Month: December 2017

The United States has announced new licensing and export restrictions on Russian missile designer Novator and a military research company, charging both with involvement in a missile that Washington says violates a key Cold War arms-control treaty. …

Kyrgyzstan’s largest independent television channel, NTS TV, said authorities raided its Bishkek studios in a “clear attempt to attack press freedom.” (RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service) …

In the two years since he came to Washington, D.C., Carlos Carmonamedina has created almost 100 postcards of everyday scenes in the nation’s capital. Many have DC landmarks in the background, like the White House, the Capitol and the Washington Monument, but all give a taste of what life in D.C. is like. Niki Papadogiannakis …

Read more “Postcards of DC Daily Life by a Mexican Immigrant”

Russia is attempting to “sow dissension” and undermine democracy in Britain, France, and other Western nations using propaganda, subversion, and cyberattacks, Britain’s national security adviser said. …

Nepali migrant workers are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and exploitation due to a failure by authorities to crack down on recruitment firms that charge illegally high fees for jobs abroad, human rights group Amnesty International said on Monday. Wages sent back by an estimated four million Nepalis – mainly employed working in …

Read more “Amnesty: Failed and Exploited, Nepal Migrant Workers Trapped in Debt Cycle”

How do you explain the abstract concepts of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies? With adorable, digital kittens of course. CryptoKitties, an online game and marketplace featuring virtual kittens, has become an entry point for curious outsiders looking to dabble in cryptocurrencies – decentralized digital monies that rely on blockchain technology to enable peer-to-peer transactions. Company reps …

Read more “CryptoKitties Brings Blockchain to the Masses”

Russian state broadcaster RT has launched a French-language channel despite being branded this year as a “propaganda” outlet for the Kremlin by officials in the United States, France, and other Western countries. …

One of Afghanistan’s most powerful regional politicians has vowed to fight his ouster as governor of the northern province of Balkh, posing a potential threat to the shaky, Western-backed governing coalition of President Ashraf Ghani. …

The UN children’s fund is urging countries to do more to ensure the safety and wellbeing of tens of millions of children on the move.  The UN children’s fund (UNICEF) reports some 50 million children worldwide are on the move. It says many young people are moving safely with their families who are voluntarily migrating …

Read more “Millions of Migrant Children Encounter Life-threatening Conditions”

The top court in Ukraine’s Russia-controlled Crimea region is hearing journalist Mykola Semena’s appeal against a separatism conviction that was handed down in September. …

The top court in Ukraine’s Russia-controlled Crimea region has upheld a separatism conviction against journalist Mykola Semena in a case that has been criticized by media freedom advocates and Western governments. …

The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Monday on a draft resolution rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The United States is one of the five permanent members of the council that hold veto rights, meaning the resolution drafted by Egypt is not likely to pass. The text …

Read more “UN to Vote on Measure Rejecting US Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital”

More than 70 Crimean Tatars faced court hearings in Russia-controlled Crimea on December 18 over single-person demonstrations they staged in October to protest pressure imposed on practicing Muslims by the Moscow-installed authorities. …

The campaign began on December 18, in line with a formal resolution by the upper parliament last week scheduling the election for March 18. …

Winter has come to Fargo, North Dakota, and at the Great Plains Food Bank on the north side of the city, 16-year-old Puja Chetri and 18-year-old Maria Tuya are stocking up for the season. Chetri, a refugee who fled Nepal with her family when she was 10, and Tuya, a refugee from South Sudan, know …

Read more “At-Risk Refugees Pay it Forward in North Dakota”