rferl--2020-09-20--U.S. Declares Return Of UN Sanctions On Iran Despite Opposition From Allies

The United States has unilaterally reimposed all UN sanctions against Iran , despite opposition from Washington ’ s closest European allies and uncertainty over their impact .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on September 19 announced the so-called snapback of UN sanctions on Iran , threatening U.S. action against any violators .
“ If UN Member States fail to fulfill their obligations to implement these sanctions , the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures and ensure that Iran does not reap the benefits of UN-prohibited activity , ” Pompeo said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , the United States will announce a range of additional measures to strengthen implementation of UN sanctions and hold violators accountable , ” he added .
The U.S. move sets the stage for a major clash at the United Nations , where Washington finds itself increasingly isolated amid tensions with both Iran and other parties to the 2015 nuclear accord , known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action ( JCPOA ) .
`` The Americans as a rule act as a bully and impose sanction ...
The world community should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state television hours before the U.S. announcement .
President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran , prompting Tehran to progressively infringe on its nuclear commitments as part of calibrated response to the absence of expected economic benefits from the JCPOA .
The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal have tried to save the faltering agreement , rejecting an attempt by Washington to trigger a return of UN sanctions on Tehran over its infringement of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement , Britain , France , and Germany said in a letter to the UN Security Council that international sanctions relief for Iran would continue beyond September 20 .
`` We have worked tirelessly to preserve the nuclear agreement and remain committed to do so , '' the UN envoys for the three countries said in a letter to the UN Security Council on September 18 .
China and Russia , veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council and parties to the nuclear accord , have similarly rebuffed U.S. attempts to bring back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blow , the United States in mid-August suffered overwhelming defeat at the UN Security Council when it tried to extend an international arms embargo on Iran that is set to gradually expire on October 18 under the terms of the Iran nuclear deal .
After that setback , the United States on August 20 formally began a 30-day process at the UN to trigger the return of international sanctions on Iran under a snapback provision in the Iran nuclear accord .
But the UN Security Council overwhelming rejected the United States ' claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nuclear deal because it was listed as such in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that enshrined the deal .
Under the terms of Resolution 2231 , if the Security Council does not pass a new resolution confirming the continuation of the sanction relief within 30 days , the sanctions automatically return into force .
The U.S. bid to bring back UN sanctions casts uncertainty and confusion over the future of the nuclear deal and sanctions .
The International Crisis Group wrote in a recent analysis that the UN Security Council and diplomats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in inconclusive debates ” on technicalities .
“ There is no individual or entity in the UN system that can rule on whether the U.S. snapback gambit has or lacks merit , ” the conflict prevention group said .
“ For now , it is a political and diplomatic issue rather than a neat legal determination.
” Britain , France , and Germany have expressed worries about the end of the arms embargo on Iran but have opposed U.S. action out of concern it would kill what is left of the nuclear deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , U.S. allies in Europe and Iran appear to be trying to wait out the Trump administration , calculating that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the November presidential election and deescalate tensions with Iran .
Iran has threatened to completely exit the JCPOA and hinted it will pull out of another key nonproliferation treaty if the arms embargo is extended or there is a snapback of sanctions .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

The United States has unilaterally reimposed all UN sanctions against Iran, despite opposition from Washington’s closest European allies and uncertainty over the impact of the move.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on September 19 announced the so-called snapback of UN sanctions on Iran, threatening U.S. action against any violators.
“If UN member states fail to fulfill their obligations to implement these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures and ensure that Iran does not reap the benefits of UN-prohibited activity,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“In the coming days, the United States will announce a range of additional measures to strengthen implementation of UN sanctions and hold violators accountable,” he added.
Iran's currency fell to a record low against the U.S. dollar on September 20 following Washington's announcement. The Iranian economy has been under extreme pressure ever since the United States reimposed unilateral sanctions on the country in November 2018.
In reaction to the move, Iran on September 20 called on the rest of the world to unite against Washington's "reckless actions."
"We expect the international community and all the countries in the world to stand against these reckless actions by the regime in the White House and speak in one voice," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a news conference in Tehran.
UN Clash
The U.S. move sets the stage for a major clash at the United Nations, where Washington finds itself increasingly isolated amid tensions with both Iran and other parties to the 2015 nuclear accord, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA).
"The Americans as a rule act as a bully and impose sanctions.... The world community should decide how to act towards bullying," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state television hours before the U.S. announcement.
President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to progressively infringe on its nuclear commitments as part of a calibrated response to the absence of expected economic benefits from the JCPOA.
The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal have tried to save the faltering agreement, rejecting an attempt by Washington to trigger a return of UN sanctions on Tehran over its infringement of its nuclear commitments.
Ahead of the U.S. announcement, Britain, France, and Germany said in a letter to the UN Security Council that international sanctions relief for Iran would continue beyond September 20.
"We have worked tirelessly to preserve the nuclear agreement and remain committed to do so," the UN envoys for the three countries said in a letter to the UN Security Council on September 18.
Iran's President Hassan Rohani claimed on September 20 that the Trump administration's policy of trying to force Iran to negotiate a new nuclear deal by imposing punishing sanctions on the country -- often referred to as a "maximum pressure" campaign -- has backfired, resulting in "maximum isolation" of the United States at the UN.
"America is approaching a certain defeat in its sanctions move," Rohani said in a televised speech.
'Illegitimate Initiatives'
China and Russia, veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council and parties to the nuclear accord, have similarly rebuffed U.S. attempts to bring back international sanctions.
Russia on September 20 condemned the American move, saying that Washington's statements lacked legal authority.
"The illegitimate initiatives and actions of the United States by definition cannot have international legal consequences for other countries," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in statement.
In an embarrassing diplomatic blow, the United States in mid-August suffered an overwhelming defeat at the UN Security Council when it tried to extend an international arms embargo on Iran that is set to gradually expire on October 18 under the terms of the Iran nuclear deal.
After that setback, the United States on August 20 formally began a 30-day process at the UN to trigger the return of international sanctions on Iran under a snapback provision in the Iran nuclear accord.
But the UN Security Council overwhelming rejected the United States' claim that it remains a "participant" in the nuclear deal because it was listed as such in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that enshrined the deal.
Under the terms of Resolution 2231, if the Security Council does not pass a new resolution confirming the continuation of the sanction relief within 30 days, the sanctions automatically return into force.
The U.S. bid to bring back UN sanctions casts uncertainty and confusion over the future of the nuclear deal and sanctions.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on September 19 that he cannot take any action on the U.S. declaration because "there would appear to be uncertainty" on the issue.
Worry, Concern Among Allies
The International Crisis Group wrote in a recent analysis that the UN Security Council and diplomats are “likely to get bogged down in inconclusive debates” on technicalities.
“There is no individual or entity in the UN system that can rule on whether the U.S. snapback gambit has or lacks merit,” the conflict prevention group said. “For now, it is a political and diplomatic issue rather than a neat legal determination.”
Britain, France, and Germany have expressed worries about the end of the arms embargo on Iran but have opposed U.S. action out of concern it would kill what is left of the nuclear deal and delegitimize the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, U.S. allies in Europe and Iran appear to be trying to wait out the Trump administration, calculating that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the November presidential election and deescalate tensions with Iran.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters


rferl--2020-09-19--Afghan Air Strikes Target Taliban Militants, But Civilians Also Reported Killed

Afghanistan ’ s Defense Ministry says more than 30 Taliban militants have been killed in air strikes in the country ’ s north , although provincial officials said civilians were also among the dead .
The ministry said two air strikes targeted a Taliban base in the Khan Abad district of the northern province of Kunduz , a stronghold of the militants , on September 19 .
Provincial officials said at least 12 civilians were killed and more than 10 wounded in the air strikes .
The deadly strikes came as Afghan and Taliban representatives hold peace talks in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first strike hit the Taliban base , but the second one caused civilian casualties as they had gathered at the bombed site , '' said Fatima Aziz , a member of parliament who represents Kunduz .
The ministry did not confirm any civilian deaths but said an investigation was under way .
In a statement , the Taliban denied its fighters were hit and said 23 civilians had been killed .
The air strikes came after overnight clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban militants in Khan Abad district .
Esmatullah Moradi , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said three Afghan soldiers were killed in the clashes .
Kunduz city , the provincial capital , briefly fell to the Taliban in 2015 and has come under attack several times since then .
While the government controls the city , many rural areas of Kunduz Province are controlled or contested by the Taliban .
Violence has surged across Afghanistan , despite the start of the talks on September 12 that are aimed at reaching a political settlement to end the nearly 19-year-old war .
Roland Kobia , the European Union ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 18 that UN figures show violence in Afghanistan in the last five weeks has been the highest in the last five years .
With reporting by Reuters and AFP

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--2020-09-19--Jailed Iranian Rights Advocate Hospitalized With 'Heart Problems'

Jailed Iranian human rights advocate Nasrin Sotoudeh has been hospitalized with heart problems , her husband , Reza Khandan , said .
Sotoudeh has been on a hunger strike in Tehran ’ s Evin prison since August 11 to protest the risks that political prisoners in Iran face amid the coronavirus pandemic Sotoudeh was suffering from “ heart problems , shortness of breath , very low blood pressure , and severe general weakness , ” Khandan wrote on Twitter on September 19 .
Khandan said she was transferred to a coronary-care unit due to her “ serious condition.
” Sotoudeh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to secure the release of political prisoners who have not been included in the temporary prison leaves granted to tens of thousands of detainees to prevent the spread of the virus in the country ’ s overcrowded prisons , according to Iranian authorities .
The pandemic has killed more than 24,000 Iranians and infected over 400,000 , according to official figures .
Real numbers are believed to be significantly higher .
PEN America , an open expression advocacy group , called for the immediate release of Sotoudeh and other political prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the spread of COVID-19 inside Iran ’ s jails.
” “ Nasrin ’ s condition is critical and her life hangs in the balance , but her spirit remains unbroken and her calls for justice are reverberating around the world , ” Karin Deutsch Karlekar , PEN America ’ s director of free expression at risk programs , said in a statement on September 18 .
“ We call on President [ Hassan ] Rohani to free Nasrin from Evin prison and reunite her with her family , as well as release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic.
” Sotoudeh , co-winner of the European Parliament 's 2012 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought , has been surviving on water , tea , sugar , and salt , amid concerns over her health , her husband has said .
Sotoudeh was arrested at her home in Tehran in June 2018 .
She was sentenced to a total of 38 1/2 years in prison and 148 lashes over her defense of political prisoners , including women protesting the compulsory hijab law .

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--2020-09-19--Belarusian Police Detain Hundreds Of Female Protesters In Minsk

MINSK -- Belarusian police have detained hundreds of female protesters in Minsk , as several thousand women marched through the capital demanding the resignation of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Mass protests challenging the results of an August 9 presidential election that declared Lukashenka the landslide winner have swept across Belarus over the past month .
Thousands of people have been detained and beaten by police , while nearly all the opposition 's key leaders have been forced to leave the country or been arrested in a widening crackdown .
Several thousand women marched in central Minsk on September 19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then blocked their path .
Black uniformed riot police swiftly forced hundreds of women , who had stood with linked hands , into police vans .
Vyasna , a human rights organization in Belarus , said more than 300 people were arrested during the march .
The demonstration was the latest women ’ s march calling for Lukashenka , who has been in power for 26 years , to resign after what the opposition and the West have called a rigged election .
`` We wo n't forget !
We wo n't forgive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were carrying red-and-white flags and banners , a symbol of the opposition that has been banned by the authorities .
Drivers passing by sounded their horns in solidarity with the protesters .
Many of Belarus ’ s most prominent opposition leaders are women , including exiled presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and detained members of the Coordination Council like Maryya Kalesnikava and Lilia Vlasova .
In a video statement released ahead of the march , Tsikhanouskaya , who has taken refuge in neighboring Lithuania , praised the `` brave women of Belarus . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on women for the second month , but despite this , Belarusians are continuing their peaceful protest and showing their amazing fortitude , ” Tsikhanouskaya said .
Among those arrested on September 19 was Nina Bahinskaya , a 73-year-old great-grandmother and prominent opposition activist .
Despite unprecedented police brutality against protesters , Bahinskaya has cut a frail but resolute figure amid the crowds protesting against Lukashenka .
On September 12 , hundreds of women marched through Minsk , confronting masked riot police and security agents .
The Interior Ministry said 114 people had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them in the capital , in connection with those demonstrations .
With reporting by AFP and dpa

MINSK -- Belarusian police have detained hundreds of female protesters in Minsk, as several thousand women marched through the capital demanding the resignation of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Mass protests challenging the results of an August 9 presidential election that declared Lukashenka the landslide winner have swept across Belarus over the past month.
Thousands of people have been detained and beaten by police, while nearly all the opposition's key leaders have been forced to leave the country or been arrested in a widening crackdown.
Several thousand women marched in central Minsk on September 19, briefly scuffling with riot police, who then blocked their path.
Black uniformed riot police swiftly forced hundreds of women, who had stood with linked hands, into police vans.
Vyasna, a human rights organization in Belarus, said more than 300 people were arrested during the march.
The demonstration was the latest women’s march calling for Lukashenka, who has been in power for 26 years, to resign after what the opposition and the West have called a rigged election.
"We won't forget! We won't forgive!" shouted the women, who were carrying red-and-white flags and banners, a symbol of the opposition that has been banned by the authorities.
Others chanted, "Long live Belarus!" and, "Shame!"
Drivers passing by sounded their horns in solidarity with the protesters.
Many of Belarus’s most prominent opposition leaders are women, including exiled presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and detained members of the Coordination Council like Maryya Kalesnikava and Lilia Vlasova.
In a video statement released ahead of the march, Tsikhanouskaya, who has taken refuge in neighboring Lithuania, praised the "brave women of Belarus."
“They have frightened and put pressure on women for the second month, but despite this, Belarusians are continuing their peaceful protest and showing their amazing fortitude,” Tsikhanouskaya said.
Among those arrested on September 19 was Nina Bahinskaya, a 73-year-old great-grandmother and prominent opposition activist.
Despite unprecedented police brutality against protesters, Bahinskaya has cut a frail but resolute figure amid the crowds protesting against Lukashenka.
On September 12, hundreds of women marched through Minsk, confronting masked riot police and security agents.
The Interior Ministry said 114 people had been detained around the country, 99 of them in the capital, in connection with those demonstrations.
With reporting by AFP and dpa


rferl--2020-09-20--Two Pakistani Soldiers Killed Near Afghan Border

At least two Pakistani soldiers were killed in the northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan on September 20 , according to @ @ @ @ @ country 's military .
The soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire , Inter-Services @ @ @ @ @ , the military 's media wing , said in a statement .
The ISPR said @ @ @ @ @ launched an `` intelligence-based operation '' against suspected militants in the North Waziristan tribal district @ @ @ @ @ the hideout of militants connected to Al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban-linked Haqqani network .
The @ @ @ @ @ militants back from their mountain hideouts near the Afghan border in a series of offensives @ @ @ @ @ have once again started regrouping in the region from their suspected in Afghanistan , and @ @ @ @ @ security forces has been witnessed in recent months .
In a separate operation , four @ @ @ @ @ an exchange of fire with security forces during an intelligence-based operation in the Awaran district @ @ @ @ @ , the ISPR said on September 19 .

At least two Pakistani soldiers were killed in the northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan on September 20,according to a statement issued by the country's military.
The soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said in a statement.
The ISPR said that the security forces had launched an "intelligence-based operation" against suspected militants in the North Waziristan tribal district.
North Waziristan was once the hideout of militants connected to Al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban-linked Haqqani network.
The Pakistani military has pushed Islamist militants back from their mountain hideouts near the Afghan border in a series of offensives since 2014.
Islamist militants have once again started regrouping in the region from their suspected in Afghanistan, and a spike in attacks on security forces has been witnessed in recent months.
In a separate operation, four suspected militants were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces during an intelligence-based operation in the Awaran district of the southwestern Balochistan Province, the ISPR said on September 19.
With reporting by dpa


rferl--2020-09-20--Hackers Leak Personal Data Of 1,000 Belarusian Police Officers Involved In Protest Repression

MINSK -- Hackers leaked the personal data of 1,000 members of the Belarusian police force in retaliation for a crackdown on street demonstrations against strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ahead of another mass rally scheduled on September 20 .
`` As the arrests continue , we will continue to publish data on a massive scale , '' said a statement that was distributed by the opposition news channel Nexta Live on the messaging app Telegram .
`` No one will remain anonymous even under a balaclava . ''
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the government will identify and punish those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was widely distributed on Telegram channels late on September 19 .
`` The forces , means , and technologies at the disposal of the internal affairs bodies make it possible to identify and prosecute the overwhelming majority of those guilty of leaking personal data on the Internet , '' said Volha Chamadanava , a ministry spokeswoman .
The published list contains information on 1,003 police officers , including their surnames , names , patronymics , dates of birth , the units in which they serve , their ranks , and positions .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in central Minsk on September 19 to demand Lukashenka 's resignation , briefly scuffling with riot police who then blocked their path .
Black uniformed riot police swiftly forced hundreds of women , who had stood with linked hands , into police vans .
Women shouted , `` Shame ! ''
as police forced protesters into vans .
`` We wo n't forget !
We wo n't forgive ! ''
shouted the women , who were carrying red-and-white flags and banners , a symbol of the opposition that has been banned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization in Belarus , said more than 300 people were arrested during the September 19 march .
Another rally is scheduled for September 20 .
Authorities brought military trucks and barbed wire into central Minsk ahead of the planned demonstrations , which are scheduled to begin just after midday in the capital and at various locations across the country .
Belarusian opposition news sites and activists posted video and photos of a convoy of military trucks and vehicles with rolls of barbed wire driving into the center of Minsk ahead of the demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to march to the Supreme Court of Belarus , where they say they will carry placards on which the names of `` candidates for the people 's tribunal '' will be displayed , including the security forces who took part in dispersing the protests .
After the Supreme Court , the protesters said they again will head to Lukashenka ’ s residence .
Thousands have been detained and many of them have been beaten by Lukashenka 's security forces , their faces often obscured by masks , balaclavas , or riot helmets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of some officers .
Lukashenka 's crackdown on the protests has prompted the European Union to mull fresh sanctions against his regime .
The loyalty of the security forces is crucial to Lukashenka 's ability to stay in power following the August 9 presidential poll which the veteran leader claimed he won by a landslide .
The opposition says the election was rigged to hand the former Soviet collective farm boss , who has been in power since 1994 , a sixth term .
With reporting by Reuters and Interfax

MINSK -- Hackers leaked the personal data of 1,000 members of the Belarusian police force in retaliation for a crackdown on street demonstrations against strongman President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ahead of another mass rally scheduled on September 20.
"As the arrests continue, we will continue to publish data on a massive scale," said a statement that was distributed by the opposition news channel Nexta Live on the messaging app Telegram. "No one will remain anonymous even under a balaclava."
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the government will identify and punish those responsible for leaking the data, which was widely distributed on Telegram channels late on September 19.
"The forces, means, and technologies at the disposal of the internal affairs bodies make it possible to identify and prosecute the overwhelming majority of those guilty of leaking personal data on the Internet," said Volha Chamadanava, a ministry spokeswoman.
The published list contains information on 1,003 police officers, including their surnames, names, patronymics, dates of birth, the units in which they serve, their ranks, and positions.
The development came after several thousand women marched in central Minsk on September 19 to demand Lukashenka's resignation, briefly scuffling with riot police who then blocked their path.
Black uniformed riot police swiftly forced hundreds of women, who had stood with linked hands, into police vans.
Women shouted, "Shame!" as police forced protesters into vans. "We won't forget! We won't forgive!" shouted the women, who were carrying red-and-white flags and banners, a symbol of the opposition that has been banned by the authorities.
Vyasna, a human rights organization in Belarus, said more than 300 people were arrested during the September 19 march.
Thousands have been detained and many of them have been beaten by Lukashenka's security forces, their faces often obscured by masks, balaclavas, or riot helmets. Protesters have physically torn off the masks of some officers.
Lukashenka's crackdown on the protests has prompted the European Union to mull fresh sanctions against his regime.
The loyalty of the security forces is crucial to Lukashenka's ability to stay in power following the August 9 presidential poll which the veteran leader claimed he won by a landslide.
The opposition says the election was rigged to hand the former Soviet collective farm boss, who has been in power since 1994, a sixth term.
With reporting by Reuters and Interfax


rferl--2020-09-22--Siberian Heat Wave Shrinks Arctic Sea Ice To Second-Lowest Level Ever Recorded

The Arctic Ocean 's floating ice cover shrank this year to its second-lowest extent since modern recording began nearly four decades ago , driven in part by the impact of a Siberian heat wave .
The Arctic sea ice cover shriveled to 3.74 million square kilometers by September 15 , according to satellite data by U.S. space agency NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center ( NSIDC ) at the University of Colorado Boulder released on September 21 .
“ It 's been a crazy year up north , with sea ice at a near-record low , 100-degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waves in Siberia , and massive forest fires , ” said Mark Serreze , director of NSIDC .
“ The year 2020 will stand as an exclamation point on the downward trend in Arctic sea ice extent .
We are headed towards a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean , and this year is another nail in the coffin.
” This year 's melt is second only to 2012 , when the ice cover shrank to 3.4 million square kilometers , according to NSIDC , which has been keeping satellite records since 1979 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 2.7 million square kilometers bigger than current summer levels -- an area equivalent to Kazakhstan .
Polar sea ice undergoes seasonal patterns of change -- thickening and expanding to cover the entire Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas in winter , then thinning and shrinking in the spring and summer before reaching a low point in mid-September .
Scientists say a Siberian heat wave in the spring and summer , as well as natural Arctic climate phenomenon and warming caused by greenhouse gases contributed to the polar sea melt .
Temperatures in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were 8 to 10 degrees Celsius above normal .
Scientists say abnormal temperature increases and wildfires in the Siberian Arctic are worrying because it can thaw permafrost and release climate-warming methane from the frozen land .
There are also cascading effects causing Arctic sea ice melt .
Thin ice from previous warm years melts quicker than thicker ice , creating a negative feedback mechanism .
Sea ice removal also exposes ocean , which absorbs more sun radiation and heat than reflective ice and contributes to a faster melt .
“ As the sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re seeing is we ’ re continuing to lose that multiyear ice , ” Serreze said .
“ The ice is shrinking in the summer , but it ’ s also getting thinner .
You ’ re losing extent , and you ’ re losing the thick ice as well .
It ’ s a double whammy.
” There have also been warmer air temperatures , which have risen twice as fast in the Arctic as for the planet as a whole .
In addition , scientists say warmer water from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom of the sea ice and warming it from below .
While melting sea ice does not increase ocean levels , the same summertime warning of Arctic waters diminishes ice sheets covering Arctic lands in Canada , Russia , and Greenland .
The faster those ice sheets melt into the ocean , the faster global sea levels will rise .
With reporting by AFP , AP , and Reuters

1 A Russian Factory Is Using Underage Workers To Assemble Iranian 'Suicide' Drones Destined For Ukraine
2 At Least Two Killed In Russian Strikes In Ukraine As Crimean Peninsula, Bridge Reportedly Targeted
3 Northern Russian Village Shaken After Discharged Wagner Fighter Accused Of Killing Six People
4 Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine
5 Interview: War Journalist Says 'Nothing Will Change In Russia Until It's Defeated In Ukraine'
6 Russian Fighter Jet On Training Mission Crashes In Kaliningrad, Killing Two Pilots
7 Power-Line Cut Raises Alarm Over Russian-Held Nuclear Plant In Ukraine, But Expert Says Little Has Changed
8 In His First Public Statement After Latest Conviction, Navalny Slams 'Those Who Lost Russia's Historic Chance'
9 Explosions Over Kyiv, Air Strikes Elsewhere Keep Alert Level High Across Ukraine


rferl--2020-09-21--Iran Says It's Willing To Exchange 'All' Prisoners With U.S.

Iran is prepared for a full exchange of prisoners with the United States , Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a virtual address to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York .
In response to a question about whether Tehran would free Iranian-American father and son Baquer and Siamak Namazi , Zarif said September 21 that the only way for him to have influence on the courts is through a swap for Iranians he claimed the United States is holding unjustly .
“ Let ’ s not put one person in front of another .
Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can exchange all prisoners , period , ” he said .
Washington has long demanded that Iran release U.S. citizens including Baquer and Siamak Namazi , who were jailed in 2016 and 2015 , respectively .
Baquer Namazi , the former governor of Khuzestan Province under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , was arrested during a trip to Iran to see his imprisoned son .
The United States has exchanged prisoners with Iran before .
Navy veteran Michael White , detained in 2018 , returned home in June as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Iranian-American physician Majid Taheri to leave to Iran .
In December 2019 , Tehran freed U.S. citizen Xiyue Wang , who had been held for three years on spying charges , in a swap for Iranian Massoud Soleimani , who faced charges of violating U.S. sanctions on Iran .
Tehran denies it holds people on political grounds , and has mostly accused its foreign prisoners of espionage .


rferl--2020-09-21--Assistant To Belarusian Leader's Son Denies She Left Job Over Police Brutality, Father's Arrest

The assistant to the son of Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has denied speculative reports she left her job because of anger over police brutality against protesters , including the arrest of her father .
Ksenia Valakhanovich confirmed on her Facebook page on September 21 that she was no longer employed as the assistant to Dzmitry Lukashenka , the head of the Presidential Sports Club of Belarus and 40-year-old son of the Belarusian leader .
However , she said she made the decision to leave before the August 9 election that sparked mass protests against Lukashenka 's rule because she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood that I could not fully devote myself to my passion when I 'm busy with other things from 9 to 18 , '' she said in her post .
Valakhanovich 's post was prompted by a Tut.by news report earlier in that day that pointed out her departure came as she began posting comments on Facebook against police brutality and in support of the protesters .
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the August 9 vote that handed Lukashenka another five-year term .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenka 's favor and have called on him to step down .
Lukashenka , who has ruled the country with an iron hand since 1994 , has sought to crush the biggest protest movement of his reign with mass arrests and torture .
He has called the protesters `` rats '' and has described as a betrayal those former insiders who have joined the protest movement .
Valakhanovich posted photos of herself at the rallies holding the red-and-white flag of the protest movement banned by Lukashenka while the texts accompanying the photos often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on citizens .
`` Thousands of victims and not one opened criminal case in connection with the violence so far , '' she posted on September 16 .
Days earlier , she shared a post by her father about how he was detained by police .
However , she tried to downplay the connection between her Facebook posts and her departure from the Presidential Sports Club .
She said that her father had been detained more than a month after her departure from her job and spoke favorably of her former boss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than words of thankfulness .
This is a decent and truly kind person , '' she said of Dzmitry Lukashenka .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Belarus Service and Tut.by

The assistant to the son of authoritarian Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has denied speculative reports she left her job because of anger over police brutality against protesters, including the arrest of her father.
Ksenia Valakhanovich confirmed on her Facebook page on September 21 that she was no longer employed as the assistant to Dzmitry Lukashenka, the head of the Presidential Sports Club of Belarus and 40-year-old son of the Belarusian leader.
However, she said she made the decision to leave before the August 9 election that sparked mass protests against Lukashenka's rule because she wanted to pursue art.
"I understood that I could not fully devote myself to my passion when I'm busy with other things from 9 to 18," she said in her post.
Valakhanovich's post was prompted by a Tut.by news report earlier in that day that pointed out her departure came as she began posting comments on Facebook against police brutality and in support of the protesters.
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Belarus to protest the August 9 vote that handed Lukashenka another five-year term. The protesters claim the vote was rigged in Lukashenka's favor and have called on him to step down.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country with an iron hand since 1994, has sought to crush the biggest protest movement of his reign with mass arrests and torture.
He has called the protesters "rats" and has described as a betrayal those former insiders who have joined the protest movement.
Valakhanovich posted photos of herself at the rallies holding the red-and-white flag of the protest movement banned by Lukashenka while the texts accompanying the photos often criticized the authorities for the brutal crackdown on citizens.
"Thousands of victims and not one opened criminal case in connection with the violence so far," she posted on September 16.
Days earlier, she shared a post by her father about how he was detained by police.
However, she tried to downplay the connection between her Facebook posts and her departure from the Presidential Sports Club.
She said that her father had been detained more than a month after her departure from her job and spoke favorably of her former boss.
"I can't say anything other than words of thankfulness. This is a decent and truly kind person," she said of Dzmitry Lukashenka.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service and Tut.by


rferl--2020-09-21--U.S. Ambassador To Kosovo Says Balkan Economic Rise A 'High Policy Priority' For Trump

The U.S. ambassador to Kosovo has stressed Washington 's commitment to the goal of `` full , normal relations '' between Serbia and its former region of Kosovo while encouraging compromise on both sides to turn `` pledges into the reality . ''
In an interview with RFE/RL , Ambassador Philip Kosnett also said regional economic development in the Balkans was `` a high policy priority of the Trump administration . ''
Serbian President Aleksander Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed an economic normalization deal at the White House this month that also calls for Belgrade to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for mutual recognition by Israel and Kosovo .
The agreement includes commitments to create road and rail connections but was far short of the internationally stated aim of recognition from Serbia of its former province at the heart of more than a decade of on-again , off-again talks mediated by the European Union .
`` I think that it is difficult to set a timeline or a deadline for any of this , '' Kosnett said .
`` The goal of the U.S. is to encourage the process that will end in full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The deal marked the first tangible sign of cooperation between those two neighbors since the EU-sponsored talks broke down two years ago and a tariff war began over Belgrade 's ongoing policy of trying to convince governments to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo .
`` What we do on the economic track is meant to complement and encourage the steps that will be undertaken on the political track .
But I ca n't tell you how long it will take until full political , political normalization between Kosovo and Serbia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the European Union , have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations .
Washington stepped up its involvement in Serbia-Kosovo negotiations last year in a process that runs parallel to nearly a decade of EU-mediated normalization efforts .
The EU-brokered talks have produced multiple agreements seeking to normalize relations in the region , although many of them have not been implemented .
Dismissing the notion U.S. diplomacy is competing with Brussels , Kosnett said Washington was `` in very close contact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is definitely not a rivalry , it is a partnership , '' Kosnett said of U.S. and EU efforts to further the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia , which has refused to recognize Kosovo since Pristina declared independence in 2008 .
In a sign Washington wants to capitalize on momentum , U.S. President Donald Trump 's special envoy for Serbia-Kosovo peace talks , Richard Grenell , and other U.S. officials on September 21 were in Kosovo as part of a swing through the Balkans that also includes Serbia .
The delegation brought top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corporation , the United States ' development bank , and the U.S. Agency for International Development .
Adam Boehler , CEO of the International Development Finance Corporation , said at a press conference after signing a joint statement on investment with Hoti that there was “ a pipeline of over a billion dollars of projects ” covering roads , rail , natural gas , and supporting small and medium-sized businesses .
Kosnett also cited the role of the U.S. Export-Import Bank in providing trade credit and said he hoped private-sector investment , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region 's fortunes .
`` When we talk about the economic development of Kosovo and Serbia , when we talk about strengthening economic cooperation in the region , of course there is a role in the EU in that , and it is something we talked to them about , '' Kosnett said .
`` What we want to do , though , is get away from focusing just on process , and rules , and protocol and focus on achievable actions . ''
He said the Trump administration , which is battling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing a lot to actually bring about change '' for Kosovo .
`` We want action , we want to turn these pledges into the reality , and the U.S. will be part of this process , '' Kosnett said .
But , he added , `` it is fundamentally the responsibility of the government of Kosovo and Serbia to fulfill the pledges that they made in Washington . ''
He also said `` it is impossible to get to a comprehensive agreement without compromise , by all parties . ''

PRISTINA -- The U.S. ambassador to Kosovo has stressed Washington's commitment to the goal of "full, normal relations" between Serbia and its former region of Kosovo while encouraging compromise on both sides to turn "pledges into the reality."
In an interview in the Kosovar capital with RFE/RL, Ambassador Philip Kosnett also said regional economic development in the Balkans was "a high policy priority of the Trump administration."
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed an economic normalization deal at the White House this month that also calls for Belgrade to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and for mutual recognition by Israel and Kosovo.
The agreement includes commitments to create road and rail connections but fell far short of the internationally stated aim of recognition from Serbia of its former province at the heart of more than a decade of on-again, off-again talks mediated by the European Union.
"I think that it is difficult to set a timeline or a deadline for any of this," Kosnett said. "The goal of the U.S. is to encourage the process that will end in full, normal relations between the two countries."
The deal marked the first tangible sign of cooperation between the two neighbors since the EU-sponsored talks broke down two years ago and a tariff war began over Belgrade's ongoing policy of trying to convince governments to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo.
"What we do on the economic track is meant to complement and encourage the steps that will be undertaken on the political track. But I can't tell you how long it will take until full political normalization between Kosovo and Serbia is reality," Kosnett said.
Both Kosovo and Serbia, which aspire to join the European Union, have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations.
Washington stepped up its involvement in Serbia-Kosovo negotiations last year in a process that runs parallel to nearly a decade of EU-mediated normalization efforts.
The EU-brokered talks have produced multiple agreements seeking to normalize relations in the region, although many of them have not been implemented.
Dismissing the notion that U.S. diplomacy is competing with Brussels, Kosnett said Washington was "in very close contact with our EU colleagues."
"It is definitely not a rivalry, it is a partnership," Kosnett said of U.S. and EU efforts to further the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which has refused to recognize Kosovo since Pristina declared independence in 2008.
In a sign Washington wants to capitalize on momentum, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Serbia-Kosovo peace talks, Richard Grenell, and other U.S. officials on September 21 were in Kosovo as part of a swing through the Balkans that also includes Serbia.
The delegation brought top officials from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the United States' development bank, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Adam Boehler, CEO of the International Development Finance Corporation, said at a press conference after signing a joint statement on investment with Hoti that there was “a pipeline of over a billion dollars of projects” covering roads, rail, and natural gas, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
Kosnett also cited the role of the U.S. Export-Import Bank in providing trade credit and said he hoped private-sector investment, including from Europe, would help spur the region's fortunes.
"When we talk about the economic development of Kosovo and Serbia, when we talk about strengthening economic cooperation in the region, of course there is a role in the EU in that, and it is something we talked to them about," Kosnett said. "What we want to do, though, is get away from focusing just on process, and rules, and protocol, and focus on achievable actions."
He said the Trump administration, which is battling for reelection in November, was "doing a lot to actually bring about change" for Kosovo.
"We want action, we want to turn these pledges into the reality, and the U.S. will be part of this process," Kosnett said.
But, he added, "it is fundamentally the responsibility of the governments of Kosovo and Serbia to fulfill the pledges that they made in Washington."
He also said "it is impossible to get to a comprehensive agreement without compromise, by all parties."


rferl--2020-09-21--U.S. Imposes New Sanctions On Iran Defense, Atomic Industries

The United States has imposed sanctions on more than two dozen people and entities involved in Iran 's atomic activities or its missile and conventional weapons programs , as Washington unilaterally seeks to enforce a UN arms embargo against the Middle East country .
The punishments are part of a new sanctions offensive by the Trump administration that rests in part on a `` snapback '' clause from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers that the United States abandoned two years ago .
`` The United States has now restored UN sanctions on Iran , '' President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he signed an executive order spelling out how Washington will enforce the `` snapback . ''
`` My actions today send a clear message to the Iranian regime and those in the international community who refuse to stand up to Iran . ''
The new sanctions allow the United States to impose measures -- including asset freezes -- on any company or individual helping Iran evade the UN arms embargo .
It comes two days after Washington unilaterally reimposed the ban .
The Trump administration 's effort has prompted objections from China and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some European allies over the United States ' legal right to reinstate the embargo .
That , in turn , has raised questions about whether other governments would observe it .
Washington withdrew in 2018 from the multiparty agreement -- known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) -- that paved the way for the embargo 's expiration in October .
The September 21 announcement includes new sanctions and export controls on 27 individuals and entities connected to Tehran 's weapons and nuclear industries .
Trump 's statement accuses Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply of weapons and military support `` that fuels ongoing conflict in Syria , Lebanon , Iraq , and Yemen . ''
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States would use its `` new and powerful tool '' to punish anyone testing Washington 's resolve to enforce the weapons ban .
`` Our actions today are a warning that should be heard worldwide .
No matter who you are , if you violate the UN embargo on Iran , you risk sanctions , '' Pompeo said .
He said Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum pressure '' effort to change Tehran 's behavior .
`` We will continue and expand our sanctions until Iran is willing to conclude a comprehensive negotiation that addresses the regime 's malign behavior , '' Pompeo said .
`` We are always open to diplomacy with Iran , but Iran must respond with diplomacy , not with more violence , bloodshed , and nuclear extortion .
Until then , maximum pressure will continue . ''
Iran has insisted it is not pursuing nuclear weapons , although UN atomic monitors have accused it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin viewed the new U.S. sanctions as illegal , but he did not say whether Russian companies would seek to get around it .
Russia has historically been one of the largest suppliers of weapons to Iran .
China and Iran have also reportedly been in talks on a $ 400 billion trade deal that includes arms .
The Iranian entities sanctioned by the United States include the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics , the Defense Industries Organization , and three bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country 's nuclear supervisor .
The list of individuals sanctioned by the United States includes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro , whom Washington does not recognize as that country 's rightful president and has accused of conducting conventional-arms-related deals with Iran .
In May 2018 , Trump withdrew from the deal and restored U.S. sanctions that have crippled Iran 's economy .
The other parties -- Britain , China , France , Germany and Russia -- remained in the deal .
Tehran has announced it has `` stepped back '' from some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the United States withdrew and reimposed tough unilateral trade and economic sanctions two years ago .
Some of those commitments include limits on the size of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium as well as the level of purity to which it was allowed to enrich uranium , according to the International Atomic Energy Agency .
With reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-09-21--Baku Says Soldier Killed On Border With Armenia

Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry has said that one of its soldiers was killed in a late-morning incident near the border with arch-foe Armenia .
It called the death of the junior sergeant in the Tovuz region of northwestern Azerbaijan the latest `` provocation '' amid a rise in violations .
Last week , Armenian officials announced that one of their soldiers was killed by gunfire and shrapnel in roughly the same region .
Each side has blamed the other for an uptick in violations of a decades-old cease-fire , and contradictory reports make determining responsibility difficult .
Yerevan and Baku @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh despite a 1994 cease-fire in a conflict that killed around 30,000 people .
Skirmishes frequently break out near the so-called Line of Contact that separates Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on the front line of Europe 's longest-running conflict .
Fighting along the two sides ' internationally recognized state border is slightly less common .
A days-long flareup that included drone attacks and heavy artillery fire in mid-July killed at least 17 people , mostly soldiers on both sides but including at least one civilian , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently challenged Moscow over what Baku alleged was an increased flow of weapons to Armenia since the July fighting .
Russia , which has a military base in Armenia , regards Yerevan as a strategic partner in the region .
Aliyev has meanwhile downplayed the prospects for stalled internationally mediated talks on finally ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict .
`` Talks are not being conducted in fact , '' he said on September 20 , adding , `` I 've said that we wo n't participate in talks for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on September 20 to have downed an Armenian drone .
With reporting by Reuters and Asbarez

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has said that one of its soldiers was killed in a late-morning incident near the border with arch-foe Armenia.
It called the death of the junior sergeant in the Tovuz region of northwestern Azerbaijan the latest "provocation" amid a rise in violations.
Last week, Armenian officials announced that one of their soldiers was killed by gunfire and shrapnel in roughly the same region.
Each side has blamed the other for an uptick in violations of a decades-old cease-fire, and contradictory reports make determining responsibility difficult.
Yerevan and Baku are still technically at war over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh despite a 1994 cease-fire in a conflict that killed around 30,000 people.
Skirmishes frequently break out near the so-called Line of Contact that separates Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on the front line of Europe's longest-running conflict.
Fighting along the two sides' internationally recognized state border is slightly less common.
A days-long flareup that included drone attacks and heavy artillery fire in mid-July killed at least 17 people, mostly soldiers on both sides but including at least one civilian, in the worst fighting in about four years.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently challenged Moscow over what Baku alleged was an increased flow of weapons to Armenia since the July fighting.
Russia, which has a military base in Armenia, regards Yerevan as a strategic partner in the region.
Aliyev has meanwhile downplayed the prospects for stalled internationally mediated talks on finally ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Talks are not being conducted in fact," he said on September 20, adding, "I've said that we won't participate in talks for the sake of imitation."
Azerbaijan claimed on September 20 to have downed an Armenian drone.
With reporting by Reuters and Asbarez


rferl--2020-09-21--Navalny Demands Russian Police Return Clothing Worn On Day Of Poisoning, Calling It 'Important Evide

Navalny Demands Russian Police Return Clothing Worn On Day Of Poisoning, Calling It 'Important Evidence'

Aleksei Navalny , the Kremlin critic who is recovering in Germany from poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent , has demanded Russian investigators return his clothing , calling it key evidence in his case .
Navalny said in a post on his website on September 21 that the 30-day deadline for police to conduct their preliminary investigation into what he called an attempted murder by poisoning had expired and that he was now entitled to get his items back .
The 44-year-old became seriously ill aboard a Moscow-bound flight on August 20 originating in the Siberian city of Tomsk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation into state corruption .
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk so that Navalny could be rushed to the hospital .
The opposition activist was airlifted two days later to Germany , where doctors confirmed he had been poisoned with Novichok , a Soviet-era nerve agent .
The German doctors said Novichok was found both inside his body and on his skin .
`` Before they allowed me to be taken to Germany , all my clothes were taken off and I was sent completely naked .
Given the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I was very likely infected via contact , my clothes are a very important piece of evidence , '' Navalny said in a post .
Russian police must either launch an investigation or close a case within 30 days of a preliminary investigation .
However , police in Omsk said they were continuing their investigation and had interviewed about 200 people .

Aleksei Navalny, the Kremlin critic who is recovering in Germany from poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent, has demanded Russian investigators return his clothing, calling it key evidence in his case.
Navalny said in a post on his website on September 21 that the 30-day deadline for police to conduct their preliminary investigation into what he called an attempted murder by poisoning had expired and that he was now entitled to get his items back.
The 44-year-old became seriously ill aboard a Moscow-bound flight on August 20 originating in the Siberian city of Tomsk, where he was carrying out his latest investigation into state corruption.
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk so that Navalny could be rushed to the hospital.
The opposition activist was airlifted two days later to Germany, where doctors confirmed he had been poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. The German doctors said Novichok was found both inside his body and on his skin.
"Before they allowed me to be taken to Germany, all my clothes were taken off and I was sent completely naked. Given the fact that Novichok was found on my body and that I was very likely infected via contact, my clothes are a very important piece of evidence," Navalny said in a post.
Russian police must either launch an investigation or close a case within 30 days of a preliminary investigation.
However, police in Omsk said they were continuing their investigation and had interviewed about 200 people.


rferl--2020-09-21--Malala Urges 'No Compromise' On Girls' Education In Afghan Peace Talks

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai says that `` there should be no compromise '' on the right to education for Afghan girls in ongoing peace negotiations between the government and Taliban militants .
In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL 's Radio Mashaal on September 21 , Yousafzai said that `` peace is precious '' for the Afghan people after suffering through four decades of war , losing their family members , homes , and livelihoods .
Malala , who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign supporting the education of girls , stressed that women 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermined in any peace process .
`` We all hope that peace comes to this world so that our people have their own normal life .
But it is very necessary that [ the government and the Taliban ] have to listen to the voices of civil society and women and there should be no compromise on girls ' education and human rights because peace ca n't be restored without human rights , '' said Malala , who was shot in the head by a Pakistani Taliban gunman when she was on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Women 's rights is one of the thorniest issues in the long-delayed , U.S.-brokered peace talks that began in Doha on September 12 .
During its brief administration in Afghanistan , the Taliban banned women from going to school and working outside their homes , while also brutally enforcing a strict dress code .
Many Afghan activists fear that women 's rights could be a casualty of peace negotiations despite recent pledges by Taliban officials that they will respect women 's rights under Islamic law .
Millions of Afghan girls have gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work and participate in politics since the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001 .


rferl--2020-09-21--More Than 20 Injured In Clash After Tajik Soccer Match

At least 21 people have been injured in a clash that erupted after a domestic-league soccer match in the eastern Tajik city of Khorog .
The Interior Ministry said on September 21 that local soccer fans began throwing stones at each other following the match at a school stadium on September 19 , causing injuries and damaging property .
The rampaging fans smashed windows at the school as well as at nearby residential houses and a building , the ministry said .
They also damaged six vehicles and broke several stadium seats .
Police have begun a probe into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouting , and chaos started when Gulaken defeated the other team .
It lasted for 10-15 minutes inside the school stadium , before they moved outside to the main street and continued fighting , '' Gulruz Navruzov , the headmaster of Khorog School No .
2 , where the brawl broke out , said on September 21 .
Brawls among soccer hooligans are not uncommon in Tajikistan , where the sport is hugely popular .
Riots broke out after a soccer match in the southern city of Kulob in June 2011 when angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias .
The fans attacked police guarding the stadium and threw stones and other objects at the referees .
In another incident in the same year , some 40 fans were detained in the capital , Dushanbe , for celebrating their team 's victory with rowdy behavior , shouting slogans , and throwing rocks at vehicles in the streets .

At least 21 people have been injured in a clash that erupted after a domestic-league soccer match in the eastern Tajik city of Khorog.
The Interior Ministry said on September 21 that local soccer fans began throwing stones at each other following the match at a school stadium on September 19, causing injuries and damaging property.
The rampaging fans smashed windows at the school as well as at nearby residential houses and a building, the ministry said. They also damaged six vehicles and broke several stadium seats.
Police have begun a probe into the incident.
"The stone throwing, shouting, and chaos started when Gulaken defeated the other team. It lasted for 10-15 minutes inside the school stadium, before they moved outside to the main street and continued fighting," Gulruz Navruzov, the headmaster of Khorog School No. 2, where the brawl broke out, said on September 21.
Brawls among soccer hooligans are not uncommon in Tajikistan, where the sport is hugely popular.
Riots broke out after a soccer match in the southern city of Kulob in June 2011 when angry fans accused the game's referees of bias. The fans attacked police guarding the stadium and threw stones and other objects at the referees.
In another incident in the same year, some 40 fans were detained in the capital, Dushanbe, for celebrating their team's victory with rowdy behavior, shouting slogans, and throwing rocks at vehicles in the streets.


rferl--2020-09-21--Nine Afghan Soldiers Killed As Negotiations Between Government, Taliban Continue

At least nine Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack late on September 20 despite ongoing negotiations between the Taliban and the Kabul government .
Taliban militants killed the nine soldiers during the night in the northern province of Takhar , security officials said .
The attack took place in the Naw Abad village of the Dasht-e-Qala district , a source told Tolo news agency .
“ The clashes ended after an hour and the Taliban has also suffered casualties in the clashes but there is no exact information yet , ” the source said .
The attack came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gulf state of Qatar .
The talks , part of a February agreement between the Taliban and Washington , began on September 12 following a lengthy dispute over prisoner swaps .
Negotiators are due to discuss the cease-fire , the rights of women and minorities , and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords , some of them aligned with the government .
Despite the talks , attacks have continued on a regular basis , claiming numerous victims , including civilians , as the militants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. envoy for Afghan reconciliation , Zalmay Khalilzad , who orchestrated the talks , called the escalation regrettable .
“ Over the last few days , there has been a clear rise in violence in Afghanistan , ” Khalilzad tweeted .
The Chairman of Afghanistan ’ s High Council for National Reconciliation , Abdullah Abdullah , called on the Taliban to accept a cease-fire .
“ Our homeland has been burning in war and conflict for more than 40 years and many lives have been lost in this endless war , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on reporting by dpa and tolonews.com


rferl--2020-09-21--More Than 20 Detained At Belarusian Potash Mine For Backing Worker's Political Demands

Belarusian police have detained more than 20 people at a potash mine for supporting a second worker who has refused to return to the surface in protest against the state company 's management and President Alyaksandr Lukashenka 's government .
`` Now [ the miners ] are being dealt with .
Maybe some will be released .
It will take time to find out who participated in the action and who did not .
It is also possible that not all the miners have been detained , '' Serhiy Chabatarov , a spokesman for the Minsk regional police , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kudzyolka , who handed a protest note to his labor union co-workers at the Belaruskali mine at the end of his shift on September 21 saying he would remain hundreds of meters underground until his demands were met .
According to the miners ' union , Kudzyolka 's demands include the resignation of the company ’ s director and the release of other miners who have been detained in recent weeks while joining the political protests that have roiled Belarus .
Kudzyolka also demanded that Belarusian security forces stop detaining and beating demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nearly daily demonstrations against Lukashenka .
Kudzyolka was the second miner at the Belaruskali potash mine in Salihorsk , 130 kilometers south of Minsk , to have staged a strike in solidarity with protesters .
The other miner , Yury Korzun , was forcibly removed on September 10 after he spent more than four hours chained to a piece of machinery in the mine .
State-owned Belaruskali is one of the world 's largest producers of potash , used in fertilizer .
The company employs around 16,000 people and is an important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
Employees at Belaruskali and other state enterprises have staged sporadic work outages , in support of the protests that erupted after the August 9 presidential election .
Local prosecutors , meanwhile , have threatened criminal charges against strike organizers .
Lukashenka , who has ruled the country since 1994 , was declared the winner of an August 9 presidential election ; opposition groups say their candidate won and that the figures were falsified .
He has refused to meet with the opposition or agree to call a new election .

Belarusian police have detained more than 20 people at a potash mine for supporting a second worker who has refused to return to the surface in protest against the state company's management and President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's government.
"Now [the miners] are being dealt with. Maybe some will be released. It will take time to find out who participated in the action and who did not. It is also possible that not all the miners have been detained," Serhiy Chabatarov, a spokesman for the Minsk regional police, told RFE/RL.
The protesters were supporting Aleh Kudzyolka, who handed a protest note to his labor union co-workers at the Belaruskali mine at the end of his shift on September 21 saying he would remain hundreds of meters underground until his demands were met.
According to the miners' union, Kudzyolka's demands include the resignation of the company’s director and the release of other miners who have been detained in recent weeks while joining the political protests that have roiled Belarus.
Kudzyolka also demanded that Belarusian security forces stop detaining and beating demonstrators who have marched in Minsk and elsewhere in nearly daily demonstrations against Lukashenka.
Kudzyolka was the second miner at the Belaruskali potash mine in Salihorsk, 130 kilometers south of Minsk, to have staged a strike in solidarity with protesters. The other miner, Yury Korzun, was forcibly removed on September 10 after he spent more than four hours chained to a piece of machinery in the mine.
State-owned Belaruskali is one of the world's largest producers of potash, used in fertilizer. The company employs around 16,000 people and is an important source of hard currency for the Belarusian government.
Employees at Belaruskali and other state enterprises have staged sporadic work outages, in support of the protests that erupted after the August 9 presidential election. Local prosecutors, meanwhile, have threatened criminal charges against strike organizers.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, was declared the winner of an August 9 presidential election; opposition groups say their candidate won and that the figures were falsified. He has refused to meet with the opposition or agree to call a new election.
With reporting by Current Time


rferl--2020-09-21--Bulgarian Court Sentences Two In Absentia For Role In 2012 Burgas Bombing

A Bulgarian court has handed two men life sentences for their roles in the bombing of a bus in July 2012 that killed five Israeli citizens and a bus driver .
Meliad Farah , a dual Lebanese-Australian national , and Hassan El Hajj Hassan , a dual Lebanese-Canadian national , were both sentenced by Judge Adelina Ivanova in absentia on September 21 as their whereabouts are unknown .
They are the subject of an Interpol red notice .
The verdict can be appealed within 15 days .
In the attack , a man of dual Lebanese-French citizenship blew up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the airport in the Black Sea resort city of Burgas after a planeload of Israeli tourists from Tel Aviv had boarded a double-decker bus .
The attacker , identified as Mohamad Hassan El Husseini , was killed in the attack .
Dozens were injured along with the five Israelis and Bulgarian bus driver in the blast .
The bomber , who was reported to be holding what appeared to be a falsified driver 's license from the U.S. state of Michigan , also died in the attack .
Bulgarian authorities blamed Shi'ite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has denied involvement .

A Bulgarian court has handed two men life sentences for their roles in the bombing of a bus in July 2012 that killed five Israeli citizens and a bus driver.
Meliad Farah, a dual Lebanese-Australian national, and Hassan El Hajj Hassan, a dual Lebanese-Canadian national, were both sentenced by Judge Adelina Ivanova in absentia on September 21 as their whereabouts are unknown. They are the subject of an Interpol red notice.
The verdict can be appealed within 15 days.
In the attack, a man of dual Lebanese-French citizenship blew up a bomb in a backpack he was carrying outside the airport in the Black Sea resort city of Burgas after a planeload of Israeli tourists from Tel Aviv had boarded a double-decker bus.
The attacker, identified as Mohamad Hassan El Husseini, was killed in the attack.
Dozens were injured along with the five Israelis and Bulgarian bus driver in the blast.
The bomber, who was reported to be holding what appeared to be a falsified driver's license from the U.S. state of Michigan, also died in the attack.
Bulgarian authorities blamed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah for the attack. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has denied involvement.


rferl--2020-09-21--Scuffle At Kyrgyz Election Campaign Event Leaves At Least 12 People Injured

Kyrgyz authorities are probing a brawl that broke out between supporters of two political parties at an election campaign event in the country ’ s south , leaving at least a dozen people injured .
The scuffle occurred during a Mekenim Kyrgyzstan ( My Homeland Kyrgyzstan ) party meeting with voters in the Aravan district of Osh Province on September 20 .
The party said in a statement , “ the meeting was suddenly interrupted by a group of provocateurs , who began to beat the participants , ” without identifying the alleged provocateurs .
Local media reported that fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Birimdik ( Unity ) party , although the exact reason behind the brawl was not immediately clear .
Birimdik representatives called on law-enforcement agencies to establish and punish those involved in the incident .
Police said some 100 people were involved in the fight that left 12 people hospitalized , including one person in serious condition .
Police briefly detained 10 people .
Five vehicles were destroyed during the incident .
Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov ordered an immediate probe into the incident .
The head of the Aravan district police was dismissed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several other officials were given warnings .
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan and Birimdik -- both pro-government groups -- are among 16 political parties registered for the October 4 parliamentary elections .

Kyrgyz authorities are probing a brawl that broke out between supporters of two political parties at an election campaign event in the country’s south, leaving at least a dozen people injured.
The scuffle occurred during a Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (My Homeland Kyrgyzstan) party meeting with voters in the Aravan district of Osh Province on September 20.
The party said in a statement, “the meeting was suddenly interrupted by a group of provocateurs, who began to beat the participants,” without identifying the alleged provocateurs.
Local media reported that fighting involved supporters of Mekenim Kyrgyzstan and the Birimdik (Unity) party, although the exact reason behind the brawl was not immediately clear.
Birimdik representatives called on law-enforcement agencies to establish and punish those involved in the incident.
Police said some 100 people were involved in the fight that left 12 people hospitalized, including one person in serious condition. Police briefly detained 10 people.
Five vehicles were destroyed during the incident.
Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov ordered an immediate probe into the incident. The head of the Aravan district police was dismissed for failing to maintain public order, while several other officials were given warnings.
Mekenim Kyrgyzstan and Birimdik -- both pro-government groups -- are among 16 political parties registered for the October 4 parliamentary elections.


rferl--2020-09-21--Uzbek Deputy PM Barnoev Dies From COVID-19 Complications

Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Uktam Barnoev has died from COVID-19 complications , nearly two months after testing positive for the @ @ @ @ @ September 20 in a hospital in Germany , where he had been transferred after reportedly @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 treatment in Uzbekistan .
The 56-year-old supervised the government ’ s agriculture and food @ @ @ @ @ to his appointment to the post , he had served as the governor of Bukhara @ @ @ @ @ in late July that Barnoev was in a “ serious condition ” and was put @ @ @ @ @ ill with the virus .
Other Uzbek government officials who have died from COVID-19 complications @ @ @ @ @ deputy finance minister , and Muso Erniyozov , the head of the parliament of the @ @ @ @ @ Uzbekistan recorded its first coronavirus infection on March 15 .
As of September 21 , @ @ @ @ @ reported 51,789 cases , including 435 deaths .

Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Uktam Barnoev has died from COVID-19 complications, nearly two months after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Barnoev died on September 20 in a hospital in Germany, where he had been transferred after reportedly suffering a stroke during his COVID-19 treatment in Uzbekistan.
The 56-year-old supervised the government’s agriculture and food sector since February. Prior to his appointment to the post, he had served as the governor of Bukhara Province.
Local media reported in late July that Barnoev was in a “serious condition” and was put on a ventilator after falling ill with the virus.
Other Uzbek government officials who have died from COVID-19 complications include Erkin Tursunov, a deputy finance minister, and Muso Erniyozov, the head of the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan.
Uzbekistan recorded its first coronavirus infection on March 15. As of September 21, the Central Asian nation had reported 51,789 cases, including 435 deaths.


rferl--2020-09-21--Report: U.S. To Impose Sanctions On Dozens Of Targets Tied To Iran Weapons

The United States on September 21 will sanction more than two dozen people and entities involved in Iran 's nuclear , missile , and conventional weapons programs , a senior U.S. official told Reuters .
The United States on September 19 unilaterally reimposed all UN sanctions against Iran , despite opposition from some of Washington ’ s closest European allies and uncertainty over their impact .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the so-called snapback of UN sanctions on Iran , threatening U.S. action against any violators .
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity , the official said Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear weapon by the end of the year and that Tehran has resumed long-range missile cooperation with nuclear-armed North Korea .
The official did not provide detailed evidence regarding either allegation .
Pompeo has said that in case UN member states “ fail to fulfill their obligations to implement these sanctions , the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures and ensure that Iran does not reap the benefits of UN-prohibited activity.
” The new sanctions put European allies , China , and Russia on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ignore the U.S. drive to maintain the UN sanctions on Iran , companies based in their nations would be punished for violating them .
An important part of the new U.S. sanctions is an executive order targeting those who buy or sell Iran conventional arms that will also be unveiled by the Trump administration on September 21 , the official said .
The punitive measures to be announced on September 21 are the latest in a series seeking to curb Iran 's nuclear program , which U.S. ally Israel views as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing everything it can to keep in existence a virtual turnkey capability to get back into the weaponization business at a moment 's notice should it choose to do so , '' the U.S. official told Reuters .
The official maintained that Tehran wants a nuclear weapons capability and the means to deliver it despite a landmark 2015 deal with world powers that sought restraining Iran 's atomic program in return for easing international sanctions .
In May 2018 , Trump withdrew from the deal and restored U.S. sanctions that have crippled Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , China , France , Germany , and Russia -- remained in the deal .
Iran , in turn , has gradually breached the conditions of the deal , including on the size of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium as well as the level of purity to which it was allowed to enrich uranium , according to the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) .
`` Because of Iran 's provocative nuclear escalation , it could have sufficient fissile material for a nuclear weapon by the end of this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say this was based on `` the totality '' of information available to the United States , including from the IAEA .