Radio Free Europe
RFE/RL journalists report the news in 22 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia.
Kazakh Man Sentenced For Killing 4-Year-Old During 2022 Unrest.
ASTANA -- A man was sentenced to seven years in prison in a high-profile trial related to the death of a 4-year-old girl during deadly unrest in Kazakhstan in January 2022.
The military court in Astana on March 28 annulled serviceman Arman Zhuman's acquittal from November and sentenced him after finding him guilty of abuse of power.
Aikorkem Meldekhan was shot dead in the Central Asian nation's largest city, Almaty, by what the court concluded was military personnel, when she and other members of her family were in a car on their way to a grocery store on January 7, 2022. The vehicle was sprayed with at least 20 bullets, also wounding Aikorkem's 15-year-old sister. Zhuman's lawyer, Oksana Musokhranova, said the court's decision will be appealed. Aikorkem's father, Aidos Meldekhan, said he is not satisfied with the court's decision, insisting that the charge should have been changed from abuse of power to murder of a minor and attempted murder. At least 238 people are believed to have been killed by Kazakh security forces during a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in January 2022. With the country in the throes of unrest, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev gave police and military troops the controversial order to "shoot to kill without warning." He justified the move by saying "20,000 extremists trained in foreign terrorist camps" had seized Almaty airport and other buildings.
No evidence of foreign-trained terrorists was ever presented.
The order sparked an outcry and Aikorkem's picture turned into an image symbolizing the victims of the crackdown, many of whom were killed -- some under torture -- by police, security forces and military personnel, including troops of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, whom Toqaev invited into the country "to restore law and order."
Armenian Police Clash With Residents Of Village To Be Handed Over To Azerbaijan.
Scuffles were reported on April 26 between police and residents of a village in Armenia that is due to be handed over to Azerbaijan as part of a border demarcation deal between Yerevan and Baku.
Russian Court Places Forbes Reporter Under House Arrest.
A Russian court on April 27 ordered a journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, Sergei Mingazov, to be placed under house arrest
Russia Launches 'Massive' Strikes Against Ukrainian Thermal Power Stations.
Ukraine said Russia had launched a massive attack overnight targeting energy installations, while a Russian oil refinery said it had suspended operations following a drone strike.
Iran Says Crew Of Israel-Linked Ship To Be Released.
Iran’s foreign minister said the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel have been granted consular access and are expected to be freed, Iranian media reported on April 27.
Memorial Concert For Navalny Scheduled To Take Place June 4 In Berlin.
Associates of Aleksei Navalny, who died in February in a Russian penal colony, say a concert has been scheduled in his memory in Berlin on June 4, which would have been the opposition politician’s 48th birthday.
Gregg Jarrett: There has to be some immunity for Trump here.
Fox News legal analyst Greg Jarrett joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss his take on presidential immunity for former President Trump as the Supreme Court hears arguments stemming from Jack Smith's charges. #FoxNews Subscribe to Fox News! Watch more ...
Curtain Call: ‘El Nino’ makes its Metropolitan Opera debut with a retelling of the Nativity.
“El Nino,” an opera-oratorio which re-imagines the birth of Jesus Christ in a lush jungle, is making its Metropolitan Opera debut almost 24 years after its first performance. NBC News’ Joe Fryer interviewed the show’s director, Lileana Blain-Cruz,...
Far-right MEP frees Dove in EU Parliament - DW News.
A far-right Slovakian MEP releasing a 'Peace Dove' in the European Parliament calling for peace in the Ukraine and the rest of the world. Subscribe: For more news go to: Follow DW on social media: ►Facebook: ►Twitter: ►Instagram: ►Twitch: Für Vide...
Campus protests spread across country
California, Texas, New York and Boston have all seen new waves of demonstrations amid the Israel-Hamas war, with up to 100 protestors arrested at Emerson College in Boston overnight. Subscribe to ABC News on YouTube: Watch 24/7 coverage of breakin...
160 whales have beached off the coast of Western Australia.
According to the Parks and Wildlife Service, 160 whales have beached off the coast of Western Australia on April 25. The Chair of Geographe Marine Research told CNN that 28 beached pilot whales have died, while 130 have returned to the sea.
Meta launches new AI assistant with Llama 3 model
Meta began rolling out its new AI-powered smart assistant software, saying it will be integrated across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. Adam Auriemma, editor-in-chief for CNET, joined CBS News to discuss the new tool. CBS News Streaming Network...