Stories about Europe
Deepfakes and the risks from the growing use of video fraud
" ... [T]he truth is on the edge of "death" because, with the increase of deepfakes in circulation, it will be more and more difficult to understand what the truth is."
How the North Caucasus became one of Russia’s arms for imperial policy in Ukraine
The region may may seem loyal to the central authorities, but it took Kremlin about a hundred years of repression and killing tens of thousands of locals to achieve this.
Lotteries, dressed-up figures, and other peculiar entertainment at the Putin's sham elections
Current regime needs people to come to the polls in order to show the regime's legitimacy inside the country. Authorities find ways of 'entertainment' that would attract people to vote.
Azerbaijan speaks of peace while cracking down on Islam
Just last month, scores of religious believers were rounded up across the country. According to rights defenders, over 500 believers have been arrested just in the past year and a half.
‘My boyhood football club wants to kill me’
Liverpool FC's support for a disillusioned Palestinian fan of Chelsea FC, by framing a picture of his brother at their stadium, brought joy after Chelsea's disappointing stance on Gaza.
Women in Moldova are better educated but earn less and marry earlier
Some National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova's data about women living in Moldova today
New song titled ‘Mom has a Secret’ features mothers from Russia who are anti-war activists
All of the women featured in the video for the song, as well as Monetochka herself, are mothers but also high profile activists who oppose the war and the regime.
Yulia Navalnaya against Vladimir Putin
But who is Yulia Navalnaya? She has a familiar face: Alexey's participated in a lot of his rallies, was by his side when he was poisoned.
‘Am Abgrund’: The story of Azerbaijan's influence in Europe
The movie, which exposes corruption both within Azerbaijan and in numerous European countries, comes at a time of deteriorating ties between Azerbaijan and the West.
How a Brazilian journalist working in Portugal faces online hate and sees the political context
On February 3, two protests took place in Lisbon, with very different agendas: one pro-migration, the other of a far-right group — a sample of the current political climate in the country.
Despite escalating sanctions, key machines imported from East Asia sustain Russia’s war effort in Ukraine
Despite sanctions against Moscow in place as early as 2022, Asia remains a major source of key imports for Russia's war effort, including in the area of dual use machines.
Anger and grief as Russians in Armenia and Georgia mourn Navalny’s death
At the time of writing this story, at least 387 people have been detained at events across 39 Russian cities since Navalny's death, according to the Russian human rights group OVD-Info.
We can do more to help Ukraine
Two years and thousands of sanctions later, Moscow’s war capacity remains intact — Russia keeps bombing Ukraine as much, if not more,than in February 24, 2022 when the full scale invasion began.
‘I don’t feel safe': Reactions to Germany’s suppression of pro-Palestine solidarity
Germany's crackdown on Arabs and Muslims post-October 7 echoes past patterns of discrimination, leading to a profound sense of isolation and betrayal among them in the country.
‘My message in case I am killed: Do not give up': Alexey Navalny predicted his own demise
"Navalny’s death was a murder — a planned murder, a murder methodically carried out, a murder of which the Russian state is guilty."
Armenia and Azerbaijan: The most recent flare up puts peace prospects on the backburner
Whether these recent developments further derail prospects for peace depends on steps taken in the coming months. For now, peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is hanging by a thread.
Vaccine hesitancy brings whooping cough epidemic to North Macedonia
Medical experts demand the declaration of a whooping cough epidemic in North Macedonia, as from January 1 to February 14, the Institute for Public Health had registered new 28 cases, mostly unvaccinated babies.
How Hongkongers overseas preserve, and adapt the city’s famed cuisine
Many Hongkongers overseas have opened cha chaan teng, Hong Kong-style cafes, snack shops or online food shops, due to homesickness or the need to earn a living,
Hundreds of thousands supported anti-war candidate in Russia but he was banned from elections
Boris Nadezhdin and Yekaterina Duntsova happened to be the main figures of the Russian elections in March 2024, although neither of them are going to be on the ballot
The battle of Bashkir people: Why the largest protests in wartime Russia happened in Bashkortostan
"Russia is stepping on ethnic rakes. The Bashkirs have their own land. At the heart of everything that happened is a word that is now distorted — patriotism."
In Moldova, asylum was denied to five representatives of the LGBTQ+ community from Russia
In all five responses published this week, Moldovan imigration agency claims that 'some individuals have certain obligations to protect their country, and their avoidance of military service in Russia does not pose a risk of persecution.'