rferl--2020-10-13--Belarus Starts Chain Reaction At Astravets Nuclear Plant

Belarus has successfully launched the first chain reaction at Unit 1 of the Astravets nuclear power plant .
“ This marked the beginning of the reactor 's life cycle , ” the Energy Ministry said on its Telegram channel on October 11 .
Built by Russian state firm Rosatom and financed by Moscow with a $ 10 billion loan , the Astravets nuclear power plant project is opposed by neighboring EU members Lithuania and Latvia because of its proximity to the border .
When fully operational in 2022 , the nuclear plant ’ s two VVER-1200 type reactors will produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Energy Ministry said in its latest update that a fission chain reaction at one of two reactors was brought to a minimum controlled level .
The reactor will undergo several tests to confirm safety and reliability .
The next stage will be to start energy production and include the unit in the country ’ s energy system .
On October 13 , Director of the Department for Energy Efficiency Mikhail Malashenka said that the commissioning of the nuclear power plant will allow Belarus to minimize the country ’ s dependency on gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Estonia are moving to a full decoupling from their Soviet-era common power system by 2025 as part of an EU goal to better integrate the bloc ’ s electricity grid .
Lithuania has already banned all electricity imports from the Astravets plant , citing concerns about safety and national security .
Belarus has rejected suggestions that the plant poses a risk and has insisted it meets all safety standards .

Belarus has successfully launched the first chain reaction at Unit 1 of the Astravets nuclear power plant.
"This marked the beginning of the reactor's life cycle," the Energy Ministry said on its Telegram channel on October 11.
Built by Russian state firm Rosatom and financed by Moscow with a $10 billion loan, the Astravets nuclear power plant project is opposed by neighboring EU members Lithuania and Latvia because of its proximity to the border.
When fully operational in 2022, the nuclear plant's two VVER-1200 type reactors will produce up to 2,400 MW of electricity.
The Energy Ministry said in its latest update that a fission chain reaction at one of two reactors was brought to a minimum controlled level. The reactor will undergo several tests to confirm safety and reliability.
The next stage will be to start energy production and include the unit in the country's energy system.
On October 13, the director of the Department for Energy Efficiency, Mikhail Malashenka, said that the commissioning of the nuclear power plant will allow Belarus to minimize its dependency on gas and oil imports.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are moving to a full decoupling from their Soviet-era common power system by 2025 as part of an EU goal to better integrate the bloc's electricity grid.
Lithuania has already banned all electricity imports from the Astravets plant, citing concerns about safety and national security.
Belarus has rejected suggestions that the plant poses a risk and has insisted it meets all safety standards.


rferl--2020-10-13--Norway Says Moscow Behind Cyberattack On Parliament

Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide has said that Russia was behind a cyberattack launched against the Norwegian parliament in August , an accusation rejected by Moscow as `` a deliberate provocation . ''
The Norwegian legislature said on September 1 that it had been the target of a cyberattack the week before and that the e-mail accounts of several lawmakers and employees had been hacked .
`` Based on the information available to the government , it is our assessment that Russia stood behind this activity , '' Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement on October 13 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Russia , but ca n't accept such attacks against its democratic institutions , she added when asked if the attack would impact the relationship between Norway and Russia .
`` We can not accept that parliament is the subject of such attacks . ''
The Russian Embassy in Oslo rejected the accusation , saying the it was `` a deliberate provocation , '' and said it was expecting an explanation from Oslo .
`` On October 13 , 2020 , the Norwegian authorities accused Russia of delivering a 'cyberattack ' on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was presented .
We view such accusations of our country as unacceptable .
We deem this as a serious , deliberate provocation , which is harmful for bilateral relations , '' the embassy wrote in a commentary on Facebook .
`` We are expecting an explanation from the Norwegian side , '' it said .
Norway , which is a member of NATO , has a border with Russia in the Arctic .
Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS

Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide has said that Russia was behind a cyberattack launched against the Norwegian parliament in August, an accusation rejected by Moscow as "a deliberate provocation."
The Norwegian legislature said on September 1 that it had been the target of a cyberattack the week before and that the e-mail accounts of several lawmakers and employees had been hacked.
"Based on the information available to the government, it is our assessment that Russia stood behind this activity," Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement on October 13.
Norway wants to have a pragmatic relationship with Russia, but can't accept such attacks against its democratic institutions, she added when asked if the attack would impact the relationship between Norway and Russia.
"We cannot accept that parliament is the subject of such attacks."
The Russian Embassy in Oslo rejected the accusation, saying the it was "a deliberate provocation," and said it
was expecting an explanation from Oslo.
"On October 13, 2020, the Norwegian authorities accused Russia of delivering a 'cyberattack' on the Storting [parliament]. No proof was presented. We view such accusations of our country as unacceptable. We deem this as a serious, deliberate provocation, which is harmful for bilateral relations," the embassy wrote in a commentary on Facebook.
"We are expecting an explanation from the Norwegian side," it said.
Norway, which is a member of NATO, has a border with Russia in the Arctic.
Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS


rferl--2020-10-13--Women In Remote Pakistani Region Demand Release Of Local Men

Dozens of women in Pakistan 's remote North Waziristan tribal district have staged what is being called the first sit-in protest there to demand the release of sons , brothers , and husbands allegedly detained by Pakistani security forces .
Local residents told RFE/RL on October 13 that the women 's protest had widespread support , including from local elders .
Said Anwar , a local member of the Pashtun Protection Movement , told RFE/RL that several local men had been rounded up during a security raid in the Muhammadkhei area following a roadside-bomb attack on a military convoy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elders saidl that they met with security officials but failed to secure the release of the men .
The women say the protest will continue until the men are released .
It was unclear exactly how many men in the area have been detained .
Pakistani military officials could not be reached for comment .
A local officer told RFE/RL that efforts were under way to defuse the situation and to persuade the women to end their sit-in protest .
North Waziristan served as a stronghold for local and foreign militants until 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive operation to clear the region of combatants .
Despite the military 's claims of success , the region along the Afghan border has continued to be the scene of violent attacks , targeted killings , and roadside bombs .

Dozens of women in Pakistan's remote North Waziristan tribal district have staged what is being called the first sit-in protest there to demand the release of sons, brothers, and husbands allegedly detained by Pakistani security forces.
Local residents told RFE/RL on October 13 that the women's protest had widespread support, including from local elders.
Said Anwar, a local member of the Pashtun Protection Movement, told RFE/RL that several local men had been rounded up during a security raid in the Muhammadkhei area following a roadside-bomb attack on a military convoy in the area on September 15.
Local elders saidl that they met with security officials but failed to secure the release of the men.
The women say the protest will continue until the men are released.
It was unclear exactly how many men in the area have been detained.
Pakistani military officials could not be reached for comment.
A local officer told RFE/RL that efforts were under way to defuse the situation and to persuade the women to end their sit-in protest.
North Waziristan served as a stronghold for local and foreign militants until 2014, when Pakistan's military launched a massive operation to clear the region of combatants.
Despite the military's claims of success, the region along the Afghan border has continued to be the scene of violent attacks, targeted killings, and roadside bombs.


rferl--2020-10-13--Kyrgyz President Rejects Parliament's Decision On New Prime Minister

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has rejected a decision by a group of lawmakers to appoint Sadyr Japarov , a convicted kidnapper released from prison last week in the wake of mass protests that ousted the government , to the post of prime minister .
Jeenbekov 's office said he rejected the nomination because of the lack of a quorum at the session of a group of lawmakers at which the decision was made after thousands poured into the streets on October 5 , throwing the country into chaos over contested parliamentary elections .
He asked parliament to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he met Japarov and told him he would not approve his appointment , the statement said .
The move came shortly after Dmitry Kozak , Russian President Vladimir Putin 's deputy chief of staff , visited Kyrgyzstan for talks aimed at resolving the current political crisis .
The visit was Moscow 's first visible intervention in the crisis .
Unrest in Kyrgyzstan has worried its ally , coming as postelection protests rock neighboring Belarus and fighting persists over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan .
The Russian Embassy said on October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head of state '' in ensuring Kyrgyzstan 's future development was emphasized in Kozak 's meeting with Jeenbekov .
Members of parliament and other political activists have questioned the legitimacy of the rump parliament session that selected Japarov , which at the time looked like the latest twist in a sometimes violent power struggle in the aftermath of the elections .
Meanwhile , lawmakers on October 13 elected Kanatbek Isaev as the new speaker of parliament .
In the wake of protests , then-parliament speaker Dastan Jumabekov resigned and a group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament chairman .
But Abdyldaev resigned from the post on October 10 amid statements by some political parties and lawmakers questioning the legitimacy of his appointment .
The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek voiced support for Jeenbekov 's move in a statement issued on October 13 and warned about the threat that organized crime poses to Kyrgyz democracy .
`` The United States supports the efforts of President Jeenbekov , political leaders , civil society , and legal scholars to return the political life of the country to a constitutional order , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is clear that one of the obstacles towards democratic progress is the attempt by organized crime groups to exert influence over politics and elections . ''
It said that the impact of organized crime `` was evident with vote-buying during the October 4 elections , violence and intimidation in Ala-Too Square on October 9 , and irregularities in the parliament session on October 10 . ''

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has rejected a decision by a group of lawmakers to appoint Sadyr Japarov, a convicted kidnapper released from prison last week in the wake of mass protests that ousted the government, to the post of prime minister.
Jeenbekov's office said he rejected the nomination because of the lack of a quorum at the session of a group of lawmakers at which the decision was made after thousands poured into the streets on October 5, throwing the country into chaos over contested parliamentary elections.
He asked parliament to vote again on a new prime minister after he met Japarov and told him he would not approve his appointment, the statement said.
The move came shortly after Dmitry Kozak, Russian President Vladimir Putin's deputy chief of staff, visited Kyrgyzstan for talks aimed at resolving the current political crisis.
The visit was Moscow's first visible intervention in the crisis.
Unrest in Kyrgyzstan has worried its ally, coming as postelection protests rock neighboring Belarus and fighting persists over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Russian Embassy said on October 13 that the "key role of the head of state" in ensuring Kyrgyzstan's future development was emphasized in Kozak's meeting with Jeenbekov.
Members of parliament and other political activists have questioned the legitimacy of the rump parliament session that selected Japarov, which at the time looked like the latest twist in a sometimes violent power struggle in the aftermath of the elections.
Meanwhile, lawmakers on October 13 elected Kanatbek Isaev as the new speaker of parliament.
In the wake of protests, then-parliament speaker Dastan Jumabekov resigned and a group of lawmakers named Myktybek Abdyldaev as the new parliament chairman.
But Abdyldaev resigned from the post on October 10 amid statements by some political parties and lawmakers questioning the legitimacy of his appointment.
The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek voiced support for Jeenbekov's move in a statement issued on October 13 and warned about the threat that organized crime poses to Kyrgyz democracy.
"The United States supports the efforts of President Jeenbekov, political leaders, civil society, and legal scholars to return the political life of the country to a constitutional order," the statement said, adding, "It is clear that one of the obstacles towards democratic progress is the attempt by organized crime groups to exert influence over politics and elections."
It said that the impact of organized crime "was evident with vote-buying during the October 4 elections, violence and intimidation in Ala-Too Square on October 9, and irregularities in the parliament session on October 10."


rferl--2020-10-13--Turkmen Activist Reportedly Released From Turkish Deportation Center

Turkmen activist Dursoltan Taganova has been released from a deportation center in Turkey .
Taganova confirmed her release late on October 12 to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan .
The 29-year-old activist was among dozens of other Turkmen , mostly migrant workers , arrested in Istanbul in July on charges of violating coronavirus restrictions .
They were arrested just hours before they planned to hold a rally in front of the Turkmen Consulate in Istanbul to criticize the Turkmen government 's inadequate response to the coronavirus pandemic and to call for President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov ’ s resignation .
Most detainees were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's release came after a group of 11 human rights organizations urged Turkish authorities not deport her , saying she will face arbitrary arrest and torture if she is returned to Turkmenistan .
In a statement on October 12 , the groups urged Turkey 's international partners to `` call on Ankara to uphold its international obligations and not deport Taganova , who is seeking asylum in Turkey , '' Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) said .
`` Turkmenistan is known to severely harass and punish peaceful critics of the government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` To return Dursoltan Taganova to Turkmenistan would place her at grave risk of persecution and torture .
Turkey should abide by its international obligations not to send her anywhere she could face ill-treatment . ''
The 11 groups are the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee , Crude Accountability , the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights , the Democratic Civil Union of Turkmenistan , Freedom Files , Human Rights Watch , the Institute of Human Rights , the Memorial Human Rights Center , the Norwegian Helsinki Committee , the Turkmenistan Helsinki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights .
Taganova ’ s lawyer told HRW that she was the only Turkmen citizen whom Turkish authorities kept in custody .
The lawyer said the consulate 's written complaint specifically mentioned Taganova .
The authorities alleged that she and four other Turkmen citizens had interfered with the work of the diplomats and threatened violence against them .
Since June , protests against Berdymukhammedov have been staged by Turkmen citizens residing in Turkey , the United States , and Northern Cyprus .
Government critics and human rights groups say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes in the restrictive country since he came to power after the death of autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006 .
With reporting by the Chronicle of Turkmenistan

Turkmen activist Dursoltan Taganova has been released from a deportation center in Turkey.
Taganova confirmed her release late on October 12 to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan.
The 29-year-old activist was among dozens of other Turkmen, mostly migrant workers, arrested in Istanbul in July on charges of violating coronavirus restrictions.
They were arrested just hours before they planned to hold a rally in front of the Turkmen Consulate in Istanbul to criticize the Turkmen government's inadequate response to the coronavirus pandemic and to call for President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov’s resignation.
Most detainees were released about five hours later.
Taganova's release came after a group of 11 human rights organizations urged Turkish authorities not deport her, saying she will face arbitrary arrest and torture if she is returned to Turkmenistan.
In a statement on October 12, the groups urged Turkey's international partners to "call on Ankara to uphold its international obligations and not deport Taganova, who is seeking asylum in Turkey," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
"Turkmenistan is known to severely harass and punish peaceful critics of the government," HRW's Hugh Williamson said.
"To return Dursoltan Taganova to Turkmenistan would place her at grave risk of persecution and torture. Turkey should abide by its international obligations not to send her anywhere she could face ill-treatment."
The 11 groups are the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Crude Accountability, the Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, the Democratic Civil Union of Turkmenistan, Freedom Files, Human Rights Watch, the Institute of Human Rights, the Memorial Human Rights Center, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights.
Taganova’s lawyer told HRW that she was the only Turkmen citizen whom Turkish authorities kept in custody. The lawyer said the consulate's written complaint specifically mentioned Taganova.
The authorities alleged that she and four other Turkmen citizens had interfered with the work of the diplomats and threatened violence against them.
Since June, protests against Berdymukhammedov have been staged by Turkmen citizens residing in Turkey, the United States, and Northern Cyprus.
Government critics and human rights groups say Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the restrictive country since he came to power after the death of autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006.
With reporting by the Chronicle of Turkmenistan


rferl--2020-10-13--Belarus Opposition Demands Lukashenka Step Down Or Face National Strike

Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has demanded Alyaksandr Lukashenka step down in 12 days or face a nationwide strike .
`` If our demands are n't fulfilled by October 25 , the entire country will peacefully take to the streets , '' Tsikhanouskaya said on October 13 in a statement that also demanded the release of all political prisoners and an end to the crackdown on protesters calling on Lukashenka to step down after 26 years in power .
`` On October 26 , a national strike of all enterprises will begin , all roads will be blocked , sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have 13 days to fulfill three conditions .
We have 13 days to prepare , and in the meantime Belarusians will continue their peaceful and persistent protest , '' Tsikhanouskaya said in the statement issued on Telegram .
Belarus has been rocked by protests since an August 9 presidential election handed Lukashenka a sixth term amid allegations of widespread fraud .
Tsikhanouskaya , who supporters say won the vote , left Belarus for Lithuania shortly after the election amid threats to her and her family .
The United States and EU have refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate leader of Belarus .
The EU on October 12 agreed to add Lukashenka to its sanctions list .
In a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 13 , the EU 's top diplomat , Josep Borrell , reiterated the EU 's support for Belarusians to pick their leader `` through new , free and fair elections , without external interference . ''
Borrel also urged Russia to back a proposal by the `` current and upcoming OSCE chairmanships-in-office to facilitate a much-needed , inclusive national dialogue in Belarus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 500 people were detained by police in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus on October 11 in what observers described as one of the harshest crackdowns in recent weeks .
On October 12 , riot police also used harsh measures to stop a march in Minsk of pensioners , beating and arresting dozens .
The same day , an Interior Ministry official warned that police would use `` lethal weapons if need be '' against protesters .
A Tsikhanouskaya aide told Reuters the demand had been announced in response to the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence on the streets .
Tsikhanouskaya expected the West to support her demands , the aide said .
Lukashenka had initially bristled at the suggestion of a dialogue with the opposition .
But on October 10 , he visited a KGB prison to talk to jailed activists , including Viktar Babaryka , a politician who was detained in July and barred from running in the election .
The BelTA state news agency said Lukashenka had spoken about proposed changes to the constitution , reforms put forward as a way to end the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stalling tactic .
The following day , the authorities ramped up their crackdown on protesters , dispersing crowds with water cannons and stun grenades , injuring dozens and detaining hundreds .
In her Telegram statement , Tsikhanouskaya condemned that violence .
`` We woke up two months ago on a regular day and went to polling stations .
We voted for the change .
Later we took to the streets to get our votes back but got bullets , sticks , prison cages , and cynical lies in return , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krasulina , told the AP news agency that the statement with the demands `` has been relayed to all official structures of Belarus . ''
She said that members of the opposition 's Coordination Council who were forced to leave the country held a meeting in Vilnius on October 12 .
`` A decision has been made to act more decisively , '' Krasulina said .
With reporting by AP , Interfax , Reuters , and AFP

Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has demanded Alyaksandr Lukashenka step down in 12 days or face a nationwide strike.
"If our demands aren't fulfilled by October 25, the entire country will peacefully take to the streets," Tsikhanouskaya said on October 13 in a statement that also demanded the release of all political prisoners and an end to the crackdown on protesters calling on Lukashenka to step down after 26 years in power.
"On October 26, a national strike of all enterprises will begin, all roads will be blocked, sales in state-owned stores will collapse. You have 13 days to fulfill three conditions. We have 13 days to prepare, and in the meantime Belarusians will continue their peaceful and persistent protest," Tsikhanouskaya said in the statement issued on Telegram.
Belarus has been rocked by protests since an August 9 presidential election handed Lukashenka a sixth term amid allegations of widespread fraud.
Tsikhanouskaya, who supporters say won the vote, left Belarus for Lithuania shortly after the election amid threats to her and her family.
The United States and EU have refused to recognize the 66-year-old Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus. The EU on October 12 agreed to add Lukashenka to its sanctions list.
In a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 13, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, reiterated the EU's support for Belarusians to pick their leader "through new, free and fair elections, without external interference."
Borrel also urged Russia to back a proposal by the "current and upcoming OSCE chairmanships-in-office to facilitate a much-needed, inclusive national dialogue in Belarus."
Tsikhanouskaya's ultimatum comes after more than 500 people were detained by police in Minsk and elsewhere in Belarus on October 11 in what observers described as one of the harshest crackdowns in recent weeks.
On October 12, riot police also used harsh measures to stop a march in Minsk of pensioners, beating and arresting dozens. The same day, an Interior Ministry official warned that police would use "lethal weapons if need be" against protesters.
A Tsikhanouskaya aide told Reuters the demand had been announced in response to the threat to use lethal weapons and increased police violence on the streets. Tsikhanouskaya expected the West to support her demands, the aide said.
Lukashenka had initially bristled at the suggestion of a dialogue with the opposition. But on October 10, he visited a KGB prison to talk to jailed activists, including Viktar Babaryka, a politician who was detained in July and barred from running in the election.
The BelTA state news agency said Lukashenka had spoken about proposed changes to the constitution, reforms put forward as a way to end the political crisis but which his critics see as a stalling tactic.
The following day, the authorities ramped up their crackdown on protesters, dispersing crowds with water cannons and stun grenades, injuring dozens and detaining hundreds.
In her Telegram statement, Tsikhanouskaya condemned that violence.
"We woke up two months ago on a regular day and went to polling stations. We voted for the change. Later we took to the streets to get our votes back but got bullets, sticks, prison cages, and cynical lies in return," she said.
Tsikhanouskaya's spokeswoman, Anna Krasulina, told the AP news agency that the statement with the demands "has been relayed to all official structures of Belarus."
She said that members of the opposition's Coordination Council who were forced to leave the country held a meeting in Vilnius on October 12.
"A decision has been made to act more decisively," Krasulina said.
With reporting by AP, Interfax, Reuters, and AFP


rferl--2020-10-13--Activist Protests Cancellation Of Kazan's 1552 Siege Commemoration

KAZAN , Russia -- A single-person picket has been held in Kazan , the capital of Russia 's Tatarstan region , to protest against a decision to cancel a planned rally to commemorate Tatars fallen during the city 's siege by Russian troops in 1552 , an event marked annually in the city since the collapse of the Soviet Union .
Activist Kashif Gatin held a poster in downtown Kazan , saying `` October 15 is Commemoration Day !
A nation without memory has no future ! ''
during the picket , which does not require preliminary permission to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration 's decision was against the interests of the Tatar people , who have a right to remember their past .
The Kazan city administration explained the move by saying it came at the request of the local prosecutor , who said that `` the goal of the event was unclear . ''
Initially , the city administration officially allowed the All-Tatar Public Center nongovernmental organization to hold the annual event , known as Commemoration Day , in the Tinchurin park on October 18 .
This year , Tatar activists planned to mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazan -- then the capital of the Kazan Khanate , which is now the capital of modern Tatarstan within the Russian Federation .
Some participants in last year 's commemoration of Kazan defenders were sentenced to community work or fined for praying and reading the Koran at the event and using words about `` Tatarstan 's statehood . ''
On October 12 , a group of Tatar activists gathered near the Soyembike Tower in Kazan and held a collective prayer to commemorate the defenders of Kazan .
In October 1552 , Russian Tsar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kazan after two weeks ' of resistance .
Many of the Khanate 's Muslim population were killed after the siege or forcibly Christianized afterward .

KAZAN, Russia -- A single-person picket has been held in Kazan, the capital of Russia's Tatarstan region, to protest against a decision to cancel a planned rally to commemorate Tatars fallen during the city's siege by Russian troops in 1552, an event marked annually in the city since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Activist Kashif Gatin held a poster in downtown Kazan, saying "October 15 is Commemoration Day! A nation without memory has no future!" during the picket, which does not require preliminary permission to hold.
Gatin told RFE/RL that the city administration's decision was against the interests of the Tatar people, who have a right to remember their past.
The Kazan city administration explained the move by saying it came at the request of the local prosecutor, who said that "the goal of the event was unclear."
Initially, the city administration officially allowed the All-Tatar Public Center nongovernmental organization to hold the annual event, known as Commemoration Day, in the Tinchurin park on October 18.
This year, Tatar activists planned to mark the 468th anniversary of the fall of Kazan -- then the capital of the Kazan Khanate, which is now the capital of modern Tatarstan within the Russian Federation.
Some participants in last year's commemoration of Kazan defenders were sentenced to community work or fined for praying and reading the Koran at the event and using words about "Tatarstan's statehood."
On October 12, a group of Tatar activists gathered near the Soyembike Tower in Kazan and held a collective prayer to commemorate the defenders of Kazan.
In October 1552, Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible conquered the Khanate of Kazan after two weeks' of resistance. Many of the Khanate's Muslim population were killed after the siege or forcibly Christianized afterward.


rferl--2020-10-13--Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary 'Doing Next To Nothing' To Fight Foreign Bribery

An anti-corruption watchdog has ranked Russia , Bulgaria , and Hungary among 19 leading global exporters that are doing little or even nothing to enforce rules meant to prohibit companies from paying bribes in foreign markets .
In a report released on October 13 , Berlin-based Transparency International said that only four of 47 leading exporters -- the United States , Britain , Switzerland , and Israel , which account for 16.5 percent of global exports -- actively enforced legislation against foreign bribery in 2019 .
That 's down from seven countries accounting for 27 percent of global exports the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many countries are barely investigating foreign bribery , '' said Gillian Dell , the lead author of the survey .
`` Unfortunately , it 's all too common for businesses in wealthy countries to export corruption to poorer countries , undermining institutions and development . ''
A 1997 convention of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development prohibits bribes to win contracts and licenses , or to dodge taxes and local laws .
China , the world 's largest exporter and not a signatory to the convention , was found to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a category making up 16.5 percent of global exports .
India , Japan , South Korea , Russia , Belgium , the Czech Republic , Hungary , Finland , Peru , and Bulgaria were among the 18 other countries that fell into that category .
The report notes that Bulgaria 's Supreme Judicial Council `` specifically mandated in 2016 separate reporting of foreign bribery data by the courts , but in practice it is difficult to extract this data from public sources . ''
Bulgaria provides free online access to court decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is often anonymized , which “ substantially reduces the benefits of access , ” it says .
Regarding legal frameworks , `` deficiencies '' remain in countries like Hungary and Russia in the legal definition of the offense of foreign bribery .
Concerns about the independence of judges or prosecutors have also been raised in Russia , while legal provisions on sanctions for companies are inadequate in countries including Hungary .
Germany , the world 's third-largest exporter , only conducts `` moderate enforcement '' of the convention as do other major exporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia , and Brazil .
The Netherlands , Canada , Austria , and the three Baltic states are in the category of those showing only `` limited enforcement . ''
Transparency International head Delia Ferreira Rubio said that the Group of 20 ( G20 ) major economies and other nations `` have a responsibility to enforce the rules . ''
Foreign bribery has `` huge costs and consequences '' for countries across the globe , and those costs have become more severe during the coronavirus pandemic because `` many cases of foreign bribery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' according to the report .
Transparency International 's recommendations include ending secrecy in ownership of companies , `` which acts as a barrier to detection and investigation of foreign bribery , '' and exploring increased liability of parent companies for the actions of their foreign subsidiaries to `` help deter foreign bribery and related money laundering . ''

An anti-corruption watchdog has ranked Russia, Bulgaria, and Hungary among 19 leading global exporters that are doing little or even nothing to enforce rules meant to prohibit companies from paying bribes in foreign markets.
In a report released on October 13, Berlin-based Transparency International said that only four of 47 leading exporters -- the United States, Britain, Switzerland, and Israel, which account for 16.5 percent of global exports -- actively enforced legislation against foreign bribery in 2019.
That's down from seven countries accounting for 27 percent of global exports the previous year.
"Our research shows that many countries are barely investigating foreign bribery," said Gillian Dell, the lead author of the survey. "Unfortunately, it's all too common for businesses in wealthy countries to export corruption to poorer countries, undermining institutions and development."
A 1997 convention of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development prohibits bribes to win contracts and licenses, or to dodge taxes and local laws.
China, the world's largest exporter and not a signatory to the convention, was found to conduct "little or no enforcement," in a category making up 16.5 percent of global exports.
India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Peru, and Bulgaria were among the 18 other countries that fell into that category.
The report notes that Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council "specifically mandated in 2016 separate reporting of foreign bribery data by the courts, but in practice it is difficult to extract this data from public sources."
Bulgaria provides free online access to court decisions at all levels, although the information is often anonymized, which “substantially reduces the benefits of access,” it says.
Regarding legal frameworks, "deficiencies" remain in countries like Hungary and Russia in the legal definition of the offense of foreign bribery.
Concerns about the independence of judges or prosecutors have also been raised in Russia, while legal provisions on sanctions for companies are inadequate in countries including Hungary.
Germany, the world's third-largest exporter, only conducts "moderate enforcement" of the convention as do other major exporters like France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and Brazil.
The Netherlands, Canada, Austria, and the three Baltic states are in the category of those showing only "limited enforcement."
Transparency International head Delia Ferreira Rubio said that the Group of 20 (G20) major economies and other nations "have a responsibility to enforce the rules."
Foreign bribery has "huge costs and consequences" for countries across the globe, and those costs have become more severe during the coronavirus pandemic because "many cases of foreign bribery [are] occurring in health care," according to the report.
Transparency International's recommendations include ending secrecy in ownership of companies, "which acts as a barrier to detection and investigation of foreign bribery," and exploring increased liability of parent companies for the actions of their foreign subsidiaries to "help deter foreign bribery and related money laundering."
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-10-13--Thousands Of Families Flee Fighting In Southern Afghan Province

LASHKAR GAH , Afghanistan -- An Afghan official says thousands of families have been forced to flee fighting in the southern province of Helmand , an area that has become a battleground between Taliban militants and government forces .
Mohammad Ramin , head of the province 's refugee office , told RFE/RL on October 13 that most of the more than 5,000 families that left were relocated to the provincial capital , Lashkar Gah .
`` It 's serious .
So far , only the women 's department has given us a market [ to shelter those displaced ] and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food aid , but no other institution has worked to deliver the aid so far , '' he said , adding that the number of families was growing .
Allaudin is among those who took refuge in Lashkar Gah , where he said the situation `` is getting worse every hour . ''
`` Fear is rampant in the city .
The surrounding areas are in the hands of the Taliban .
They are coming closer , '' he told RFE/RL .
Gulbadin said he moved to the city the night before .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truck .
There is no food and clean water , '' he said .
Government forces have been resisting militant attacks on the outskirts of the city over the past days .
`` The Afghan forces retreated from some areas to avoid casualties to the security forces and civilians , '' dpa quoted a local official as saying .
`` Now , the operation is ongoing to retake those places . ''
Local officials said Afghan special forces with air support launched an operation in the area overnight and that at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Tolo News .
The fighting comes as Afghan government representatives and Taliban negotiators hold peace talks in Qatar .
The negotiations are meant to end Afghanistan 's decades-long long war , following a deal signed by the United States and the Taliban in the Qatari capital in February .
On October 12 , the U.S. military in Afghanistan said it had carried out air strikes in support of Afghan security forces under attack in Helmand Province over the previous two days .
`` The Taliban need to immediately stop their offensive actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country , '' a spokesman tweeted , quoting General Scott Miller , the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan .
`` It is not consistent with the U.S.-Taliban agreement and undermines the ongoing Afghan Peace Talks . ''
Under the February deal , foreign forces are to leave Afghanistan by May in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban .
On October 12 , Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) in Afghanistan reported that Lashkar Gah 's `` Trauma Hospital was overwhelmed and MSF teams in nearby Boost Provincial Hospital are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twenty people injured in the fighting had been admitted to the Boost Provincial Hospital , the charity said .
With reporting by dpa and Tolo News

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


rferl--2020-10-14--Azerbaijan Confirms Strike Inside Armenia As Russia Renews Call For Diplomatic Solution

STEPANAKERT/XANKANDI -- Azerbaijan has confirmed striking a missile-launch site on the territory of Armenia , the first time Baku has admitted to hitting targets inside the country , saying they were being used to target civilian areas , a claim Yerevan rejected .
In a move many fear could lead to an escalation in hostilities between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces fighting over the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh , Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry announced that it had destroyed an Armenian tactical ballistic-missile system `` in the border regions of Armenia near the occupied Kalbajar region '' earlier on October 14 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no civilian infrastructure '' at the site of the strike .
Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan quickly confirmed the strike , but denied her country had been firing into Azerbaijan .
Hinting at possible retaliation against targets in Azerbaijan , she said , `` we concurrently state that within the same logic , the [ Armenian armed forces ] henceforth reserve the right to target any military installations and combat movements in Azerbaijani territory . ''
Russia , which brokered a humanitarian cease-fire between the two sides that took force on October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the violence , adding that the conflict should be resolved through diplomatic means .
Azerbaijan has reportedly struck targets in Armenia previously , including a bus reportedly destroyed by a drone strike in the eastern Armenian town of Vardenis on September 28 .
On October 1 , Armenia said it had shot down four Azerbaijani drones in the provinces of Kotayk and Gegharkunik , just north of the capital , Yerevan .
But neither side has confirmed such incidents .
The extension of the fighting into Armenian territory is particularly significant as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) , of which Armenia is a member along with Russia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , and Tajikistan .
According to Article 4 of the treaty , in the `` case of aggression commission ( an armed attack menacing safety , stability , territorial integrity , and sovereignty ) to any of the member states , all the other member states at request of this member state shall immediately provide the latter with the necessary help , including military one . ''

STEPANAKERT -- Azerbaijan has confirmed striking a missile-launch site in Armenia that Baku claims was being used to target civilian areas, marking the first time in a two-week escalation in fighting that it has acknowledged hitting targets inside Armenian territory.
The Caucasus neighbors are mired in a decades-old conflict over the breakaway Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but there are fears that the current flare-up could draw Russia and regional power Turkey into a wider conflict.
Ankara and Moscow on October 14 each encouraged a return to internationally mediated talks to resolve the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, although Turkey included a demand that "occupied lands" be returned to Azerbaijan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for cooperation between leaders to end the fighting in a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said.
The two leaders "stressed the urgent need for joint efforts to end the bloodshed as soon as possible and move to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," according to a Kremlin readout of the call -- their first since fighting erupted late last month.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry announced on October 14 that it had destroyed an Armenian tactical ballistic-missile system "in the border regions of Armenia near the occupied Kalbajar region." It said there was "no civilian infrastructure" at the site.
An Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman confirmed the Azerbaijani strike on its missile site, but denied her country had been firing into Azerbaijan or targeting civilian areas.
Hinting at possible retaliation against targets in Azerbaijan, Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian said that "by the same logic, the [Armenian armed forces] henceforth preserve the right to target any military installations and combat movements in Azerbaijani territory."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, meanwhile, called the situation "very difficult" and said Azerbaijan's intention is to take control of Nagorno-Karabakh completely.
Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey, he said, do not want "to stop their aggression."
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused the Armenian side of "trying to attack and take control of our pipelines."
Speaking to a Turkish news outlet, Aliyev warned that if the effort continued, "I can say that the outcome will be severe for them."
Russia, which brokered a humanitarian cease-fire between the two sides that took force on October 10, again urged an immediate halt to the violence, which erupted on September 27.
Moscow added that the conflict should be resolved through diplomatic means.
The extension of the fighting into Armenian territory is particularly significant as it could invoke defense obligations from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which Armenia is a member along with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
According to Article 4 of the CSTO treaty, “[in] case of aggression commission (an armed attack menacing safety, stability, territorial integrity, and sovereignty) to any of the member states, all the other member states at request of this member state shall immediately provide the latter with the necessary help, including military one.”
Putin on October 7 said that Russia's commitments to Armenia as part of the CSTO do not include the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, which is not an CSTO member.
“It is deeply regrettable that the hostilities continue, but they are not taking place on Armenian territory,” Putin said.
On October 14, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged a deployment of Russian military observers to the Line of Contact that separates ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces near Nagorno-Karabakh, if both sides agreed.
Meanwhile, the de facto Defense Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh said on October 14 that it had recorded another 23 fatalities among its forces, pushing the military death toll to 555 since fighting with Azerbaijani forces erupted at the end of September.
In a statement on October 14, the International Crisis Group warned all actors involved in the conflict about the need to prevent civilian casualties.
"It is critical that both sides cease targeting civilians and undertake efforts to prevent and alleviate humanitarian suffering," the statement said.
Azerbaijan was said to have struck targets in Armenia previously, including a bus reportedly destroyed by an Azerbaijani drone strike in the eastern Armenian town of Vardenis on September 28.
On October 1, Armenia said it had shot down four Azerbaijani drones in the provinces of Kotayk and Gegharkunik, just north of the capital, Yerevan. But neither side has confirmed such incidents.
Aliyev has meanwhile asked that Turkey be involved in peace negotiations.
Turkey, which has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and has never acknowledged blame for the mass Ottoman-era killings of ethnic Armenians, is a NATO member and a staunch Azerbaijani ally.
There are unconfirmed reports that Turkey has been funneling fighters from Syria to the region.
Armenian President Armen Sarkisian has suggested that Armenians "from all over the world" might be among those fighting on the Armenian side.
Erdogan on October 14 accused the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group that has been supervising mostly dormant peace talks for over a decade of dragging its feet.
"The United States, Russia, and France are still putting this off with their stalling tactics," Erdogan told Turkish lawmakers. "Just give them the occupied lands. Let them do what they want in their own lands.
"What you need to do is finish your negotiations and hand over the lands to their owners," Erdogan said.
Figures from the Turkish Exporters' Assembly showed a sixfold increase in military exports to Azerbaijan, including tens of millions of dollars in the kind of drones and other military equipment that have fed the current military operations in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
The military sales spiked after days of deadly fighting flared up in July near the internationally recognized border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Aliyev reportedly challenged Russian officials after accusing Moscow of sharply increasing its military equipment shipments to Armenia after the July outbreak of fighting.
Russia's Lavrov on October 14 suggested Ankara was spurning talks in favor of a military resolution of the dispute.
"We do not agree with the position voiced by Turkey, that was also expressed several times by President Aliyev," Lavrov said.
The "frozen conflict" over Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running in the former Soviet Union.
There have been occasional skirmishes but none on a par with the current conflagration, which has killed hundreds. A 1994 cease-fire ended intense fighting that left an estimated 30,000 people dead as the region broke away from Azerbaijan.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-10-14--Russian-U.S. Crew Dock At ISS After Record-Breaking Trip

A U.S.-Russian crew has reached the International Space Station ( ISS ) after a journey of just over three hours @ @ @ @ @ a manned craft to the orbiting laboratory .
`` SoyuzMS17 crewed spacecraft docked successfully to @ @ @ @ @ International Space Station , for the first time in history making it in just two @ @ @ @ @ '' the Russian space agency , Roskosmos , tweeted on October 14 .
Roskosmos chief @ @ @ @ @ took `` three hours and three minutes , '' about half the usual time for @ @ @ @ @ Sergei Ryzhikov and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and NASA 's Kathleen Rubins used a fast-track maneuver to @ @ @ @ @ lifting off from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan .
At the ISS , the @ @ @ @ @ U.S. commander , Chris Cassidy , and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner , @ @ @ @ @ laboratory since April and are scheduled to return to Earth next week .

A U.S.-Russian crew has reached the International Space Station (ISS) after a journey of just over three hours -- the fastest ever for a manned craft to the orbiting laboratory.
"SoyuzMS17 crewed spacecraft docked successfully to the Russian segment of the International Space Station, for the first time in history making it in just two orbits around the Earth!" the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, tweeted on October 14.
Roskosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said the journey took "three hours and three minutes," about half the usual time for the trip.
Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and NASA's Kathleen Rubins used a fast-track maneuver to reach the orbital outpost after lifting off from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
At the ISS, the trio joined the station's U.S. commander, Chris Cassidy, and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, who have been aboard the laboratory since April and are scheduled to return to Earth next week.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-10-14--Nine Killed After Two Afghan Military Choppers Crash In Helmand Province

Afghanistan 's Defense Ministry says two of its helicopters have crashed in the southern province of Helmand due to `` technical issues , '' killing nine people aboard .
The two Soviet-era Mi-17 helicopters crashed overnight while taking off in Nawa district , the ministry said in a statement on October 14 .
All those killed were said to be Afghan crew and soldiers who had been on board the aircraft .
A local official told RFE/RL that the helicopters collided when they were evacuating wounded soldiers after deploying Afghan special forces to repel a Taliban attack in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of Helmand in recent days , including the provincial capital , Lashkar Gah .
On October 12 , the U.S. military said it had carried out several air strikes in the province in support of Afghan security forces under attack by the Taliban .
Afghan officials said the violence has forced more than 5,000 families to leave their homes and take refuge in Lashkar Gah .
Electricity and telecommunication lines have been disrupted in some areas , forcing local health facilities to either close or operate in a reduced capacity , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affairs said on October 14 .
The agency said it expected that `` some tens of thousands of people living in these areas will be deprived of access to critical health services . ''
The fighting comes amid no apparent progress in peace talks between government representatives and Taliban negotiators in Qatar .
The negotiations are meant to end Afghanistan 's decades-long long war , following a deal signed by the United States and the Taliban in the Qatari capital in February .
With reporting by dpa and AP


rferl--2020-10-14--Kyrgyz President Approves Japarov's Cabinet In Step Toward Ending Turmoil

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz Presidnet Sooronbai Jeenbekov has approved parliament 's decision to confirm Sadyr Japarov as the new prime minister , a step toward calming the turmoil caused by more than a week of mass protests following a disputed election .
Jeenbekov 's decree approving Japarov and his cabinet was placed on the presidential website shortly after parliament announced its decision on October 14 .
The confirmation of Japarov , who was released from a prison where he was serving a lengthy prison term on kidnapping charges , moves the Central Asian state a step toward resolving the crisis sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the October 4 parliamentary elections .
Official results showed a landslide victory for Jeenbekov 's allies .
The result was annulled after protesters -- angry at signs of vote-buying and other improprieties during the election -- seized government buildings on October 6 .
Jeenbekov had called on political parties to resolve the ongoing political crisis by legal means after rejecting an October 10 attempt to appoint Japarov prime minister by a group of lawmakers , saying that there was no quorum at the parliamentary session .
At the October 14 parliamentary session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be part of a new cabinet , proposing Artyom Novikov to the post of first deputy prime minister and Ravshan Sabirov , Maksat Mamytkanov , and Aida Ismailova as deputy prime ministers .
Lawmakers had already elected Kanatbek Isaev as the new speaker of parliament .
Members of parliament and other political activists have questioned the legitimacy of the rump parliament session that selected Japarov , which at the time looked like the latest twist in a sometimes violent power struggle in the aftermath of the elections .
Kyrgyzstan 's 6.5 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that failed to stop some Japarov supporters from gathering in central Bishkek , defying a ban on rallies , to demand that the president resign and parliament dissolve itself .
In the wake of protests , then-parliament speaker Dastan Jumabekov resigned and a group of lawmakers named Myktybek Abdyldaev as the new parliament chairman .
However , Abdyldaev resigned from the post on October 10 amid statements by some political parties and lawmakers questioning the legitimacy of his appointment .
The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek on October 13 voiced support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political leaders , civil society , and legal scholars to return the political life of the country to a constitutional order '' and warned about the threat that organized crime poses to Kyrgyz democracy .
`` It is clear that one of the obstacles towards democratic progress is the attempt by organized crime groups to exert influence over politics and elections , '' the embassy said in a statement , adding that the impact of organized crime `` was evident with vote-buying during the October 4 elections , violence and intimidation in Ala-Too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the parliament session on October 10 . ''
Jeenbekov has said he is ready to resign once a new cabinet is legitimately appointed .

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov will resign only after the Central Asian nation holds a rerun of its parliamentary elections, his spokeswoman said on October 14, a stance that might reignite tensions in the country.
The statement came after newly elected Prime Minister Sadyr Japarov met with Jeenbekov to urge him to keep a promise to resign as the country reels from a political crisis sparked by the disputed elections earlier this month.
"The president will resign as soon as he returns the country to the legal field, or as soon as [new] parliamentary elections are held and a new presidential election is announced," Jeenbekov's spokeswoman, Tolgonai Stamaliyeva, said on October 14.
Jeenbekov met with Japarov after approving earlier in the day the parliament's decision to confirm him as prime minister.
"I think we have to get back to the initial agreement when the president promised to step down after the situation is stabilized," Japarov said.
The confirmation of Japarov, who was released from a prison where he was serving a lengthy prison term on kidnapping charges, moves the Central Asian state a step toward resolving the crisis sparked by the demonstrations over the official results of the October 4 parliamentary elections.
Official results showed a landslide victory for Jeenbekov's allies. The result was annulled after protesters -- angry at signs of vote-buying and other improprieties during the election -- seized government buildings on October 6.
Jeenbekov, in one of his first statements after the mass protests ousted the government and parliament speaker, said he was ready to resign after a new cabinet is formed and the situation in the country is normalized.
But his announcement that he will only resign after a repeat election threatens to generate new tensions.
Jeenbekov had called on political parties to resolve the ongoing political crisis by legal means after rejecting an October 10 attempt to appoint Japarov prime minister by a group of lawmakers, saying that there was no quorum at the parliamentary session.
Japarov quickly recommended some people to be part of a new cabinet, proposing Artyom Novikov to the post of first deputy prime minister and Ravshan Sabirov, Maksat Mamytkanov, and Aida Ismailova as deputy prime ministers.
Lawmakers had already elected Kanatbek Isaev as the new speaker of parliament.
Kyrgyzstan's 6.5 million people are currently under a state of emergency, but that failed to stop some Japarov's supporters from gathering in central Bishkek, defying a ban on rallies, to demand that the president resign and parliament dissolve itself.
In the wake of protests, then-parliament speaker Dastan Jumabekov resigned and a group of lawmakers named Myktybek Abdyldaev as the new parliament chairman.
However, Abdyldaev resigned from the post on October 10 amid statements by some political parties and lawmakers questioning the legitimacy of his appointment.
The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek on October 13 voiced support for “the efforts of President Jeenbekov, political leaders, civil society, and legal scholars to return the political life of the country to a constitutional order" and warned about the threat that organized crime poses to Kyrgyz democracy.
"It is clear that one of the obstacles towards democratic progress is the attempt by organized crime groups to exert influence over politics and elections," the embassy said in a statement, adding that the impact of organized crime "was evident with vote-buying during the October 4 elections, violence and intimidation in Ala-Too Square on October 9, and irregularities in the parliament session on October 10."


rferl--2020-10-14--Report: COVID-19 Used As Pretext To Crack Down On Internet Freedom

Internet freedom has declined for the 10th consecutive year as governments around the world are using the coronavirus pandemic as a `` cover '' to expand online surveillance , crack down on dissent , and build new technological systems to control society , Freedom House says in a new report .
The Washington-based human rights watchdog 's annual Freedom Of The Net report , released on October 14 , said the authorities in dozens of countries have cited COVID-19 `` to justify expanded surveillance powers and the deployment of new technologies that were once seen as too intrusive . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ worsened in 26 of the 65 countries covered by the report , while only 22 registered gains .
And just 20 percent of the estimated 3.8 billion people using the Internet live in countries with a free Internet , according to the democracy research group .
Myanmar , Kyrgyzstan , India , Ecuador , and Nigeria suffered the largest declines during the coverage period -- between June 2019 and May 2020 .
Internet freedom worsened in the United States for the fourth consecutive year .
`` The pandemic is accelerating society 's reliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Internet is becoming less and less free , '' Freedom House President Michael Abramowitz .
`` Without adequate safeguards for privacy and the rule of law , these technologies can be easily repurposed for political repression . ''
Freedom On The Net measures the level of Internet freedom in 65 countries , based on 21 indicators pertaining to obstacles to access , limits on content , and violations of user rights .
Each country receives a numerical score from 100 to 0 that serves as the basis for an Internet-freedom-status designation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' or `` not free . ''
China was the worst-ranked country for the sixth consecutive year .
The report said authorities `` combined low- and high-tech tools not only to manage the outbreak of the coronavirus , but also to deter Internet users from sharing information from independent sources and challenging the official narrative . ''
These trends are showing a growing trend toward Chinese-style `` digital authoritarianism '' globally and a `` splintering '' of the Internet as each government imposes its own regulations , it said .
Azerbaijan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pakistan , and Iran also fell into the `` not free '' category .
So-called cybersovereignty -- governments ' efforts to exercise control over the Internet within their own borders -- has been on the rise across the world , including in Russia , where the Russian government continued to `` fine-tune its online censorship apparatus . ''
Russian authorities continued to persecute Internet users for their online activities and moved to restrict anonymous communications , blocking several encrypted e-mail services , Freedom House said .
In Iran , the government ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country in November 2019 , the report says .
Authorities continued to arrest and prosecute online journalists , activists , and citizens for content posted online , block access to independent news sites and a number of social media and communication platforms , and disrupt Internet access during politically sensitive events , `` aided by their continued control over the internet infrastructure . ''
Meanwhile , legislators in countries like Pakistan `` passed or considered regulations requiring companies to keep user data from leaving the country , effectively granting law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The online environment in Pakistan is `` tightly controlled '' by the government , the report said , citing Internet shutdowns , blocked websites , and arrests for activity online as the authorities ' `` preferred tactics in their effort to suppress unwanted speech . ''
In Kyrgyzstan , ranked as `` partly free , '' the violent arrest of former President Almazbek Atambaev led to a localized Internet shutdown , and several Kyrgyz journalists were `` threatened or even attacked '' in connection with a high-profile corruption investigation while their websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian country 's authorities continued to prosecute users for their activities on social-media platforms , including under sometimes `` spurious '' charges of inciting hatred .
In the same category , Ukraine saw a number of `` positive policy changes '' since 2019 , which `` discontinued previous practices of administrative website-blocking . ''
However , the report warned against a draft law on regulating disinformation that would `` oblige users to only share information whose authenticity they have first verified , create a state body with vast powers to remove content , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restricting the media . ''
The United States , Georgia , Armenia , and Hungary were among the countries ranked as `` free '' The report said the United States saw its score decline in light of `` enhanced government surveillance '' by law enforcement against protest movements and executive orders on social-media regulations .

Internet freedom has declined for the 10th consecutive year as governments around the world are using the coronavirus pandemic as a "cover" to expand online surveillance, crack down on dissent, and build new technological systems to control society, Freedom House says in a new report.
The Washington-based human rights watchdog's annual Freedom Of The Net report, released on October 14, said the authorities in dozens of countries have cited COVID-19 "to justify expanded surveillance powers and the deployment of new technologies that were once seen as too intrusive."
As a result, Internet freedom has worsened in 26 of the 65 countries covered by the report, while only 22 registered gains.
And just 20 percent of the estimated 3.8 billion people using the Internet live in countries with a free Internet, according to the democracy research group.
Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, India, Ecuador, and Nigeria suffered the largest declines during the coverage period -- between June 2019 and May 2020. Internet freedom worsened in the United States for the fourth consecutive year.
"The pandemic is accelerating society's reliance on digital technologies at a time when the Internet is becoming less and less free," Freedom House President Michael Abramowitz.
"Without adequate safeguards for privacy and the rule of law, these technologies can be easily repurposed for political repression."
Freedom On The Net measures the level of Internet freedom in 65 countries, based on 21 indicators pertaining to obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights. Each country receives a numerical score from 100 to 0 that serves as the basis for an Internet-freedom-status designation of "free," "partly free," or "not free."
China was the worst-ranked country for the sixth consecutive year.
The report said authorities "combined low- and high-tech tools not only to manage the outbreak of the coronavirus, but also to deter Internet users from sharing information from independent sources and challenging the official narrative."
These trends are showing a growing trend toward Chinese-style "digital authoritarianism" globally and a "splintering" of the Internet as each government imposes its own regulations, it said.
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Iran also fell into the "not free" category.
So-called cybersovereignty -- governments' efforts to exercise control over the Internet within their own borders -- has been on the rise across the world, including in Russia, where the Russian government continued to "fine-tune its online censorship apparatus."
Russian authorities continued to persecute Internet users for their online activities and moved to restrict anonymous communications, blocking several encrypted e-mail services, Freedom House said.
In Iran, the government ordered a near-total shutdown following waves of protests across the country in November 2019, the report says.
Authorities continued to arrest and prosecute online journalists, activists, and citizens for content posted online, block access to independent news sites and a number of social media and communication platforms, and disrupt Internet access during politically sensitive events, "aided by their continued control over the internet infrastructure."
Meanwhile, legislators in countries like Pakistan "passed or considered regulations requiring companies to keep user data from leaving the country, effectively granting law enforcement agencies easier access to sensitive information."
The online environment in Pakistan is "tightly controlled" by the government, the report said, citing Internet shutdowns, blocked websites, and arrests for activity online as the authorities' "preferred tactics in their effort to suppress unwanted speech."
In Kyrgyzstan, ranked as "partly free," the violent arrest of former President Almazbek Atambaev led to a localized Internet shutdown, and several Kyrgyz journalists were "threatened or even attacked" in connection with a high-profile corruption investigation while their websites faced distributed denial-of-service attacks.
The Central Asian country's authorities continued to prosecute users for their activities on social-media platforms, including under sometimes "spurious" charges of inciting hatred.
In the same category, Ukraine saw a number of "positive policy changes" since 2019, which "discontinued previous practices of administrative website-blocking."
However, the report warned against a draft law on regulating disinformation that would "oblige users to only share information whose authenticity they have first verified, create a state body with vast powers to remove content, and implement provisions that drew criticism as restricting the media."
The United States, Georgia, Armenia, and Hungary were among the countries ranked as "free"
The report said the United States saw its score decline in light of "enhanced government surveillance" by law enforcement against protest movements and executive orders on social-media regulations.


rferl--2020-10-14--Russia Sees 'No Prospects' For Extending Nuclear Pact With U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow does n't see any prospects for extending the New START arms-control treaty with the United States , though it plans to carry on with negotiations on the subject .
`` No .
I personally do n't see such prospects .
My colleagues who are working in an interagency format and holding meetings with the American delegation do n't see such prospects either , although we 'll never declare any intention to slam the door and terminate all contacts , '' Lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations on October 14 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` unscrupulous `` suggestions by the U.S. envoy for arms control , Marshall Billingslea , that Washington and Moscow had reached `` an agreement in principle '' to extend their last remaining bilateral nuclear arms pact for an unspecified period .
The 2010 treaty limits strategic nuclear weapons and is due to expire in February , although it can be extended for five years .
Billingslea cut short a trip to Asia last week to fly to the Finnish capital of Helsinki for a new round of 11th-hour arms-control talks with his Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , under the impression the two sides would reach a breakthrough compromise .
`` We are in fact willing to extend the New START treaty for some period of time provided that they , in return , agree to a limitation -- a freeze -- on their nuclear arsenal , '' Billingslea said on October 13 at the Heritage Foundation , a conservative Washington think tank .
`` We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two governments , '' he said , suggesting an informal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Russian counterpart , Vladimir Putin .
Billingslea said the freeze should include short-range , tactical nuclear weapons systems , something that is not covered under New START .
Ryabkov quickly threw cold water on a broad nuclear freeze , calling it an `` unacceptable '' proposal .
`` But with so many differences , I can not imagine on what basis our colleagues in Washington are putting out such theories , '' he told the RIA Novosti news agency .
`` The U.S. position in favor of freezing has long been known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
Not because we are against freezing , but because we need to deal with the problems of strategic stability in a complex : we need to deal with launch vehicles , we need to deal with space , we need to deal with missile defense -- a system that the United States is creating , it is necessary to deal with their new strategic range carriers in conventional equipment , '' Ryabkov said The Russian diplomat said Moscow would not agree to any extension of New START before the November 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to report to their superiors something about which they allegedly agreed with the Russian Federation before their elections , they will not get it , '' Ryabkov said .
Joe Biden , who leads Trump in all major polls , supports extending New START `` to use that as a foundation for new arms control arrangements . ''
If Biden wins , the treaty will expire just weeks after he is inaugurated .
Biden calls the treaty -- which was negotiated when he was vice president under President Barack Obama -- an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and Russia . ''
The Trump administration wants any new nuclear arms-control treaty to cover all types of warheads , stronger verification and transparency measures , and bring China on board .
Beijing , which has a fraction of the nuclear weapons of Russia and the United States , has rejected the idea .
Billingslea said that the United States was still insisting on the participation of China in any agreement with Russia .
`` Everything we agree with the Russians must be framed and must be formatted in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Chinese when they are finally brought to the negotiating table , '' Billingslea said .
Russia has said it is ready to extend New START for five years without preconditions and has warned that there is not enough time to renegotiate a complicated new treaty .
Daryl Kimball , the director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association , wrote on Twitter that while a temporary freeze may be useful , both sides should agree on a five-year extension of the treaty .
`` Whether Russia agrees to the U.S. 'freeze ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election -- and the gaps between the Trump administration and the Kremlin still appear to be very wide at this point -- a five year extension of New START is very much in the interest of both sides , '' he wrote .
On October 13 , more than 75 lawmakers across Europe called on the United States to extend New START before it expires in February .
`` While we support the call to discuss the next generation of arms control and the need to consider the role of the Chinese nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good faith dialogue with other nuclear powers are not mutually exclusive , '' the letter from the European Leadership Network states .
`` As was evident in the process that led to New START , time is needed to negotiate solutions that meet the laudable goals put forward by both the United States and Russia during their strategic stability talks this year .
In short , extending the duration of New START is not an end , '' the lawmakers wrote to their colleagues in the U.S. Congress .
The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War-era Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces ( INF ) Treaty , accusing Russia of violating it .
Washington also unilaterally exited Open Skies , a treaty that permits the United States and Russia to conduct reconnaissance flights over each other 's territory .
With reporting by Reuters , Interfax , AFP , and dpa

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow doesn't see any prospects for extending the New START arms-control treaty with the United States, though it plans to carry on with negotiations on the subject.
"No. I personally don't see such prospects. My colleagues who are working in an interagency format and holding meetings with the American delegation don't see such prospects either, although we'll never declare any intention to slam the door and terminate all contacts," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations on October 14.
The top Russian diplomat also dismissed as "unscrupulous " suggestions by the U.S. envoy for arms control, Marshall Billingslea, that Washington and Moscow had reached "an agreement in principle" to extend their last remaining bilateral nuclear arms pact for an unspecified period.
The 2010 treaty limits strategic nuclear weapons and is due to expire in February, although it can be extended for five years.
Billingslea cut short a trip to Asia last week to fly to the Finnish capital of Helsinki for a new round of 11th-hour arms-control talks with his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, under the impression the two sides would reach a breakthrough compromise.
"We are in fact willing to extend the New START treaty for some period of time provided that they, in return, agree to a limitation -- a freeze -- on their nuclear arsenal," Billingslea said on October 13 at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank.
"We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two governments," he said, suggesting an informal agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Billingslea said the freeze should include short-range, tactical nuclear weapons systems, something that is not covered under New START.
Ryabkov quickly threw cold water on a broad nuclear freeze, calling it an "unacceptable" proposal.
"But with so many differences, I cannot imagine on what basis our colleagues in Washington are putting out such theories," he told the RIA Novosti news agency.
"The U.S. position in favor of freezing has long been known to us, it is unacceptable for us. Not because we are against freezing, but because we need to deal with the problems of strategic stability in a complex: we need to deal with launch vehicles, we need to deal with space, we need to deal with missile defense -- a system that the United States is creating, it is necessary to deal with their new strategic range carriers in conventional equipment," Ryabkov said
The Russian diplomat said Moscow would not agree to any extension of New START before the November 3 U.S. election.
"If the Americans need to report to their superiors something about which they allegedly agreed with the Russian Federation before their elections, they will not get it," Ryabkov said.
Joe Biden, who leads Trump in all major polls, supports extending New START "to use that as a foundation for new arms control arrangements." If Biden wins, the treaty will expire just weeks after he is inaugurated.
Biden calls the treaty--which was negotiated when he was vice president under President Barack Obama--an "anchor of strategic stability between the United States and Russia."
The Trump administration wants any new nuclear arms-control treaty to cover all types of warheads, stronger verification and transparency measures, and bring China on board.
Beijing, which has a fraction of the nuclear weapons of Russia and the United States, has rejected the idea.
Billingslea said that the United States was still insisting on the participation of China in any agreement with Russia.
"Everything we agree with the Russians must be framed and must be formatted in a way that allows us to extend that arrangement to the Chinese when they are finally brought to the negotiating table," Billingslea said.
Russia has said it is ready to extend New START for five years without preconditions and has warned that there is not enough time to renegotiate a complicated new treaty.
Daryl Kimball, the director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, wrote on Twitter that while a temporary freeze may be useful, both sides should agree on a five-year extension of the treaty.
"Whether Russia agrees to the U.S. 'freeze' concept on the eve of the U.S. election -- and the gaps between the Trump administration and the Kremlin still appear to be very wide at this point -- a five year extension of New START is very much in the interest of both sides," he wrote.
On October 13, more than 75 lawmakers across Europe called on the United States to extend New START before it expires in February.
"While we support the call to discuss the next generation of arms control and the need to consider the role of the Chinese nuclear arsenal, extending New START and engaging in good faith dialogue with other nuclear powers are not mutually exclusive," the letter from the European Leadership Network states.
"As was evident in the process that led to New START, time is needed to negotiate solutions that meet the laudable goals put forward by both the United States and Russia during their strategic stability talks this year. In short, extending the duration of New START is not an end," the lawmakers wrote to their colleagues in the U.S. Congress.
The Trump administration has already left the landmark, Cold War-era Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, accusing Russia of violating it. Washington also unilaterally exited Open Skies, a treaty that permits the United States and Russia to conduct reconnaissance flights over each other's territory.
With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, AFP, and dpa


rferl--2020-10-14--Ex-Governor Of Russia's Udmurtia Region Sentenced To 10 Years For Bribe-Taking

IZHEVSK , Russia -- The former governor of Russia 's Udmurtia region has been convicted of bribe-taking and sentenced to @ @ @ @ @ The Zavyalov district court in Udmurtia on October 14 found Aleksandr Solovyov guilty of receiving @ @ @ @ @ 1.8 million ) in bribes in exchange for giving construction companies permits to build bridges @ @ @ @ @ him the same day .
Solovyov , who was appointed to the post of the @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , was arrested in April 2017 on corruption charges and was fired by President @ @ @ @ @ percent of the 1.5 million residents of Udmurtia , a republic in Russia 's Volga @ @ @ @ @ east of Moscow , are ethnic Udmurts .
The Udmurt language is of the Uralic @ @ @ @ @ languages .
With reporting by TASS and Kommersant

IZHEVSK, Russia -- The former governor of Russia's Udmurtia region has been convicted of bribe-taking and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The Zavyalov district court in Udmurtia on October 14 found Aleksandr Solovyov guilty of receiving some 142 million rubles (1.8 million) in bribes in exchange for giving construction companies permits to build bridges over local rivers and sentenced him the same day.
The court also fined Zavyalov 275 million rubles ($3.5 million).
Solovyov, who was appointed to the post of the governor of Udmurtia in September 2014, was arrested in April 2017 on corruption charges and was fired by President Vladimir Putin.
Some 53 percent of the 1.5 million residents of Udmurtia, a republic in Russia's Volga Federal District some 1,250 kilometers east of Moscow, are ethnic Udmurts.
The Udmurt language is of the Uralic stem that also includes Finno-Ugric languages.
With reporting by TASS and Kommersant


rferl--2020-10-14--Director Fires Back In 'Hairdresser' Scandal In North Macedonia Over EU Education Funds

The head of a national agency to channel European Union educational funds into projects in North Macedonia has rejected calls for her resignation amid accusations that her organization misallocated some 270,000 euros ( $ 317,000 ) in funding by steering it to a hairdresser .
The director of the country 's National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility , Lidija Dimova , was responding to news of an EU investigation into how the funds ended up in the hands of a Macedonian `` beauty salon . ''
She blamed the reports on `` fake news '' and politically motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for evidence tampering were unfounded .
The European Commission has opened an investigation into the possible misuse of the EU 's Erasmus+ funds to North Macedonia , commission spokeswoman Susanne Conze confirmed to the Macedonian news outlet MIA .
The owner of the company reportedly in question , Zoran Zlatkovski , confirmed that it had been established as a beauty salon in 2001 but that a subsequent clause in the business registry allowed it to carry out other activities .
The National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility is an independent government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North Macedonia , with counterparts in other EU and aspiring EU states .
If European Commission investigators find sufficient grounds for further action , the case can be referred to the European Anti-Fraud Office ( OLAF ) .
The commission could also simply request that North Macedonia return the money if `` irregularities '' like a procedural error are to blame .
Participating states are the guarantors of such funding , meaning Macedonian taxpayers could be on the hook for any discrepancy .
Dimova , in an October 12 Facebook post , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency on an `` organized attack '' that led to a report by the information outlet A1on.mk .
She also cited confusion based on the similarity between the numeral `` 3 '' and the letter `` Z '' when written in Cyrillic , the script used in written Macedonian .
She told reporters on October 13 that information from inside her agency was being `` leaked '' in an effort to discredit her after she discovered that 2.2 million euros had been embezzled from the agency under the previous government .
She blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the affair .
Dimova also said she had shared her suspicions with officials in Brussels .
The A1on.mk portal first raised a red flag about the Erasmus+ funds going to Zlatkovski 's company over a three-year period , questioning the granting of educational funds to an entity that appeared to be outside the education sector .
The report also suggested that Zlatkovski had a role as an outside collaborator or evaluator despite also seeking funds from the program .
Dimova and Zlatkovski have said the money that his company received went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The head of a national agency to channel European Union educational funds into projects in North Macedonia has rejected calls for her resignation amid accusations that her organization misallocated some 270,000 euros ($317,000) in funding by steering it to a hairdresser.
The director of the country's National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility, Lidija Dimova, was responding to news of an EU investigation into how the funds ended up in the hands of a Macedonian "beauty salon."
She blamed the reports on "fake news" and politically motivated attacks and said fears of the potential for evidence tampering were unfounded.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into the possible misuse of the EU's Erasmus+ funds to North Macedonia, commission spokeswoman Susanne Conze confirmed to the Macedonian news outlet MIA.
The owner of the company reportedly in question, Zoran Zlatkovski, confirmed that it had been established as a beauty salon in 2001 but that a subsequent clause in the business registry allowed it to carry out other activities.
The National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility is an independent government agency that helps implement European educational programs in North Macedonia, with counterparts in other EU and aspiring EU states.
If European Commission investigators find sufficient grounds for further action, the case can be referred to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
The commission could also simply request that North Macedonia return the money if "irregularities" like a procedural error are to blame.
Participating states are the guarantors of such funding, meaning Macedonian taxpayers could be on the hook for any discrepancy.
Dimova, in an October 12 Facebook post, blamed the accusations against her and the agency on an "organized attack" that led to a report by the information outlet A1on.mk.
She also cited confusion based on the similarity between the numeral "3" and the letter "Z" when written in Cyrillic, the script used in written Macedonian.
She told reporters on October 13 that information from inside her agency was being "leaked" in an effort to discredit her after she discovered that 2.2 million euros had been embezzled from the agency under the previous government.
She blamed rivals from the previously ruling VMRO-DPMNE party for the affair.
Dimova also said she had shared her suspicions with officials in Brussels.
The A1on.mk portal first raised a red flag about the Erasmus+ funds going to Zlatkovski's company over a three-year period, questioning the granting of educational funds to an entity that appeared to be outside the education sector.
The report also suggested that Zlatkovski had a role as an outside collaborator or evaluator despite also seeking funds from the program.
Dimova and Zlatkovski have said the money that his company received went to implement "media-literacy education" projects.


rferl--2020-10-14--Pakistani State Workers Demand Big Pay Hike Amid Soaring Inflation

The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard .
Hundreds of government @ @ @ @ @ rises as they demonstrated in the capital , Islamabad , on October 14 .
They @ @ @ @ @ to keep pace with soaring consumer prices .

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Hundreds of government employees in Pakistan demanded pay rises as they demonstrated in the capital, Islamabad, on October 14. They want a 200-percent pay hike to keep pace with soaring consumer prices.