rferl--2020-03-09--Police Briefly Detained Dozens At Feminist Rally In Azerbaijan, Release Them Outside Capital

BAKU -- Police in the Azerbaijani capital , Baku , detained several women and men taking part in a rally by the Feminist Movement of Azerbaijan ( AFH ) before taking them to a remote area far from the capital and releasing them .
Rabbiya Mammadova , an AFH activist , told RFE/RL that police used force and violence when detaining the activists and their supporters during an International Women 's Day gathering on March 8 , saying that one of the activists sustained a head injury while being taken into custody .
The activists then rallied in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the detainees were taken , demanding their immediate release .
The detained activists and supporters of the movement were then taken from Baku to a remote area in the district of Qobustan outside the capital where they were left , according to AFH chief Gulnara Mehdiyeva .
Despite attempts by police to disrupt the action , dozens of AFH activists and their supporters managed to continue their Streets Are Free For Us march through Baku chanting slogans such as , `` Women Unite ! ''
`` Break Your Silence , '' `` Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t Be Scared Of Your Freedom !
`` , Mehdiyeva said .

BAKU -- Police in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, detained several women and men taking part in a rally by the Feminist Movement of Azerbaijan (AFH) before taking them to a remote area far from the capital and releasing them.
Rabbiya Mammadova, an AFH activist, told RFE/RL that police used force and violence when detaining the activists and their supporters during an International Women's Day gathering on March 8, saying that one of the activists sustained a head injury while being taken into custody.
The activists then rallied in front of the Sabail district police department, where the detainees were taken, demanding their immediate release.
The detained activists and supporters of the movement were then taken from Baku to a remote area in the district of Qobustan outside the capital where they were left, according to AFH chief Gulnara Mehdiyeva.
Despite attempts by police to disrupt the action, dozens of AFH activists and their supporters managed to continue their Streets Are Free For Us march through Baku chanting slogans such as, "Women Unite!" "Break Your Silence," "Get Up!," and "Don’t Be Scared Of Your Freedom!", Mehdiyeva said.


rferl--2020-03-09--Iran Says Tens Of Thousands Of Prisoners Released Because Of Coronavirus Fears

Iranian authorities have released about 70,000 prisoners because of the new coronavirus outbreak in the country , judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said , as Iran reported 43 new deaths from the disease in the past 24 hours .
`` The release of the prisoners , to the point where it does n't create insecurity in society ... will continue , '' Raisi said on March 9 , according to Mizan , the news site of the judiciary .
It was not immediately clear if or when the released inmates would need to return to jail .
Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases of coronavirus across Iran , bringing the total to 7,161 .
The official death toll stands at 237 , he said .
Meanwhile , Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 's office announced on March 9 that Khamenei has cancelled an annual speech marking the start of the Persian new year due to concerns about the coronavirus .
`` The ceremony of the speech of the supreme leader , which takes place every year at the sacred mausoleum of Imam Reza ... will not take place this year '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mashhad , Khamenei 's office said in a statement .
Iranian authorities have closed schools and universities , suspended major cultural and sporting events , and reduced working hours across the country to slow the contagion .
Experts worry Iranian officials may be underreporting the outbreak .
With 1,945 cases , Tehran remains the area with the most cases , according to Jahanpour .
He said the second worst-hit province is Qom , with 712 confirmed cases .
There are more than 110,000 confirmed cases worldwide , with over 3,800 deaths attributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has suspended all flights to and from Italy for at least two weeks in a bid to limit the spread of the virus .
Interior Minister Marcel Vela said late on March 8 that the measure would start from midnight until March 23 , with the possibility of being extended .
No measures have been taken for ground border checkpoints , but people coming from Italy , China , South Korea , and Iran would need to be quarantined for checks , Vela said .
Earlier , the Romanian Football Federation ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matches will be played without spectators because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Romania has confirmed 15 cases in people who had traveled to Italy , where about 1.3 million Romanians work .
In Italy , the number of coronavirus cases has jumped to 7,375 , with 366 fatalities – the highest death toll after China , where the disease first emerged .
With reporting by Reuters , Mizan , and AFP

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-03-09--Ruble Tumbles, U.S. Shares Plunge After OPEC-Russia Deal Collapse

The Russian ruble fell to a four-year low and global markets plunged after oil prices collapsed following a breakup of talks between OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and erstwhile partner Russia .
The ruble tumbled on March 9 by more than 7 percent to nearly 74 to the U.S. dollar , its weakest rate since early 2016 .
Meanwhile , the benchmark Brent oil futures crashed more than 30 percent , the most since the Gulf War in 1991 .
Compounding the sour mood for equities are fears over the spread of the deadly coronavirus and its effects on the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bell at 9:30 a.m. in New York , share trading was halted , triggered by a 7 percent drop in the S & P 500 index .
Under trading rules , the market will reopen after a 15-minute pause .
The last time the so-called “ circuit breaker ” was tripped was at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 .
When trading resumes , the next circuit breaker is triggered at 13 percent .
The final trip wire is 20 percent , which would close New York markets for the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came after stocks in Tokyo closed down more than 5 percent .
European equity markets suffered hefty losses with London , Frankfurt , and Paris tumbling between 7 percent and 8 percent .
Italy 's main index slumped 11 percent after the government ordered a lockdown of large parts of the north of the country , including the financial capital Milan .
OPEC has pushed to cut production amid an expected decline in demand as the coronavirus epidemic threatens to wreak havoc on the world economy .
The Kremlin has resisted extending cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought by the cartel .
Following the dispute with Russia , Saudi Arabia launched the start of a price war , cutting prices by $ 4 to $ 6 a barrel to Asia and $ 7 to the United States .
The price of benchmark Brent crude was trading at $ 31.02 a barrel , while the traditionally lower-priced U.S. benchmark was at $ 27.34 a barrel .
In a 2014 price war , oil prices fell to below $ 30 a barrel .
As the Russian ruble crashed to a four-year low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was halting foreign-currency purchases for the next 30 days to “ increase the predictability of actions of monetary authorities under the conditions of significant changes on global oil markets.
” The collapse in the oil price could push Russia 's budget into a deficit for the year , while the subsequent ruble drop may lead to higher inflation as foreign goods become more expensive in local currency .
With the ruble between 70 and 75 to the dollar , Russia 's budget would balance at an oil price of $ 40 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macro-Advisory .
Russia has been preparing its economy for an external shock like a drop in oil prices and has built up its foreign currency reserves to about $ 570 billion , giving it financial power to weather the sharp drop .
Jeffrey Halley , a market analyst at OANDA , told AFP that `` Saudi Arabia seems intent on punishing Russia.
” `` Oil prices ... will likely be capped over the next few months as the coronavirus stalls economic growth , and Saudi Arabia opens the pumps and offers huge discounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting by RFE/RL 's Todd Prince , AFP , AP , and Reuters

The Russian ruble fell to a four-year low and global markets plunged after oil prices collapsed following a breakup of talks between OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and erstwhile partner Russia.
The ruble tumbled on March 9 by more than 7 percent to nearly 74 to the U.S. dollar, its weakest rate since early 2016.
Meanwhile, the benchmark Brent oil futures crashed more than 30 percent, the most since the Gulf War in 1991.
Compounding the sour mood for equities are fears over the spread of the deadly coronavirus and its effects on the global economy.
Just minutes after the opening bell at 9:30 a.m. in New York, share trading was halted, triggered by a 7 percent drop in the S&P 500 index. Under trading rules, the market will reopen after a 15-minute pause.
The last time the so-called “circuit breaker” was tripped was at the height of the financial crisis in 2008.
When trading resumes, the next circuit breaker is triggered at 13 percent. The final trip wire is 20 percent, which would close New York markets for the day.
The bloodbath in the United States came after stocks in Tokyo closed down more than 5 percent.
European equity markets suffered hefty losses with London, Frankfurt, and Paris tumbling between 7 percent and 8 percent. Italy's main index slumped 11 percent after the government ordered a lockdown of large parts of the north of the country, including the financial capital Milan.
OPEC has pushed to cut production amid an expected decline in demand as the coronavirus epidemic threatens to wreak havoc on the world economy. The Kremlin has resisted extending cuts to the amount and length of time sought by the cartel.
Following the dispute with Russia, Saudi Arabia launched the start of a price war, cutting prices by $4 to $6 a barrel to Asia and $7 to the United States. The price of benchmark Brent crude was trading at $31.02 a barrel, while the traditionally lower-priced U.S. benchmark was at $27.34 a barrel.
In a 2014 price war, oil prices fell to below $30 a barrel.
As the Russian ruble crashed to a four-year low, the country's central bank said it was halting foreign-currency purchases for the next 30 days to “increase the predictability of actions of monetary authorities under the conditions of significant changes on global oil markets.”
The collapse in the oil price could push Russia's budget into a deficit for the year, while the subsequent ruble drop may lead to higher inflation as foreign goods become more expensive in local currency.
With the ruble between 70 and 75 to the dollar, Russia's budget would balance at an oil price of $40 to $45, according to the Moscow-based Macro-Advisory.
Russia has been preparing its economy for an external shock like a drop in oil prices and has built up its foreign currency reserves to about $570 billion, giving it financial power to weather the sharp drop.
Jeffrey Halley, a market analyst at OANDA, told AFP that "Saudi Arabia seems intent on punishing Russia.”
"Oil prices...will likely be capped over the next few months as the coronavirus stalls economic growth, and Saudi Arabia opens the pumps and offers huge discounts on its crude grades."
With reporting by RFE/RL's Todd Prince, AFP, AP, and Reuters


rferl--2020-03-09--Ghani Sworn In As Afghan President, As Rival Holds Parallel Ceremony

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been sworn in for a second term .
But his main political rival , Afghanistan 's former Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah , has held his own inauguration ceremony -- insisting that he won the country 's September 2019 presidential election .
Hundreds of guests attended the inauguration ceremonies of both teams at palaces located next to each other in central Kabul , after last-ditch efforts to mediate an end to the standoff between Ghani and Abdullah failed to resolve the crisis .
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. General Scott Miller , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Afghanistan , attended Ghani ’ s inauguration as the sound of rocket fire echoed in the background .
`` We have seen bigger attacks .
Do n't be afraid of just two blasts , '' Ghani said , as he raised his hands to calm the crowd around him , which included many foreign dignitaries .
The Islamic State ( IS ) extremist group later claimed responsibility for the rocket attack that targeted the inauguration .
There were no reports of any injuries .
`` Caliphate soldiers targeted the inauguration of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 rockets near the presidential palace in Kabul , IS said in a statement released on social media .
Hours before the parallel ceremonies , Abdullah wrote on Twitter that `` no one should have underestimated our commitment to genuine democracy . ''
`` Invalidation of all fraudulent votes is the way out , '' Abdullah said .
The dispute stems from the official results of Afghanistan ’ s bitterly contested September 28 presidential election .
Afghanistan 's Independent Election Commission ( IEC ) declared on February 19 that Ghani won reelection with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the official vote count , Abdullah finished in second place with about 39 percent of the first-round vote .
But Abdullah rejects the official results , saying the election was marred by widespread fraud .
Abdullah has declared himself the winner and has vowed to form his own government .
The standoff has triggered a political crisis that has threatened to spill over into violence and derail a historic peace deal between the United States and the Taliban .
The dispute over the presidency also has left Kabul ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future of the country as it tries to strike a peace deal with Taliban militants .
Washington previously asked both sides to delay the ceremonies .
Political analyst Atta Noori told AFP that the dispute would `` gravely affect the government 's position in the upcoming intra-Afghan talks . ''
`` Unity is the only way [ forward ] if they want to win on the negotiating table , '' Noori said .
The Taliban , meanwhile , says talks with Afghanistan ’ s government scheduled to start on March 10 are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the two rivals ' plans to conduct the parallel ceremonies .
Abdullah had been named as Afghanistan 's chief executive officer in 2014 under a U.S.-brokered power-sharing agreement that created a fragile national unity government to resolve a political crisis over Abdullah 's allegations of widespread fraud in the 2014 presidential election .
Under that deal , Ghani became president within a national unity government while the new office of chief executive officer was created for Abdullah .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan , Radio Mashaal , AFP , @ @ @ @ @ @

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


rferl--2020-03-08--Names Of All 298 MH17 Victims Read Out As Murder Trial Opens In The Netherlands

The trial of three Russians and a Ukrainian citizen over the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine has opened in the Netherlands .
The four suspects on March 9 were not present in the dock of the high-security court located near Schiphol Airport from where the doomed flight took off , but judges ruled that the hearing could continue in their absence .
In a somber moment , a prosecutor read out the names of each of the 298 passengers and crew who were killed when MH17 , flying to Kuala Lumpur , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Many people have long waited for this day , '' Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said in opening remarks .
The four men accused of murder -- Russian citizens Igor Girkin , Sergei Dubinsky , and Oleg Pulatov , and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- remain at large despite the issuance of international warrants for their arrest .
The victims included 193 Dutch citizens as well as 43 Malaysians and 38 Australians .
The suspects all held senior positions with Russia-backed separatist militia formations that have been fighting Ukrainian government forces in eastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Girkin had been the so-called defense minister of a Russia-backed separatist group that calls itself the Donetsk People ’ s Republic .
The other suspects were members of the formation ’ s military intelligence unit .
Despite evidence that Russia 's military was directly involved in shooting down MH17 with a missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine , the Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement .
The Kremlin also denies providing any military or financial support to Ukraine 's pro-Russia separatists , despite evidence assembled by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigative group .
On the eve of the trial , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Twitter that he believes `` justice will prevail and that those responsible will be held accountable for the deaths of 298 innocent people . ''
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on March 6 that the trial was `` a very important step toward uncovering the truth and seeking justice for the victims and their survivors . ''
Rutte also said there will likely be other trials in connection with the MH17 tragedy .
`` The investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing , '' Rutte said .
The governments of Malaysia and Australia also have welcomed the opening of the trial .
A Malaysian Foreign Ministry statement said the trial would be `` a significant milestone '' toward `` finding justice '' for those killed .
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on March 7 that his government `` remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing justice and accountability for MH17 . ''
Dutch-led investigators who probed the incident for several years have charged that the four suspects colluded to carry out the attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the airliner .
The JIT also concluded in May 2018 that the Buk antiaircraft system that shot down MH17 belonged to Russia 's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade .
Investigators said in 2019 that there was `` almost daily telephone contact '' between the Donetsk separatists `` and their contacts in the Russian Federation using secure phones provided by the Russian security service . ''
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on March 6 that an `` unprecedented '' media campaign in the run-up to the trial was `` accusatory toward Russia…and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , relatives of MH17 victims set up 298 empty chairs in front of the Russian Embassy at The Hague to symbolize those killed by the Russian missile attack and to protest what they described as Moscow 's refusal to cooperate with the international investigation .
The trial is expected to last through most of 2020 .
With reporting by AP , Reuters , dpa , AFP , and CNN

The trial of three Russians and a Ukrainian citizen over the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine has opened in the Netherlands.
The four suspects on March 9 were not present in the dock of the high-security court located near Schiphol Airport from where the doomed flight took off, but judges ruled that the hearing could continue in their absence.
In a somber moment, a prosecutor read out the names of each of the 298 passengers and crew who were killed when MH17, flying to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down by a Russian-made antiaircraft missile.
"Many people have long waited for this day," Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said in opening remarks.
The four men accused of murder -- Russian citizens Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky, and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- remain at large despite the issuance of international warrants for their arrest.
The victims included 193 Dutch citizens as well as 43 Malaysians and 38 Australians.
The suspects all held senior positions with Russia-backed separatist militia formations that have been fighting Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine since the spring of 2014.
Girkin had been the so-called defense minister of a Russia-backed separatist group that calls itself the Donetsk People’s Republic. The other suspects were members of the formation’s military intelligence unit.
Despite evidence that Russia's military was directly involved in shooting down MH17 with a missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement.
The Kremlin also denies providing any military or financial support to Ukraine's pro-Russia separatists, despite evidence assembled by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and the Bellingcat open-source investigative group.
Pulatov, the only suspect whose defense attorneys were present at the trial, denied his guilt, his lawyer, Sabine ten Doesschate, said on March 9.
According to the lawyer, her client decided to defend himself because he insists he bears no responsibility for the MH17 crash and all its consequences.
The other three suspects weren't represented in the courtroom.
On the eve of the trial, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Twitter that he believes "justice will prevail and that those responsible will be held accountable for the deaths of 298 innocent people."
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on March 6 that the trial was "a very important step toward uncovering the truth and seeking justice for the victims and their survivors."
Rutte also said there will likely be other trials in connection with the MH17 tragedy.
"The investigation into the involvement of other individuals is ongoing," Rutte said.
The governments of Malaysia and Australia also have welcomed the opening of the trial. A Malaysian Foreign Ministry statement said the trial would be "a significant milestone" toward "finding justice" for those killed.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on March 7 that his government "remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing justice and accountability for MH17."
Dutch-led investigators who probed the incident for several years have charged that the four suspects colluded to carry out the attack, although they did not actually shoot down the airliner.
The JIT also concluded in May 2018 that the Buk antiaircraft system that shot down MH17 belonged to Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade.
Investigators said in 2019 that there was "almost daily telephone contact" between the Donetsk separatists "and their contacts in the Russian Federation using secure phones provided by the Russian security service."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on March 6 that an "unprecedented" media campaign in the run-up to the trial was "accusatory toward Russia…and its citizens."
On March 8, relatives of MH17 victims set up 298 empty chairs in front of the Russian Embassy at The Hague to symbolize those killed by the Russian missile attack and to protest what they described as Moscow's refusal to cooperate with the international investigation.
The trial is expected to last through most of 2020.
Dutch authorities have not ruled out the possibility that more suspects will be named in the case and additional charges pressed.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, AFP, and CNN


rferl--2020-03-10--Kazakh FM Says Syria Talks In Nur-Sultan Likely Postponed

Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi says it 's unlikely the so-called `` Astana format '' peace talks on Syria in the Kazakh capital will happen this month as planned .
Tileuberdi told journalists on March 10 that it was not clear when exactly the next round of talks will be held .
A suggestion to hold the talks in March `` was made in December , but now the situation has changed ... .
It is very likely that the talks will not be held '' in March , Tileuberdi said , without giving any other details .
Last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ibrahim Kalin , said that the next round of talks in the Astana format will be held in March .
In early March , Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Shakhrat Nuryshev said that the Central Asian country had introduced limitations for entrance to the country for representatives of countries facing the spread of the deadly coronavirus .
The Astana format talks have been held in the Kazakh capital since 2015 in parallel with UN-sponsored negotiations aimed at ending the Syrian conflict , now in its ninth year .
Moscow , Tehran , and Ankara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but have said they want a political solution that brings an end to the war , which has killed more than 370,000 people , displaced millions , and devastated historic sites across the country .
Russia and Iran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial military backing throughout the war , which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011 .
Turkey and the United States support different rebel groups .
Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and Interfax

Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi says it's unlikely the so-called "Astana format" peace talks on Syria in the Kazakh capital will happen this month as planned.
Tileuberdi told journalists on March 10 that it was not clear when exactly the next round of talks will be held.
A suggestion to hold the talks in March "was made in December, but now the situation has changed.... It is very likely that the talks will not be held" in March, Tileuberdi said, without giving any other details.
Last month, the Turkish president's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said that the next round of talks in the Astana format will be held in March.
In early March, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Shakhrat Nuryshev said that the Central Asian country had introduced limitations for entrance to the country for representatives of countries facing the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The Astana format talks have been held in the Kazakh capital since 2015 in parallel with UN-sponsored negotiations aimed at ending the Syrian conflict, now in its ninth year.
Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara back different sides in the conflict, but have said they want a political solution that brings an end to the war, which has killed more than 370,000 people, displaced millions, and devastated historic sites across the country.
Russia and Iran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial military backing throughout the war, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011. Turkey and the United States support different rebel groups.
Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and Interfax


rferl--2020-03-10--Russia-Saudi Oil Spat Sends Shock Waves Through Moscow Markets

Russian stocks were down sharply across the board in early trading on March 10 after a public holiday , following a crash in oil prices that saw the ruble tumble and global markets plunge .
The RTS index plunged 16 percent at the open before rebounding slightly to be around 13 percent down at 0815 GMT , with shares in oil and gas companies leading the decline .
The ruble rose slightly and was trading at around 72 to the U.S. dollar , a day after crashing to a four-year low .
Global stock markets on March 9 suffered their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reaction to a fallout between major oil exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia , who are locked in a dispute over output levels .
Russia last week failed to come to a deal with the OPEC oil-exporting group on further reducing output .
Saudi Arabia responded with the biggest cut in its prices of the past 20 years in a bid to win market share , leading to a 30 percent plunge in crude to around $ 31 a barrel .
Markets were already on edge from the economic fallout from the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 countries with more than 110,000 cases .
The number of deaths worldwide has passed 4,000 .
After heavy losses the previous session , European stock markets opened slightly higher , with London 's FTSE 100 share index gaining 1 percent .
Oil prices also recovered some of their losses , with Brent crude , the standard for international oil prices , gaining 5.8 percent to $ 36.34 per barrel in London .
U.S. futures rose following President Donald Trump 's announcement he would ask Congress for a tax cut and other measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
As the Russian ruble fell to its weakest rate against the U.S. dollar since early 2016 , the country 's central bank announced on March 9 it was halting foreign-currency purchases for the next 30 days .
Meanwhile , Russia 's Finance Ministry remained defiant in the face of the oil-price drop , saying the country could withstand low prices for as long as a decade .
The drop also prompted Kazakhstan 's central bank to hike its policy rate to 12 percent from 9.25 percent .
At a government meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was barring state-owned companies from buying foreign currency unless it was required to meet their obligations .
With reporting by AP , AFP , and the BBC

Russian stocks were down sharply across the board in early trading on March 10 after a public holiday, following a crash in oil prices that saw the ruble tumble and global markets plunge.
The RTS index plunged 16 percent at the open before rebounding slightly to be around 13 percent down at 0815 GMT, with shares in oil and gas companies leading the decline.
The ruble rose slightly and was trading at around 72 to the U.S. dollar, a day after crashing to a four-year low.
Global stock markets on March 9 suffered their biggest losses in more than a decade in reaction to a fallout between major oil exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia, who are locked in a dispute over output levels.
Russia last week failed to come to a deal with the OPEC oil-exporting group on further reducing output. Saudi Arabia responded with the biggest cut in its prices of the past 20 years in a bid to win market share, leading to a 30 percent plunge in crude to around $31 a barrel.
Markets were already on edge from the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, which has spread to more 100 countries with more than 110,000 cases. The number of deaths worldwide has passed 4,000.
After heavy losses the previous session, European stock markets opened slightly higher, with London's FTSE 100 share index gaining more than 3 percent.
Earlier, Japan's main stock index closed up 0.85 percent and Hong Kong advanced 1.9 percent.
Oil prices also recovered some of their losses, with Brent crude, the standard for international oil prices, rising about 8 percent to around $37 a barrel.
U.S. futures rose following President Donald Trump's announcement he would ask Congress for a tax cut and other measures to ease the pain of the coronavirus outbreak.
Russia's central bank announced on March 10 it would sell foreign currency reserves in a bid to support the ruble.
The decision is aimed at “increasing the predictability of the actions of the monetary authorities and reducing volatility on financial markets amid significant changes in the world oil market,” a central bank statement said.
The previous day, the Russian Finance Ministry said the country’s $150 billion National Well-Being Fund could help the budget withstand a decade of crude prices as low as $25 per barrel.
The oil price drop on March 9 prompted Kazakhstan’s central bank to hike its policy rate to 12 percent from 9.25 percent.
At a government meeting, Prime Minister Asqar Mamin said he was barring state-owned companies from buying foreign currency unless it was required to meet their obligations.
With reporting by AP, AFP, the BBC, and Bloomberg


rferl--2020-03-10--Pakistan Reports Nine More Coronavirus Cases, Bringing Total To 16

ISLAMABAD -- Nine more people have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Pakistan , increasing the nationwide count to 16 , officials say .
In a tweet late on March 9 , top health official Zafar Mirza said that all nine were from the southern city of Karachi , the capital of Sindh Province , which has reported a total of 14 cases .
`` All these cases are contacts of an already confirmed case .
Further contacts are being traced and tested , '' Mirza wrote .
Five of the nine were said to have recently travelled from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four others reportedly travelled from London to Karachi via Dubai in the United Arab Emirates .
Meanwhile , officials in the southwestern province of Balochistan told RFE/RL that all Pakistanis crossing the border with Iran were being screened .
Those with symptoms of coronavirus are being quarantined at four centers established at the border , provincial government spokesman Liaquat Shahwani said .
`` Every day between 350 and 500 people come from Iran across the border , '' Shahwani said .
`` We have quarantined 4,000 people for now . ''
Pakistan has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautionary measure against the spread of the virus but allows Pakistanis to return home .
Pakistani authorities have closed the country 's border with Afghanistan for another seven days , Shahwani said .
Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have banned flights to and from Pakistan .
With reporting by the BBC and Dawn

Iran says the novel coronavirus has killed 54 more people in the country, raising the death toll to 291.
The number of officially recorded cases in the country rose to 8,042, more than 881 over the previous day, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told a televised news conference on March 10.
Jahanpur said that 2,731 patients have been sent home from the hospital after making a recovery.
Iran is the hardest-hit country in the Middle East by the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 110,000 people globally and killed over 4,000.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that medical staff who die after contracting the virus will be considered martyrs.
The families of those designated martyrs, typically from the security forces, receive financial aid and other benefits from the state.
Khamenei also canceled his annual speech in the city of Mashhad next month to mark the Persian New Year due to concerns about the virus.
Meanwhile, the country's official government news agency IRNA reported that 36 Iranians died of alcohol poisoning after consuming tampered alcohol in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.
The report said that "consuming fake alcohol has occurred due to the spread of rumors that drinking alcohol would prevent the coronavirus infection."
Ali Ehsanpour, spokesman of Ahvaz Jondi Shapur University of Medical Sciences, was quoted as saying that a total of 270 people were admitted to hospitals for treatment.
The deputy public prosecutor of Khuzestan Province, Ali Biranvand, said seven individuals were arrested for selling fake alcoholic drinks.
Most of the coronavirus infections in Iran have been recorded in the capital, Tehran, and the central province of Qom.
The authorities have closed schools and universities, suspended major cultural and sporting events, and reduced working hours across the country to slow the contagion.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, meanwhile, nine more people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, increasing the nationwide count to 16, officials say.
In a tweet late on March 9, top health official Zafar Mirza said that all nine were from the southern city of Karachi, the capital of Sindh Province, which has reported a total of 14 cases.
"All these cases are contacts of an already confirmed case. Further contacts are being traced and tested," Mirza wrote.
Five of the nine were said to have recently traveled from Syria via Doha, Qatar. The four others reportedly traveled from London to Karachi via Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Officials in the southwestern province of Balochistan told RFE/RL that all Pakistanis crossing the border with Iran were being screened.
Those with symptoms of coronavirus are being quarantined at four centers established at the border, provincial government spokesman Liaquat Shahwani said.
"Every day between 350 and 500 people come from Iran across the border," Shahwani said. "We have quarantined 4,000 people for now."
Pakistan has closed its border with Iran as a precautionary measure against the spread of the virus but allows Pakistanis to return home.
Pakistani authorities have closed the country's border with Afghanistan for another seven days, Shahwani said.
Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have banned flights to and from Pakistan.
Serbia Closes Border
Also on March 10, Serbia closed its borders for travelers from countries most affected by the coronavirus outbreak in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease.
The temporary ban applies to people arriving from Italy, certain provinces in China, South Korea, Iran, and Switzerland, the government said.
Medical workers are also banned from traveling to affected areas, according to a statement.
It did not say how long the measures would last.
Four people, including a Chinese national, have tested positive for the coronavirus in Serbia.
A total of 108 people had been tested for coronavirus by March 10, according to the Health Ministry.
Russia
Moscow authorities have banned all mass public events of more than 5,000 people for a month to fight the coronavirus.
The announcement comes just hours after Russia's lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma, approved a constitutional amendment that would allow President Vladimir Putin to run for new term in 2024, a move that could spark the opposition to rally.
Moscow said it will ban all such large-scale events until April 10. Russians need permission from Moscow authorities to hold rallies in the capital.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina has barred entry to travelers arriving from countries impacted by the coronarius after three more people were diagnosed with the illness in the Balkan nation.
Fahrudin Radoncic, Bosnia’s security minister, said on his Facebook page on March 10 that he had ordered the state border service to ban the entry of people coming "from the most risky countries.”
Bosnia now has seven cases, with most of those people catching the virus during trips to Italy, the worst-hit nation in Europe by number of cases and fatalities.
Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, banned public gatherings with more than 300 people, while its Serb region, Republika Srpska, closed all schools and universities and banned all public events through the end of March.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Reuters, AFP, Radio Farda, Radio Mashaal, the BBC, AP, dpa, and Dawn


rferl--2020-03-10--U.S. Official: New START Treaty Should Cover Russian Weapon Systems Under Development

An extension of the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia should include new weapons systems that Moscow is developing , a U.S. State Department official said in a briefing on March 9 .
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( START ) is scheduled to expire on February 2021 and Washington has said a new accord should encompass `` slightly exotic new systems such as the nuclear-powered , underwater , nuclear-armed drone called Poseidon ; the nuclear-powered , nuclear-armed cruise missile , air-launched ballistic missile , and that sort of thing , '' the official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wants an extension of New START to also include China .
The United States and Russia are the two signatories of treaty that went into effect in 2011 .
China , the third-largest nuclear power , is on track to double its nuclear arsenal over the next decade , Christopher Ford , assistant secretary for international security and nonproliferation , told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on December 2 , 2019 .
However , China 's arsenal would still be less than half of that of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed strategic nuclear warheads and bombs held by the United States and Russia to 1,550 , a reduction of nearly 75 percent from the 6,000 cap set by START 1 , according to the Arms Control Association , a Washington-based , nongovernmental organization .
The treaty also allows for the verification of warheads held by each side .
It can be renewed for up to five years if both sides agree .
Moscow has already offered to extend the treaty .

An extension of the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia should include new weapons systems that Moscow is developing, a U.S. State Department official said in a briefing on March 9.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is scheduled to expire on February 2021 and Washington has said a new accord should encompass "slightly exotic new systems such as the nuclear-powered, underwater, nuclear-armed drone called Poseidon; the nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile, air-launched ballistic missile, and that sort of thing," the official said.
The Trump administration has said it wants an extension of New START to also include China. The United States and Russia are the two signatories of treaty that went into effect in 2011.
China, the third-largest nuclear power, is on track to double its nuclear arsenal over the next decade, Christopher Ford, assistant secretary for international security and nonproliferation, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on December 2, 2019.
However, China's arsenal would still be less than half of that of the United States and Russia.
The nonproliferation agreement limits deployed strategic nuclear warheads and bombs held by the United States and Russia to 1,550, a reduction of nearly 75 percent from the 6,000 cap set by START 1, according to the Arms Control Association, a Washington-based, nongovernmental organization.
The treaty also allows for the verification of warheads held by each side.
It can be renewed for up to five years if both sides agree. Moscow has already offered to extend the treaty.


rferl--2020-03-10--Kazakhstan Lowers Lending Rate Amid Plunging Oil Prices Over Virus Fears

Fears over the spread of a new respiratory illness originating in China have led to an average drop of 25 percent in the price of oil and prompted oil-rich Kazakhstan 's central bank to hike its policy rate to 12 percent from 9.25 percent .
At a government meeting on March 9 , Prime Minister Askar Mamin said he was barring state-owned companies from buying foreign currency unless it was required to meet their obligations .
Stock markets have tumbled worldwide , with the U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average having its worst day since 2008 , falling more than 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 9 .
Sinking oil prices accompanied the plunge as they crashed to their lowest mark since 2016 , recording the biggest one-day percentage decline since January 17 , 1991 at the outset of the U.S. Gulf War .
After U.S. President Donald Trump initiated plans for a tax cut and other around-the-corner measures to ease the pain , markets in Asia bounced back on the morning of March 10 .
Hong Kong 's benchmark jumped nearly 2 percent whereas Sydney added 1.2 percent , and Shanghai 's edged forward by 0.6 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back and forth .
More than 114,300 people have fallen ill with the COVID-19 virus worldwide , and more than 4,000 people have died .
Mongolia , Bulgaria , and Albania recorded their first cases on March 9-10 .
Mongolia 's National Emergency Commission said in a statement its sole patient travelled to Mongolia from France and transited through Moscow , according to Reuters .
The government has identified 42 people the patient has met with and another 120 individuals who had close contact with the person .
Iran has more than 7,100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after China and Italy .
The government in Tehran temporarily released 70,000 prisoners on March 9 because of the new virus .
`` The release of the prisoners , to the point where it does n't create insecurity in society ... will continue , '' judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said on March 9 .
Meanwhile , the office of Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , has announced that he has canceled a yearly speech marking the start of the Persian New Year due to concerns about the coronavirus .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supreme leader which takes place every year at the sacred mausoleum of Imam Reza ... will not take place this year '' and Khamenei will not travel to the city of Mashhad , his office said in a statement .
With reporting by AP , dpa , CNN , NPR , PBS , Reuters , The Wall Street Journal , and the BBC

Fears over the spread of a new respiratory illness originating in China have led to an average drop of 25 percent in the price of oil and prompted oil-rich Kazakhstan's central bank to hike its policy rate to 12 percent from 9.25 percent.
At a government meeting on March 9, Prime Minister Askar Mamin said he was barring state-owned companies from buying foreign currency unless it was required to meet their obligations.
Stock markets have tumbled worldwide, with the U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average having its worst day since 2008, falling more than 2,000 points, or 7.8 percent, on March 9.
Sinking oil prices accompanied the plunge as they crashed to their lowest mark since 2016, recording the biggest one-day percentage decline since January 17, 1991 at the outset of the U.S. Gulf War.
After U.S. President Donald Trump initiated plans for a tax cut and other around-the-corner measures to ease the pain, markets in Asia bounced back on the morning of March 10.
Hong Kong's benchmark jumped nearly 2 percent whereas Sydney added 1.2 percent, and Shanghai's edged forward by 0.6 percent.
Markets in Tokyo and Seoul wavered back and forth.
More than 114,300 people have fallen ill with the COVID-19 virus worldwide, and more than 4,000 people have died.
Mongolia, Bulgaria, and Albania recorded their first cases on March 9-10.
Mongolia's National Emergency Commission said in a statement its sole patient travelled to Mongolia from France and transited through Moscow, according to Reuters. The government has identified 42 people the patient has met with and another 120 individuals who had close contact with the person.
Iran has more than 7,100 cases and 237 deaths, the third-highest after China and Italy. The government in Tehran temporarily released 70,000 prisoners on March 9 because of the new virus.
"The release of the prisoners, to the point where it doesn't create insecurity in society...will continue," judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said on March 9.
Meanwhile, the office of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has announced that he has canceled a yearly speech marking the start of the Persian New Year due to concerns about the coronavirus.
"The ceremony of the speech of the supreme leader which takes place every year at the sacred mausoleum of Imam Reza...will not take place this year" and Khamenei will not travel to the city of Mashhad, his office said in a statement.
With reporting by AP, dpa, CNN, NPR, PBS, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC


rferl--2020-03-09--Ukrainian Soldier Markiv’s Appeal Postponed In Italy Due To Coronavirus

An Italian appellate court in Milan has postponed a hearing in the case of Ukrainian citizen Vitaliy Markiv , who is challenging a 24-year sentence for his role six years ago while serving in the Ukrainian National Guard that involved the deaths of an Italian photojournalist and his Russian interpreter .
Lawyers for the defendant told RFE/RL on March 8 that the court in the Lombardy region had decided to hear the case on March 31 due to government-imposed measures that have banned public gatherings .
The measures were introduced on March 7 in much of the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid an outbreak of a new respiratory illness known as COVID-19 that has killed 463 people and infected 9,172 in Italy .
The contagion became known near Italy 's financial capital on February 21 , some three months after it originated in China and spread to at least 106 countries , killed nearly 4,000 people , and infected over 113,000 worldwide .
Since then , the rising numbers of deaths and infection have stunned Italy 's health-care system .
Following his June 30 , 2017 arrest in Bologna , Markiv , a dual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison sentence in July for actions he allegedly committed while being posted near Slovyansk , a town in the Donetsk region that was held by Russian national Igor Girkin , a former colonel in the Federal Security Service , and the forces he was leading comprised of other Russians and local separatists .
At the time , Markiv and about 150 Ukrainian servicemen were stationed atop the Karachun hill , surrounded by Girkin ’ s forces and approximately 2 kilometers from where the group of journalists were located at a ceramic factory on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a native of the western Ukrainian regional capital of Ternopil , in particular was found guilty of directing mortar fire that led to the May 24 , 2014 death of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rochelli and Russian interpreter Andrei Mironov , who was also known as a rights activist .
A third person , French photographer William Roguelon , was wounded during the shelling .
In February , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , on his first official visit to Italy , spoke about Markiv 's case in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Crimea in March 2014 .
A month later , fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between government troops and Russia-backed separatists in a war that has killed more than 13,000 people and displaced more than 1.5 million .

An Italian appellate court in Milan has postponed a hearing in the case of Ukrainian citizen Vitaliy Markiv, who is challenging a 24-year sentence for his role six years ago while serving in the Ukrainian National Guard that involved the deaths of an Italian photojournalist and his Russian interpreter.
Lawyers for the defendant told RFE/RL on March 8 that the court in the Lombardy region had decided to hear the case on March 31 due to government-imposed measures that have banned public gatherings.
The measures were introduced on March 7 in much of the country’s north and have since been extended nationwide amid an outbreak of a new respiratory illness known as COVID-19 that has killed 463 people and infected 9,172 in Italy.
The contagion became known near Italy's financial capital on February 21, some three months after it originated in China and spread to at least 106 countries, killed nearly 4,000 people, and infected over 113,000 worldwide.
Since then, the rising numbers of deaths and infection have stunned Italy's health-care system.
Following his June 30, 2017 arrest in Bologna, Markiv, a dual Ukrainian-Italian national, was given a 24-year prison sentence in July for actions he allegedly committed while being posted near Slovyansk, a town in the Donetsk region that was held by Russian national Igor Girkin, a former colonel in the Federal Security Service, and the forces he was leading comprised of other Russians and local separatists.
At the time, Markiv and about 150 Ukrainian servicemen were stationed atop the Karachun hill, surrounded by Girkin’s forces and approximately 2 kilometers from where the group of journalists were located at a ceramic factory on the edge of Slovyansk.
Markiv, a native of the western Ukrainian regional capital of Ternopil, in particular was found guilty of directing mortar fire that led to the May 24, 2014 death of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rochelli and Russian interpreter Andrei Mironov, who was also known as a rights activist.
A third person, French photographer William Roguelon, was wounded during the shelling.
In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on his first official visit to Italy, spoke about Markiv's case in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March 2014. A month later, fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine between government troops and Russia-backed separatists in a war that has killed more than 13,000 people and displaced more than 1.5 million.


rferl--2020-03-09--U.S. 'Strongly' Opposes Creation Of Parallel Afghan Government

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is for a `` unified and sovereign Afghanistan '' and opposes `` any action to establish a parallel government , '' hours after the country 's president and his main election rival held dual and competing inauguration ceremonies .
`` We strongly oppose any action to establish a parallel government and any use of force to resolve political differences , '' Pompeo said in a statement on March 9 .
He also condemned a terror attack in Kabul the same day for which the Islamic State militant group took responsibility .
Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when President Ashraf Ghani was being sworn in for his second term in office , the Khaama Press news agency reported .
In a separate move , Washington has called for a March 10 vote at the UN Security Council to endorse its accord with the Taliban that is meant to pave the way for peace to be achieved in the nearly two-decade war , AFP quoted diplomats as saying .
The peace deal was sealed on February 29 and a U.S. official told AP on March 9 that hundreds of U.S. soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the peace deal , the official said the departing U.S. soldiers will not be replaced .
That means the United States is now effectively moving ahead with an initial reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from about 13,000 to 8,600 soldiers .
The long-term plan is for the United States to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan within 14 months if security conditions are met .
Meanwhile , Ghani 's main political rival , former Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah , held his own inauguration ceremony on March 9 -- insisting that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Hundreds of guests attended the inauguration ceremonies of both teams at palaces located next to each other in central Kabul , after last-ditch efforts to mediate an end to the standoff between Ghani and Abdullah failed to resolve the crisis .
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. General Scott Miller , the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan , attended Ghani 's inauguration as the sound of rocket fire echoed in the background .
`` We have seen bigger attacks .
Do n't be afraid of just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he raised his hands to calm the crowd around him , which included many foreign dignitaries .
The Islamic State ( IS ) extremist group later claimed responsibility for the rocket attack that targeted the inauguration .
There were no reports of any injuries .
`` Caliphate soldiers targeted the inauguration of the tyrant Ashraf Ghani , '' by firing 10 rockets near the presidential palace in Kabul , IS said in a statement released on social media .
Hours before the parallel ceremonies , Abdullah wrote on Twitter that `` no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genuine democracy . ''
`` Invalidation of all fraudulent votes is the way out , '' Abdullah said .
The dispute stems from the official results of the bitterly contested September 28 presidential election .
Afghanistan 's Independent Election Commission ( IEC ) declared on February 19 that Ghani had won reelection with just over 50 percent of the vote .
According to the official vote count , Abdullah finished in second place with about 39 percent of the first-round vote .
But Abdullah rejects the official results , saying the election was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared himself the winner and vowed to form his own government .
The standoff has triggered a political crisis that has threatened to spill over into violence and derail a historic peace deal between the United States and the Taliban .
The dispute over the presidency also has left Kabul 's allies and ordinary Afghans deeply worried about the future of the country as it tries to strike a peace deal with Taliban militants .
Washington previously asked both sides to delay the ceremonies .
Political analyst Atta Noori told AFP that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's position in the upcoming intra-Afghan talks . ''
`` Unity is the only way [ forward ] if they want to win on the negotiating table , '' Noori said .
The Taliban , meanwhile , says talks with Afghanistan ’ s government scheduled to start on March 10 are unlikely to take place on time because of the two rivals ' plans to conduct the parallel ceremonies .
Abdullah was named chief executive officer in 2014 under a U.S.-brokered power-sharing agreement that created a fragile national-unity government to resolve a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud in the 2014 presidential election .
Under that deal , Ghani became president in the national-unity government while the new office of chief executive officer was created for Abdullah .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Radio Free Afghanistan and Radio Mashaal , AFP , AP , Reuters , and dpa


rferl--2020-03-10--U.S. Companies Must Stop Buying Goods Made By Forced Uyghur Laborers, Senator Says

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee 's top Democratic member has called on the Commerce Department to stop U.S. companies from buying goods made by forced Uyghur laborers .
In a March 10 letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross , New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez said leading U.S. companies such as Apple , Coca-Cola , Kraft Heinz , and The Gap “ have sourced or continue to source ” from China ’ s Turkic Muslim-dominated region of Xinjiang .
China holds about 1 million Uyghurs and other mostly Turkic Muslim minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang that Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting terrorism .
Menendez said in his letter that China has forced some of them to work in nearby factories either during their detention or after , under the threat of being sent back .
“ In failing to uphold their responsibilities to vet their supply chains , these companies may be complicit in the mass repression of Uyghurs , ethnic Kazakhs , Kyrgyz , and members of other Muslim minority groups , ” his letter said .
Menendez called on the Commerce Department to “ establish clear and transparent standards of procurement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also asked for information about any U.S. government contractors that source cotton from China .

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--2020-03-10--EU May Direct More Funding For Eastern Partnership Nations To Reducing Russian Energy Dependence

BRUSSELS -- The European Union plans to better tie financial assistance to the six nations of its Eastern Partnership program to improvements in their rule of law and may increase funding for alternative energy to ween them off Russian fossil fuels .
In a leaked draft of its joint communication about the future of the Eastern Partnership seen by RFE/RL , Brussels also said it wants to step up the fight against economic crime in the six countries , including the recovery of stolen assets .
Created in 2009 , the EU ’ s Eastern Partnership aims to bring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Belarus , Georgia , Moldova , and Ukraine closer to the bloc through help with reforms , without offering those nations guarantees that they could one day join .
“ It is important for the Eastern partners to put in place robust asset recovery frameworks , including by setting up functioning asset recovery offices that are in a position to trace and identify criminal wealth , ” the draft said .
Furthermore , it said the EU will support a legal framework in the six nations “ with a focus on high-level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the area of public procurement.
” Graft has historically been a major problem in the Eastern Partnership member states due to weak public institutions , including a truly independent judiciary , free press , and civil society .
Many of the nations rank low in Transparency International 's Corruption Perception Index .
The 18-page paper , which is likely to be presented by the European Commission next week , is titled Reinforcing Resilience – An Eastern Partnership That Delivers For All and follows months of consultations among EU member states and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eastern Partnership .
The paper will form the basis of discussion when EU and the Eastern Partnership leaders meet for their next summit in Brussels , tentatively scheduled for June 18 .
The leaders will discuss launching new visa liberalization talks with Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Belarus , whose citizens still require visas to travel to the EU .
The Eastern Partnership has faced questions about its purpose as countries such as Georgia , Moldova , and Ukraine , which are seeking to join the EU , question the relevance of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus , which have not directly expressed that interest .
The paper states there is no intent to break up the partnership group .
A big emphasis at the summit will also be put on environmental issues .
Paris has suggested that 50 percent of all funding to the nations be spent on green issues .
The paper also pledges to help the six countries to increase energy efficiency as well as energy security by diversifying away from fossil fuels .
Russia is the dominant supplier of oil and gas to most of @ @ @ @

BRUSSELS -- The European Union plans to better tie financial assistance to the six nations of its Eastern Partnership program to improvements in their rule of law and may increase funding for alternative energy to wean them off Russian fossil fuels.
In a leaked draft of its joint communication about the future of the Eastern Partnership seen by RFE/RL, Brussels also said it wants to step up the fight against economic crime in the six countries, including the recovery of stolen assets.
Created in 2009, the EU’s Eastern Partnership aims to bring the former Soviet states of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine closer to the bloc through help with reforms, without offering those nations guarantees that they could one day join.
“It is important for the Eastern partners to put in place robust asset recovery frameworks, including by setting up functioning asset recovery offices that are in a position to trace and identify criminal wealth,” the draft said.
Furthermore, it said the EU will support a legal framework in the six nations “with a focus on high-level corruption, and will pay particular attention to the area of public procurement.”
Graft has historically been a major problem in the Eastern Partnership member states due to weak public institutions, including a truly independent judiciary, free press, and civil society. Many of the nations rank low in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index.
The 18-page paper, which is likely to be presented by the European Commission next week, is titled Reinforcing Resilience – An Eastern Partnership That Delivers For All and follows months of consultations among EU member states and the six nations about the future of the Eastern Partnership.
The paper will form the basis of discussion when EU and the Eastern Partnership leaders meet for their next summit in Brussels, tentatively scheduled for June 18. The leaders will discuss launching new visa liberalization talks with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus, whose citizens still require visas to travel to the EU.
The Eastern Partnership has faced questions about its purpose as countries such as Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, which are seeking to join the EU, question the relevance of being lumped with Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Belarus, which have not directly expressed that interest. The paper states there is no intent to break up the partnership group.
A big emphasis at the summit will also be put on environmental issues. Paris has suggested that 50 percent of all funding to the nations be spent on green issues. The paper also pledges to help the six countries to increase energy efficiency as well as energy security by diversifying away from fossil fuels.
Russia is the dominant supplier of oil and gas to most of the six nations.


rferl--2020-03-10--Russian Animal Activists Angered Over Killing Of 100 Dogs, Cats In Yakutsk

Russian volunteers and animal rights activists were shocked and angry after finding about 100 dead cats and dogs they had been caring for piled in a container at an animal shelter in the nation ’ s Far Northeast region of Yakutsk .
“ A very large number of bodies , very large ” a female member of Bely Bim could be heard saying on March 9 in a somber voice as she recorded a video of the discovery of the dead animals .
The video was posted on Bely Bim ’ s Instagram page .
Several members had come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day and were surprised to discover there were no dogs or cats in a segment of the shelter .
“ There are no dogs .
In the warm [ shelter ] there is not one dog .
Not even a puppy .
Girls , look for the bodies !
” one of the women said as she videotaped her walk through the shelter .
One of her colleagues could be heard in the background screaming “ bastards ” as she cried .
The women later called police and together with at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
A manager inside refused to open the door , prompting the women to try to force it open as they cursed him .
Yakutsk Mayor Sardana Avksentieva later said in an Instagram post on March 10 that there was a case of rabies at the shelter .
She said a decision on destroying the animals was made by the state veterinarian service , not the city administration or the management of the animal shelter .
Avksentieva said she has asked police to “ give a legal assessment ” of the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s prosecutor .
Yakutsk residents said it is the second incident of cruel treatment of animals in the city in recent months .
Hundreds of cats and dogs died of cold and starvation at an outdoor animal shelter in January .
Yakutsk is Russia 's coldest region , with temperatures often dipping below minus 50 degrees Celsius during winter .

Russian volunteers and animal rights activists were shocked and angry after finding about 100 dead cats and dogs they had been caring for piled in a container at an animal shelter in the nation’s Far Northeast region of Yakutsk.
“A very large number of bodies, very large” a female member of Bely Bim could be heard saying on March 9 in a somber voice as she recorded a video of the discovery of the dead animals.
The video was posted on Bely Bim’s Instagram page.
Several members had come to visit the animal shelter earlier in the day and were surprised to discover there were no dogs or cats in a segment of the shelter.
“There are no dogs. In the warm [shelter] there is not one dog. Not even a puppy. Girls, look for the bodies!” one of the women said as she videotaped her walk through the shelter.
One of her colleagues could be heard in the background screaming “bastards” as she cried.
The women later called police and together with at least one officer approached the shelter’s administrative office. A manager inside refused to open the door, prompting the women to try to force it open as they cursed him.
Yakutsk Mayor Sardana Avksentieva later said in an Instagram post on March 10 that there was a case of rabies at the shelter.
She said a decision on destroying the animals was made by the state veterinarian service, not the city administration or the management of the animal shelter.
Avksentieva said she has asked police to “give a legal assessment” of the decision to kill the animals and inform the city’s prosecutor.
Yakutsk residents said it is the second incident of cruel treatment of animals in the city in recent months. Hundreds of cats and dogs died of cold and starvation at an outdoor animal shelter in January.
Yakutsk is Russia's coldest region, with temperatures often dipping below minus 50 degrees Celsius during winter.
With reporting by Interfax


rferl--2020-03-10--U.S. Senator Calls On Kosovo To End Tariffs Or Face U.S. Troop Withdrawal

WASHINGTON -- A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has called on Kosovo to annul tariffs on Serbian goods and services or face a withdrawal of U.S. troops .
Senator David Perdue ( Republican-Georgia ) said on March 10 that U.S. forces have helped maintain peace between Kosovo and Serbia and that Pristina now “ must do its part ” to maintain stability by removing the tariffs , he said , reiterating the Trump administration 's policy .
“ If Kosovo is not fully committed to peace , then the U.S. should reconsider its presence there , ” Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , said in a tweet .
Donald Trump Jr. , the U.S. president ’ s son , retweeted Perdue ’ s statement , adding there are 650 troops in Kosovo and that it 's “ time to bring them home.
” The United States is one of the biggest backers of Kosovo 's independence from Serbia , which Pristina declared in 2008 .
Serbia continues to consider its former province part of its territory .
Pristina imposed 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods and services in November 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo .
Sierra Leone recently became the 18th country to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation .
The Kosovar government on February 27 announced it would temporarily and partly lift the tariff -- a move described by the special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo , Richard Grenell , who has recently been appointed as Trump 's intelligence chief , as a “ half measure.
” Grenell earlier this month brought Kosovar President Hashim Thaci and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic together at the While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final agreement between the two Balkan countries .

WASHINGTON -- A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has called on Kosovo to annul tariffs on Serbian goods and services or face a withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Senator David Perdue (Republican-Georgia) said on March 10 that U.S. forces have helped maintain peace between Kosovo and Serbia and that Pristina now “must do its part” to maintain stability by removing the tariffs, he said, reiterating the Trump administration's policy.
“If Kosovo is not fully committed to peace, then the U.S. should reconsider its presence there,” Perdue, who is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a tweet.
Donald Trump Jr., the U.S. president’s son, retweeted Perdue’s statement, adding there are 650 troops in Kosovo and that it's “time to bring them home.”
The United States is one of the biggest backers of Kosovo's independence from Serbia, which Pristina declared in 2008. Serbia continues to consider its former province part of its territory.
Pristina imposed 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods and services in November 2018 in response to Belgrade's continued lobbying for countries to reverse their recognition of Kosovo.
Sierra Leone recently became the 18th country to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation.
The Kosovar government on February 27 announced it would temporarily and partly lift the tariff -- a move described by the special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo, Richard Grenell, who has recently been appointed as Trump's intelligence chief, as a “half measure.”
Grenell earlier this month brought Kosovar President Hashim Thaci and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic together at the While House to discuss ways to reach a final agreement between the two Balkan countries.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service


rferl--2020-03-10--Kremlin Says Trump Won't Travel To Victory Day Celebration In Moscow

The Kremlin says U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will not attend the celebration of the 75th anniversary of @ @ @ @ @ II .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on March 10 that it @ @ @ @ @ represent the United States at the event .
`` We have been informed via diplomatic @ @ @ @ @ ] will not attend , '' Peskov said .
He did not elaborate .
A @ @ @ @ @ will be held in Moscow on May 9 .
Moscow said earlier that along with @ @ @ @ @ also invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson , North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un , Chinese @ @ @ @ @ officials from other nations .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

The Kremlin says U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will not attend the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on March 10 that it was not clear who would represent the United States at the event.
"We have been informed via diplomatic channels that President [Trump] will not attend," Peskov said.
He did not elaborate.
A military parade for the occasion will be held in Moscow on May 9.
Moscow said earlier that along with Trump, the Kremlin had also invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and officials from other nations.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-03-10--Armenia's Pashinian Kicks Off Campaign On Constitutional Reform

YEREVAN – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has urged voters to back proposed changes to the constitution that would lead to the removal of a majority of Constitutional Court judges .
Pashinian made the call on March 10 as he kicked off his campaign ahead of next month ’ s referendum on the proposed reforms .
“ I urge you to go to polling stations on April 5 and confirm that you are sending home this old Constitutional Court , which had patronized all electoral frauds in Armenia in the past , ” he said in a speech in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposed constitutional amendments would lead to the dismissal of seven of the court ’ s nine members installed before nationwide protests swept Pashinian to power in 2018 .
The seven would be replaced by judges to be confirmed by the National Assembly , in which Pashinian ’ s My Step bloc holds a majority .
The court 's two other judges , who were appointed to their posts later , will keep their powers .
In his speech in Meghri , Pashinian said the Constitutional Court “ does not represent the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institution in Armenia that is not in compliance with the current constitution.
” Pashinian has accused the seven judges of maintaining ties to Armenia ’ s former leadership and impeding reforms that he says are aimed at creating an independent judiciary .
Rejecting the referendum as unconstitutional , opposition parties accuse the prime minister of seeking to gain undue control over the Constitutional Court .
The chairman of the Constitutional Court , Hrair Tovmasian , was charged in December with abuse of power while he was serving as justice minister .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier in December , a controversial law gave Tovmasian and the six other Constitutional Court members financial incentives to resign before the end of their mandates .
None of them has accepted the offer .

YEREVAN – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has urged voters to back proposed changes to the constitution that would lead to the removal of a majority of Constitutional Court judges.
Pashinian made the call on March 10 as he kicked off his campaign ahead of next month’s referendum on the proposed reforms.
“I urge you to go to polling stations on April 5 and confirm that you are sending home this old Constitutional Court, which had patronized all electoral frauds in Armenia in the past,” he said in a speech in the town of Meghri.
If approved, the proposed constitutional amendments would lead to the dismissal of seven of the court’s nine members installed before nationwide protests swept Pashinian to power in 2018.
The seven would be replaced by judges to be confirmed by the National Assembly, in which Pashinian’s My Step bloc holds a majority.
The court's two other judges, who were appointed to their posts later, will keep their powers.
In his speech in Meghri, Pashinian said the Constitutional Court “does not represent the people” and is “the only remaining institution in Armenia that is not in compliance with the current constitution.”
Pashinian has accused the seven judges of maintaining ties to Armenia’s former leadership and impeding reforms that he says are aimed at creating an independent judiciary.
Rejecting the referendum as unconstitutional, opposition parties accuse the prime minister of seeking to gain undue control over the Constitutional Court.
The chairman of the Constitutional Court, Hrair Tovmasian, was charged in December with abuse of power while he was serving as justice minister. He has denied the accusation as politically motivated.
Earlier in December, a controversial law gave Tovmasian and the six other Constitutional Court members financial incentives to resign before the end of their mandates. None of them has accepted the offer.