Charles Recknagel is standards editor for RFE/RL.
Countries don't usually charge protesters with piracy for trying to board an oil rig. But Russia has done so in a drama that constantly surprises. Here are five things to know about the story.
After weeks of wrangling, the UN Security Council is set to pass a resolution demanding Syria give up its chemical weapons so that they can be destroyed. Here are five things to consider about what comes afterward.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rohani have presented their views of the Iran nuclear crisis to the United Nations. What they shared was a tone of optimism that leaves little doubt they want to give diplomacy a chance.
World powers meeting at the UN are discussing how to force Syria to give up its chemical weapons. Could the deal have benefits for Damascus?
The Islamist fundamentalist Al-Shabab group in Somalia is little known outside Eastern Africa. But its attack on a Nairobi mall reveals it to be one of the strongest and most capable Al-Qaeda affiliates.
As President Hassan Rohani makes his first official visit to the United Nations, the message he carries is of a more flexible Iran. But there are few signs Tehran is ready for more than cautious policy changes at home or abroad.
Chemical-weapons experts say no one has ever tried to disarm a country as well-stocked as Syria in less than a year. So creativity -- and even an unorthodox approach -- may be needed.
It's been a busy week for Russian diplomacy as Moscow has taken a pivotal role in trying to solve the Syria crisis. What’s behind the Kremlin’s new assertiveness?
New Iranian President Hassan Rohani has chosen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek for his first official trip abroad. His goal: to get Russian and Chinese support for new talks over Iran's nuclear crisis.
Syria says it accepts Russia's proposal to put its chemical weapons under international control and then destroy them. But how practical is it to actually implement Russia's plan?
The White House, and now the French government, say striking Syria is necessary not just to enforce "red lines" against using chemical weapons but also to maintain the credibility of Western lines in the sand when it comes to Iran's controversial nuclear activities.
August 30 marked the 50th anniversary of the Moscow-Washington hotline. Born at the height of the Cold War, it still exists today -- even though it is rarely used.
For a long time, Syria's mixed Arab- and Kurd-populated northern areas were spared the fighting wracking the rest of the country. Not anymore.
Is surfing the Internet good or bad for brain development? When should children begin using computers? Such questions are at the heart of a debate over the health risks versus benefits of using digital media.
Nuri al-Maliki is supposed to be unifying his country. But the Iraqi prime minister mostly seems busy consolidating his hold on power as sectarian violence rages.
Saudi Arabia wants Assad out of Syria. And it's ready to use its economic clout to do it.
How will outgoing Iranian president be remembered? Perhaps for his unyielding personal style.
Russia may hope to discredit Sergei Magnitsky by declaring him guilty posthumously, but that's not likely to discourage those working to internationalize the U.S. "Magnitsky list."
Both the United States and the EU see a free trade agreement as the way to jump-start their economies. So why does Europe’s film industry want out?
After years of gains, the price of gold is steadily dropping. Here are five things to know about why the price is going down.
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