-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first European fatality for the disease .
Based on reporting by AFP , AP , 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--2020-02-22--Preliminary Results Give Conservatives Lead In Iran's Parliamentary Elections Amid Reports Of Low Tu

Preliminary Results Give Conservatives Lead In Iran's Parliamentary Elections Amid Reports Of Low Turnout

Preliminary results for Iran 's February 21 parliamentary elections showed conservatives and hard-liners leading amid indications of an unusually low turnout .
The vote was certain to favor conservative candidates following the pre-vote disqualification of thousands of reformists and relative moderates .
Because of the disqualifications , turnout was expected to be lower than usual despite pleas by Iranian leaders for citizens to head to the polls .
The Interior Ministry , which oversaw the election , did not reveal the turnout , and there were indications that voter participation was unusually low .
Authorities three times extended voting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people to cast ballots .
VOA reported that dozens of video reports purporting to show nearly empty polling stations were being posted to social media .
Germany 's dpa news agency quoted locals in Tehran as saying many polling stations were empty .
The hard-line Fars news agency , which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , estimated turnout at 40 percent nationwide and 30 percent in Tehran .
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast his ballot at a mosque near his Tehran office shortly after polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Anyone who cares about Iran 's national interests should participate in the election , '' he said in televised remarks .
President Hassan Rohani , who initially criticized the disqualification of so many moderate would-be candidates , said Iranians could stage what he called a `` victory '' by voting in large numbers .
`` Our enemies will be disappointed more than before , '' Rohani said , after casting his ballot .
Before the vote , Iranian authorities had predicted a turnout of about 50 percent , compared with 62 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of those standing for election were prescreened by a group of hard-line Islamic clerics who disqualified some 9,000 potential candidates .
Final results were expected on February 23 .
The National Elections Committee said on February 22 that it had counted votes in 71 out of 208 constituencies across Iran .
Esmail Musavi , a spokesman for the committee , said on February 22 that electoral authorities would `` try to publish the final figures tonight , and if that task takes too long , tomorrow . ''
In constituencies where candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast , a run-off election will be held in April .
The Interior Ministry said on February 22 that conservative candidates led by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf were leading in the races for Tehran 's 30 parliamentary seats .
Qalibaf , a former Tehran mayor and air force commander within the powerful IRGC , is seen as a prime candidate to become the next parliament speaker .
Media affiliated with conservatives and hard-liners projected a sweeping victory for their candidates .
The bFars news agency claimed the outcome from 183 out of the 290 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that conservative candidates would win 135 seats , while reformists were set to secure 20 seats and independents 28 .
In the 2016 vote , a bloc of reformists and moderate conservatives won 41 percent of the 290 parliamentary seats .
Hard-liners won 29 percent and independents took 28 percent .
Conservative clerics in the Guardians Council cleared a total of 7,148 candidacies .
Ninety members of Iran 's outgoing parliament were among those who were rejected .
Many were moderates or reformist lawmakers who support engagement with the West .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election as a `` sham '' and a vote that `` is not free or fair . ''
Washington on February 20 imposed sanctions on five members of Iran 's Guardians Council and its Elections Supervision Committee , accusing them of rigging the election .
Officials initially extended voting for two hours due to what state television described as a `` rush of voters '' during the final hours of scheduled voting .
Balloting was then prolonged again for a further two hours and then a third time for one additional hour .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the popularity of Iran 's conservative clerical establishment .
Voting comes amid public anger over official corruption , Iran 's worsening economy , and Tehran ’ s handling of the downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet by Iranian air defenses that killed all 176 people on board .
A U.S. campaign of `` maximum pressure '' against Iran , including crippling economic sanctions , has hurt the country 's economy and contributed to a crash of the national currency -- the rial .
Angry Iranians have taken to the streets to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antiestablishment protests in November , sparked by a sudden gasoline price hike in more than 100 cities and towns , which met with a violent crackdown by security forces .
Inside and outside the country , some Iranians have suggested that voting in such an uncompetitive elections does not make sense .
Paris-based political activist Ali Keshtgar told RFE/RL 's Radio Farda that only candidates loyal to Khamenei have been allowed to run .
`` Critics of the establishment have no chance of entering the elections , '' Keshtgar said .
Observers had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Iranian health officials of several infections and deaths related to the deadly coronavirus in Iran .
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Radio Farda , AFP , dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-23--Iran's Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches Eight; Authorities Closing Schools, Theaters

Iranian authorities reported two more deaths from the deadly coronavirus , bringing the country 's death toll to eight -- the highest such toll outside the disease 's epicenter in China .
Speaking February 23 on state TV , Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said a total of 15 new confirmed cases had been reported across the country , bringing the overall figure to 43 .
Jahanpur gave no details on the new deaths , including when they occurred .
But Iranian media earlier cited Abbas Musavi , the head of the Medical Science University in the northern province of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who had traveled from the capital , Tehran , to the regional capital of Tonekabon had died .
Iran has reported more fatalities from coronavirus , officially known as COVID-19 , than any other country aside from China .
In all , there are 785 suspected cases across Iran , the Health Ministry reported on February 22 -- a number that is likely to grow .
Jahanpour earlier was quoted by the dpa news agency as saying that of the newly detected cases , two were in Tehran , and eight were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometers south of Tehran .
Authorities have steadily imposed more restrictions on public spaces and travel in an effort to curtail the disease 's spread .
Religious pilgrimages to neighboring Iraq have been suspended , one unnamed official told the semiofficial Fars news agency .
The Health Ministry has closed schools and universities in several cities , along with movie theaters .
Theater and concert events have been cancelled .
Professional soccer games will be played as planned but without spectators .
Minoo Mohraz , a Health Ministry official , said on February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Chinese workers working in Qom , where a Chinese company has been building a solar-power plant .
Earlier in the week , Iraq , Kuwait , and Saudi Arabia suspended most flights to Iran .
In China , where the virus emerged , more than 2,300 people have died .
Another large cluster has been detected in South Korea , whose president raised the nation 's alert to its `` highest '' level on February 23 after the number of infections nearly tripled over the weekend to 556 .
Based on reporting @ @ @ @


rferl--2020-02-23--Bulgarian Court Approves Extradition To Ukraine Of Acid Attack Suspect

A Bulgarian court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man suspected of co-organizing an acid attack on a Ukrainian activist that eventually led to her death .
The February 22 ruling on Ukrainian national Oleksiy Moskalenko ( Levin ) was based on an extradition request from Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Trepak .
Moskalenko , 42 , was detained in the Black Sea coastal city of Burgas on January 24 without resistance and was identified by his fingerprints , Bulgarian police said .
He was wearing a disguise that differed from the picture included on the red Interpol notice issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect crossed by foot into Bulgaria from Romania in 2018 and was living in an apartment rented by a woman from Ukraine .
On July 31 , 2018 , an assailant poured acid on Ukrainian activist Kateryna Handzyuk in Kherson , a city 560 kilometers south of Kyiv .
She died of her injuries three months later .
An official in the city council and an adviser to Kherson ’ s mayor , Handzyuk often spoke out against public corruption in the city .
Investigators say she was killed for accusing local politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of illegal logging in the region .
Five men were convicted last August and sentenced to prison for carrying out the attack .
Moskalenko is charged with “ intended grievous bodily injury , which caused [ the ] death of the victim , ” according to the Interpol notice .
With reporting by Hromadske and Ukrayinska Pravda

A Bulgarian court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man suspected of co-organizing an acid attack on a Ukrainian activist that eventually led to her death.
The February 22 ruling on Ukrainian national Oleksiy Moskalenko (Levin) was based on an extradition request from Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktor Trepak.
Moskalenko, 42, was detained in the Black Sea coastal city of Burgas on January 24 without resistance and was identified by his fingerprints, Bulgarian police said. He was wearing a disguise that differed from the picture included on the red Interpol notice issued by Ukraine.
Bulgarian police said the suspect crossed by foot into Bulgaria from Romania in 2018 and was living in an apartment rented by a woman from Ukraine.
On July 31, 2018, an assailant poured acid on Ukrainian activist Kateryna Handzyuk in Kherson, a city 560 kilometers south of Kyiv. She died of her injuries three months later.
An official in the city council and an adviser to Kherson’s mayor, Handzyuk often spoke out against public corruption in the city.
Investigators say she was killed for accusing local politicians of stealing from the local budget and of illegal logging in the region.
Five men were convicted last August and sentenced to prison for carrying out the attack.
Moskalenko is charged with “intended grievous bodily injury, which caused [the] death of the victim,” according to the Interpol notice.
With reporting by Hromadske and Ukrayinska Pravda


rferl--2020-02-23--U.S. National Security Chief Denies Seeing Evidence Of Russia Meddling To Help Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump 's national-security adviser says he has seen no intelligence indicating that Russia is attempting to help the president 's reelection campaign .
The comments by Robert O'Brien on February 22 came days after multiple media outlets reported that U.S. intelligence officials briefed lawmakers that Moscow was taking covert steps to boost the campaigns of Trump and of Democratic front-runner Senator Bernie Sanders .
Trump angrily condemned the press reports about his campaign as `` another misinformation '' effort by Democrats in Congress .
Sanders reacted to reports of Moscow aiding his campaign by blasting President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling him to “ stay out ” of U.S. elections .
O ’ Brien ’ s remarks were released in a transcript of an interview to be broadcast on February 23 with ABC TV 's This Week with George Stephanopoulos program .
“ The national-security adviser gets pretty good access to our intelligence , '' O'Brien said .
“ I have n't seen any intelligence that Russia is doing anything to attempt to get President Trump reelected.
” AP quoted an intelligence source familiar with the briefing as saying that lawmakers were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s campaign but that some of them concluded that from what they were told .
O'Brien also denied the news reports that Trump forced out former acting national intelligence director Joseph Maguire because of anger over the briefing .
He said Maguire 's time as acting director was to expire in early March and that Trump needed someone who had already been confirmed by the Senate to temporarily replace him .
Trump replaced him with current U.S. ambassador to Germany , Richard Grenell , who is considered a strong Trump loyalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a temporary period of time , ” O'Brien said , adding that Trump would soon announce someone to be rapidly confirmed by the Senate as full-time director .
Meanwhile , Sanders confirmed that he had been told by U.S. intelligence officials about a month ago that Russia appeared to be engaging in disinformation and propaganda campaigns to help his 2020 campaign .
“ I do n't care , frankly , who Putin wants to be president .
My message to Putin is clear : Stay out of American elections , and as president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the 78-year-old Vermont senator said in a statement .
“ Unlike Donald Trump , I do not consider Vladimir Putin a good friend .
He is an autocratic thug who is attempting to destroy democracy and crush dissent in Russia , ” the statement said .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump's national-security adviser says he has seen no intelligence indicating that Russia is attempting to help the president's reelection campaign.
The comments by Robert O'Brien on February 22 came days after multiple media outlets reported that U.S. intelligence officials briefed lawmakers that Moscow was taking covert steps to boost the campaigns of Trump and of Democratic front-runner Senator Bernie Sanders.
Trump angrily condemned the press reports about his campaign as "another misinformation" effort by Democrats in Congress.
Sanders reacted to reports of Moscow aiding his campaign by blasting President Vladimir Putin as a "thug" and telling him to “stay out” of U.S. elections.
O’Brien’s remarks were released in a transcript of an interview to be broadcast on February 23 with ABC TV's This Week with George Stephanopoulos program.
“The national-security adviser gets pretty good access to our intelligence," O'Brien said. “I haven't seen any intelligence that Russia is doing anything to attempt to get President Trump reelected.”
AP quoted an intelligence source familiar with the briefing as saying that lawmakers were not told that Russia was working to aid Trump’s campaign but that some of them concluded that from what they were told.
O'Brien also denied the news reports that Trump forced out former acting national intelligence director Joseph Maguire because of anger over the briefing.
He said Maguire's time as acting director was to expire in early March and that Trump needed someone who had already been confirmed by the Senate to temporarily replace him.
Trump replaced him with current U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, who is considered a strong Trump loyalist.
“Ambassador Grenell is there for a temporary period of time,” O'Brien said, adding that Trump would soon announce someone to be rapidly confirmed by the Senate as full-time director.
Meanwhile, Sanders confirmed that he had been told by U.S. intelligence officials about a month ago that Russia appeared to be engaging in disinformation and propaganda campaigns to help his 2020 campaign.
“I don't care, frankly, who Putin wants to be president. My message to Putin is clear: Stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do,” the 78-year-old Vermont senator said in a statement.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I do not consider Vladimir Putin a good friend. He is an autocratic thug who is attempting to destroy democracy and crush dissent in Russia,” the statement said.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-23--North Macedonia Police Find 47 Migrants In Truck, Second Discovery In 10 Days

Police in North Macedonia say they have discovered 47 migrants in an abandoned truck in the southwest region of the Balkan country near the borders of Bulgaria and Greece .
Police said on February 22 that the parked truck was found late the previous night with migrants from Afghanistan , Pakistan , and Iraq inside .
The driver had already left when police arrived , officials said .
Authorities said the migrants entered the country from Greece and that they plan to deport them back there .
The discovery comes just more than a week after police said they found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the southeastern border region near Greece and Bulgaria .
Police arrested the driver , who is suspected of being part of a trafficking gang .
It said 37 of the migrants were Afghans , 12 were Pakistanis , two were Indians , and there was one Iraqi and one Egyptian .
The driver was identified as a 43-year-old citizen of North Macedonia .
The migrants , who are believed to have entered the country illegally from Greece , were sent to detention centers in the capital , Skopje , and the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also expected to be deported back to Greece .
Although the so-called Balkan Route from Greece to Western Europe has been closed since 2015 , thousands of migrants still try to make their way up north by paying smugglers .
Officials in North Macedonia tried further to dramatically reduce the flow of migrants , many of them Afghan , in 2016 , blaming the next country on the route , Serbia , for locking down their mutual border .
The United Nations refugee agency said last year that nearly 71 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , persecution , and other violence -- an increase of more than 2 million from 2017 and the highest level in almost 70 years .
The most `` forcibly displaced '' refugees have come from Syria , at 6.7 million , followed by Afghanistan at 2.7 million .
The discovery of migrants in abandoned vans or trucks has become a relatively common occurrence in North Macedonia .
The country 's police say in the first three weeks of the year , a total of 1,365 migrants who had entered the country illegally were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 24,500 migrants from crossing the borders illegally into neighboring countries .
Meanwhile , in a separate case , a court in the capital , Skopje , gave a two-year suspended sentence to a German man and an Italian woman convicted of trying to smuggle three people into North Macedonia from Greece last month with false identification papers .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service , AP , and dpa

Police in North Macedonia say they have discovered 47 migrants in an abandoned truck in the southwest region of the Balkan country near the borders of Bulgaria and Greece.
Police said on February 22 that the parked truck was found late the previous night with migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq inside. The driver had already left when police arrived, officials said.
Authorities said the migrants entered the country from Greece and that they plan to deport them back there.
The discovery comes just more than a week after police said they found 53 migrants in a truck, also in the southeastern border region near Greece and Bulgaria. Police arrested the driver, who is suspected of being part of a trafficking gang.
It said 37 of the migrants were Afghans, 12 were Pakistanis, two were Indians, and there was one Iraqi and one Egyptian. The driver was identified as a 43-year-old citizen of North Macedonia.
The migrants, who are believed to have entered the country illegally from Greece, were sent to detention centers in the capital, Skopje, and the border town of Gevgelija pending trial. They were also expected to be deported back to Greece.
Although the so-called Balkan Route from Greece to Western Europe has been closed since 2015, thousands of migrants still try to make their way up north by paying smugglers.
Officials in North Macedonia tried further to dramatically reduce the flow of migrants, many of them Afghan, in 2016, blaming the next country on the route, Serbia, for locking down their mutual border.
The United Nations refugee agency said last year that nearly 71 million people were displaced worldwide in 2018 by war, persecution, and other violence -- an increase of more than 2 million from 2017 and the highest level in almost 70 years.
The most "forcibly displaced" refugees have come from Syria, at 6.7 million, followed by Afghanistan at 2.7 million.
The discovery of migrants in abandoned vans or trucks has become a relatively common occurrence in North Macedonia. The country's police say in the first three weeks of the year, a total of 1,365 migrants who had entered the country illegally were spotted.
Last year, police stopped more than 24,500 migrants from crossing the borders illegally into neighboring countries.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, a court in the capital, Skopje, gave a two-year suspended sentence to a German man and an Italian woman convicted of trying to smuggle three people into North Macedonia from Greece last month with false identification papers.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, and dpa


rferl--2020-02-22--Hard-Liners Expected To Win 'Sham' Iranian Elections

Iranians awaited final figures from parliamentary elections , but few doubted that conservatives and hard-liners would be the landslide winners in the vote marked by unusually low turnout .
Prior to the February 21 vote , thousands of reformists and relative moderates were disqualified by hard-line election officials , leaving little doubt as to the eventual victors .
The National Elections Committee said on February 22 that it had counted votes in 71 out of 208 constituencies across Iran .
Esmail Musavi , a spokesman for the committee , said electoral authorities would `` try to publish the final figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too long , tomorrow [ February 23 ] . ''
In constituencies where candidates failed to get 20 percent of votes cast , a runoff election will be held in April .
The Interior Ministry said that conservative candidates led by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf were leading in the races for Tehran 's 30 parliamentary seats .
Qalibaf , a former Tehran mayor and air force commander within the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) , is seen as a prime candidate to become the next parliament speaker .
Media affiliated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their candidates .
The semiofficial Fars news agency , which is affiliated with the IRGC , claimed the outcome from 183 out of the 290 seats in parliament had been decided , saying that conservative candidates would win 135 seats , while reformists were set to secure 20 seats and independents 28 .
In the 2016 vote , a bloc of reformists and moderate conservatives won 41 percent of the 290 parliamentary seats .
Hard-liners won 29 percent and independents took 28 percent .
All of those standing for election were prescreened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Guardians Council , who cleared 7,148 candidacies and disqualified some 9,000 potential candidates .
Ninety members of Iran 's outgoing parliament were among those who were rejected .
Many were moderates or reformist lawmakers who support engagement with the West .
Because of the disqualifications , turnout was expected to be lower than usual despite pleas by Iranian leaders for citizens to head to the polls .
The Interior Ministry , which oversaw the election , did not release the turnout , but there were indications that voter participation was unusually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a total of five hours to allow more people to cast ballots .
VOA reported that dozens of video reports purportedly showing nearly empty polling stations were being posted to social media .
Germany 's dpa news agency quoted locals in Tehran as saying many polling stations were empty .
Fars news agency estimated turnout at 40 percent nationwide and 30 percent in Tehran .
Britain 's Guardian newspaper put the turnout in Tehran at 20-25 percent .
Before the vote , authorities had predicted a turnout of about 50 percent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary elections .
On February 23 , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to confirm suspicions that fewer voters had turned out than anticipated , as he blamed enemy “ propaganda ” for amplifying the threat of the coronavirus , in an effort to dissuade people from voting .
“ Their media did not ignore the tiniest opportunity for discouraging people and resorting to the pretext of diseases and the virus , '' Khamenei said in remarks from his office in Tehran .
Iran reported its first case of the virus on February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls .
Since then , a total of six deaths have been reported -- the highest death toll from the virus outside of China , where the outbreak first emerged a couple months ago .
Observers had said turnout could be affected by announcements from health officials of several infections and deaths related to the coronavirus .
The elections were seen as a test of the popularity of the conservative clerical establishment , coming at a time of public anger over official corruption , Iran 's worsening economy , and Tehran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passenger jet by Iranian air defenses that killed all 176 people on board .
Many activists , including some political prisoners , had called on voters to boycott the elections in protest of what they say is `` engineering the elections '' and the harsh suppression of protesters in November and January .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the election as a `` sham '' and a vote that `` is not free or fair . ''
Washington on February 20 imposed sanctions on five members of Iran 's Guardians Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them of rigging the election .
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Radio Farda , AFP , dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-23--Trump Ready To Sign Peace Deal With Taliban If Truce Holds

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is ready to sign a peace agreement with the Taliban in Afghanistan if a temporary truce between the two sides holds .
`` We think they want to make a deal , we want to make a deal .
I think it 's gon na work out , we will see , '' Trump told reporters before departing for India on February 23 .
Earlier this month , the two sides announced a weeklong “ reduction in violence ” that took effect from the start of February 22 .
If the truce holds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the peace accord that would end the United States ' longest war .
“ You know we have a certain period of nonviolence .
It ’ s been holding up , it ’ s a day and a half so we ’ ll see what happens , ” Trump said , adding that “ after 19 years ” of war , it was time for U.S. forces “ to come home.
” There are more than 12,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
Afghan media , however , reported that the Taliban carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Afghan security forces in provinces in the past two days .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on February 21 that the United States and the Taliban have been engaged in talks to facilitate a political settlement to end the conflict in Afghanistan and reduce the U.S. presence in the region .
Pompeo said that if the truce holds , “ signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward.
” “ We are preparing for the signing to take place on February 29 , '' Pompeo said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thereafter , with the final aim of delivering `` a comprehensive and permanent cease-fire and the future political road map for Afghanistan . ''
The Taliban confirmed the planned signing of a deal on February 29 `` in front of international observers '' and said that `` the groundwork for intra-Afghan talks will be resolved . ''
On his first trip as president to the world ’ s fifth largest economy , Trump is likely to announce several billion dollars ’ worth of sales for military helicopters , and possibly a missile defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade deal with India won ’ t be signed during his 36-hour trip .
“ I ’ m really saving the big deal for later on , ” Trump said last week .
“ I don ’ t know if it ’ ll be done before the election , but we ’ ll have a very big deal with India.
” With reporting by AP , dpa , AFP , and Voice of America


rferl--2020-02-23--As Iran's Coronavirus Death Toll Rises, Neighboring Countries Close Borders, Impose Travel Bans

Iranian authorities reported two more deaths from the deadly coronavirus , bringing the country 's death toll to eight -- the highest such toll outside the disease 's epicenter in China .
Speaking February 23 on state TV , Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said a total of 15 new confirmed cases had been reported across the country , bringing the overall figure to 43 .
Jahanpur gave no details on the new deaths , including when they occurred .
But Iranian media earlier cited Abbas Musavi , the head of the Medical Science University in the northern province of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person who had traveled from the capital , Tehran , to the regional capital of Tonekabon had died .
Iran has reported more fatalities from coronavirus , officially known as COVID-19 , than any other country aside from China .
In all , there are 785 suspected cases across Iran , the Health Ministry reported on February 22 -- a number that is likely to grow .
Jahanpour earlier was quoted by the dpa news agency as saying that of the newly detected cases , two were in Tehran , and eight were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometers south of Tehran .
Authorities have steadily imposed more restrictions on public spaces and travel in an effort to curtail the disease 's spread .
Religious pilgrimages to neighboring Iraq have been suspended , one unnamed official told the semiofficial Fars news agency .
The Health Ministry has closed schools and universities in several cities , along with movie theaters .
Theater and concert events have been cancelled .
Professional soccer games will be played as planned but without spectators .
Minoo Mohraz , a Health Ministry official , said on February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Chinese workers working in Qom , where a Chinese company has been building a solar-power plant .
Turkey and Pakistan temporarily closed their land borders with Iran due to coronavirus on February 23 , while Afghanistan suspended travel to and from Iran .
An emergency situation has been declared in the Pakistani province of Balochistan , which has a long frontier with Iran .
Officials in Balochistan suspended almost all traffic across the Taftan border crossing with Iran .
In Ankara , Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that eight people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since February 21 , when Turkey introduced health checks on travelers at frontier crossings .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced on Facebook that Yerevan will close the border with Iran for two weeks and suspend flights .
Pashinian said his cabinet will hold a meeting on February 24 to discuss further measures .
Afghanistan ’ s Health Ministry said that three suspected cases of coronavirus have been reported in the western province of Herat .
The three Herat residents had returned from the city of Qom in neighboring Iran and are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The country ’ s National Security Council tweeted : `` To prevent the spread of the novel # coronavirus and protect the public , Afghanistan suspends all passenger movement ( air and ground ) to and from Iran.
” Jordan also on February 23 began denying entry of non-Jordanians coming from Iran .
Infected travelers from Iran already have been discovered in Canada and Lebanon .
Earlier in the week , Iraq , Kuwait , and Saudi Arabia suspended most flights to Iran .
In China , where the virus emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another large cluster has been detected in South Korea , whose president raised the nation 's alert to its `` highest '' level on February 23 after the number of infections nearly tripled over the weekend to 556 .
Based on reporting by dpa , Reuters , AP , AFP , RFE/RL ’ s Radio Free Afghanistan , RFE/RL ’ s Armenian Service , and RFE/RL ’ s Radio Mashaal .


rferl--2020-02-22--Hard-Liners Take All Parliamentary Seats in Tehran; Full Vote Totals Still Not Released

Iranian officials said hard-line candidates won all 30 parliamentary seats in the capital Tehran , as a delay in the release of full countrywide results fueled questions about record low turnout .
Prior to the February 21 vote , thousands of reformists and relative moderates were disqualified by election officials , leaving little doubt as to the eventual victors .
State TV reported February 23 that all 30 of Tehran 's seats for the 290-seat parliament had gone to conservative candidates , and that former Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf was the top winner in the capital .
Qalibaf , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolutionary Guards Corps , is seen as a prime candidate to become the next parliament speaker .
The results in Tehran , where the electorate is more liberal than in other parts of the country , are a sharp contrast from the last election in 2016 , when moderate candidates won the region 's 30 seats .
In constituencies where candidates failed to get 20 percent of votes cast , a runoff election will be held in April .
The semiofficial Fars news agency , which is affiliated with the IRGC , predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win 135 seats , while reformists were to gain 20 seats and independents 28. Turnout figures , released February 23 , showed a record low number of voters cast ballots .
Interior Minister Abdolreza Fazli said 42.6 percent of eligible voters turned out -- the lowest turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution , according to AFP .
Fazli said the participation rate was `` acceptable '' and he blamed bad weather , the Ukrainian airline disaster , a coronavirus outbreak , and other incidents in the lead-up to the election .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and moderate conservatives won 41 percent of the 290 parliamentary seats .
Hard-liners won 29 percent and independents took 28 percent .
All of those standing for election were prescreened by a group of hard-line Islamic clerics in the Guardians Council , who cleared 7,148 candidacies and disqualified some 9,000 potential candidates .
Ninety members of the outgoing parliament were among those who were rejected .
Many were moderates or reformist lawmakers who support engagement with the West .
Because of the disqualifications , turnout was expected to be lower than usual despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head to the polls .
The Interior Ministry , which oversaw the elections , had not released turnout figures as of February 23 , but there were indications that voter participation was unusually low .
Authorities three times extended voting to allow more people to cast ballots .
VOA reported that dozens of video reports purportedly showing nearly empty polling stations were being posted to social media .
Germany 's dpa news agency quoted locals in Tehran as saying many polling stations were empty .
Fars estimated turnout at 40 percent nationwide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardian newspaper put the turnout in Tehran at 20-25 percent .
Before the vote , authorities had predicted a turnout of about 50 percent , compared with 62 percent in the 2016 parliamentary elections .
On February 23 , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to confirm suspicions that fewer voters had turned out than anticipated , as he blamed enemy “ propaganda ” for amplifying the threat of the coronavirus , in an effort to dissuade people from voting .
“ Their media did not ignore the tiniest opportunity for discouraging people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the virus , '' Khamenei said in remarks from his office in Tehran .
Iran reported its first case of the virus on February 19 , two days before the national polls .
Since then , a total of eight deaths have been reported -- the highest death toll from the virus outside of China , where the outbreak first emerged a couple of months ago .
Observers had said turnout could be affected by announcements from health officials of several infections and deaths related to the coronavirus .
The elections were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the conservative clerical establishment , coming at a time of public anger over official corruption , Iran 's worsening economy , and Tehran ’ s handling of the downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet by Iranian air defenses that killed all 176 people on board .
Many activists , including some political prisoners , had called on voters to boycott the elections in protest of what they say is `` engineering the elections '' and the harsh suppression of protesters in November and January .
The United States had criticized the elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Washington imposed sanctions on five members of Iran 's Guardians Council and its Elections Supervision Committee , accusing them of rigging the elections .
With reporting by RFE/RL ’ s Radio Farda , AFP , dpa , and Reuters


rferl--2020-02-24--Rise In Coronavirus Cases In Iran, Elsewhere Triggers Pandemic Fears

Fears of a coronavirus pandemic , or global outbreak , are growing as countries including Iran , Italy , and South Korea are battling to contain the spread of the disease that has already killed around 2,600 people in China .
Afghanistan , Iraq , Bahrain , and Kuwait on February 24 reported their first cases of the COVID-19 virus -- all involving people who had come from Iran , which has recorded the highest death toll outside the disease 's epicenter in China .
The semiofficial ILNA news agency reported that 50 people had died from the virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi rejected the report , telling a news conference that the total number of confirmed cases now stood at 61 , including 12 deaths .
Meanwhile , the Afghan minister of public health , Ferozuddin Feroz , told a press conference that one of three suspected cases had been confirmed in the western province of Herat .
Feroz announced a state of emergency in the province bordering Iran .
The minister said the infected person is a 35-year-old man who recently returned from Qom , a popular place of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across Iran and other countries that is 120 kilometers south of Tehran .
Iraq 's Health Ministry later said an Iranian theology student in the Iraqi city of Najaf has been diagnosed with the disease .
The patient , who is now in quarantine , entered Iraq before the government shut border crossings and banned the entry of any non-Iraqis coming from Iran , the ministry said .
In the Persian Gulf , Kuwait said three people who were among 700 evacuated from the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad last week were infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency KUNA reported .
Bahrain ’ s state media said the country detected its first case of the coronavirus .
The Bahrain News Agency quoted the Health Ministry as saying the infected person was a Bahraini citizen arriving from Iran .
In Iran , where most of the infections were in Qom , authorities have imposed restrictions on public spaces and travel in an effort to curtail the disease 's spread .
The Health Ministry has closed schools and universities in several cities , along with movie theaters .
Theater and concert events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be played as planned but without spectators .
Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that among those who died from the virus was a merchant who regularly shuttled between China and Iran using indirect flights in recent weeks .
Neighboring countries including Iraq , Pakistan , Turkey , Armenia , and Afghanistan have imposed travel and immigration restrictions on the Islamic republic .
Georgia and Tajikistan suspended direct flights with Iran .
In South Korea , seven people have died with 833 people infected -- the largest number outside China .
Many new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city of Daegu .
Italy , which has the largest number of cases in Europe , 219 , reported two more deaths on February 24 , raising the total there to five .
Authorities sealed off the worst-affected towns and banned public gatherings in much of the north , including halting the carnival in Venice , to try to contain the virus .
At least 2,592 people have died from the virus in mainland China , where the virus emerged last year , with more than 75,000 confirmed cases reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the first time in decades because of the outbreak .
State television said the new date for the National People 's Congress ( NPC ) , which was originally scheduled to start on March 5 , would be set later .


rferl--2020-02-24--Report: Transdniester Tycoon Has Ukrainian Passport, Elite Property In Kyiv, Odesa Regions

Viktor Gusan , owner of the largest business in Moldova ’ s breakaway region of Transdniester , has Ukrainian citizenship as well as land and property ownership in the Kyiv and Odesa regions of Ukraine , an investigative journalism group reported over the weekend .
A former KGB officer , Gusan controls through firms linked to him a 600-square-meter dwelling in the Odesa region that he uses as a vacation home , according to Skhemy ( Schemes ) , a joint venture of RFE/RL 's Ukrainian Service and UA : Pershy television .
It stands on 6,000 square meters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security buildings , boats , a garden , vineyards , a gazebo , and a guest house .
The journalists discovered that since summer 2019 , prosecutors have had an investigation open for `` unauthorized construction on an unauthorized occupied area , '' which refers to `` particularly valuable lands along the Danube River . ''
He allegedly owns other properties or land along the bank of the Danube River and a villa elsewhere in Odesa region .
Another residence with an area of 275 square meters stands on 1 hectare of land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That property is listed as recreational in the government real estate registry although the local district administration says there is no real estate on the island .
Gusan also allegedly owns land outside Kyiv that is designated as agricultural , Skhemy found , although only Ukrainians can legally own farmland .
Citing anonymous sources at the State Migration Service , the journalists found that a person recently visited one of Gusan ’ s properties after crossing the border using a Ukrainian passport with the same name and date of birth as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to requests for comments on the story , Skhemy said .
Pro-Russian separatists in Transdniester declared independence from Moldova in 1990 amid concerns that officials in Chisinau would seek reunification with Romania as the Soviet Union fell apart .
The separatists fought a war against government forces two years later in which about 1,000 people were killed .
Gusan founded his Sheriff business holding a year after the war , according to The New York Times .
The conflict has been frozen since Russian troops stationed in Transdniester during the Soviet era intervened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transdniester 's independence is not recognized by any internationally recognized country , but Moscow has unofficially backed the separatists ’ self-declared government .
It is a mostly secretive , 24-mile-wide Moldovan territory that borders Ukraine .
Gusan ’ s holding company “ monopolized and controls almost every aspect of life in Transdniester , ” according to the U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine .
It reportedly owes its fortune to the illegal trade in cigarettes , alcohol , and food , much of which allegedly ends up smuggled out of the Odesa port 80 kilometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory , Sheriff runs supermarkets , gas stations , a cell phone network , fitness centers , a cognac distillery , and one of the region ’ s two television networks .
Gusan also owns the local soccer team FC Sherrif , which plays out of Tiraspol .
With reporting by The New York Times and Wired

Viktor Gusan, owner of the largest business in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transdniester, has Ukrainian citizenship as well as land and property ownership in the Kyiv and Odesa regions of Ukraine, an investigative journalism group reported over the weekend.
A former KGB officer, Gusan controls through firms linked to him a 600-square-meter dwelling in the Odesa region that he uses as a vacation home, according to Skhemy (Schemes), a joint venture of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and UA:Pershy television.
It stands on 6,000 square meters of land that includes two docks, several security buildings, boats, a garden, vineyards, a gazebo, and a guest house.
The journalists discovered that since summer 2019, prosecutors have had an investigation open for "unauthorized construction on an unauthorized occupied area," which refers to "particularly valuable lands along the Danube River."
He allegedly owns other properties or land along the bank of the Danube River and a villa elsewhere in Odesa region.
Another residence with an area of 275 square meters stands on 1 hectare of land on an island in the Odesa region.
That property is listed as recreational in the government real estate registry although the local district administration says there is no real estate on the island.
Gusan also allegedly owns land outside Kyiv that is designated as agricultural, Skhemy found, although only Ukrainians can legally own farmland.
Citing anonymous sources at the State Migration Service, the journalists found that a person recently visited one of Gusan’s properties after crossing the border using a Ukrainian passport with the same name and date of birth as the tycoon.
Gusan didn’t respond to requests for comments on the story, Skhemy said.
Pro-Russian separatists in Transdniester declared independence from Moldova in 1990 amid concerns that officials in Chisinau would seek reunification with Romania as the Soviet Union fell apart.
The separatists fought a war against government forces two years later in which about 1,000 people were killed.
Gusan founded his Sheriff business holding a year after the war, according to The New York Times.
The conflict has been frozen since Russian troops stationed in Transdniester during the Soviet era intervened on the side of the separatists.
Transdniester's independence is not recognized by any internationally recognized country, but Moscow has unofficially backed the separatists’ self-declared government.
It is a mostly secretive, 24-mile-wide Moldovan territory that borders Ukraine.
Gusan’s holding company “monopolized and controls almost every aspect of life in Transdniester,” according to the U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine.
It reportedly owes its fortune to the illegal trade in cigarettes, alcohol, and food, much of which allegedly ends up smuggled out of the Odesa port 80 kilometers away.
As the biggest employer in the territory, Sheriff runs supermarkets, gas stations, a cell phone network, fitness centers, a cognac distillery, and one of the region’s two television networks.
Gusan also owns the local soccer team FC Sherrif, which plays out of Tiraspol.
With reporting by The New York Times and Wired