Features
-
April 05, 2016The 'Bilateral Synergy' Of Armenia And Nagorno-Karabakh's Army
Many details about the Armenia-backed separatist force in Azerbaijan's territory of Nagorno-Karabakh are murky. The extent of Yerevan's support for separatists who control the territory within Azerbaijan is also a contentious issue. But political, economic, and military ties suggest there is, at least, a relationship of "bilateral synergy."
-
April 05, 2016
Explainer: Why The Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis Matters
Reasons to hope that the Nagorno-Karabakh cease-fire announced on April 5 holds include pipelines and military alliances.
-
April 05, 2016
Dutch Vote On Ukraine Deal Could Reverberate Throughout Europe
The Dutch are heading to polls to decide whether their government should ratify an association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. But it is a vote that means a lot more than just free trade and closer ties between Kyiv and Brussels.
-
April 04, 2016
Doping, Cameron, And 'Putinophobia': Russian Media React To Panama Papers
Russian TV stations have shrugged off the so-called Panama Papers, which appear to implicate President Vladimir Putin's circle and other world leaders in offshore scams.
-
April 04, 2016
De Waal: Kremlin 'Not Primary Actor' Behind Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Noted Western expert on the Caucasus Thomas de Waal says tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh make the dispute one of the most menacing unresolved conflicts from the Soviet collapse, but he rejects the idea that Moscow is behind recent fighting.
-
April 04, 2016
Panama Papers In Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
A massive data leak suggests the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan are engaged in shadowy operations to hide wealth abroad, even as they openly condemn the removal of wealth from their countries.
-
April 04, 2016
'A Lot Of People Losing A Lot Of Sleep': The Impact Of The Panama Papers
A huge leak of over 11 million documents from a Panama-based law firm has revealed how global elites, including associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, have hidden away vast sums of money.
-
April 04, 2016
Turks Look On As First Migrant Returnees Arrive From Greece
Two hundred or so mostly Pakistanis are shipped back to Turkey as the authorities roll out a plan to cope with Europe's migrant crisis.
-
April 04, 2016
Nawaz Sharif: Pakistan's Unlikely Reformer
One of Pakistan's most conservative politicians, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has become an unlikely torch-bearer for reform in the deeply religiously conservative country.
-
April 03, 2016
Star-Crossed Cosmodrome: Russia's Path To Space Paved With Missing Rubles
After years of delay and enormous cost overruns, Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome is expected to host its first test launch in the next few weeks. However, that doesn't mean smooth sailing for the troubled project.
-
April 02, 2016
Letters From Donbas, Part 7: 'How Long Can You Postpone Your Life?'
More than 1 million people have fled eastern Ukraine since war erupted in April 2014. Some have since returned. Others never left. From teachers to pensioners to families with children, residents of separatist-held towns are struggling to get on with their lives amid the chaos and uncertainty. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service continues to publish their testimonies. The names of the authors of the letters have been changed to protect them.
-
April 01, 2016
'Nothing To See Here': Russia Shrugs At Latest Allegations Against Putin
Reuters this week published allegations that several women reportedly tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been given luxurious residences by a businessman also connected with the president. But as similar reports in the past have shown, much of the Russian public has been conditioned to turn away.
-
April 01, 2016
Spike In Fighting In Eastern Ukraine Threatens Fragile Cease-Fire
An uptick in fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists reported by OSCE monitors in recent weeks has weakened a shaky truce between the combatants.
-
April 01, 2016
The Soviet Adventures Of Steve Jobs
At the dawn of perestroika, and a nadir in his career, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs traveled to Moscow to sell his idea of producing the company's new line of personal computers in the Soviet Union. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the computer company's birth, we look back on what is known of Jobs's visit today.
-
March 31, 2016
‘Crash-Test Democracy’ -- Russian Reporters Highlight Vagaries Of Protest Laws
Political demonstrations in Russia are a fraught matter these days, not to mention arbitrary, as journalists in the country’s fourth-largest city, Yekaterinburg, have found.
-
March 31, 2016
‘Error Of Law' -- Top International Lawyer Disagrees With Seselj Ruling
The head of the International Bar Association tells RFE/RL he thinks judges at the UN war crimes court were wrong to rule on March 31 that Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj was not guilty of crimes against humanity.
-
March 30, 2016
Explainer: Why Nuclear Smuggling Looms Over Washington Summit
It's not loose nukes that worry experts but rather nuclear materials like plutonium that could be used in a terrorist dirty bomb.
-
March 30, 2016
Russia's Patriotic Chess Star From Crimea Sets His Sights On World Title
Crimean-born, Russian chess star Sergei Karjakinspeaks about his upcoming bid to become world chess champion, his decision in 2009 to play for Russia instead of his native Ukraine, and his staunch support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
-
March 29, 2016
Russian Boycott Of Nuclear Terrorism Summit Leaves U.S. ‘Scratching Our Heads’
Russia's decision not to attend the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., has left many U.S. officials scratching their heads.
-
March 28, 2016
In Russia, An Outspoken Priest Falls From Grace
A prominent priest who abruptly lost his job as a key spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church portrays Patriarch Kirill as too subservient to President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin. In interviews with RFE/RL, Vsevolod Chaplin also says Russia's ruling elite is in dangerous thrall to a blunt-spoken Putin lieutenant who brooks no dissent.
-
March 25, 2016
After Brussels Attacks, Will Europe Adopt Israeli-Style Airport Security?
Israelis say European countries are asking for tips in securing their airports after the Brussels attacks. Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport is among the safest in the world but critics say Israeli security, while effective, can be humiliating, especially for Arab travelers.
-
March 24, 2016
Commentary: Karadzic Killed Sarajevo
Our "crime," according to Karadzic, was that we did not separate, that we wanted to stay united, that we chose to publish the newspaper together, regardless of ethnicity.
-
March 23, 2016
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Deploy Troops In Dispute Over Border Mountain
Tensions have heightened between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan over control of a mountain along their disputed border, with the Russian-led security alliance CSTO getting involved in the row.
-
March 23, 2016
How A Brussels Neighborhood Became A Terrorism Problem
The word Molenbeek is becoming synonymous with Europe's terrorism challenge. Why?
-
March 23, 2016
Hard-Line Militant Group Wants 'Power-Sharing' With Kabul In Exchange For Peace
The Afghan government is hoping a negotiated peace settlement with a hard-line militant group can convince other insurgents to join the peace process.
-
March 22, 2016
Belarusian In Belgium Denies Russian Reports Suggesting Links To Attacks
Some Russian media reports claim that three former Belarusian residents are suspected of involvement in the March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels. But one of the men ridiculed the assertion, telling RFE/RL that the reports were "nonsensical yellow journalism."
-
March 22, 2016
Russian Officials Fault The West Over Brussels Blasts
Vladimir Putin was quick to offer his condolences following the "barbaric" bombings in Brussels, but senior allies of the Russian president were just as quick to say that Europe only had itself to blame.
-
March 22, 2016
Defaced Dostum Billboards Nearly Ruin New Year's In Mazar-e Sharif
When towering images of a powerful former Afghan warlord and high-ranking Kabul official were torn down in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, it came narrowly close to ruining Norouz.
-
March 21, 2016
Commentary: Assignment To Harass
Attempts by authoritarian governments to intimidate and harass Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists only serve to emphasize how well these reporters are doing their jobs, says RFE/RL's Editor in Chief Nenad Pejic.
-
March 20, 2016
Saudi Arabia's 'Islamic' Coalition: Spin Or Substance?
In December, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a new military alliance of Islamic countries to fight terrorism. Months later, questions remain about the makeup and motives of the 34-country coalition.
-
March 19, 2016
Ailing WWII-Era Monarch, Romania's King Michael, Quietly Exits Limelight
Ninety-four-year-old King Michael of Romania is a study in contrast. He lunched with Hitler and Mussolini in wartime, but was awarded postwar medals by Truman and Stalin. He survived to see his country emerge from a half-century of Soviet domination, only to be banned by a jittery government alarmed by his popularity.
-
March 18, 2016
Georgian Female TV Host Takes Bold Stand In Face Of Sex-Tape Scandal
A female Georgian TV host caught up in a massive sex-tape scandal has taken a bold stand against a dirty trick that is now targeting female politicians and public figures.
-
March 18, 2016
Two Years After Annexation, Crimeans Wait On Russia's Unfulfilled Promises
Two years ago, pro-Russian figures in Crimea and Russian government officials were promising residents of Ukraine's Black Sea region a rose garden after its annexation into the Russian Federation. Now, locals are still waiting to see most of those ambitious pledges fulfilled.