A spate of arrests in Tajikistan come as President Emomali Rahmon prepares to step down in favor of his son.

As Russia’s border regions come under attack from Ukraine, the dissonance between the illusion of peaceful life and the wartime reality for residents evacuated away from shelling is too stark to be hushed up.

The Kremlin’s censorship is meeting with cautious but clear resistance from Russia’s literary community. It’s not only professionals who are invited to take part, but readers too.

As Russian president Vladimir Putin marks 25 years in power, spending to back his war in Ukraine is propping up the economy.

By using electronic voting to rig elections on an unprecedented scale, Kremlin officials risk creating a “virtual” political system that could be deeply unstable in times of turbulence.

Former prosecutor general Alexandr Stoianoglo already has the support of Moldova’s most popular opposition politician in his bid to become president.