Victory Day, commemorating the Red Army’s triumph over Nazi Germany, offers an opportunity for Russia’s present-day leadership to demonstrate the country’s resurgent military might. For many World War II veterans, meanwhile, the day is a time for reflection – to take pride in their accomplishments and to appreciate their good fortune in having survived.
The Georgian-Russian conflict lasted for five days in August, 2008. But along the ceasefire line today both sides remain on a war-footing. An abundance of checkpoints, defensive positions, and fortifications have sprouted up all along the ceasefire line. In some places, the no-man’s land separating Georgian and Russian forces is only about a hundred yards wide.
The Kintsvisi monastery is a place where the past manages to keep the present at bay. The monks who reside at this sanctuary, situated in the heavily wooded mountains of Georgia’s Shida Kartli region, live according to the same basic guidelines that were in place at the time of its founding more than a millennium ago.
The Jamba Erabia Madrasa on the outskirts of Islamabad cannot be seen form the main road. A gas station hides the small dirt road leading to the three-story building, which is undergoing repairs.
The Pakistani military’s push against Taliban strongholds in the Swat Valley has created a forced migration emergency, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Almost 1.5 million people have registered for assistance since fighting erupted in the Swat Valley, according to the UNHCR. Now, the total number of people officially displaced as a result of violence in North West Frontier province stands at more than 2 million. The actual number could be higher, given that not all internally displaced persons (IDPs) have registered with authorities.
