rferl--2020-04-18--Four Die In Light Airplane Crash In Russia’s Far East

Russian authorities are investigating the crash of a light aircraft that killed four people near the village of Lesnoye in @ @ @ @ @ Khabarovsk region .
Russia ’ s emergency services said that they were still investigating whether @ @ @ @ @ flight early on April 18 was the result of a technical failure or pilot error @ @ @ @ @ Khabarovsk region said three of the people killed in the crash had been in the @ @ @ @ @ body of a fourth victim was found at the crash site beneath the plane ’ @ @ @ @ @ on April 18 that they were still trying to confirm the identities of all the @ @ @ @ @ by TASS and Interfax

Russian authorities are investigating the crash of a light aircraft that killed four people near the village of Lesnoye in Russia’s Far Eastern Khabarovsk region.
Russia’s emergency services said that they were still investigating whether the crash during a training flight early on April 18 was the result of a technical failure or pilot error.
Local officials in the Khabarovsk region said three of the people killed in the crash had been in the plane.
They said the body of a fourth victim was found at the crash site beneath the plane’s debris.
Authorities said on April 18 that they were still trying to confirm the identities of all the victims.
Based on reports by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-04-18--COVID-19: Iran Allows Some Tehran Businesses To Reopen; Russian Death Toll Passes 300

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 154,000 with over 2.25 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Iran is allowing some businesses in Tehran and nearby towns to reopen on April 18 after weeks of lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus .
Iran initially was slow to respond to the pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close .
Authorities in Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with over 5,000 deaths .
But many Iranian citizens and international experts think Iran 's government has intentionally underreported the extent of the pandemic in the country .
Gyms , restaurants , shopping malls , and Tehran 's grand bazaar remain closed .
Shrines and mosques , as well as schools and universities , are also closed and public gatherings are banned .
But government offices have reopened with a third of employees working from home .
Traffic was heavy in Tehran early on April 18 , the first day of Iran 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital to reopen a week ago .
Iran 's leaders say they must consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures .
The country is struggling under tight sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump after he withdrew the United States from Tehran 's nuclear deal with world powers .
On April 17 , human rights experts from the United Nations called on Iran to release political prisoners who risk becoming infected inside the country 's crowded detention centers .
Tehran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners .
But Iran continues to detain many dual-nationals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts have highlighted the cases of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and rights defenders Narges Mohammadi and Arash Sadeghi , as well as Ahmadreza Djalali , an Iranian-Swedish national ; Morad Tahbaz , an Iranian-British-American national ; and Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb , who are both Iranian-Austrian nationals .
They said all seven have requested temporary release but have been rejected or not received a response .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili denied that nationality was a factor in determining whether a prisoner would be released .
Russia said on April 18 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risen to 313 -- an overnight increase of 40 deaths .
Russian authorities on April 18 also reported 4,785 new cases during the previous 24 hours , bringing the total number of declared infections to 36,793 .
Moscow accounted for more than half of the new infections and 21 of the 40 deaths , the Russian coronavirus crisis response center said .
Russia had reported far fewer infections than many Western European countries during the pandemic 's early stages .
But the country 's official tally began rising sharply in April .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia are not carrying out mass testing .
Private testing results in Moscow among people without symptoms suggest the virus has penetrated more deeply into the population than official data shows .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , TASS , and Interfax

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 158,000 with over 2.3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has announced it is extending coronavirus restrictions by two weeks until May 4.
Baku also announced on April 18 that borders with Georgia and Iran will remain closed until May 4.
Azerbaijan, an energy-rich nation in the South Caucasus, has recorded a total of 1,373 coronavirus cases, with 18 deaths. Authorities said 590 patients had recovered.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Baku of "abusing" coronavirus restrictions to arrest government critics.
The rights watchdog said on April 16 that in less than a month at least six opposition activists and a pro-opposition journalist were sentenced to detention of up to 30 days on "spurious charges" that included breaking lockdown rules or disobeying police orders.
Most of them had criticized conditions in government-run quarantine centers or authorities’ failure to provide adequate compensation to people struggling financially from the consequences of the pandemic, it added.
The arrests "fall squarely within a longstanding pattern of political retaliation in Azerbaijan," said Giorgi Gogia, associate director for Europe and Central Asia at HRW.
He urged authorities to "stop using a public health emergency as a pretext to punish legitimate speech."
The government has put in place a series of social-distancing measures to combat the outbreak, including a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.
Last month, parliament passed legal amendments providing for fines of up to 200 manat ($120) or detention of up to 30 days for violating the lockdown regime.
In March, 154 people were jailed and thousands were fined for violating the restrictions, according to the Interior Ministry.
Critics of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev say authorities frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists, reporters, human rights defenders, and civil society advocates without grounds.
Afghanistan
Government sources in Afghanistan say at least 20 officials working at Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's palace have tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the 70-year-old leader to limit most of his contact with staff to digital communication.
An official document delivered to the Presidential Palace in Kabul is thought to have infected staff, many of whom began feeling unwell and were tested earlier in April, a senior Afghan health official told Reuters on April 18.
"A contaminated document was sent to an office inside the palace from another government department and that's how the employees were infected," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Some of the employees were still working in their offices when the results came out," the Afghan official said. "We had to quarantine them and their families, but the numbers could be higher."
Sediq Sediqqi, Ghani's spokesman, said the Civil Service Commission had already asked government employees to stay at home before the tests were conducted. Sediqqi said on April 18 that the order had been extended for another three weeks.
The Afghan president is said to be conducting most business through video conference calls and is meeting in person with only a handful in his inner circle.
Afghanistan, already experiencing shortages of food and medicine while violent clashes with the Taliban continue, had recorded 933 cases of coronavirus as of April 18.
Thirty people have died of the virus in Afghanistan, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Afghan health officials say the number of cases is likely to be much higher than reported due to limited testing.
The Health Ministry has warned that, unless containment measures are improved throughout the country, Afghanistan is heading for a catastrophe in which millions could be infected.
Iran
Iran is allowing some businesses in Tehran and nearby towns to reopen on April 18 after weeks of lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
Iran initially was slow to respond to the pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close.
Authorities in Iran have reported more than 80,000 confirmed infections with more than 5,000 deaths. But many Iranians and international experts think the government has intentionally underreported the extent of the pandemic in the country.
According to a report by Iran's parliament, the country's published figures are based only on those hospitalized with "severe symptoms."
That report said the real death toll is estimated to be as much as 80 percent higher and infections "eight to 10 times" higher.
Iran's Health Ministry has confirmed the real infection rate and death toll may be higher due to limited testing in the country.
RFE/RL's Coverage Of COVID-19 Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls, and Tehran's grand bazaar remain closed on April 18.
Shrines and mosques, as well as schools and universities, are also closed and public gatherings are banned.
But government offices have reopened with a third of employees working from home.
Traffic was heavy in Tehran early on April 18, the first day of Iran's work week. Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago.
Iran's leaders say they must consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures. The country is struggling under tight sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump after he withdrew the United States from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Iran's economy shrank by 7.6 percent in 2019 and is expected to contract a further 6 percent this year.
Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a fatwa, or religious ruling, that believers may abstain from fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan if it threatens their health.
"The fast is a religious necessity and a pillar of Islamic law and it is not permissible to abstain from fasting...unless one has a rational belief that fasting may cause a sickness, worsen a disease or prolong it," Khamenei said in the ruling published on his official website.
On April 17, human rights experts from the United Nations called on Iran to release political prisoners who risk becoming infected inside the country's crowded detention centers.
Tehran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners. But Iran continues to detain many dual-nationals convicted on security charges.
The UN experts have highlighted the cases of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and rights defenders Narges Mohammadi and Arash Sadeghi, as well as Ahmadreza Djalali , an Iranian-Swedish national; Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian-British-American national; and Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb, who are both Iranian-Austrian nationals.
They said all seven have requested temporary release but have been rejected or not received a response.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili denied that nationality was a factor in determining whether a prisoner would be released.
Russia
Russian health authorities have reported 4,785 new cases of coronavirus, a record for a single day.
Authorities also said 40 people had died over the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 313. Some 36,700 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia.
Moscow accounted for more than half of the new infections and 21 of the 40 deaths, the Russian coronavirus crisis response center said.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to provide daily forecasts of the spread of the coronavirus.
Russia had reported far fewer infections than many Western European countries during the pandemic's early stages. But Russia's official tally began rising sharply in April.
Like in many countries, health authorities in Russia are not carrying out mass testing.
Private testing results in Moscow among people without symptoms suggest the virus has penetrated more deeply into the population than official data shows.
In Moscow, a city of 12.7 million people and hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, cases jumped by 2,649 to 20,754.
However, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the lockdown measures first introduced in March were working.
"The disease rate in the city is growing but not exponentially, and far from the worst-case scenario," Sobyanin wrote on his website.
Declared on March 30, the lockdown regime banned residents from leaving their homes unless they were going to buy food or medicines, get urgent medical treatment, or walk the dog.
The authorities also introduced a travel-permit system effective from April 15, and Sobyanin said on April 18 that the authorities would use traffic cameras to catch drivers travelling without passes.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Current Time, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-04-18--NASA To Launch Astronauts To ISS From U.S. For First Time Since 2011

The U.S. space agency NASA and the private company SpaceX have chosen May 27 as the date for the first launch of a crewed flight to the International Space Station ( ISS ) from the United States since 2011 .
`` On May 27 , @ NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil ! ''
Jim Bridenstine , head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , said on Twitter on April 17 .
The United States has relied on Russian Soyuz rockets to send American astronauts to the ISS for nearly a decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ISS aboard space shuttles , but that program ended in 2011 .
The US space agency had said it was aiming for the launch to take place in May but hadn ’ t set the date .
It is sticking with its plan despite the global coronavirus pandemic .
The two-astronaut crew , Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley , will fly to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft also built by SpaceX .
They will lift off at 4:32 p.m. local time on May 27 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and space shuttle missions at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida , NASA said .
Behnken and Hurley have been training for years for the mission , which is expected to move the United States closer to no longer being reliant on Russia for crewed flights .
After the return of two astronauts and one cosmonaut on April 17 , a three-member crew made up of one American and two Russians remains aboard the ISS .
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa .

The U.S. space agency NASA and the private company SpaceX have chosen May 27 as the date for the first launch of a crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) from the United States since 2011.
"On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil!" Jim Bridenstine, head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said on Twitter on April 17.
The United States has relied on Russian Soyuz rockets to send American astronauts to the ISS for nearly a decade. U.S. astronauts previously flew to the ISS aboard space shuttles, but that program ended in 2011.
The US space agency had said it was aiming for the launch to take place in May but hadn’t set the date. It is sticking with its plan despite the global coronavirus pandemic.
The two-astronaut crew, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, will fly to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft also built by SpaceX.
They will lift off at 4:32 p.m. local time on May 27 from the same launchpad used for the Apollo and space shuttle missions at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said.
Behnken and Hurley have been training for years for the mission, which is expected to move the United States closer to no longer being reliant on Russia for crewed flights.
After the return of two astronauts and one cosmonaut on April 17, a three-member crew made up of one American and two Russians remains aboard the ISS.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa.


rferl--2020-04-18--Kazakh Opposition Activist Detained For 'Spreading False Information'

A leading Kazakh political activist and government critic has been detained by police in connection with allegedly spreading `` false information '' during a state of emergency .
A police statement issued on April 18 said Arman Shuraev had used social networks to `` repeatedly spread knowingly false information , '' although it offered no details .
The former television executive turned nationalist politician has often attacked members of President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev 's cabinet , while avoiding criticism of the president himself .
According to the police statement , Shuraev could face up to seven years in prison if found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endangered public order during the national coronavirus emergency .
In a Facebook post published on April 18 , Shurayev accused a senior official of corruption .
In other recent posts he criticized the government 's borrowing plans and the cost of building a specialized hospital for coronavirus patients .
Last year , he became a member of the council of national trust , an advisory body set up by Toqaev , but was removed by the president this year along with several other members in what officials said was a planned rotation .

A leading Kazakh political activist and government critic has been detained by police in connection with allegedly spreading "false information" during a state of emergency.
A police statement issued on April 18 said Arman Shuraev had used social networks to "repeatedly spread knowingly false information," although it offered no details.
The former television executive turned nationalist politician has often attacked members of President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev's cabinet, while avoiding criticism of the president himself.
According to the police statement, Shuraev could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty. It said his actions had endangered public order during the national coronavirus emergency.
In a Facebook post published on April 18, Shurayev accused a senior official of corruption. In other recent posts he criticized the government's borrowing plans and the cost of building a specialized hospital for coronavirus patients.
Last year, he became a member of the council of national trust, an advisory body set up by Toqaev, but was removed by the president this year along with several other members in what officials said was a planned rotation.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-04-18--COVID-19: Baku Extends Restrictions; Afghan Presidential Staff Test Positive

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 158,000 with over 2.3 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Azerbaijan has announced it is extending coronavirus restrictions by two weeks until May 4 .
Baku also announced on April 18 that borders with Georgia and Iran will remain closed until May 4 .
Azerbaijan , an energy-rich nation in the South Caucasus , has recorded a total of 1,373 coronavirus cases , with 18 deaths .
Authorities said 590 patients had recovered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Baku of `` abusing '' coronavirus restrictions to arrest government critics .
The rights watchdog said on April 16 that in less than a month at least six opposition activists and a pro-opposition journalist were sentenced to detention of up to 30 days on `` spurious charges '' that included breaking lockdown rules or disobeying police orders .
Most of them had criticized conditions in government-run quarantine centers or authorities ’ failure to provide adequate compensation to people struggling financially from the consequences of the pandemic , it added .
The arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political retaliation in Azerbaijan , '' said Giorgi Gogia , associate director for Europe and Central Asia at HRW .
He urged authorities to `` stop using a public health emergency as a pretext to punish legitimate speech . ''
The government has put in place a series of social-distancing measures to combat the outbreak , including a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people .
Last month , parliament passed legal amendments providing for fines of up to 200 manat ( $ 120 ) or detention of up to 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In March , 154 people were jailed and thousands were fined for violating the restrictions , according to the Interior Ministry .
Critics of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev say authorities frequently seek to silence dissent by jailing opposition activists , reporters , human rights defenders , and civil society advocates without grounds .
Government sources in Afghanistan say at least 20 officials working at Afghan President Ashraf Ghani 's palace have tested positive for the coronavirus , prompting the 70-year-old leader to limit most of his contact with staff to digital communication .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palace in Kabul is thought to have infected staff , many of whom began feeling unwell and were tested earlier in April , a senior Afghan health official told Reuters on April 18 .
`` A contaminated document was sent to an office inside the palace from another government department and that 's how the employees were infected , '' the official said , speaking on condition of anonymity .
`` Some of the employees were still working in their offices when the results came out , '' the Afghan official said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families , but the numbers could be higher . ''
Sediq Sediqqi , Ghani 's spokesman , said the Civil Service Commission had already asked government employees to stay at home before the tests were conducted .
Sediqqi said on April 18 that the order had been extended for another three weeks .
The Afghan president is said to be conducting most business through video conference calls and is meeting in person with only a handful in his inner circle .
Afghanistan , already experiencing shortages of food and medicine while violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded 933 cases of coronavirus as of April 18 .
Thirty people have died of the virus in Afghanistan , according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University in the United States .
Afghan health officials say the number of cases is likely to be much higher than reported due to limited testing .
The Health Ministry has warned that , unless containment measures are improved throughout the country , Afghanistan is heading for a catastrophe in which millions could be infected .
Iran is allowing some businesses in Tehran and nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus .
Iran initially was slow to respond to the pandemic and held off on imposing widespread restrictions even after other countries in the region with far fewer cases forced most businesses to close .
Authorities in Iran have reported more than 80,000 confirmed infections with more than 5,000 deaths .
But many Iranians and international experts think the government has intentionally underreported the extent of the pandemic in the country .
According to a report by Iran 's parliament , the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those hospitalized with `` severe symptoms . ''
That report said the real death toll is estimated to be as much as 80 percent higher and infections `` eight to 10 times '' higher .
Iran 's Health Ministry has confirmed the real infection rate and death toll may be higher due to limited testing in the country .
Gyms , restaurants , shopping malls , and Tehran 's grand bazaar remain closed on April 18 .
Shrines and mosques , as well as schools and universities , are also closed and public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have reopened with a third of employees working from home .
Traffic was heavy in Tehran early on April 18 , the first day of Iran 's work week .
Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago .
Iran 's leaders say they must consider the economic consequences of quarantine measures .
The country is struggling under tight sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump after he withdrew the United States from Tehran 's nuclear deal with world powers .
According to the International Monetary Fund , Iran 's economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to contract a further 6 percent this year .
Meanwhile , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a fatwa , or religious ruling , that believers may abstain from fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan if it threatens their health .
`` The fast is a religious necessity and a pillar of Islamic law and it is not permissible to abstain from fasting ... unless one has a rational belief that fasting may cause a sickness , worsen a disease or prolong it , '' Khamenei said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On April 17 , human rights experts from the United Nations called on Iran to release political prisoners who risk becoming infected inside the country 's crowded detention centers .
Tehran has temporarily released 100,000 prisoners .
But Iran continues to detain many dual-nationals convicted on security charges .
The UN experts have highlighted the cases of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and rights defenders Narges Mohammadi and Arash Sadeghi , as well as Ahmadreza Djalali , an Iranian-Swedish national ; Morad Tahbaz , an Iranian-British-American national ; and Kamran Ghaderi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationals .
They said all seven have requested temporary release but have been rejected or not received a response .
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili denied that nationality was a factor in determining whether a prisoner would be released .
Russian health authorities have reported 4,785 new cases of coronavirus , a record for a single day .
Authorities also said 40 people had died over the past 24 hours , bringing the overall death toll to 313 .
Some 36,700 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia .
Moscow accounted for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 40 deaths , the Russian coronavirus crisis response center said .
Meanwhile , Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to provide daily forecasts of the spread of the coronavirus .
Russia had reported far fewer infections than many Western European countries during the pandemic 's early stages .
But Russia 's official tally began rising sharply in April .
Like in many countries , health authorities in Russia are not carrying out mass testing .
Private testing results in Moscow among people without symptoms suggest the virus has penetrated more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows .
In Moscow , a city of 12.7 million people and hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak , cases jumped by 2,649 to 20,754 .
However , Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the lockdown measures first introduced in March were working .
`` The disease rate in the city is growing but not exponentially , and far from the worst-case scenario , '' Sobyanin wrote on his website .
Declared on March 30 , the lockdown regime banned residents from leaving their homes unless they were going to buy food or medicines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk the dog .
The authorities also introduced a travel-permit system effective from April 15 , and Sobyanin said on April 18 that the authorities would use traffic cameras to catch drivers travelling without passes .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan , Current Time , TASS , and Interfax


rferl--2020-04-19--COVID-19: Russia Reports Record Increase In Infections; Putin Says 'Situation Under Full Control'

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 161,000 with more than 2.3 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Russian officials reported a record rise in new coronavirus cases , as President Vladimir Putin tried to reassure the country that `` the situation is under full control . ''
The government task force overseeing the national response to the virus said on April 19 that new cases jumped 6,060 over the previous 24 hours , bringing the nationwide tally to 42,853 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government officials , a figure that experts and critics have said appears to be a major undercount .
The continued rise in figures comes despite Russia ’ s early , aggressive moves to respond to the spreading virus and impose tight restrictions .
Even before many European nations started imposing restrictions , Moscow moved to shut down much of the country 's vast border with China , where the virus first emerged .
Moscow 's mayor , who has been at the forefront of the effort to stem the virus 's spread , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the beginning of a steep rise in cases .
The Russian capital has been under a virtual lockdown , with people confined to their homes except for essential errands .
Millions of observant Russians observed the Orthodox Easter holiday on April 19 , with many appearing to heed church leaders ' calls to stay home and not attend church services in person .
In a recorded video address released on April 19 , Putin sought to reassure Russians that the government was trying to curtail the disease .
`` All branches of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an organized manner , '' Putin said .
`` The situation is under full control . ''
As Orthodox Christians marked Easter amid extraordinary coronavirus restrictions , millions of Muslims prepared to start Ramadan with concerns about mass gatherings and mosques allowing prayers .
The Islamic holy month is scheduled to begin later this week , and some Islamic countries are struggling with pressure from religious clerics who have spurned public health orders aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 .
In Pakistan , which has 7,993 confirmed cases as of April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order mosques to close during Ramadan .
Prime Minister Imran Khan ’ s government has agreed to leave mosques open and instead requested that believers practice safe physical distancing .
Several prominent religious clerics have even rejected that guidance , calling for adherents to pack the mosques .
Pakistan has been blamed for contributing to the outbreak of the virus in other countries after it refused to stop a gathering of tens of thousands of Islamic missionaries until early March .
In Iran , which is one of the worst-hit countries in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khamenei has called on worshippers to stay home during the month of Ramadan , which is expected to begin on April 23 .
Iran has reported almost 81,000 confirmed cases , and more than 5,000 deaths .
Iran also allowed some Tehran businesses to reopen on April 18 .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters

The URL has been copied to your clipboard
The code has been copied to your clipboard.
The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 163,000 with more than 2.3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Russia
Russian officials reported a record rise in new coronavirus cases, as President Vladimir Putin tried to reassure the country that "the situation is under full control."
The government task force overseeing the national response to the virus said on April 19 that new cases jumped 6,060 over the previous 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 42,853.
Just 361 deaths have been confirmed by government officials, a figure that experts and critics have said appears to be a major undercount.
The continued rise in figures comes despite Russia’s early, aggressive moves to respond to the spreading virus and impose tight restrictions. Even before many European nations started imposing restrictions, Moscow moved to shut down much of the country's vast border with China, where the virus first emerged.
Moscow's mayor, who has been at the forefront of the effort to stem the virus's spread, warned last week that Russia was only at the beginning of a steep rise in cases. The Russian capital has been under a virtual lockdown, with people confined to their homes except for essential errands.
Millions of observant Russians observed the Orthodox Easter holiday on April 19, with many appearing to heed church leaders' calls to stay home and not attend church services in person.
In a recorded video address released on April 19, Putin sought to reassure Russians that the government was trying to curtail the disease.
"All branches of governments are working rhythmically, responsibly, in an organized manner," Putin said. "The situation is under full control."
Pakistan
As Orthodox Christians marked Easter amid extraordinary coronavirus restrictions, millions of Muslims prepared to start Ramadan with concerns about mass gatherings and mosques allowing prayers.
The Islamic holy month is scheduled to begin later this week, and some Islamic countries are struggling with pressure from religious clerics who have spurned public health orders aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19.
In Pakistan, which has 8,348 confirmed cases as of April 19 and 168 deaths, some clerics have refused to order mosques to close during Ramadan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has agreed to leave mosques open and instead requested that believers practice safe physical distancing. Several prominent religious clerics have even rejected that guidance, calling for adherents to pack the mosques.
Pakistan has been blamed for contributing to the outbreak of the virus in other countries after it refused to stop a gathering of tens of thousands of Islamic missionaries until early March.
Iran
In Iran, which is one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on worshippers to stay home during the month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on April 23.
President Hassan Rohani on April 19 announced an extension of a furlough of tens of thousands inmates, part of an effort to keep the virus from spreading in crowded jails and prisons.
Rohani also said that mosques and other religious centers would remain closed for another two weeks, and decisions on gatherings during Ramadan will be decided later.
Iran has reported more than 82,000 confirmed cases, and more than 5,100 deaths.
Iran also allowed some Tehran businesses to reopen on April 18.
Belarus
In Belarus, one of a very few countries that has not imposed lockdown measures or closed borders to curb the pandemic, thousands of people converged on churches to celebrate Easter, ignoring calls from health authorities to stay at home.
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who had previously derided global concerns over COVID-19 as "mass psychosis," visited a church without a face mask.
"I don't approve of those who closed people's way to church," BelTA state news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying. "We experience these viruses every year."
Belarus officially has 4,779 cases of infection and 42 deaths as of April 19.
With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Turkmen Service


rferl--2020-04-19--Russian Embassy In Prague Denies Changing Address From Square Named For Opposition Leader

PRAGUE -- Russia 's Embassy in the Czech Republic has reportedly changed its formal address in Prague after the square where the embassy is located was renamed for a slain Russian opposition leader .
The embassy , however , took issue with Czech media that reported the change , asserting that it had merely reverted to a single postal address rather than the two it said the complex has long had .
The move comes amid diplomatic skirmishing between the two countries over World War II statues and other remnants of the Cold War period .
Two months ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sprawling Russian embassy complex is headquartered after Boris Nemtsov .
Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister who was fatally shot in February 2015 meters away from the Kremlin walls .
He was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin .
The news portal Aktualne.cz and other Czech media reported on April 17 that the embassy had formally changed its administrative address from Nemtsov Square to a street a few hundred meters away where a consular building is located .
In a statement published on its Facebook page on April 18 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address and suggested that Czech officials were seeking to embarrass the Russian diplomatic outpost .
`` We are surprised by the fact that the Czech Foreign Ministry quickly made the content of this note public , which was of a purely technical nature , '' the embassy said .
`` One is left with the impression that it is intentionally trying to give political overtones to this subject . ''
Russia and the Czech Republic have also clashed over a statue of a Soviet-era military commander that Prague officials ordered removed recently .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take down the statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev .
Russian prosecutors have said they would launch criminal proceedings in connection with the decision .
Konev is seen as a hero by many in Russia but as a symbol of Soviet-era repression by many Czechs .
Czech President Milos Zeman echoed Russian outrage over the removal as `` an abuse of the state of emergency .
”

PRAGUE -- Russia's Embassy in the Czech Republic has reportedly changed its formal address in Prague after the square where the embassy is located was renamed for a slain Russian opposition leader.
The embassy, however, took issue with Czech media that reported the change, asserting that it had merely reverted to a single postal address rather than the two it said the complex has long had.
The move comes amid diplomatic skirmishing between the two countries over World War II statues and other remnants of the Cold War period.
Two months ago, Prague officials dedicated the leafy square where the sprawling Russian embassy complex is headquartered after Boris Nemtsov.
Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister who was fatally shot in February 2015 meters away from the Kremlin walls. He was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin.
The news portal Aktualne.cz and other Czech media reported on April 17 that the embassy had formally changed its administrative address from Nemtsov Square to a street a few hundred meters away where a consular building is located.
In a statement published on its Facebook page on April 18, the embassy denied it had changed any address and suggested that Czech officials were seeking to embarrass the Russian diplomatic outpost.
"We are surprised by the fact that the Czech Foreign Ministry quickly made the content of this note public, which was of a purely technical nature," the embassy said. "One is left with the impression that it is intentionally trying to give political overtones to this subject."
Czech Foreign Ministry officials have downplayed the decision.
Russia and the Czech Republic have also clashed over a statue of a Soviet-era military commander that Prague officials ordered removed recently.
The Russian Foreign Ministry protested the decision to take down the statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev. Russian prosecutors have said they would launch criminal proceedings in connection with the decision.
Konev is seen as a hero by many in Russia but as a symbol of Soviet-era repression by many Czechs.
Czech President Milos Zeman echoed Russian outrage over the removal as "an abuse of the state of emergency.”


rferl--2020-04-19--Iran Extends Prisoner Furloughs Amid Coronavirus Threat

Iran ’ s president said the country has extended furloughs for prisoners for another month as officials struggle to curtail the spread of the coronavirus .
Hassan Rohani ’ s announcement on April 19 followed an earlier decision to allow so-called low-risk businesses -- including many shops , factories , and workshops -- to resume operations in Tehran .
Rohani said mosques and other religious centers would remain closed for another two weeks and that decisions on gatherings during Ramadan will be decided later .
The Islamic holy month is scheduled to begin April 23 .
Iran has reported more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 deaths .
But many Iranians and other experts think the government has intentionally underreported the extent of the pandemic .
The Health Ministry has said the real infection and death toll may be higher due to limited testing .
Traffic was heavy in Tehran on April 18 , the first day of Iran 's workweek .
Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago .
Tens of thousands of prisoners were ordered temporarily released in mid-March as the coronavirus threatened to sweep through prisons .
On April 17 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to release political prisoners who risk becoming infected inside crowded jails and prisons .
`` Furloughs of those prisoners , who pose no threat to the society , have been extended until May 20 , '' Rohani said in a televised cabinet meeting on April 19 .
Of those released , 10,000 received full pardons , including some political prisoners .
Among those was scientist Roland Marchal , who was allowed to return home to France after 9 1/2 months in prison .
British citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe , who also has Iranian citizenship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served half of a five-year sentence for alleged espionage .
Schools and universities remain closed in Iran and a ban on cultural and sports gatherings remains in place .
With reporting by Reuters and dpa

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--2020-04-19--Orthodox Christians Mark Easter Holiday Amid Coronavirus Restrictions

Orthodox Christians observed the Easter holiday amid extraordinary coronavirus-related restrictions on services that forced many parishioners to watch services on TV or online .
Church leaders have struggled to figure out how to observe the April 19 holiday – the holiest day in the Orthodox calendar -- while avoiding spreading the coronavirus .
Some local parishes have defied orders from public health officials and church leaders and vowed to allow people to attend services in person .
In Russia and Ukraine , two of the biggest Orthodox denominations , priests in St. Petersburg and Kyiv held services beginning late on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online .
Police deployed outside churches in Ukraine to ensure that anyone who came remained outside and observed regulations calling for social distancing and a ban on large gatherings .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to celebrate from home .
Most church leaders complied and agreed to broadcast their services .
One exception was the famed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery , where police regulated entry to the church to one worshipper at a time .
The complex was placed under quarantine after more than 90 of its monks were identified as infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died .
The monastery is controlled by a rival Orthodox denomination in Ukraine that is loyal to the Russian church in Moscow .
The Russian Orthodox Church ordered churches to close their doors to large groups during the week leading up to the holiday .
Patriarch Kirill led the Russian church ’ s main service on April 18 at Moscow ’ s Christ the Savior Cathedral .
In an Easter sermon , he said Orthodox Christians should not despair in difficult circumstances and should not panic .
President Vladimir Putin , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past , did not attend this year .
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he stayed at the suburban presidential residence and lit a candle at a chapel on the property .
The most contentious debate over Orthodox Easter occurred in Georgia , where church leaders and the government agreed to allow parishioners to attend dusk-to-dawn Easter Vigil services .
The agreement meant worshippers were allowed to attend overnight services in large cathedrals despite a curfew , but they were required to maintain a distance of 2 meters .
Those who attend small churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the main cathedral in Tbilisi , where Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II said that the virus had caused fear among many people .
In Bulgaria , the government urged people not to attend services but didn ’ t ban them .
Hundreds flocked to outdoor services late on April 18 , but many opted to watch on television .
`` In the current situation , we must be better and more humble , '' Prime Minister Boyko Borisov wrote in Facebook .
`` Let 's do everything we can to be proud of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In Moldova , where 90 percent of the population considers itself Orthodox , church leaders also asked worshippers to stay home and not attend services in person .
President Igor Dodon , however , was caught on camera promising a group of priests on the eve of Easter that they would not be fined for breaking government restrictions .
Still , he asked the priests to help prevent overcrowding .
Patriarch Vladimir , the head of the Moldovan church , sought to limit the Easter morning ritual of priests blessing parishioners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 17 , he hosted a blessing ceremony himself at the country ’ s biggest bakery and the country ’ s leading winemaker .
Easter for the world ’ s 300 million Orthodox Christian is celebrated about a week after Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians observe the holiday .
With reporting by Reuters and AP

The URL has been copied to your clipboard
The code has been copied to your clipboard.
Orthodox Christians observed the Easter holiday amid extraordinary coronavirus-related restrictions on services that forced many parishioners to watch services on TV or online.
Church leaders have struggled to figure out how to observe the April 19 holiday – the holiest day in the Orthodox calendar -- while avoiding spreading the coronavirus.
Some local parishes have defied orders from public health officials and church leaders and vowed to allow people to attend services in person.
In Russia and Ukraine, two of the biggest Orthodox denominations, priests in St. Petersburg and Kyiv held services beginning late on April 18 that were televised and shown online.
Police deployed outside churches in Ukraine to ensure that anyone who came remained outside and observed regulations calling for social distancing and a ban on large gatherings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to celebrate from home. Most church leaders complied and agreed to broadcast their services.
One exception was the famed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, where police regulated entry to the church to one worshipper at a time. The complex was placed under quarantine after more than 90 of its monks were identified as infected with coronavirus. At least two have died.
WATCH: An Orthodox priest in Romania used a microphone to involve a neighborhood in an Easter Vigil. People stood in their windows with candles lit to the sound of litanies and church bells in the city of Cluj-Napoca on the night of April 18-19:
The monastery is controlled by a rival Orthodox denomination in Ukraine that is loyal to the Russian church in Moscow.
The Russian Orthodox Church ordered churches to close their doors to large groups during the week leading up to the holiday.
Patriarch Kirill led the Russian church’s main service on April 18 at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. In an Easter sermon, he said Orthodox Christians should not despair in difficult circumstances and should not panic.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
President Vladimir Putin, who has regularly attended the nighttime rituals in the past, did not attend this year.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he stayed at the suburban presidential residence and lit a candle at a chapel on the property.
In neighboring Belarus, one of the very few countries that did not impose lockdown measures or close borders to curb the epidemic, thousands of people converged on churches to celebrate Easter, ignoring calls from health authorities to stay at home.
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who had previously derided global concerns over COVID-19 as "mass psychosis," visited a church without a face mask.
"I don't approve of those who closed people's way to church," BelTA state news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying. "We experience these viruses every year."
The most contentious debate over Orthodox Easter occurred in Georgia, where church leaders and the government agreed to allow parishioners to attend dusk-to-dawn Easter Vigil services.
The agreement meant worshippers were allowed to attend overnight services in large cathedrals despite a curfew, but they were required to maintain a distance of 2 meters. Those who attend small churches had to remain outside.
Dozens went to the main cathedral in Tbilisi, where Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II said that the virus had caused fear among many people.
In Bulgaria, the government urged people not to attend services but didn’t ban them. Hundreds flocked to outdoor services late on April 18, but many opted to watch on television.
"In the current situation, we must be better and more humble," Prime Minister Boyko Borisov wrote in Facebook. "Let's do everything we can to be proud of our decisions and actions in years to come."
Those attending services were required to wear face coverings and keep their distance from one another.
Orthodox Christians in Serbia celebrated at home after the government imposed an 84-hour curfew over the Easter weekend.
In Moldova, where 90 percent of the population considers itself Orthodox, church leaders also asked worshippers to stay home and not attend services in person.
President Igor Dodon, however, was caught on camera promising a group of priests on the eve of Easter that they would not be fined for breaking government restrictions. Still, he asked the priests to help prevent overcrowding.
Patriarch Vladimir, the head of the Moldovan church, sought to limit the Easter morning ritual of priests blessing parishioners’ holiday cakes and breads. On April 17, he hosted a blessing ceremony himself at the country’s biggest bakery and the country’s leading winemaker.
Easter for the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christian is celebrated about a week after Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians observe the holiday.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and AP


rferl--2020-04-20--Pakistan Begins Repatriating Laborers Stranded In UAE

Pakistan says it will repatriate thousands more citizens from the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) , which had threatened to review labor relations if countries did not take back their nationals from the Gulf state due to the novel coronavirus pandemic .
Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui said April 19 that a third phase of repatriations would begin between April 20 and 28 .
Fourteen flights are scheduled to take Pakistani nationals from the UAE during this period , the Foreign Ministry said .
Six other flights are planned to repatriate Pakistani nationals from other countries , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Airlines flight carrying 227 `` stranded passengers '' from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad the evening of April 18 , Pakistan 's consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post .
More than 40,000 Pakistani nationals have registered with the Dubai consulate to return home , the UAE newspaper The National reported .
Pakistan is a major labor supplier to the UAE , with more than a million Pakistanis living and working in the country .
The UAE said earlier in April it would review labor relations with states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrant laborers lost jobs or did not receive salaries from employers due to lockdowns imposed over the coronavirus pandemic .
In March , the UAE suspended all passenger flights , leaving migrants stranded in the country as authorities demanded foreign governments take their citizens .
The UAE and other Gulf states reliant on foreign labor have reported increased coronavirus infections among low-income migrant workers who often live in crowded conditions .
Pakistan has warned it has limited quarantine and testing facilities to handle repatriated nationals , raising concerns laborers could become a vector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pandemic is likely to impact the remittances Pakistani workers send home .

Pakistan says it will repatriate thousands more citizens from the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), which had threatened to review labor relations if countries did not take back their nationals from the Gulf state due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui said on April 19 that a third phase of repatriations would begin between April 20 and 28.
Fourteen flights are scheduled to take Pakistani nationals from the U.A.E. during this period, the Foreign Ministry said. Six other flights are planned to repatriate Pakistani nationals from other countries, including Bahrain and Malaysia.
The first Pakistan International Airlines flight carrying 227 "stranded passengers" from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on the evening of April 18, Pakistan's consulate-general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.
More than 40,000 Pakistani nationals have registered with the Dubai consulate to return home, the U.A.E. newspaper The National reported.
Pakistan is a major labor supplier to the U.A.E., with more than 1 million Pakistanis living and working in the country.
The U.A.E. said earlier in April it would review labor relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens as thousands of migrant laborers lost jobs or did not receive salaries from employers due to lockdowns imposed over the coronavirus pandemic.
In March, the U.A.E. suspended all passenger flights, leaving migrants stranded in the country as authorities demanded foreign governments take their citizens.
The U.A.E. and other Gulf states reliant on foreign labor have reported increased coronavirus infections among low-income migrant workers who often live in crowded conditions.
Pakistan has warned it has limited quarantine and testing facilities to handle repatriated nationals, raising concerns laborers could become a vector for the spread of the virus.
The pandemic is likely to impact the remittances Pakistani workers send home.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-04-19--Lawyer Of Iranian-French Academic Being Tried In Tehran Raises Hopes For Her Freedom

The lawyer of an Iranian-French academic being tried in Tehran on security charges says he expects the court in charge of the case to issue its ruling in the coming days .
Fariba Adelkhah ’ s lawyer told AFP by telephone that Branch 15 of Tehran 's Revolutionary Court held a session in her trial on April 19 -- the second since her trial began last month .
Describing the hearing as `` satisfactory , '' the lawyer , Said Dehghan , raised hopes for Adelkhah 's freedom and said he expected the court 's decision within a week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Po university in Paris and is an expert on Iran and Shi'ite Islam .
She was arrested in June 2019 along with fellow researcher Roland Marchal .
Adelkhah is accused of `` propaganda against the system '' and `` colluding to commit acts against national security . ''
Marchal , who was accused of `` colluding to commit acts against national security , '' was allowed to return home to France last month after being released in a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran .
Adelkhah had been in `` high spirits '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dehghan as saying .
Iran , which does not recognize dual citizenship , had repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release the two .
The country has arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent years on alleged espionage charges .
Iranian authorities have not provided any solid evidence to back up their claims .


rferl--2020-04-19--Own Goal? Turkmenistan Restarts Soccer Season, Despite Coronavirus Pandemic

As the coronavirus forces lockdowns across the world , several hundred soccer fans gathered in a stadium in Turkmenistan ’ s capital , Ashgabat , to attend a domestic league match .
Following a short break , Turkmenistan on April 19 rebooted its eight-team soccer league with a clash between Altyn Asyr and Kopetdag , less than a month after suspending it .
The Ministry of Sport has said the decision to reopen the soccer season “ pleased the army of fans ” and was welcomed by players .
Turkmenistan has not officially acknowledged any coronavirus cases within its borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on April 16 that the authorities “ may be disinclined to do so if cases were confirmed.
” Turkmenistan 's government sealed off Ashgabat on March 20 without any public announcement by authorities or state media about the reasons for the closure .
RFE/RL correspondents in the capital , Ashgabat , reported in late March that people talking in public about the pandemic were being quickly whisked away by plainclothes agents .
To mark World Health Day on April 7 , President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov was shown on state television riding a horse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials as state employees engaged in mass exercise sessions across the country .
Turkmenistan has canceled all international flights to and from the gas-rich country and closed all land borders .
With reporting by AFP and RFE/RL ’ s Turkmen Service

As the coronavirus forces lockdowns across the world, several hundred soccer fans gathered in a stadium in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, to attend a domestic league match.
Following a short break, Turkmenistan on April 19 rebooted its eight-team soccer league with a clash between Altyn Asyr and Kopetdag, less than a month after suspending it.
The Sports Ministry has said the decision to reopen the soccer season “pleased the army of fans” and was welcomed by players.
Turkmenistan has not officially acknowledged any coronavirus cases within its borders, and the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat said on April 16 that the authorities “may be disinclined to do so if cases were confirmed.”
Turkmenistan's government sealed off Ashgabat on March 20 without any public announcement by authorities or state media about the reasons for the closure.
RFE/RL correspondents in the capital, Ashgabat, reported in late March that people talking in public about the pandemic were being quickly whisked away by plainclothes agents.
To mark World Health Day on April 7, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov was shown on state television riding a horse and biking with a small group of officials as state employees engaged in mass exercise sessions across the country.
Turkmenistan has canceled all international flights to and from the gas-rich country and closed all land borders.
With reporting by AFP and RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service


rferl--2020-04-19--Iran's Zarif To Meet Syrian Leader In Damascus

Iran 's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is scheduled to travel to the Syrian capital on April 20 for talks @ @ @ @ @ according the Iranian Foreign Ministry .
The ministry said on April 19 that Zarif will @ @ @ @ @ Minister Walid al-Muallem during his one-day trip to Damascus .
Talks will touch upon bilateral @ @ @ @ @ and Syria 's `` fight against terrorism , ” it said .
Iran , along @ @ @ @ @ crucial military support to Assad during the country ’ s long civil war , which @ @ @ @ @ month .
More than 400,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict @ @ @ @ @ anti-government protesters in March 2011 .
Iran , Russia , and Syria often refer to @ @ @ @ @ Syrian government as `` terrorists . ''


rferl--2020-04-19--Iran Accuses U.S. Of Giving 'False' Account Of Gulf Encounter

Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) has accused the United States of giving a false account of a recent encounter between the two states ' navies in the Persian Gulf , after Washington blamed Iranian vessels for harassing its ships .
`` We advise Americans to follow international regulations and maritime protocols in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman , and avoid any adventurism and false stories , '' the IRGC said in a statement on its official website on April 19 .
The force warned that any `` miscalculation will receive a decisive response .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 vessels from the IRGC made “ dangerous and harassing approaches ” toward U.S. naval ships in the Gulf on April 15 .
The U.S. ships were in international waters carrying out exercises at the time of the incidents , according to the U.S. 5th Fleet , which is based in Bahrain .
In the IRGC 's telling , its forces were on a drill and faced “ the unprofessional and provocative actions ” of the U.S. ships .
Close interactions with Iranian military vessels have occurred in the region in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ships when Iranian vessels got too close .
Tensions between Iran and the United States increased in January after the United States killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and Reuters


rferl--2020-04-20--Russian Court Postpones Trial Of Journalist Prokopyeva Due To Coronavirus

PSKOV , Russia – A Russian court has ordered a delay in the trial of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva , who faces terrorism-related charges for publishing an online commentary that linked a suicide bombing with the country ’ s political climate .
The Pskov court on April 20 ordered the trial postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic now sweeping through Russia , “ until the normalization of the sanitary and epidemiologic situation in the country.
” Prokopyeva , a freelance contributor to RFE/RL ’ s Russian Service , called the decision “ correct , because what we need is an open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Vitaly Cherkasov , said it was impossible to say exactly when the trial may start due to the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the government .
The charges of `` justifying terrorism '' stem from a November 2018 commentary published by the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy radio in which she discussed a bombing outside the Federal Security Service offices in the northern city of Arkhangelsk .
Russian media reported that the suspected bomber , who died in the explosion , had posted statements on social media accusing the security service of falsifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prokopyeva linked the teenager 's statements to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin .
She suggested that political activism in the country was severely restricted , leading people to despair .
Prokopyeva has described the case against her as an attempt to “ murder the freedom of speech ” in Russia .
If found guilty , she faces up to seven years in prison .
The case has drawn criticism from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and media rights groups like Reporters Without Borders , the Committee to Protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journalists .
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly called the charges “ a cynical effort to silence an independent journalist .
”

PSKOV, Russia – A Russian court has ordered a delay in the trial of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva, who faces terrorism-related charges for publishing an online commentary that linked a suicide bombing with the country’s political climate.
The Pskov court on April 20 ordered the trial postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic now sweeping through Russia, “until the normalization of the sanitary and epidemiologic situation in the country.”
Prokopyeva, a freelance contributor to RFE/RL’s Russian Service, called the decision “correct, because what we need is an open trial accessible to all.”
Her lawyer, Vitaly Cherkasov, said it was impossible to say exactly when the trial may start due to the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the government.
The charges of "justifying terrorism" stem from a November 2018 commentary published by the Pskov affiliate of Ekho Moskvy radio in which she discussed a bombing outside the Federal Security Service offices in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.
Russian media reported that the suspected bomber, who died in the explosion, had posted statements on social media accusing the security service of falsifying criminal cases.
In her commentary, Prokopyeva linked the teenager's statements to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin. She suggested that political activism in the country was severely restricted, leading people to despair.
Prokopyeva has described the case against her as an attempt to “murder the freedom of speech” in Russia.
If found guilty, she faces up to seven years in prison.
The case has drawn criticism from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and media rights groups like Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the European Federation of Journalists.
RFE/RL President Jamie Fly called the charges “a cynical effort to silence an independent journalist.”


rferl--2020-04-20--Tatar Islamic Scholar Arrested For Allegedly Running Branch Of Banned Islamic Group

KAZAN , Russia -- Gabdrakhman Naumov , a noted Islamic scholar in Russia 's Republic of Tatarstan , has been arrested on suspicion of creating and running a branch of a banned Islamic group .
Naumov 's lawyer , Ruslan Nagiyev , told RFE/RL that his client was apprehended about a month ago on suspicion of being the leader of the Nurcular Islamic group .
Naumov is well-known in Tatarstan as a teacher at the Russian Islamic University and as the former imam of a mosque in Tatarstan ’ s capital , Kazan .
`` His arrest has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious and civil rights figures support Naumov .
Nobody believes that he may be a leader of some sort of an extremist group , '' Nagiyev said , adding that his client has rejected the charge .
Nagiyev also said that law enforcement authorities in Tatarstan have already added Naumov to a list of extremists , although his trial is still pending .
Since 2013 , several alleged members of Nurcular have been arrested across Russia .
Nurcular was founded in Turkey by Islamic scholar Said Nursi , who died in 1960 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 .
Russian authorities have said the group promotes the creation of an Islamic state that encompasses all Turkic-speaking areas and countries in the Middle East , the Caucasus , Central Asia , and Russia 's Turkic-speaking regions in the North Caucasus and Volga region .

KAZAN, Russia -- Gabdrakhman Naumov, a noted Islamic scholar in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, has been arrested on suspicion of creating and running a branch of a banned Islamic group.
Naumov's lawyer, Ruslan Nagiyev, told RFE/RL that his client was apprehended about a month ago on suspicion of being the leader of the Nurcular Islamic group.
Naumov is well-known in Tatarstan as a teacher at the Russian Islamic University and as the former imam of a mosque in Tatarstan’s capital, Kazan.
"His arrest has been a shock for many in Tatarstan. Many religious and civil rights figures support Naumov. Nobody believes that he may be a leader of some sort of an extremist group," Nagiyev said, adding that his client has rejected the charge.
Nagiyev also said that law enforcement authorities in Tatarstan have already added Naumov to a list of extremists, although his trial is still pending.
Since 2013, several alleged members of Nurcular have been arrested across Russia.
Nurcular was founded in Turkey by Islamic scholar Said Nursi, who died in 1960. It has been banned in Russia since 2008.
The Nurcular movement, which has millions of followers around the globe, especially in Turkey, has been banned in Russia since 2008.
Russian authorities have said the group promotes the creation of an Islamic state that encompasses all Turkic-speaking areas and countries in the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Russia's Turkic-speaking regions in the North Caucasus and Volga region.


rferl--2020-04-20--Iranian Foreign Minister Holds Talks With Syria's Assad In Damascus

Iran 's foreign minister has held talks with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad as both countries grapple with the coronavirus outbreak .
The country 's official government news agency IRNA said Mohammad Javad Zarif met with Assad in the Syrian capital , Damascus , on April 20 , but no further details were released .
Photographs posted to the Iranian government 's Twitter account showed Zarif and Assad wearing masks and gloves as they met .
Ahead of the visit , the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the talks were expected to touch on bilateral relations , regional developments , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Syria 's closest ally in the region .
Along with Russia , Tehran has provided crucial military support to Assad during the country ’ s civil war , which entered its 10th year last month .
More than 400,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began .
The civil war has devastated Syria 's health system , and aid workers and rights activists have warned the government is incapable of preventing the coronavirus from spreading .
For weeks , government officials denied any threat , allowing Shi'ite pilgrims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Damascus .
Fighters , allied with the Syrian military , traveled back and forth from those countries .
By early March , restrictions began with a partial closure of borders and shrines .
Syria ’ s official count is 39 infections and three deaths , all in or around Damascus , though most experts believe the number is far higher .
With reporting by IRNA and AP


rferl--2020-04-20--COVID-19: Iran Loosens Restrictions; Russian Cases Spike

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 165,000 with more than 2.4 million infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Iran has further loosened coronavirus restrictions , opening intercity highways and shopping malls even as the country continues to grapple with the highest number of confirmed cases in the region .
The move , which took effect April 20 , was an effort to restart the country 's economy which had already been faltering prior to the pandemic due to punishing Western sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iran with more than 82,000 reported cases , according to official figures .
Iran 's parliament , however , has suggested the death toll might be nearly double that and overall cases vastly underreported .
The looser restrictions include retailers such as high-end shopping malls and even Tehran 's famous Grand Bazaar .
Officials downplayed the crisis for weeks , even as top officials became infected .
President Hassan Rohani refused to impose 24-hour lockdowns like other countries have .
Mosques and religious shrines have , however , been shuttered after officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important role in spreading the virus .
With the Muslim holy month of Ramadan scheduled to begin on April 23 , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has suggested that mass gatherings may be barred throughout the month .
The economy , which has recorded up to 20 percent unemployment and 40 percent inflation , has been struggling due to harsh U.S. sanctions that have blocked the sale of crude oil abroad .
The sanctions were imposed after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from Tehran 's nuclear deal with world powers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jump in total coronavirus cases even as the country 's health minister said some of the government 's restrictions were helping to blunt the rate of increase .
Mikhail Murashko 's comments , in an interview on April 20 on state TV , came a day after President Vladimir Putin proclaimed that the country 's coronavirus situation was `` fully under control . ''
The government task force overseeing the national response to the virus said that new cases jumped by more than 4,200 over the past day , rising to 47,121 cumulative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 405 as of April 20 .
The continued rise in figures comes despite Russia taking some early , aggressive moves to respond to the spreading virus , including shutting down its border with China , where the virus first emerged .
But the government moved more slowly to impose social-distancing guidelines , to shutter commercial businesses , and to push employers to have employees work from home .
Even before many European nations started imposing restrictions , Moscow moved to shut down much of the country 's vast border with China , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can see that social distancing and self-isolation measures have been effective , '' Murashko said in the interview with Rossia-24 TV .
He said fewer seriously ill patients were being admitted to hospitals .
A day earlier , in a recorded video address to mark the Orthodox Easter holiday , Putin sought to reassure Russians that the government was succeeding in curtailing the disease 's spread .
`` All branches of governments are working rhythmically , responsibly , in an organized manner , '' Putin said .
`` The situation is under full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , Putin gave a candid assessment of the country 's fight so far , warning that the peak in cases was yet to come .
`` We have many problems and we do n't have much to brag about , '' Putin told a televised meeting of cabinet officials .
`` We are not past the peak of the epidemic , especially not in Moscow . ''
Uzbekistan has prolonged by three weeks some restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus while easing some earlier limitations .
The Justice Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were supposed to end on April 20 will now be in place until May 10 .
According to the statement , the sale of non-food items will now be allowed via mobile outlets .
All shops and stores , except those selling groceries , were temporarily closed in Tashkent , the capital , and adjacent districts , starting March 24 .
The commission also ruled that all pensions will be electronically paid to the payment cards of recipients without any fees and a system of electronic signing documents will be introduced .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now be mandatory for all taxi drivers to wear masks , gloves , and individual protective robes while providing services to clients .
The statement also says that all visas issued to foreign nationals stuck in Uzbekistan due to the coronavirus restrictions will be automatically extended until June 1 .
Uzbekistan 's Sanitary Inspector-General Nurmat Otabekov said on April 20 that the number of cases in the country was at least 1,565 , including five deaths .
In neighboring Kazakhstan , all industrial facilities , construction businesses , transportation and storage operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electronic devices , some banks , and notary offices could resume operations as of April 20 .
The state of emergency over the outbreak in Kazakhstan was imposed until April 30 .
Kazakh health authorities said on April 20 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was 1,757 , including 19 deaths .
In Kyrgyzstan , as of April 20 , 568 cases were registered , including seven deaths .
Two other Central Asian countries -- Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- have not officially declared any coronavirus cases .
But experts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of transparency within their governments and a lack of independent media .
The two have recently bucked the global trend of suspending sports events during the crisis by resuming their national soccer leagues .
Tajikistan began its season with matches held behind closed doors , while Turkmenistan at the weekend opened stadiums for its top league .
With reporting by Interfax , AP , Reuters , and RFE/RL 's Uzbek , Kazakh , Tajik , and Kyrgyz services

The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 167,000 with more than 2.43 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions.
Iran
Iran has further loosened coronavirus restrictions, opening intercity highways and shopping malls even as the country continues to grapple with the highest number of confirmed cases in the region.
The move, which took effect April 20, was an effort to restart the country's economy which had already been faltering prior to the pandemic due to punishing Western sanctions.
More than 5,100 people have died in Iran with more than 82,000 reported cases, according to official figures.
Iran's parliament, however, has suggested the death toll might be nearly double that and overall cases vastly underreported.
The looser restrictions include retailers such as high-end shopping malls and even Tehran's famous Grand Bazaar.
Other businesses including restaurants and sports gyms remain closed.
Officials downplayed the crisis for weeks, even as top officials became infected. President Hassan Rohani refused to impose 24-hour lockdowns like other countries have.
Mosques and religious shrines have, however, been shuttered after officials concluded that they may have played an important role in spreading the virus.
With the Muslim holy month of Ramadan scheduled to begin on April 23, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has suggested that mass gatherings may be barred throughout the month.
The economy, which has recorded up to 20 percent unemployment and 40 percent inflation, has been struggling due to harsh U.S. sanctions that have blocked the sale of crude oil abroad.
The sanctions were imposed after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.
Russia
Russia has recorded another sharp jump in total coronavirus cases even as the country's health minister said some of the government's restrictions were helping to blunt the rate of increase.
Mikhail Murashko's comments, in an interview on April 20 on state TV, came a day after President Vladimir Putin proclaimed that the country's coronavirus situation was "fully under control."
The government task force overseeing the national response to the virus said that new cases jumped by more than 4,200 over the past day, rising to 47,121 cumulative cases. The death toll stood at 405 as of April 20.
The continued rise in figures comes despite Russia taking some early, aggressive moves to respond to the spreading virus, including shutting down its border with China, where the virus first emerged. But the government moved more slowly to impose social-distancing guidelines, to shutter commercial businesses, and to push employers to have employees work from home.
Even before many European nations started imposing restrictions, Moscow moved to shut down much of the country's vast border with China, where the virus first emerged.
"We can see that social distancing and self-isolation measures have been effective," Murashko said in the interview with Rossia-24 TV.
He said fewer seriously ill patients were being admitted to hospitals.
A day earlier, in a recorded video address to mark the Orthodox Easter holiday, Putin sought to reassure Russians that the government was succeeding in curtailing the disease's spread.
"All branches of governments are working rhythmically, responsibly, in an organized manner," Putin said. "The situation is under full control."
A week earlier, however, Putin gave a candid assessment of the country's fight so far, warning that the peak in cases was yet to come.
"We have many problems and we don't have much to brag about," Putin told a televised meeting of cabinet officials. "We are not past the peak of the epidemic, especially not in Moscow."
Meanwhile, hundreds of people took the streets of North Ossetia’s regional capital, protesting coronavirus measures that have squeezed the local economy and demanding the governor resign.
Many of the participants in the April 20 demonstration in Vladikavkaz refused to wear masks, spurning guidance of local and national health officials who have sought to stem the spread of the virus.
Police detained several demonstrators, while much of the crowd of several hundred managed to march to the city’s central square, where they chanted for regional Governor Vyacheslav Bitarov to meet with them.
Many of the demonstrators complained they lacked information about the virus and its victims. Some also said they had lost jobs because of “self-isolation” measures imposed to try to stem the spread of the virus.
Bitarov later met with the protesters and called on them to go home.
“I didn’t make up this disease and there’s one treatment: stay home,” he told the crowd.
However, the demonstrators refused to leave the square. An RFE/RL correspondent reported from the site that the number of protesters increased in the afternoon to about 1,000.
Leaders of opposition groups who were among the protesters demanded the dismissal of the region's government and parliament before May 8, the formation of a new government led by opposition politician Vitaly Kaloyev, and a referendum on the direct election of the regional leader.
A group of protesters and Bitarov, who was appointed by Putin in February 2016, then moved into the local government building to discuss the demands.
The region, which borders Chechnya and Georgia, has reported 145 total cases of the coronavirus, and two deaths.
Like other major cities in Russia, Vladikavkaz has imposed quarantine and self-isolation measures on the city's 300,000 residents.
Serbia
The Serbian government will loosen strict lockdown measures implemented last month to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Some small businesses and markets including car mechanics, shoemakers, dry cleaners, bookshops, and other services will be allowed to reopen on April 21.
The government said businesses must enforce strict prevention measures such as wearing a face covering, gloves, and disinfecting. Shopping malls, cafes, restaurants, schools, and kindergartens will remain closed.
A night curfew will be shortened by one hour and an around-the-clock lockdown for people aged 65 and above will also be eased, allowing them to leave their homes for 30-minute walks on three evenings a week.
"The government also calls on employers in the construction industry to resume work... while adhering to protection measures and rules of social distancing," the government said in a statement.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced last month some of the strictest measures in Europe as part of a state of emergency to slow the spread of the virus.
Over the weekend, the government imposed an 84-hour curfew to prevent socializing during the Orthodox Christian Easter on April 19.
Serbia has reported 6,630 coronavirus infections and 125 fatalities.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has prolonged by three weeks some restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus while easing some earlier limitations.
The Justice Ministry said in a statement that the restrictions that were supposed to end on April 20 will now be in place until May 10.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
According to the statement, the sale of non-food items will now be allowed via mobile outlets. All shops and stores, except those selling groceries, were temporarily closed in Tashkent, the capital, and adjacent districts, starting March 24.
The commission also ruled that all pensions will be electronically paid to the payment cards of recipients without any fees and a system of electronic signing documents will be introduced.
One new restriction introduced is that it will now be mandatory for all taxi drivers to wear masks, gloves, and individual protective robes while providing services to clients.
The statement also says that all visas issued to foreign nationals stuck in Uzbekistan due to the coronavirus restrictions will be automatically extended until June 1.
Uzbekistan's Sanitary Inspector-General Nurmat Otabekov said on April 20 that the number of cases in the country was at least 1,565, including five deaths.
Kazakhstan
In neighboring Kazakhstan, all industrial facilities, construction businesses, transportation and storage operations, automobile services, repair points for electronic devices, some banks, and notary offices could resume operations as of April 20.
The state of emergency over the outbreak in Kazakhstan was imposed until April 30.
Kazakh health authorities said on April 20 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country was 1,757, including 19 deaths.
Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan/Turkmenistan
In Kyrgyzstan, as of April 20, 568 cases were registered, including seven deaths.
Two other Central Asian countries -- Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- have not officially declared any coronavirus cases. But experts are skeptical of the claims given the lack of transparency within their governments and a lack of independent media.
The two have recently bucked the global trend of suspending sports events during the crisis by resuming their national soccer leagues.
Tajikistan began its season with matches held behind closed doors, while Turkmenistan at the weekend opened stadiums for its top league.
With reporting by Interfax, AP, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Russian, Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik, and Kyrgyz services


rferl--2020-04-20--Global Oil Prices Continue Downward Slide

Oil prices continued their downward slide , slipping to levels not seen in two decades amid the fallout from the coronavirus and a contentious deal between oil cartel OPEC and Russia .
U.S. crude oil prices fell 20 percent on April 20 , slipping below $ 15 a barrel .
That 's the lowest price for the U.S. benchmark of West Texas Intermediate in nearly 20 years .
The broader global index , known as Brent crude , fell more than 2 percent to under $ 27 a barrel .
The main Russian index , known as Urals , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 17 , to just over $ 23 a barrel .
The collapse of global oil prices is due to the ongoing widespread economic slowdown caused by governments imposing restrictions on businesses and individuals in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus .
It also coincides with the surge in supplies by major oil-producing countries that occurred after Russia and OPEC failed to agree on a deal to cut production .
Moscow and Saudi Arabia -- the world 's biggest oil producer -- later reversed course and reached agreement to limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little to stop the drop in prices .
The price collapse has begun to worry governments that rely on revenues from oil and gas exports .
That includes Russia and Saudi Arabia , as well as Venezuela and Iran .

Oil prices continued their downward slide, slipping to levels not seen in two decades amid the fallout from the coronavirus and a contentious deal between oil cartel OPEC and Russia.
U.S. crude oil prices fell 20 percent on April 20, slipping below $15 a barrel.
That's the lowest price for the U.S. benchmark of West Texas Intermediate in nearly 20 years.
The broader global index, known as Brent crude, fell more than 2 percent to under $27 a barrel. The main Russian index, known as Urals, was down more than 1 percent as of April 17, to just over $23 a barrel.
The collapse of global oil prices is due to the ongoing widespread economic slowdown caused by governments imposing restrictions on businesses and individuals in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
It also coincides with the surge in supplies by major oil-producing countries that occurred after Russia and OPEC failed to agree on a deal to cut production.
Moscow and Saudi Arabia -- the world's biggest oil producer -- later reversed course and reached agreement to limit some pumping, but that has done little to stop the drop in prices.
The price collapse has begun to worry governments that rely on revenues from oil and gas exports. That includes Russia and Saudi Arabia, as well as Venezuela and Iran.
Based reporting by AFP and AP