The Week’s Best: Stories You May Have Missed

We know that rferl.org isn’t the only website you read, and it’s possible that you may have missed some of our most interesting journalism from the past week. To make sure you’re up-to-date, here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL’s team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.

Afghanistan’s Shi’ite Hazara minority fear that the Taliban’s return as part of a peace deal could undermine the major inroads the community has made. By Frud Bezhan

As the coronavirus bore down on Ukraine, the head of the state medical procurement company sought to set up orders of vital supplies. He says he was thwarted by a now-dismissed health minister who seemed more interested in getting a chosen candidate installed as his deputy – despite a recent conviction for shoplifting Snickers bars, caviar, and other items — than in obtaining tests, ventilators, and masks for the fight against COVID-19. By Katya Gorchinskaya

A shipment of Russian medical supplies for the United States contained something else: a mystery over who paid for it. And why two Russian companies sanctioned by the United States were involved. By Mike Eckel

Journalist Anastasia Petrova died in a hospital in the Russian city of Perm on March 31. The official cause of death was pneumonia, but officials later acknowledged that the 36-year-old had tested positive for the coronavirus. In social media notes and texts to friends, Petrova left a moving diary of her illness and treatment. By Yury Kuroptev and Robert Coalson

Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed militants has raged on despite a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and Western calls for a “global cease-fire” during the pandemic. By Christopher Miller

Across former Soviet countries, lockdowns due to the coronavirus are hitting the poor hardest. The many workers in the gray areas of the economies have been left destitute and even homeless, while some charities that might provide help are closing down. By Ray Furlong, Current Time, and RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service

A U.S. senator has accused China of “garbage propaganda” about the coronavirus. The European Union says claims that it is “disintegrating in the face of COVID-19 are trending on social media.” China and Russia are targeting global audiences with state media reporting that plays up their aid to other countries while also spreading disinformation. By Ray Furlong

The coronavirus outbreak in Iran is depriving many of a last farewell with their loved ones as funeral ceremonies have been banned to help contain the pandemic that has killed more than 4,000 Iranians. By Golnaz Esfandiari

Confectioners, police officers, and merchants are getting creative in the age of the coronavirus. By RFE/RL

Tightrope walking has been a tradition in the Yusupov family of Uzbekistan for almost a century. Children are taught to walk the wire before they even reach the age of 2, with younger performers paid more to perform.​ By Current Time and Asia 360

Hundreds of tulips have been donated to health workers and COVID-19 patients in Georgia after a social-media drive to save a local harvest. The campaign came after RFE/RL reported on a Georgian tulip farmer known as Uncle Kako, who feared his flowers would wither after the country shut down markets because of the coronavirus pandemic. By RFE/RL’s Georgian Service

Until the coronavirus crisis, the Czech capital was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and its streets were jammed with tourists. Now, a national state of emergency is in effect, the borders are mostly closed, and everyone in the country is required to cover their face in public. RFE/RL recorded these haunting images of the city in lockdown. By Amos Chapple