rferl--2020-03-24--After Years Of Delay, North Macedonia, Albania Get OK To Begin EU Accession Talks

European Union ministers say they have approved beginning membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania , with a top German official calling it `` good news in these gloomy times . ''
`` Congrats to Tirana+Skopje , it 's well deserved , '' Michael Roth , Germany ’ s state secretary for European affairs , wrote on Twitter on March 24 , after the agreement was reached during a videoconference .
The agreement must still be confirmed and approved in written form .
That is expected to happen on March 25 , although conditions posed by the coronavirus could delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for accession talks to actually begin , but diplomats told RFE/RL that they will not start until the autumn at the earliest .
The decision to start the talks with the two Western Balkan countries has been long delayed and has caused a rift among EU members .
France , with support from the Netherlands and Denmark , urged a slower approach , arguing that the countries needed to make further reforms to reach EU governmental , economic , and rule-of-law standards .
Others have pressed to move quickly on bringing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effort to slow moves by Russia and China to increase their influence in the region .
`` If we allow there to be a political vacuum in the Western Balkans , then others who do not share our values will try to fill this political vacuum , '' Roth said ahead of the March 24 talks .
`` Very pleased that EU member states today reached political agreement on opening of accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia .
I wholeheartedly congratulate both countries , '' he wrote .
`` This also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western Balkans : your future is in EU . ''
Politicians in North Macedonia hailed the decision and said it would allow the country to focus on the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted life worldwide .
North Macedonia has reported 148 cases and two deaths , but most experts say ascertaining an accurate figure anywhere in the world is difficult because of the lack of testing .
Following the EU decision , Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski said in a statement that `` today , we can be proud .
Let us rejoice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country of 2.1 million people .
Former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev also praised the move , saying , `` There are no obstacles or conditions anymore . ''
`` Congratulations citizens , as we have managed to get on the road to NATO and the EU , so together we will deal with the contagion that is afflicting the world , ” Zaev added .
It was as prime minister that Zaev came to agreement with neighboring Greece to change his country 's name to North Macedonia , smoothing the road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Athens had long been angered by Skopje 's use of the name Macedonia , saying it implied designs on a Greek province of the same name .
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a statement to his compatriots that `` today , I received a message for you -- the European Union 's decision to open membership negotiations with Albania . ''
He said the action will open `` concrete financial assistance for small businesses , families , and to deal with unemployment '' in the country of 2.9 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must prove they are reaching EU standards in areas such as the free movement of goods , and in taxation , energy , and economic policies .
With reporting by dpa , AFP , AP , and Reuters

European Union ministers say they have approved beginning membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania, with a top German official calling it "good news in these gloomy times."
"Congrats to Tirana+Skopje, it's well deserved," Michael Roth, Germany’s state secretary for European affairs, wrote on Twitter on March 24, after the agreement was reached during a videoconference.
The agreement must still be confirmed and approved in written form. That is expected to happen on March 25, although conditions posed by the coronavirus could delay that move.
No date has been set for accession talks to actually begin, but diplomats told RFE/RL that they will not start until the autumn at the earliest.
The decision to start the talks with the two Western Balkan countries has been long delayed and has caused a rift among EU members.
France, with support from the Netherlands and Denmark, urged a slower approach, arguing that the countries needed to make further reforms to reach EU governmental, economic, and rule-of-law standards.
Others have pressed to move quickly on bringing the two small states into the bloc as an effort to slow moves by Russia and China to increase their influence in the region.
"If we allow there to be a political vacuum in the Western Balkans, then others who do not share our values will try to fill this political vacuum," Roth said ahead of the March 24 talks.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi welcomed the bloc's historic decision on Twitter.
"Very pleased that EU member states today reached political agreement on opening of accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. I wholeheartedly congratulate both countries," he wrote. "This also sends a loud and clear message to Western Balkans: your future is in EU."
Politicians in North Macedonia hailed the decision and said it would allow the country to focus on the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted life worldwide.
North Macedonia has reported 148 cases and two deaths, but most experts say ascertaining an accurate figure anywhere in the world is difficult because of the lack of testing.
Following the EU decision, Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski said in a statement that "today, we can be proud. Let us rejoice and come back and fight the coronavirus" in the country of 2.1 million people.
Former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev also praised the move, saying, "There are no obstacles or conditions anymore."
"Congratulations citizens, as we have managed to get on the road to NATO and the EU, so together we will deal with the contagion that is afflicting the world,” Zaev added.
It was as prime minister that Zaev came to agreement with neighboring Greece to change his country's name to North Macedonia, smoothing the road to NATO membership and potential EU entry.
Athens had long been angered by Skopje's use of the name Macedonia, saying it implied designs on a Greek province of the same name.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a statement to his compatriots that "today, I received a message for you -- the European Union's decision to open membership negotiations with Albania."
He said the action will open "concrete financial assistance for small businesses, families, and to deal with unemployment" in the country of 2.9 million people.
During membership talks, candidate countries must prove they are reaching EU standards in areas such as the free movement of goods, and in taxation, energy, and economic policies.
With reporting by dpa, AFP, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-03-24--OSCE Concerned About Measures Against 'Fake News' In Bosnia

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) has expressed concern over the introduction of new measures against spreading panic and `` fake news '' regarding the coronavirus outbreak in Bosnia-Herzegovina .
The OSCE representative on freedom of the media , Harlem Desir , and the head of the Vienna-based organization 's mission to Bosnia , Kathleen Kavalec , said in a joint statement on March 23 that imposing censorship and limitations to freedom of expression was not the best response to concerns about the spread of `` fake news '' about the virus .
The warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predominantly Serb-populated entity , Republika Srpska , on March 19 introduced fines and other punitive measures for spreading `` fake news '' in the media and on social networks , causing panic .
The measures are due to last for the duration of the state of emergency declared over the pandemic , which has infected at least 153 people in Bosnia and killed two .
Authorities in Bosnia 's northern district of Brcko have also introduced a prohibition related to reporting `` fake news , '' while the interior minister of the Bosniak-Croat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar measures , according to media reports .
`` I fully understand the aim of tackling the dissemination of false information which creates panic and disorder during this health crisis , '' Desir said in the joint statement .
But Desir added that `` the concerned legislation should not impede the free work of journalists or their ability to report on the pandemic and to provide information necessary to the public . ''
`` The press is an indispensable ally in the provision of important information to citizens and in the fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative said .
Kavalec called on the Bosnian authorities to `` communicate frequently with its citizens so that reliable information is provided to them about the measures taken , the rights and obligations of persons and businesses , and how to behave during these challenging times . ''
`` Censorship and limiting freedom of expression are not helpful and can undermine trust in institutions , '' she added .

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has expressed concern over the introduction of new measures against spreading panic and "fake news" regarding the coronavirus outbreak in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The OSCE representative on freedom of the media, Harlem Desir, and the head of the Vienna-based organization's mission to Bosnia, Kathleen Kavalec, said in a joint statement on March 23 that imposing censorship and limitations to freedom of expression was not the best response to concerns about the spread of "fake news" about the virus.
The warning comes after the government of Bosnia's predominantly Serb-populated entity, Republika Srpska, on March 19 introduced fines and other punitive measures for spreading "fake news" in the media and on social networks, causing panic.
The measures are due to last for the duration of the state of emergency declared over the pandemic, which has infected at least 153 people in Bosnia and killed two.
Authorities in Bosnia's northern district of Brcko have also introduced a prohibition related to reporting "fake news," while the interior minister of the Bosniak-Croat Federation, Aljosa Campara, called for similar measures, according to media reports.
"I fully understand the aim of tackling the dissemination of false information which creates panic and disorder during this health crisis," Desir said in the joint statement.
But Desir added that "the concerned legislation should not impede the free work of journalists or their ability to report on the pandemic and to provide information necessary to the public."
"The press is an indispensable ally in the provision of important information to citizens and in the fight against 'fake news,'" the OSCE representative said.
Kavalec called on the Bosnian authorities to "communicate frequently with its citizens so that reliable information is provided to them about the measures taken, the rights and obligations of persons and businesses, and how to behave during these challenging times."
"Censorship and limiting freedom of expression are not helpful and can undermine trust in institutions," she added.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service


rferl--2020-03-24--At Least 37 Turkmen Workers Die From Tainted Alcohol In Turkey

Reports from Turkey say at least 37 labor migrants from Turkmenistan have died from drinking tainted alcohol during the past week .
At least 38 people have died after drinking the illegally sold alcohol in Istanbul , RFE/RL correspondents report .
Many of the deceased from the Central Asian , former Soviet republic have reportedly been buried at Kilyos Mezarligi cemetery in Istanbul .
One cemetery worker said he 'd been warned that there would be more victims to bury .
On most of the freshly dug graves , there were only numbers to identify where the bodies of victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those victims were unable to transport their bodies back to Turkmenistan due to the cancellation of international flights over the coronavirus pandemic .
RFE/RL has confirmed that relatives of victims have faced bureaucratic hurdles trying to repatriate bodies in the midst of the ecoronavirus travel restrictions and border closures .
Police in Istanbul say they have arrested at least 11 people suspected of selling the illegally produced alcohol .
Turkish police have also reportedly confiscated tainted vodka along with guns and ammunition in the possession of suspects when they were arrested .

Reports from Turkey say at least 37 labor migrants from Turkmenistan have died from drinking tainted alcohol during the past week.
At least 38 people have died after drinking the illegally sold alcohol in Istanbul, RFE/RL correspondents report.
Many of the deceased from the Central Asian, former Soviet republic have reportedly been buried at Kilyos Mezarligi cemetery in Istanbul.
One cemetery worker said he'd been warned that there would be more victims to bury.
On most of the freshly dug graves, there were only numbers to identify where the bodies of victims had been buried.
Reports say relatives of those victims were unable to transport their bodies back to Turkmenistan due to the cancellation of international flights over the coronavirus pandemic.
RFE/RL has confirmed that relatives of victims have faced bureaucratic hurdles trying to repatriate bodies in the midst of the ecoronavirus travel restrictions and border closures.
Police in Istanbul say they have arrested at least 11 people suspected of selling the illegally produced alcohol.
Turkish police have also reportedly confiscated tainted vodka along with guns and ammunition in the possession of suspects when they were arrested.


rferl--2020-03-24--COVID-19: Olympics Postponed As Iran Rejects Medical Charity Mission

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have agreed to put off the Tokyo 2020 Games for one year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The move , unprecedented in peacetime , was requested `` taking into consideration the current circumstances '' Abe said , noting that all parties want a secure and safe environment for the athletes and crowds .
The Olympics , which have been held every four years since 1948 , is to date the highest-profile event affected by the virus , which has killed more than 17,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass disruptions as governments continue to try and slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
Here 's a roundup of other coronavirus developments in RFE/RL 's broadcast countries .
Iran , one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the coronavirus , has rejected an offer from a Geneva-based medical charity to set up a 50-bed inflatable hospital in the central city of Isfahan to deal with the epidemic .
The total number of people diagnosed with the disease increased by 1,762 during the previous 24 hours , the Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total figure to 24,811 .
The ministry also announced 122 new deaths from the virus , putting the official toll at 1,934 .
`` We are surprised to learn that the deployment of our treatment unit is canceled , '' Michel-Olivier Lacharite , who is in charge of the Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) crisis-response team , said in a statement on March 24 .
Lacharite said the organization had been ready to set up the unit at the end of the week after being given prior approval from the authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's health minister , tweeted that `` it is not necessary for now for hospital beds to be set up by foreign forces , and their presence is ruled out . ''
Vahabzadeh cited Iran 's `` national mobilization against the virus and the full use of the medical capacity of the armed forces '' as the reasons for the refusal .
On March 22 , MSF said it was sending a 50-bed inflatable hospital and an emergency team to Isfahan to treat patients critically ill with COVID-19 .
https : //www.msf.org/msf-responds-coronavirus-covid-19-iran An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive-care unit doctors and logisticians was to run the unit to be set up in the compound of the city ’ s Amin hospital , the organization said .
The announcement stirred opposition from Iranian hard-liners , who alleged that MSF staff would serve as `` spies . ''
Iranian officials have previously rejected the United States ' offer of humanitarian assistance , saying that Washington should lift sanctions if it wants to help Tehran fight the epidemic .
Iran has been under crippling U.S. sanctions in connection with its nuclear and missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for any sanctions imposed on countries like Iran to be `` urgently reevaluated '' to avoid pushing strained medical systems into collapse .
`` At this crucial time , both for global public-health reasons , and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries , sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended , '' Bachelet said .
More than 50 Iranian medics have died since the first coronavirus case was detected in the country five weeks ago , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 24 announced that about half of all government employees were staying at home in a bid to slow the coronavirus outbreak .
Rohani also said the temporary release of prisoners will be extended until the end of the current Iranian month of Farvardin , about April 18 .
Iranian authorities say they have temporarily released tens of thousands of prisoners because of the epidemic .
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has warned President Vladimir Putin that the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Russia is likely to rise sharply in the days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of tests they are carrying out .
Sobyanin , who heads a coronavirus task force at Russia 's State Council , told Putin on March 24 that the number of tests performed in Moscow will increase from about 3,000 a day to 13,000 per day by the end of this week .
`` The problem is that the volume of testing is very low and no one has a clear picture '' of the situation in Russia and the world , Sobyanin told Putin .
`` The picture that is unfolding is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the number of infected people in Russia was `` significantly '' higher than official figures .
Russia has registered 495 cases of the coronavirus and maintains that there have not been any deaths from the disease in the country .
One patient with coronavirus died in a Russian hospital , but the authorities are not counting the woman 's death as part of its coronavirus toll -- saying she died from a blood clot .
However , a global database maintained by Johns Hopkins University is including that patient in its coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's relatively low number of confirmed coronavirus infections could be attributed to its slow pace of screening .
Until recently , just one lab in Novosibirsk was analyzing tests from all over Russia .
Russia is now taking steps to open new labs and increase the number of tests being carried out for coronavirus .
Putin , meanwhile , visited a Moscow hospital for coronavirus patients on March 24 -- donning a yellow hazmat suit with a protective mask within an area where patients were being treated .
During his visit to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Putin praised doctors for their efforts in treating infected patients , saying they were working `` like clockwork , a well-oiled machine . ''
`` I could see how well the seriously ill patients are being cared for with three specialists working on one patient at once , '' Putin said in comments published on the Kremlin website .
Armenia has ordered nearly all people in the country to remain at home except to buy food , receive medical care , or to exercise , with only `` vitally '' necessary workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government steps up measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
The decision announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian came hours after a government task force ordered a partial closure of virtually all state agencies , allowing only a limited number of employees to show up for work .
Armenia , a South Caucasus country of just under 3 million people , has reported 249 coronavirus cases , a rise of 14 over the past 24 hours .
Pashinian said in a nationally televised address that one of the persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in `` extremely grave '' condition and that four others were in `` grave '' condition .
The prime minister added that 868 Armenians remained in quarantine and more than 2,400 others were in self-isolation .
At least 37 people were released from a two-week quarantine on March 24 after testing negative for the virus .
In his address , Pashinian said that the lockdown `` means the work of thousands of enterprises will be halted and only vitally necessary entities will be allowed to operate . ''
He said the measures would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week . ''
`` Our fellow citizens taking to the streets will have to clearly explain where they are going and those explanations must fit into the logic of people 's vital movements , '' Pashinian warned .
He said that only people over the age of 65 would be allowed to go shopping between 10 a.m. and noon each day .
As part of the measures , the government earlier ordered the temporary closure of all cafes and restaurants as well as most businesses in the country .
Pashinian urged Armenians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services provided by state and private entities .
He also stressed that food stores , pharmacies , and bank offices will remain open and that no restrictions will be placed on agricultural work .
`` We are overcoming coronavirus step by step ... rest assured that we will defeat this evil , '' Pashinian said .
The government on March 16 declared a one-month state of emergency to slow the spread of the disease .
It had previously closed its border with Iran -- one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has imposed a state of emergency in the capital and several other cities and regions to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak , the country 's presidential service announced on March 24 .
`` President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed decrees to enact a state of emergency in the cities of Bishkek , Osh , and Jalal-Abad , as well as the Nookat and Kara-Suu districts of the Osh region and the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region .
The decrees have been sent to parliament , '' it said .
The decrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unanimously approved them in an emergency session .
Kyrgyzstan 's Security Council first recommended the state of emergency on March 22 , and the government subsequently imposed some restrictions and took some measures such as placing checkpoints in every region and city .
In the southern district of Nookat , regional officials already declared a local state of emergency on March 21 after three coronavirus cases were reported there .
Under the state of emergency which , after parliament 's approval , will come into force on March 25 and will last until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enacted and measures to maintain public order and security at strategic facilities will be stepped up , the statement said .
The decree bans artistic , sports , and other mass events as well as strikes , rallies , meetings , street marches , demonstrations , and pickets .
In line with the presidential decree declaring a state of emergency , the government said all internal flights will be suspended in Kyrgyzstan from March 25 .
Exceptions will be made for special flights upon agreement with the country 's headquarters for coronavirus actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boronov .
Kyrgyzstan 's Health Ministry reported 26 more confirmed cases on March 23 , bringing the total number to 42 .
Tajikistan , which has not reported any coronavirus cases so far , decided to close its border with Kyrgyzstan starting on March 24 `` until the situation stabilizes , '' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement .
The decision does not apply to Tajik citizens returning to their home country , foreigners departing from Tajikistan , drivers of goods vehicles , diplomats and their families , and members of government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital , Tashkent , went into lockdown on March 24 to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak .
Uzbekistan has 50 confirmed coronavirus cases , all but one in Tashkent , a city of more than 2.5 million .
Uzbekistan closed its borders on March 23 and has already shut down public transit in the capital and ordered most businesses to switch to remote working .
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) says the media in Pakistan should temporarily close their bureaus to lower health risks after three TV journalists working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
`` You can not rule out the possibility that the three journalists who have tested positive for COVID-19 caught it while reporting in the field , '' Daniel Bastard , the head of RSF 's Asia-Pacific desk , said in a statement on March 23 , a day after it emerged that two journalists with News 24 HD TV and one with AbbTakk TV had tested positive .
The journalists are based in Lahore , the capital of the eastern province of Punjab .
`` We ask all of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their reporters ' health first and not send large numbers of them into the field , '' Bastard said .
`` Everything must be put in place so that they can work from home and avoid any potential source of infection . ''
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has passed 950 , with seven deaths .
President Klaus Iohannis has said that Romania will deploy the military to help impose a `` total quarantine '' to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak amid a spike in the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of emergency on March 16 , but the number of cases has continued to rise sharply as many people have been ignoring the government 's recommendations to remain indoors .
On March 24 , authorities reported 186 more infections -- the highest day-to-day increase so far -- and one more death , bringing the total to 762 confirmed cases and eight fatalities .
Iohannis said in a live televised address that starting from March 25 , people will only be allowed to leave home to buy food or medicine , to go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 65 will be completely banned from leaving their homes .
Those who have been placed in self-quarantine will be monitored electronically , Iohannis said .
He did not elaborate .
Iohannis said previous recommendations will become mandatory and the army will be deployed to help police the streets .
`` The restrictions , dear Romanians , will come into force from tomorrow , '' Iohannis said .
Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu has imposed further freedom-of-movement restrictions , banning people from visiting parks and other recreation sites in an effort to stem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from March 24 , city residents are prohibited from visiting parks and other public zones where people gather .
This measure is tough , but is necessary for containing the coronavirus .
The Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry will be responsible for enforcing these measures , '' Chicu told a session of the emergency situations commission late on March 23 .
Additional measures include shutting down public transportation , outdoor food markets , mail delivery , and the closing of all commercial shops except for grocery stores and pharmacies .
Residents were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only leave for work or to shop for food .
Moldova reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 on March 23 , bringing the total number of infections to 109 .
A national emergency is in place until May 15 .
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says there is no need yet to declare a national state of emergency even as a leading health official announced 10 more cases of coronavirus .
`` At the moment , there is no need to introduce a state of emergency in Ukraine .
A state of emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today , the development of the coronavirus in Ukraine is quite moderate compared to many European countries , '' Shmyhal told local television late on March 23 .
He added that measures the government is currently taking are ample for the time being , though the situation may change in the coming weeks due to the spread of the coronavirus .
Chief Medical Officer Viktor Lyashko said on March 23 that preliminary tests showed 10 more people have been infected with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Confirmation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and could raise the number of confirmed cases to 83 .
Three deaths have been recorded linked to the virus .
According to the Interior Ministry , more than 72,000 Ukrainians have returned from abroad , including from some of the hardest-hit European countries , since a nationwide quarantine was imposed from March 12 to April 3 .
Among those diagnosed with the coronavirus are several members of parliament , including Ruslan Horbenko , a member of the ruling party .
Meanwhile , President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged the heads of church confessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presence of people at places of worship .
`` I thank those church leaders who understand the danger and conduct divine service online , without people .
I am sure other leaders will join these forced measures .
After all , today people really need faith , but they equally need basic security , '' he said .
Since March 17 , all aviation , rail , and bus services with foreign countries and within the country have been shut down .
Shopping centers , cafes , restaurants , gyms , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only grocery stores , pharmacies , gas stations , and banks are still open .
The previous day , Kyiv further closed public transportation , allowing only critical personnel to take buses , trolleybuses , and trams .
Subway systems were closed in Kyiv , Odesa , and Dnipro on March 17 .
Several cities , including Kyiv , have declared states of emergency .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Armenian , Kyrgyz , Moldovan , Romanian , Tajik , Ukrainian , and Uzbek services , Reuters , AP , AFP , dpa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Digi24.ro , G4media.ro , and Hotnews.ro

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have agreed to put off the Tokyo 2020 games for one year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move, unprecedented in peacetime, was requested "taking into consideration the current circumstances," Abe said, noting that all parties want a secure and safe environment for the athletes and crowds.
The Olympics, which have been held every four years since 1948, is to date the highest-profile event affected by the virus, which has killed more nearly 19,000 and infected over 422,000 people, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try and slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of other coronavirus developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Iran
Iran, one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the coronavirus, has rejected an offer from a Geneva-based medical charity to set up a 50-bed inflatable hospital in the central city of Isfahan to deal with the epidemic.
The total number of people diagnosed with the disease increased by 1,762 during the previous 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on March 24, raising the total figure to 24,811.
The ministry also announced 122 new deaths from the virus, putting the official toll at 1,934.
"We are surprised to learn that the deployment of our treatment unit is canceled," Michel-Olivier Lacharite, who is in charge of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) crisis-response team, said in a statement on March 24.
Lacharite said the organization had been ready to set up the unit at the end of the week after being given prior approval from the authorities.
Alireza Vahabzadeh, adviser to Iran's health minister, tweeted that "it is not necessary for now for hospital beds to be set up by foreign forces, and their presence is ruled out."
Vahabzadeh cited Iran's "national mobilization against the virus and the full use of the medical capacity of the armed forces" as the reasons for the refusal.
On March 22, MSF said it was sending a 50-bed inflatable hospital and an emergency team to Isfahan to treat patients critically ill with COVID-19.
An MSF team comprised of nine emergency and intensive-care unit doctors and logisticians was to run the unit to be set up in the compound of the city’s Amin hospital, the organization said.
The announcement stirred opposition from Iranian hard-liners, who alleged that MSF staff would serve as "spies."
Iranian officials have previously rejected the United States' offer of humanitarian assistance, saying that Washington should lift sanctions if it wants to help Tehran fight the epidemic.
Iran has been under crippling U.S. sanctions in connection with its nuclear and missile program.
On March 24, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for any sanctions imposed on countries like Iran to be "urgently reevaluated" to avoid pushing strained medical systems into collapse.
"At this crucial time, both for global public-health reasons, and to support the rights and lives of millions of people in these countries, sectoral sanctions should be eased or suspended," Bachelet said.
More than 50 Iranian medics have died since the first coronavirus case was detected in the country five weeks ago, according to her office.
Iranian President Hassan Rohani on March 24 announced that about half of all government employees were staying at home in a bid to slow the coronavirus outbreak.
Rohani also said the temporary release of prisoners will be extended until the end of the current Iranian month of Farvardin, about April 18.
Iranian authorities say they have temporarily released tens of thousands of prisoners because of the epidemic.
Russia
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has warned President Vladimir Putin that the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Russia is likely to rise sharply in the days ahead as health officials dramatically increase the number of tests they are carrying out.
Sobyanin, who heads a coronavirus task force at Russia's State Council, told Putin on March 24 that the number of tests performed in Moscow will increase from about 3,000 a day to 13,000 per day by the end of this week.
"The problem is that the volume of testing is very low and no one has a clear picture" of the situation in Russia and the world, Sobyanin told Putin.
"The picture that is unfolding is serious," he said, warning that the number of infected people in Russia was "significantly" higher than official figures.
Russia has registered 495 cases of the coronavirus and maintains that there have not been any deaths from the disease in the country.
One patient with coronavirus died in a Russian hospital, but the authorities are not counting the woman's death as part of its coronavirus toll -- saying she died from a blood clot.
However, a global database maintained by Johns Hopkins University is including that patient in its coronavirus death toll.
Some experts say Russia's relatively low number of confirmed coronavirus infections could be attributed to its slow pace of screening.
Until recently, just one lab in Novosibirsk was analyzing tests from all over Russia.
Russia is now taking steps to open new labs and increase the number of tests being carried out for coronavirus.
Putin, meanwhile, visited a Moscow hospital for coronavirus patients on March 24 -- donning a yellow hazmat suit with a protective mask within an area where patients were being treated.
During his visit to a hospital in the Moscow suburb of Kommunarka, Putin praised doctors for their efforts in treating infected patients, saying they were working "like clockwork, a well-oiled machine."
"I could see how well the seriously ill patients are being cared for with three specialists working on one patient at once," Putin said in comments published on the Kremlin website.
Armenia
Armenia has ordered nearly all people in the country to remain at home except to buy food, receive medical care, or to exercise, with only "vitally" necessary workers allowed to go to their jobs as the government steps up measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian came hours after a government task force ordered a partial closure of virtually all state agencies, allowing only a limited number of employees to show up for work.
Armenia, a South Caucasus country of just under 3 million people, has reported 249 coronavirus cases, a rise of 14 over the past 24 hours.
Pashinian said in a nationally televised address that one of the persons infected, a 77-year-old man, was in "extremely grave" condition and that four others were in "grave" condition.
The prime minister added that 868 Armenians remained in quarantine and more than 2,400 others were in self-isolation.
At least 37 people were released from a two-week quarantine on March 24 after testing negative for the virus.
In his address, Pashinian said that the lockdown "means the work of thousands of enterprises will be halted and only vitally necessary entities will be allowed to operate."
He said the measures would be in effect "for at least a week."
"Our fellow citizens taking to the streets will have to clearly explain where they are going and those explanations must fit into the logic of people's vital movements," Pashinian warned.
He said that only people over the age of 65 would be allowed to go shopping between 10 a.m. and noon each day.
As part of the measures, the government earlier ordered the temporary closure of all cafes and restaurants as well as most businesses in the country.
Pashinian urged Armenians to, if possible, use online services provided by state and private entities.
He also stressed that food stores, pharmacies, and bank offices will remain open and that no restrictions will be placed on agricultural work.
"We are overcoming coronavirus step by step...rest assured that we will defeat this evil," Pashinian said.
The government on March 16 declared a one-month state of emergency to slow the spread of the disease.
It had previously closed its border with Iran -- one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the virus -- and Georgia.
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan has imposed a state of emergency in the capital and several other cities and regions to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the country's presidential service announced on March 24.
"President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed decrees to enact a state of emergency in the cities of Bishkek, Osh, and Jalal-Abad, as well as the Nookat and Kara-Suu districts of the Osh region and the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region. The decrees have been sent to parliament," it said.
The decrees were immediately sent to parliament, which unanimously approved them in an emergency session.
Kyrgyzstan's Security Council first recommended the state of emergency on March 22, and the government subsequently imposed some restrictions and took some measures such as placing checkpoints in every region and city.
In the southern district of Nookat, regional officials already declared a local state of emergency on March 21 after three coronavirus cases were reported there.
Under the state of emergency which, after parliament's approval, will come into force on March 25 and will last until April 15, a curfew will be enacted and measures to maintain public order and security at strategic facilities will be stepped up, the statement said.
The decree bans artistic, sports, and other mass events as well as strikes, rallies, meetings, street marches, demonstrations, and pickets.
In line with the presidential decree declaring a state of emergency, the government said all internal flights will be suspended in Kyrgyzstan from March 25.
Exceptions will be made for special flights upon agreement with the country's headquarters for coronavirus actions, according to Deputy Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov.
Kyrgyzstan's Health Ministry reported 26 more confirmed cases on March 23, bringing the total number to 42.
Tajikistan, which has not reported any coronavirus cases so far, decided to close its border with Kyrgyzstan starting on March 24 "until the situation stabilizes," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The decision does not apply to Tajik citizens returning to their home country, foreigners departing from Tajikistan, drivers of goods vehicles, diplomats and their families, and members of government delegations.
In neighboring Uzbekistan, the capital, Tashkent, went into lockdown on March 24 to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Uzbekistan has 50 confirmed coronavirus cases, all but one in Tashkent, a city of more than 2.5 million.
Uzbekistan closed its borders on March 23 and has already shut down public transit in the capital and ordered most businesses to switch to remote working.
Pakistan
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the media in Pakistan should temporarily close their bureaus to lower health risks after three TV journalists working in the field tested positive for the coronavirus.
"You cannot rule out the possibility that the three journalists who have tested positive for COVID-19 caught it while reporting in the field," Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk, said in a statement on March 23, a day after it emerged that two journalists with News 24 HD TV and one with AbbTakk TV had tested positive.
The journalists are based in Lahore, the capital of the eastern province of Punjab.
"We ask all of the country's media executives and owners to put their reporters' health first and not send large numbers of them into the field," Bastard said. "Everything must be put in place so that they can work from home and avoid any potential source of infection."
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has passed 950, with seven deaths.
Romania
President Klaus Iohannis has said that Romania will deploy the military to help impose a "total quarantine" to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak amid a spike in the number of confirmed cases.
Romania declared a state of emergency on March 16, but the number of cases has continued to rise sharply as many people have been ignoring the government's recommendations to remain indoors.
On March 24, authorities reported 186 more infections -- the highest day-to-day increase so far -- and one more death, bringing the total to 762 confirmed cases and eight fatalities.
Iohannis said in a live televised address that starting from March 25, people will only be allowed to leave home to buy food or medicine, to go to work, or for emergencies. Those over 65 will be completely banned from leaving their homes.
Those who have been placed in self-quarantine will be monitored electronically, Iohannis said. He did not elaborate.
Iohannis said previous recommendations will become mandatory and the army will be deployed to help police the streets.
"The restrictions, dear Romanians, will come into force from tomorrow," Iohannis said.
Moldova
Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu has imposed further freedom-of-movement restrictions, banning people from visiting parks and other recreation sites in an effort to stem the spread ofthe coronavirus.
"Starting from March 24, city residents are prohibited from visiting parks and other public zones where people gather. This measure is tough, but is necessary for containing the coronavirus. The Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry will be responsible for enforcing these measures," Chicu told a session of the emergency situations commission late on March 23.
Additional measures include shutting down public transportation, outdoor food markets, mail delivery, and the closing of all commercial shops except for grocery stores and pharmacies.
Residents were instructed to stay at home and can only leave for work or to shop for food.
Moldova reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 on March 23, bringing the total number of infections to 109.
A national emergency is in place until May 15.
Ukraine
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says there is no need yet to declare a national state of emergency even as a leading health official announced 10 more cases of coronavirus.
"At the moment, there is no need to introduce a state of emergency in Ukraine. A state of emergency is introduced when there are extreme events. Today, the development of the coronavirus in Ukraine is quite moderate compared to many European countries," Shmyhal told local television late on March 23.
He added that measures the government is currently taking are ample for the time being, though the situation may change in the coming weeks due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Chief Medical Officer Viktor Lyashko said on March 23 that preliminary tests showed 10 more people have been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Confirmation of their tests is expected on March 24 and could raise the number of confirmed cases to 83. Three deaths have been recorded linked to the virus.
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 72,000 Ukrainians have returned from abroad, including from some of the hardest-hit European countries, since a nationwide quarantine was imposed from March 12 to April 3.
Among those diagnosed with the coronavirus are several members of parliament, including Ruslan Horbenko, a member of the ruling party.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged the heads of church confessions to conduct prayer services online and without the presence of people at places of worship.
"I thank those church leaders who understand the danger and conduct divine service online, without people. I am sure other leaders will join these forced measures. After all, today people really need faith, but they equally need basic security," he said.
Since March 17, all aviation, rail, and bus services with foreign countries and within the country have been shut down. Shopping centers, cafes, restaurants, gyms, and other nonessential facilities have been shuttered. Only grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, and banks are still open.
The previous day, Kyiv further closed public transportation, allowing only critical personnel to take buses, trolleybuses, and trams. Subway systems were closed in Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro on March 17.
Several cities, including Kyiv, have declared states of emergency.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian, Kyrgyz, Moldovan, Romanian, Tajik, Ukrainian, and Uzbek services, Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, IRNA, TASS, Interfax, Digi24.ro, G4media.ro, and Hotnews.ro


rferl--2020-03-23--Ghani Reassures Afghans On Daily Life After U.S. Cuts Aid

KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says a cut in aid from the United States will not affect `` key '' areas of daily life in the war-torn country even as it battles to stem the coronavirus outbreak .
The U.S. State Department announced late on March 23 that it was slashing $ 1 billion in aid to Afghanistan after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo failed to convince Ghani and former Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah to end a feud that has jeopardized a peace deal signed last month .
Ghani said in a televised address on March 24 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortfall in a budget that relies on other nations for three-quarters of its funding .
“ I can assure you that a reduction in the U.S. aid will not have a direct impact on our key sectors and areas , and we will strive to fill the gap with both austerity measures and alternative sources , ” he said .
“ It is important for us to preserve the lives of the nation , to maintain prices , to provide services , and to maintain the apparatus of government and republicanism .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in these areas , ’ ’ he added .
Pompeo announced the slashing of aid in a harshly worded statement after making a surprise visit to Kabul to pressure Ghani and Abdullah to come to an agreement .
Pompeo went to Kabul with an urgent message and `` spoke directly to the nation ’ s leaders to impress upon them the need to compromise for the sake of the Afghan people , '' a State Department statement said .
Ghani and Abdullah blamed each other for failing to resolve the feuding -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate president -- which Pompeo said may lead to further cuts in U.S. funding .
Ghani said during his televised address that Abdullah 's power-sharing demands were unconstitutional , while Abdullah lamented Pompeo 's visit as a missed opportunity for the impoverished nation .
Pompeo said the United States was disappointed in them , adding that their failure has harmed U.S.-Afghan relations and dishonors the Afghan , Americans , and coalition partners who died in the struggle to build a new future for the country , which is already girding itself for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan has confirmed only 42 cases of the virus , but many fear the number could be considerably higher given the thousands of Afghans who have returned to the country from Iran , the epicenter of the outbreak in the Middle East .
After departing Kabul , Pompeo made a stop in Doha , for a meeting with three top Taliban leaders .
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said she met with the Taliban 's chief negotiator , Mullah Baradar , and two other Taliban leaders .
The meeting in the Qatari capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Taliban representatives -- was meant to press the Taliban to continue to comply with a peace deal that the militant group signed with Washington on February 29 , Ortagus said .
Pompeo was hoping to advance progress on the peace deal , which could lead to the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan and an end to the country 's 18-year conflict .
Since the signing of the deal with the Taliban , political turmoil has complicated the peace process , which has ground to a halt , with both Ghani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency through a contested election in September .
After his talks with the Taliban leaders , Pompeo told reporters that the United States and all countries in the coalition were moving forward with a planned withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan .
`` We have a commitment that has a timeline , '' he said .
`` We are moving down that timeline . ''
The Taliban has not given up its campaign of violence against the Afghan government or gone ahead with promised talks with Kabul .
But Pompeo said that the reduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Taliban had abided by its promise not to attack U.S. forces .
`` They committed to reducing violence ; they have largely done that , '' Pompeo said .
With reporting by AFP and Reuters

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


rferl--2020-03-25--Moscow Court Prolongs Detention Of Former Cabinet Minister Abyzov

A Russian court has ordered a former Russian cabinet minister seen as an ally of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held in pretrial detention until June 25 on embezzlement charges after his arrest a year ago .
The Moscow City Court said on March 25 that it was extending the detention by three months of Mikhail Abyzov , who has pleaded not guilty and says he ’ s willing to cooperate with the investigation .
Abyzov ’ s arrest in March 2019 surprised close watchers of Russian politics , who saw it as another warning sign by Russian security and intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whom are linked to Medvedev .
The Investigative Committee has said that Abyzov was allegedly involved in a criminal group that embezzled 4 billion rubles ( about $ 62 million ) from the Siberian Energy Company and Regional Electric Grid in Novosibirsk .
Investigators alleged that Abyzov and five accomplices stole the money and transferred the funds abroad .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that President Vladimir Putin was informed in advance about suspicions against Abyzov .
Abyzov served as a cabinet minister between 2012 and 2018 and is considered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president between 2008 and 2012 .
After Putin returned to the presidency in 2012 , Medvedev again become prime minister .
Abyzov retained his position in Medvedev 's government until last year .
Investigators allege that Abyzov founded the criminal enterprise in April 2011 -- a year before he was appointed as minister for open government affairs , whose duties included trying to make the Russian government transparent and accountable .
Abyzov had also held several executive positions at major Russian energy firms since the mid-1990s , including a role on the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company RAO UES .
In 2017 , anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny reported that Abyzov owns a mansion in Italy worth about $ 11.7 million .
Navalny reported that Abyzov amassed his wealth through his energy sector connections in Novosibirsk .
Abyzov is one of several liberal-leaning former or current government officials who have been targeted in criminal investigations in recent years .
The 2016 arrest of Economics Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev was also interpreted as a move by hard-line factions in Russian political circles -- specifically , the head of the state-oil company Rosneft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ulyukayev was sentenced to eight years in a prison camp in 2017 .
The Russian Investigative Committee has detained three other suspects as a result of the criminal investigation surrounding Abyzov , while a fourth suspect is at large abroad .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

A Russian court has ordered a former Russian cabinet minister seen as an ally of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held in pretrial detention until June 25 on embezzlement charges after his arrest a year ago.
The Moscow City Court said on March 25 that it was extending the detention by three months of Mikhail Abyzov, who has pleaded not guilty and says he’s willing to cooperate with the investigation.
Abyzov’s arrest in March 2019 surprised close watchers of Russian politics, who saw it as another warning sign by Russian security and intelligence agencies against liberal-leaning political figures, many of whom are linked to Medvedev.
The Investigative Committee has said that Abyzov was allegedly involved in a criminal group that embezzled 4 billion rubles (about $62 million) from the Siberian Energy Company and Regional Electric Grid in Novosibirsk. Investigators alleged that Abyzov and five accomplices stole the money and transferred the funds abroad.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that President Vladimir Putin was informed in advance about suspicions against Abyzov.
Abyzov served as a cabinet minister between 2012 and 2018 and is considered a close associate of Medvedev, who was president between 2008 and 2012.
After Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, Medvedev again become prime minister. Abyzov retained his position in Medvedev's government until last year.
Investigators allege that Abyzov founded the criminal enterprise in April 2011 -- a year before he was appointed as minister for open government affairs, whose duties included trying to make the Russian government transparent and accountable.
Abyzov had also held several executive positions at major Russian energy firms since the mid-1990s, including a role on the board of directors at the electric power holding company RAO UES.
In 2017, anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny reported that Abyzov owns a mansion in Italy worth about $11.7 million. Navalny reported that Abyzov amassed his wealth through his energy sector connections in Novosibirsk.
Abyzov is one of several liberal-leaning former or current government officials who have been targeted in criminal investigations in recent years.
The 2016 arrest of Economics Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev was also interpreted as a move by hard-line factions in Russian political circles -- specifically, the head of the state-oil company Rosneft Igor Sechin -- against liberal factions. Ulyukayev was sentenced to eight years in a prison camp in 2017.
The Russian Investigative Committee has detained three other suspects as a result of the criminal investigation surrounding Abyzov, while a fourth suspect is at large abroad.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-03-25--COVID-19: Putin To Address Russians Amid Spike In Cases; Pakistan Halts Domestic Flights

The global death toll from the coronavirus has almost reached 19,000 with more than 425,000 infections confirmed , causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness .
The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin will address the country in the coming hours after a spike in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases .
The announcement on March 26 came shortly after Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered provincial governors to move more quickly to provide hospital beds for coronavirus patients .
Earlier in the day , the government reported 658 infections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rise Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said was almost three times higher than the previous average of confirmed cases .
`` There are currently 658 cases in 55 regions of Russia .
Twenty-nine people have recovered .
A total of 112,000 people are being monitored in self-isolation , '' Golikova told a meeting of the country 's federal coronavirus operative response group that is coordinating the fight against the coronavirus .
The same number appeared on the government 's official website dedicated to the coronavirus outbreak in Russia .
Mishustin 's warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mayor of Moscow told Putin that the Russian regions weren ’ t acting energetically enough to prepare for the outbreak .
Sergei Sobyanin warned that the low number of cases in Russia compared to Europe could be explained by insufficient screening and called for quicker action to brace up for the worst .
As of March 25 , Russian authorities had not reported any coronavirus deaths .
A 79-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 died last week at a Moscow infectious disease hospital .
At first , Moscow health authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials quickly changed the cause of death to a blood clot , not the coronavirus .
However , a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the United States lists one coronavirus death in Russia .
Pakistan has announced it is halting all domestic passenger flights to stop the spread of the coronavirus after reporting 1,000 cases in the country .
The domestic flight ban will begin on March 26 , civil aviation spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar said .
Most of those who initially tested positive were Pakistani pilgrims returning from neighboring Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak of the coronavirus .
However , officials now say the virus is being reported in people who had no travel history .
As of March 25 , 1,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Pakistan , with seven deaths and 19 full recoveries , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the United States .
Iran on March 26 announced 143 new deaths from the coronavirus , raising the official death toll to 2,077 in one of the world 's worst-hit countries .
Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases of COVID-19 infection '' in the past 24 hours , bringing the total number of infections to 27,017 .
Jahanpur 's announcement came a day after Iran rejected an offer from a Geneva-based medical charity to set up a 50-bed inflatable hospital in the central city of Isfahan to deal with the outbreak .
A Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) crisis-response team comprised of nine emergency and intensive-care unit doctors and logisticians were to run the unit to be set up in the compound of the city ’ s Amin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lacharite , who is in charge of the MSF team , said on March 24 that the organization had been ready to set up the unit at the end of the week after being given prior approval from the authorities .
`` We are surprised to learn that the deployment of our treatment unit is canceled , '' Lacharite said .

The global death toll from the coronavirus has passed 20,000 with more than 450,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Romania
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Romania has surpassed 900, including 13 deaths, as the authorities deployed army troops on the streets to enforce a "total quarantine."
Romania has been under a state of emergency since March 16.
But the number of coronavirus cases has continued to grow as many people ignored recommendations to stay indoors, prompting President Klaus Iohannis to strengthen the restrictions on March 24 by declaring "a total quarantine."
The authorities on March 25 reported 144 more infections, bringing the total to 907 out of some 14,000 people tested. The death toll of 13 on March 25 was an increase from eight during the previous 24 hours.
Armored vehicles manned by soldiers in combat gear and face masks were patrolling downtown Bucharest on March 25 after Iohannis ordered the army to help police enforce the lockdown.
Moldova
Neighboring Moldova on March 25 reported 16 more coronavirus cases during the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections there to 125.
"A total of 1,011 coronavirus tests have been carried out since March 7, and 125 of them were positive," Health, Labor, and Social Protection Minister Viorica Dumbraveanu said. "One person has died."
Armored vehicles were seen patrolling the streets of Moldova's capital, Chisinau, after Prime Minister Ion Chicu on March 24 asked the military to help enforce restrictions.
"We have decided to resort to the army's help," Chicu said. "We have decided to restrict the people's access to public areas, such as parks, public gardens, and other places. This is a hard decision, but it is necessary to stop the virus from spreading."
According to a tally published on March 25 by Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 436,150 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide -- including about 19,650 deaths.
Armenia
Police in Armenia have begun enforcing a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus by ensuring people are following new restrictions to freedom of movement.
The toughened measures, which will remain in force for at least one week, come as the number of coronavirus cases in the South Caucasus country increased to 265 on March 25.
Health authorities say 18 people have recovered from the respiratory illness. No deaths have been reported.
People leaving their homes in the country of nearly 3 million people must carry identity credentials and self-completed forms that explain their reason for being outdoors.
The information must include destination, duration outside, and the time the person left as well as the estimated time when he or she plans to return home.
Citizens are allowed to travel to and from work if they are employed in a field whose activities have not been not suspended by the government.
They are also permitted to leave their homes to exercise or to buy food or medicine.
Only two people, including the driver, can be inside a vehicle at the same time.
The Armenian government on March 16 declared a one-month state of emergency to contain the outbreak.
The country has closed its border with Georgia and Iran -- one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the virus.
And citizens of a number of countries, including the United States and EU member states, are not allowed entry to Armenia.
Ukraine
Ukraine's government has declared a state of emergency to cope with the spread of the coronavirus as it seeks to unlock billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The 30-day measure was approved on March 25 at a cabinet meeting broadcast live on television.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the new measures would not hinder individual constitutional rights and only “consolidate efforts to overcome the threat” of the coronavirus.
He also proposed a border closure plan to ban all passenger traffic in and out of the country that would apply to Ukrainian nationals as well.
"This is an urgent need, because, in recent weeks, we have seen that the only source of coronavirus penetration into Ukraine has been the flow of citizens from abroad, and this flow continues," Shmyhal said.
Previously, only Kyiv and some regions of Ukraine had declared states of emergency.
The cabinet on March 25 also extended quarantine measures -- basically stay-at-home orders -- until at least April 24. The order, in place since March 12, originally was to be in effect through April 3.
Ukraine confirmed 32 new cases on March 25, bringing the nationwide total to 145 in 13 regions and Kyiv, according to the Center for Public Health.
Four lawmakers are among those who have tested positive.
Five deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. The patients' ages ranged from 33 to 71 years.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that after March 27 no more flights will be allowed to land in or depart from the country, while calling on Ukrainians to come home or risk remaining stranded indefinitely.
“There are two days. Gather yourselves and come home, my dear fellows. And after that, you will remain sitting somewhere in Sri Lanka in a luxurious hut. Well, sit there more, since you decided to do so. Because two weeks have passed from the moment when we got into this situation,” Avakov said.
He added that Ukrainians will still be able to enter Ukraine by foot or in a vehicle.
Parliament, meanwhile, has pushed back a scheduled extraordinary session from March 26 to March 28 to address the coronavirus outbreak and pass bills required by the IMF.
The legislation would enable sessions and committee meetings via video conferencing for at least two months. It also includes measures to cope with the coronavirus, improve social and economic conditions, and amend the budget.
Among the laws required to unlock a $5.5 billion IMF loan is a change of bank regulations to prevent tycoons from regaining control of financial institutions which were nationalized during a period of insolvency from 2014 to 2016.
Kyiv is reportedly seeking a second package worth about $5 billion related to the negative economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, police are investigating an unnamed private medical clinic in Kyiv for possible violations of sanitation rules related to the prevention of infectious diseases and widespread poisoning, local media reported.
Investigators are following up on reports that the clinic may have failed to inform the Health Ministry’s Center for Public Health regarding positive test results for coronavirus.
Russia
The government's coronavirus task force has admitted to Russia's first two deaths from the respiratory illness known as COVID-19. Two patients, aged 88 and 73, died on March 25.
The task force has not included the earlier deaths of two other coronavirus patients in Russia as part of its tally, saying they had died of other causes.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin earlier on March 25 ordered provincial governors to move more quickly to provide hospital beds for coronavirus patients.
The government had earlier reported 658 infections, up from 495 a day before, a rise Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said was almost three times higher than the previous average of confirmed cases.
"There are currently 658 cases in 55 regions of Russia. Twenty-nine people have recovered. A total of 112,000 people are being monitored in self-isolation," Golikova told a meeting of the country's federal coronavirus operative response group that is coordinating the fight against the coronavirus.
The same number appeared on the government's official website dedicated to the coronavirus outbreak in Russia.
Mishustin's warning to regional governors came a day after the mayor of Moscow told Putin that the Russian regions weren't acting energetically enough to prepare for the outbreak.
Sergei Sobyanin warned that the low number of cases in Russia compared to Europe could be explained by insufficient screening and called for quicker action to brace for the worst. He has ordered the closure of all eateries, shopping malls, and parks from March 28 to April 5.
As of March 25, Russian authorities had not reported any coronavirus deaths. A 79-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 died last week at a Moscow infectious disease hospital. At first, Moscow health authorities said the death was virus related, but officials quickly changed the cause of death to a blood clot, not the coronavirus.
Pakistan
Pakistan has announced it is halting all domestic passenger flights to stop the spread of the coronavirus after reporting 1,000 cases in the country.
The domestic flight ban will begin on March 26, civil aviation spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar said.
Islamabad had previously cut train service and international flights.
Most of those who initially tested positive were Pakistani pilgrims returning from neighboring Iran, which has seen the Mideast's worst outbreak of the coronavirus.
However, officials now say the virus is being reported in people who had no travel history.
As of March 25, 1,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Pakistan, with seven deaths and 19 full recoveries, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
Iran
Iran on March 25 announced 143 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the official death toll to 2,077 in one of the world's worst-hit countries.
Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said "our colleagues have registered 2,206 new cases of COVID-19 infection" in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 27,017.
Jahanpur's announcement came a day after Iran rejected an offer from a Geneva-based medical charity to set up a 50-bed inflatable hospital in the central city of Isfahan to deal with the outbreak.
A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) crisis-response team comprised of nine emergency and intensive-care unit doctors and logisticians were to run the unit to be set up in the compound of the city’s Amin hospital, the organization said.
Michel-Olivier Lacharite, who is in charge of the MSF team, said on March 24 that the organization had been ready to set up the unit at the end of the week after being given prior approval from the authorities.
"We are surprised to learn that the deployment of our treatment unit is canceled," Lacharite said.
With reporting RFE/RL's Armenian, Moldovan, Romanian, and Ukrainian services, AP, Dawn, Reuters, G4media.ro, Hotnews.ro, Interfax, Hromadske, Interfax, and Ukrayinska pravda


rferl--2020-03-25--Earthquake Off Kurile Islands Causes Small Tsunami

A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the Kurile Islands on March 24 , causing a small tsunami and prompting a @ @ @ @ @ coast of the United States and Canada and as far away as Hawaii .
The @ @ @ @ @ quake struck at 10:49 p.m. 219 kilometers south-southeast of Severo on the Kurile chain northeast @ @ @ @ @ was 56 kilometers deep , the Geological Survey said .
Russia 's Emergencies Ministry reported @ @ @ @ @ wave of about 50 centimeters high .
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said `` only @ @ @ @ @ generated by this earthquake and there is no further threat . ''
The four southernmost @ @ @ @ @ have been disputed between Moscow and Tokyo since the end of World War II .
@ @ @ @ @ the Northern Territories in Japan .
Lingering tensions over the islands have prevented Japan and @ @ @ @ @ treaty to formally end the war .
With reporting by AFP and AP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that there can be no advancement in the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers unless there is an improvement in the treatment of women in the country.
Speaking to reporters on August 15, the two-year anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of power in Kabul, Blinken said the United States continues to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the commitments that it's made, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.
"We've been very clear with the Taliban -- and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear -- that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls among other things are actually supported," Blinken said.
No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and the United States has avoided direct economic engagement in part over the treatment of women and girls, who have seen their rights drastically curbed by the hard-line Islamists. This includes a ban on women working in local and international nongovernmental organizations and a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021 after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. troops under the terms of an agreement reached in February 2020 between the Taliban and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Blinken defended the pullout and said the United States was not focused on other priorities.
"The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one," Blinken said. "We ended America's longest war. For the first time in 20 years, we don't have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die."
A number of international human rights organizations earlier on August 15 called the Taliban's two years of rule shameful and worrying.
Amnesty International and several other international human rights organizations demanded in a statement an effective response to the situation, noting the Taliban's strict decrees against human rights in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.
The organizations said in a statement that in the past two years, the Taliban has increasingly imposed harmful policies against women and girls and religious and ethnic minorities that clearly violate Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights law.
The Taliban has previously rejected reports on the treatment of women as propaganda of international organizations. The militant group's leaders have said they have strengthened all the rights of women in Afghanistan in light of Islamic principles.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, said in an interview with the AP marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country that the Taliban views its rule of Afghanistan as open-ended and as drawing legitimacy from Islamic law. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place.
Female activist Soheila Yousefi calls the situation alarming and wants the world to pay attention.
"The international community should take serious action in this regard because the world chose to be silent in these two years and did not take any practical steps. Our request is that they should look at the current situation in Afghanistan, then take a serious and comprehensive review."
The Taliban did not respond to Radio Azadi's questions before the release of the report, but the rulers have spoken of strengthening human rights in Afghanistan, especially the rights of women and girls, according to Islamic principles.
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-03-25--At Least Four Dead In Attack On Sikh Temple In Kabul

KABUL -- A group of gunmen and suicide bombers have stormed a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital , killing at least four people .
It was not immediately clear how many gunmen were involved in the March 25 attack , which the Interior Ministry said was still under way .
The SITE Intelligence Group , which tracks militant postings and groups , said Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the group 's Aamaq media arm .
A Taliban spokesman had earlier denied responsibility for the attack .
A member of parliament , Narender Singh Khalsa , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told RFE/RL that at one point more than 150 people were trapped inside the compound during the early morning attack .
Khalsa said that the majority of the hostages were women and children who were gathering for the morning praying session .
`` There are many families , ” he said .
The AP news agency reported that one of the dead was a child , whose body was brought to a Kabul hospital .
Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told RFE/RL that Afghan security forces had cordoned off the area and efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the assailants .
Arian said at least four attackers were exchanging fire with Afghan special forces .
He added that some people were rescued by Afghan security forces and that the operation is proceeding cautiously to avoid harming the people inside the compound .
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul and rights group Amnesty International condemned the attack .
“ Peace will only come when people resolve their differences through words , not guns , ” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement .
Amnesty said on Twitter that it was “ shocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sikhs , a small religious minority in Afghanistan that numbers fewer than 300 families , have been targeted by Islamist militants before .
A suicide bombing targeting the Sikh community and claimed by Islamic State killed more than a dozen people in 2018 in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad .
The United States last month struck a deal with the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S.-led international troops but the agreement does not include IS militants .
With reporting by Reuters , AFP , dpa , and TOLOnews.com


rferl--2020-03-25--Poland Extradites Owner Of Russian Shopping Mall Where 60 People Died

Poland extradited the co-owner of a Siberian shopping mall to Russia to face bribery charges on the eve of the second anniversary of a fire at the mall that killed 60 people .
On March 24 , Vyacheslav Vishnevsky , who is an executive of a company that co-owns the Zimnyaya Vishnya ( Winter Cherry ) mall in Kemerovo , was sent to a pretrial detention facility in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad , local news agencies reported .
He must spend 14 days in quarantine because of concern over the spread of the coronavirus .
Vishnevsky is suspected of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) during construction of the mall to receive permission for it to open , according to the press service of Russia ’ s Prosecutor-General ’ s Office .
The transaction was disguised as a payment for services provided , the press service said .
Vishnevsky fled to Poland amid a preliminary investigation into the March 25 , 2018 , fire that engulfed the shopping mall .
More than half of the 60 people killed were children trapped inside a move theater .
Prosecutors also said he is under investigation in relation to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what possible charges .
Polish authorities apprehended him on an international arrest warrant in March 2019 .
According to Russia 's Investigative Committee , officials at the Emergency Ministry ’ s regional branch and others responsible for permits and inspections didn ’ t properly review the mall ’ s compliance with fire-safety requirements .
Days after the fire , investigators said that blocked fire exits , an alarm system that was turned off , and `` glaring violations '' of safety rules before the blaze started led to the high death toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Russians nationwide blamed corruption and government negligence for the high number of casualties in the blaze .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

Poland extradited the co-owner of a Siberian shopping mall to Russia to face bribery charges on the eve of the second anniversary of a fire at the mall that killed 60 people.
On March 24, Vyacheslav Vishnevsky, who is an executive of a company that co-owns the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) mall in Kemerovo, was sent to a pretrial detention facility in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, local news agencies reported.
He must spend 14 days in quarantine because of concern over the spread of the coronavirus.
Vishnevsky is suspected of paying 7 million rubles ($88,800) during construction of the mall to receive permission for it to open, according to the press service of Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office. The transaction was disguised as a payment for services provided, the press service said.
Vishnevsky fled to Poland amid a preliminary investigation into the March 25, 2018, fire that engulfed the shopping mall. More than half of the 60 people killed were children trapped inside a move theater.
Prosecutors also said he is under investigation in relation to the fire without specifying in what capacity and on what possible charges.
Polish authorities apprehended him on an international arrest warrant in March 2019.
According to Russia's Investigative Committee, officials at the Emergency Ministry’s regional branch and others responsible for permits and inspections didn’t properly review the mall’s compliance with fire-safety requirements.
Days after the fire, investigators said that blocked fire exits, an alarm system that was turned off, and "glaring violations" of safety rules before the blaze started led to the high death toll.
Residents, relatives of the victims, and Russians nationwide blamed corruption and government negligence for the high number of casualties in the blaze.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-03-25--Ukrainian Cabinet Submits IMF-Required Bill On Banks To Parliament

Ukraine ’ s Cabinet of Ministers has submitted to parliament a revised bill on banking regulations needed to meet requirements set by the International Monetary Fund for a new lending package as the country ’ s feeble economy braces for the effects of the coronavirus outbreak .
The bill appeared on the legislature ’ s website on March 24 and was agreed by the central bank and Finance Ministry .
Its aim is to protect the nation ’ s interests following a decision to nationalize insolvent or troubled banks and prevent tycoons from regaining control over their former assets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary session to vote on the bill could be held on March 26 or later this week .
While the bill could have broad implications in Ukraine , it is widely believed that its main purpose is to prevent Ihor Kolomoyskiy , the former co-owner of PrivatBank , from regaining ownership rights to the bank .
Most of the 103 banks that were either nationalized or had their licenses revoked in 2014-16 were found to have been used as personal piggy banks by their former owners , who engaged in widespread third-party lending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys at AlixPartners had found a hole of at least $ 5.5 billion on PrivatBank ’ s balance sheet .
Kolomoyskiy has denied wrongdoing and maintains he is the rightful owner of PrivatBank .
Ukraine has been in talks with the IMF for months about a three-year , $ 5.5 billion loan tied to reforms to help the country meet a spike in debt repayments this year .
Ukraine is likely to need to borrow even more money internationally as it increases spending to fight the spread of the coronavirus and support companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic fallout .
Ukraine recorded 13 additional coronavirus cases on March 24 , bringing the nationwide total to 97 .
Three deaths have been attributed to the disease known as COVID-19 .

Ukraine's cabinet has submitted to parliament a revised bill on banking regulations needed to meet requirements set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new lending package as the country's feeble economy braces for the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
The bill appeared on the Verkhovna Rada's website on March 24 and was agreed by the central bank and Finance Ministry.
Its aim is to protect the country's interests following a decision to nationalize insolvent or troubled banks and prevent tycoons from regaining control over their former assets.
An extraordinary parliamentary session to review the bill, as well as other measures to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, has been pushed back from March 26 to March 28 after a fourth lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19.
While the bill could have broad implications in Ukraine, it is widely known that its main purpose is to prevent Ihor Kolomoyskiy, the former co-owner of PrivatBank, from regaining ownership rights to the bank.
Most of the 103 banks that were either nationalized or had their licenses revoked in 2014-2016 were found to have been engaged in widespread third-party lending.
U.S.-based corporate investigative firm Kroll and attorneys at AlixPartners had found a hole of at least $5.5 billion in PrivatBank's balance sheet.
Kolomoyskiy has denied wrongdoing and maintains he is the rightful owner of PrivatBank.
Ukraine has been in talks with the IMF for months about a three-year, $5.5 billion loan tied to reforms to help the country meet a spike in debt repayments this year.
Ukraine is reportedly seeking to borrow even more money internationally as it increases spending to fight the spread of the coronavirus and support companies and individuals negatively affected by the potential economic fallout.


rferl--2020-03-25--Pompeo Condemns Attack On Afghan 'Woman Of Courage' Award Recipient

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned an attack on Afghan politician Zarifa Ghafari , who received an award as a woman of courage from the U.S. State Department just a few weeks ago .
Pompeo called the attack earlier this month on Ghafari , the mayor of Maidan Shar in conservative Maidan Wardak Province , “ cowardly.
” “ The future of Afghanistan lies with those who seek peace and political solutions , not those who use violence and intimidation to threaten Afghan women , ” he said on Twitter on March 24 .
Ghafari told TOLONews that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which occurred on March 22 in Kabul when unknown gunmen opened fire on her vehicle .
“ The gunmen fled after the shooting , ” she said .
Ghafari was recognized on March 4 in Washington as a recipient of the State Department ’ s International Women of Courage Award .
Ghafari , a former journalist at a women-focused radio station , became mayor of Maidan Shar at the age of 26 .
Despite constant death threats and being forced to flee an angry male mob on her first day in office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of her town 's problems .
`` Despite death threats , Ms. Ghafari came back , defying her conservative critics and their narrative that a woman is unfit to lead , '' the U.S. State Department said .
Ghafari was appointed to the position in 2018 , which was initially delayed by officials , and she did not start her tenure officially until March 2019 .