http://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news and broadcast organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries http://www.rferl.org/img/rssLogo.gif http://www.rferl.org en-US Copyright 2009 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:33:29 +0000 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL The permanent members of the UN Security Council and the European Union have urged the competing sides in Bosnia and Herzegovina to work toward common solutions so the country can get on the fast track to join Euro-Atlantic structures. Speaking at the UN, Valentin Inzko, the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, described the current situation as "worrisome and stagnant." http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Urges_Sides_In_Bosnia_To_Work_Together/1886287.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Urges_Sides_In_Bosnia_To_Work_Together/1886287.html Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:40:35 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Urges_Sides_In_Bosnia_To_Work_Together/1886287.html#relatedInfoContainer With just five space shuttle flights remaining, the program that has come to symbolize U.S. space superiority for the last 30 years is coming to an end, with no replacement on the near horizon. The Obama administration is considering whether it should go ahead with efforts to further explore the moon and Mars -- a plan initiated by the previous administration in 2005 -- or scale back and stay closer to Earth. http://www.rferl.org/content/As_Shuttle_Nears_Retirement_US_Weighs_Options_For_Future_Space_Exploration/1884779.html http://www.rferl.org/content/As_Shuttle_Nears_Retirement_US_Weighs_Options_For_Future_Space_Exploration/1884779.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:44:42 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/As_Shuttle_Nears_Retirement_US_Weighs_Options_For_Future_Space_Exploration/1884779.html#relatedInfoContainer Starting next week Internet users around the globe will be able to see addresses in their native languages. But experts caution that there are pitfalls on the road to the truly global Internet. http://www.rferl.org/content/Experts_Warn_Internet_Internationalization_Will_Increase_CyberSquatting/1878118.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Experts_Warn_Internet_Internationalization_Will_Increase_CyberSquatting/1878118.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:37:20 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Experts_Warn_Internet_Internationalization_Will_Increase_CyberSquatting/1878118.html#relatedInfoContainer Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Muhammad el-Baradei, the International Atomic Energy Agency's outgoing chief, said he believes that for Tehran, its nuclear program is largely about status and winning recognition as a regional power. http://www.rferl.org/content/IAEA_Chief_Irans_Nuclear_Program_About_Winning_Recognition_Prestige/1870151.html http://www.rferl.org/content/IAEA_Chief_Irans_Nuclear_Program_About_Winning_Recognition_Prestige/1870151.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:58:28 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/IAEA_Chief_Irans_Nuclear_Program_About_Winning_Recognition_Prestige/1870151.html#relatedInfoContainer The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Muhammad el-Baradei has urged Iran to respond quickly to an offer on nuclear fuel enrichment proposed by the United States, Russia, and France. El-Baradei told the UN General Assembly that the UN-drafted plan gives Tehran a chance to "build confidence and trust." http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1867734.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1867734.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:39:12 +0000 News Lyudmila Petrova of Russia placed second in the 2009 New York City Marathon on November 1, repeating her performance of 2008. Petrova came a close second to the marathon's first-place female finisher, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia. Regarded as the crown jewel of international marathons, the New York race featured a record 43,741 runners, one-third of them women. http://www.rferl.org/content/Comfortable_With_Silver_Russian_Marathoner_Marvels_At_Her_Good_Fortune/1867228.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Comfortable_With_Silver_Russian_Marathoner_Marvels_At_Her_Good_Fortune/1867228.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:22:53 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Comfortable_With_Silver_Russian_Marathoner_Marvels_At_Her_Good_Fortune/1867228.html#relatedInfoContainer UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned an armed attack in Afghanistan that left at least five UN workers dead, but said that the organization will not be deterred. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Condemns_Afghan_Attacks_Says_Will_Not_Be_Deterred/1863738.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Condemns_Afghan_Attacks_Says_Will_Not_Be_Deterred/1863738.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:20:13 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Condemns_Afghan_Attacks_Says_Will_Not_Be_Deterred/1863738.html#relatedInfoContainer The first New York Kurdish Film Festival took place on October 21-25, presenting a wide range of feature films, shorts, and documentaries under the slogan “A Cinema Across Borders.” While the more accomplished Kurdish directors have attained a degree of recognition abroad for their evocative cinematography and rich narratives, their films are often met with indifference by home audiences. http://www.rferl.org/content/Underappreciated_At_Home_Kurdish_Filmmakers_Struggle_For_Identity/1863582.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Underappreciated_At_Home_Kurdish_Filmmakers_Struggle_For_Identity/1863582.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:25:33 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Underappreciated_At_Home_Kurdish_Filmmakers_Struggle_For_Identity/1863582.html#relatedInfoContainer New York recently celebrated the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's river voyage that included the discovery of the island now known as Manhattan. Before the English seaman sailed for the New World, however, he had twice tried to find a passage to Asia through Russia's northern waters. Bitter cold and ice scuppered both attempts, but historians say they still played a significant role in developing stronger trade relations between the West and Russia. http://www.rferl.org/content/Henry_Hudsons_Exploration_Of_Russias_Arctic_Waters_Remembered/1860140.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Henry_Hudsons_Exploration_Of_Russias_Arctic_Waters_Remembered/1860140.html Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:50:10 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Henry_Hudsons_Exploration_Of_Russias_Arctic_Waters_Remembered/1860140.html#relatedInfoContainer Twenty-five members of the UN Human Rights Council have voted to endorse a report that accuses both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during the conflict earlier this year in Gaza. Some experts say that although the resolution condemns both, its conclusion may be worse for Israel. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Human_Rights_Council_Endorses_Report_On_Gaza_Conflict/1855368.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Human_Rights_Council_Endorses_Report_On_Gaza_Conflict/1855368.html Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:12:27 +0000 News Few parts of America have been as badly hit by the global economic crisis as California, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been forced to slash state budgets to compensate for a $24 billion shortfall. http://www.rferl.org/content/California_Looks_To_Russia_To_Help_Preserve_Historic_Settlement/1841800.html http://www.rferl.org/content/California_Looks_To_Russia_To_Help_Preserve_Historic_Settlement/1841800.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:49:38 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/California_Looks_To_Russia_To_Help_Preserve_Historic_Settlement/1841800.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presided over the September 30 UN Security Council meeting, which called on governments to act decisively to end the scourge. http://www.rferl.org/content/Security_Council_Condemns_Sexual_Violence_In_War/1840964.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Security_Council_Condemns_Sexual_Violence_In_War/1840964.html Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:06:44 +0000 News Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has questioned assumptions that Tehran was hiding nuclear secrets and accused Western governments of withholding knowledge of a second Iranian uranium-enrichment plant. The tone hints at new obstacles ahead of key talks on Iran that U.S. President Barack Obama says "take on added urgency." http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Urges_Restraint_Over_Iran_Nuclear_News/1836982.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Urges_Restraint_Over_Iran_Nuclear_News/1836982.html Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:47:35 +0000 News Serbian President Boris Tadic speaks at the UN General Assembly today as the world body marks the opening days of its 64th year in session. Tadic is expected to stress Serbia's desire to engage with the international community, particularly the West. But Belgrade still refuses to accept the independence of Kosovo, making Tadic's initiative a tough balancing act. http://www.rferl.org/content/Serbian_President_At_UN_Balances_Outreach_To_West_Anger_On_Kosovo/1836313.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Serbian_President_At_UN_Balances_Outreach_To_West_Anger_On_Kosovo/1836313.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:49:49 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Serbian_President_At_UN_Balances_Outreach_To_West_Anger_On_Kosovo/1836313.html#relatedInfoContainer With world leaders in New York this week for the opening debates of the UN General Assembly, thousands of green-clad Iranians living in the United States, Canada, and other countries have been exhibiting their support for those who took to the streets in Iran to protest the results of its June presidential election. http://www.rferl.org/content/Protests_In_New_York_Bring_Iranian_Diaspora_Together/1830382.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Protests_In_New_York_Bring_Iranian_Diaspora_Together/1830382.html Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:44:18 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Protests_In_New_York_Bring_Iranian_Diaspora_Together/1830382.html#relatedInfoContainer The UN Security Council, at a historic summit meeting chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama, has unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution calling on nuclear weapons states to scrap their deadly arsenals. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Calls_For_Nuclear_Disarmament/1830300.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Calls_For_Nuclear_Disarmament/1830300.html Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:44:31 +0000 News Pressure has been building for wealthier states -- attending both the UN summit and the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh on September 24 -- to make commitments to lowering greenhouse-gas emissions in 2013 and to give poorer nations the aid they need to avoid burning coal or cutting down forests for firewood. http://www.rferl.org/content/Few_Details_At_UN_Summit_On_Climate_Change/1829214.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Few_Details_At_UN_Summit_On_Climate_Change/1829214.html Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:30:21 +0000 News UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made climate change a centerpiece of his agenda since taking the helm of the world body in 2007, and he's using this second week of the 64th session of the General Assembly to try and galvanize global action on the issue. http://www.rferl.org/content/Climate_Change_Tops_Agenda_At_UN_Meeting/1828470.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Climate_Change_Tops_Agenda_At_UN_Meeting/1828470.html Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:02:55 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Climate_Change_Tops_Agenda_At_UN_Meeting/1828470.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the world needs a "global architecture of cooperation" in a speech previewing U.S. goals for the 64th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which begins next week. http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Sees_Need_For_Global_Architecture_Of_Cooperation_/1826459.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Sees_Need_For_Global_Architecture_Of_Cooperation_/1826459.html Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:10:25 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Sees_Need_For_Global_Architecture_Of_Cooperation_/1826459.html#relatedInfoContainer A new UN report says Israel violated international humanitarian law and used disproportionate force during its assault on the Gaza Strip eight months ago. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Finds_Evidence_Of_War_Crimes_In_Gaza/1823940.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Finds_Evidence_Of_War_Crimes_In_Gaza/1823940.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:10:41 +0000 News The decision by a major U.S. publisher to quash the publication of a controversial article in the Russian edition of one its magazines has sparked a heated debate in the United States about self-censorship and freedom of expression. The article is “Vladimir Putin’s Dark Rise To Power,” a lengthy piece which appears in the current U.S. issue of "GQ." But it now looks never to be translated for the Russian-edition of the magazine for reasons which have yet to be fully explained but are ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Controversial_Decision_By_US_Publisher_Sparks_Debate_On_Free_Speech_Censorship/1815415.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Controversial_Decision_By_US_Publisher_Sparks_Debate_On_Free_Speech_Censorship/1815415.html Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:12:36 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Controversial_Decision_By_US_Publisher_Sparks_Debate_On_Free_Speech_Censorship/1815415.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. pop music scene owes a certain debt of gratitude to post-Soviet musicians like Regina Spektor, Eugene Hutz of the band Gogol Bordello, and other acts that are steadily climbing into the American musical mainstream and bringing, in varying degrees, their ethnic heritage with them. http://www.rferl.org/content/PostSoviet_Musicians_Look_To_Hit_US_Mainstream/1786259.html http://www.rferl.org/content/PostSoviet_Musicians_Look_To_Hit_US_Mainstream/1786259.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:13:42 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/PostSoviet_Musicians_Look_To_Hit_US_Mainstream/1786259.html#relatedInfoContainer In a rare public appearance, Neil Armstrong, the commander of the Apollo 11 spacecraft and the first human to walk on the moon, credited Cold War tensions as enabling the rapid development of technologies that paved the way for space exploration. http://www.rferl.org/content/Neil_Armstrong_Moons_Reclusive_Pioneer_Says_Cold_War_Paved_Path_To_Moon/1782132.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Neil_Armstrong_Moons_Reclusive_Pioneer_Says_Cold_War_Paved_Path_To_Moon/1782132.html Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:16:02 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Neil_Armstrong_Moons_Reclusive_Pioneer_Says_Cold_War_Paved_Path_To_Moon/1782132.html#relatedInfoContainer Speaking at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations last week, two political experts on Iran discussed the impact that Iran's postelection situation will have on its future policies at home and abroad. They were Mohsen Milani, a professor who chairs the Department of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida, and Suzanne Maloney, senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. http://www.rferl.org/content/Political_Experts_Examine_Impact_Of_Iran_Crisis/1781167.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Political_Experts_Examine_Impact_Of_Iran_Crisis/1781167.html Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:38:12 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Political_Experts_Examine_Impact_Of_Iran_Crisis/1781167.html#relatedInfoContainer As it prepares to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing on July 20, the U.S. space agency NASA is looking to build on its achievements by establishing a permanent station on the moon's surface as it maps a path for space exploration to Mars and beyond. http://www.rferl.org/content/NASA_Sets_Its_Sights_On_Return_To_Moon_Then_On_To_Mars/1779788.html http://www.rferl.org/content/NASA_Sets_Its_Sights_On_Return_To_Moon_Then_On_To_Mars/1779788.html Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:40:28 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/NASA_Sets_Its_Sights_On_Return_To_Moon_Then_On_To_Mars/1779788.html#relatedInfoContainer On July 20, 1969, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon. The "giant leap for mankind" was a triumph for the U.S. space program. But it was a devastating blow for the Soviet Union, which had dominated space exploration in the early 1960s but failed to beat its Cold War rival in the race to reach the moon. Forty years after that historic moon landing, RFE/RL speaks to three veterans of the Soviet space program about where Moscow's lunar ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Soviet_Cosmonauts_Recall_Failed_Bid_To_Beat_US_To_Moon/1779784.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Soviet_Cosmonauts_Recall_Failed_Bid_To_Beat_US_To_Moon/1779784.html Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:38:05 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Soviet_Cosmonauts_Recall_Failed_Bid_To_Beat_US_To_Moon/1779784.html#relatedInfoContainer Experts on Afghanistan came together this week at the Asia Society to discuss possible outcomes for the country's presidential election, which is scheduled for August 20. The election is viewed as a critical test of Afghanistan's fledgling democracy. Will the vote represent another step toward a stable, democratic, and peaceful Afghanistan, or a return to armed conflict over political succession? The credibility of the election process will determine how this scenario unfolds. http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Election_Environment_Improving_But_Obstacles_Remain_Panel_Says/1769273.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Election_Environment_Improving_But_Obstacles_Remain_Panel_Says/1769273.html Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:05:18 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Election_Environment_Improving_But_Obstacles_Remain_Panel_Says/1769273.html#relatedInfoContainer Hundreds of human rights activists, intellectuals, civil society leaders, opposition political activists, students, and journalists have been detained in Iran since the disputed presidential election. A group of prominent human rights activists in New York has urged the international community, and specifically the United Nations, to try and persuade Tehran to stop the crackdown. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Human_Rights_Activists_Urge_Action_Against_Tehran/1766718.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Human_Rights_Activists_Urge_Action_Against_Tehran/1766718.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:17:26 +0000 News While officials have generally offered few details, special U.S. envoy for Eurasian energy Ambassador Richard Morningstar, who recently returned from Ashgabat, noted that energy-development issues are a "high priority" for the new administration of President Barack Obama. http://www.rferl.org/content/Turkmen_Energy_Cooperation_With_US_Could_Accelerate/1762679.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Turkmen_Energy_Cooperation_With_US_Could_Accelerate/1762679.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:55:57 +0000 News A major art exhibit opens in New York this week. Hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it features artifacts that span five millennia of culture. Much of the art is on display after being hidden for the past quarter-century of Afghanistan's tumultuous history, and presumed destroyed or stolen. http://www.rferl.org/content/Hidden_Treasures_Exhibit_Seeks_To_Reveal_Another_Afghanistan/1760726.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Hidden_Treasures_Exhibit_Seeks_To_Reveal_Another_Afghanistan/1760726.html Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:44:00 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Hidden_Treasures_Exhibit_Seeks_To_Reveal_Another_Afghanistan/1760726.html#relatedInfoContainer Close to the UN headquarters in Manhattan, visibly distressed young Iranian women wearing black headscarves are chanting in Persian with a like-minded crowd. http://www.rferl.org/content/Through_Rallies_And_Internet_New_Yorkers_Express_Solidarity_With_Iran_Protesters/1759226.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Through_Rallies_And_Internet_New_Yorkers_Express_Solidarity_With_Iran_Protesters/1759226.html Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:51:18 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Through_Rallies_And_Internet_New_Yorkers_Express_Solidarity_With_Iran_Protesters/1759226.html#relatedInfoContainer Serbia has reiterated its opposition to Kosovo's independence, with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic telling the UN Security Council that Belgrade will never recognize its former territory as a separate entity. Jeremic also urged the implementation of measures to speed the return to Kosovo of thousands of Serbs displaced by the 1998-99 war. http://www.rferl.org/content/Kosovo_Serbia_Spar_At_UN_Security_Council/1757349.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Kosovo_Serbia_Spar_At_UN_Security_Council/1757349.html Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:46:11 +0000 News Tbilisi has strongly condemned Russia's decision to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at extending the UN Observer Mission in Georgia. The move brings to an end two weeks of heated negotiations, and means the withdrawal of the last international monitoring mission on Georgia's breakaway territories. http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Vetoes_Western_Plan_For_UN_In_Georgia/1755138.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Vetoes_Western_Plan_For_UN_In_Georgia/1755138.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:01:00 +0000 News At least 5 million Iranians live outside their homeland and a record number of them are expected to participate in the presidential election. Even in the United States, which has no diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic, voting is taking place. http://www.rferl.org/content/Enthusiastic_Iranians_Line_Up_To_Vote_Even_In_New_York_City/1753121.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Enthusiastic_Iranians_Line_Up_To_Vote_Even_In_New_York_City/1753121.html Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:11:52 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Enthusiastic_Iranians_Line_Up_To_Vote_Even_In_New_York_City/1753121.html#relatedInfoContainer Over 300 Muslim artists, performers, craftspeople, and scholars have gathered in New York for a 10-day festival highlighting the best in culture and performance from the Islamic world. While the "Muslim Voices: Arts And Ideas” event may not bring an overnight end to U.S. misperceptions about Islam, organizers hope the festival will improve understanding between different religions and cultures. http://www.rferl.org/content/New_York_Arts_Festival_Aims_To_Dispel_Misconceptions_About_Islam/1752695.html http://www.rferl.org/content/New_York_Arts_Festival_Aims_To_Dispel_Misconceptions_About_Islam/1752695.html Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:32:02 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/New_York_Arts_Festival_Aims_To_Dispel_Misconceptions_About_Islam/1752695.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. car giant General Motors (GM), once the world's largest company, has filed for bankruptcy protection, becoming the biggest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history. The expected move comes after GM had seen its losses grow following a steep fall in sales in recent years. Although the demise of GM is reverberating painfully through the global auto industry, it might eventually put American automakers on a competitive footing with their Japanese counterparts. http://www.rferl.org/content/Some_See_Silver_Lining_In_GMs_Bankruptcy_Announcement/1744901.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Some_See_Silver_Lining_In_GMs_Bankruptcy_Announcement/1744901.html Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:35:57 +0000 News The United Nations Security Council has unanimously condemned North Korea's nuclear test as a clear violation of Security Council resolutions, and said it would begin work immediately on a new, legally binding resolution addressing the violations. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Condemns_North_Korea_Nuclear_Test/1739681.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Condemns_North_Korea_Nuclear_Test/1739681.html Tue, 26 May 2009 07:49:36 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Condemns_North_Korea_Nuclear_Test/1739681.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. ambassador to the UN said the Obama administration is determination to vigorously pursue "a comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors" in the months ahead. Russia's foreign minister, meanwhile, urged both Israel and Palestine to work toward that goal. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Calls_For_Palestinian_State/1683795.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Calls_For_Palestinian_State/1683795.html Tue, 12 May 2009 07:45:02 +0000 News Last month, U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, whose countries possess the world's largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons, singled out nuclear-arms reduction as an issue of mutual interest. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee is currently meeting at UN headquarters to discuss how to revise the global treaty, whose pillars are the nonproliferation, disarmament, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. http://www.rferl.org/content/Nuclear_Negotiator_Says_US_For_Balanced_Arms_Reduction/1622699.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Nuclear_Negotiator_Says_US_For_Balanced_Arms_Reduction/1622699.html Wed, 06 May 2009 12:18:08 +0000 News A report by the U.S.-based watchdog Freedom House says the global financial crisis is having a negative impact on freedom of the press. http://www.rferl.org/content/Financial_Crisis_Causing_Drop_In_Media_Freedom_Worldwide/1620201.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Financial_Crisis_Causing_Drop_In_Media_Freedom_Worldwide/1620201.html Sat, 02 May 2009 11:28:01 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Financial_Crisis_Causing_Drop_In_Media_Freedom_Worldwide/1620201.html#relatedInfoContainer Kosovo's tumultous first year as an independent state and its continued ethnic divisions was the focus of debate during a political convention last week at Columbia University in New York. http://www.rferl.org/content/Panel_Seeks_Solutions_To_AlbanianSerb_Divide_In_Kosovo/1617052.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Panel_Seeks_Solutions_To_AlbanianSerb_Divide_In_Kosovo/1617052.html Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:33:00 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Panel_Seeks_Solutions_To_AlbanianSerb_Divide_In_Kosovo/1617052.html#relatedInfoContainer “Novoye Russkoye Slovo” [NRS], America’s only daily in Russian, is changing to a weekly format. The move is the result of economic pressures and tough competition in the United States and from Russia, as well as Internet news-gathering. http://www.rferl.org/content/Americas_Russian_Newspaper_Reinvents_Itself/1610692.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Americas_Russian_Newspaper_Reinvents_Itself/1610692.html Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:33:21 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Americas_Russian_Newspaper_Reinvents_Itself/1610692.html#relatedInfoContainer Expressions of goodwill between Iraq and Kuwait must be translated into quick action to resolve the issue of Kuwaitis, other nationals and property missing since the 1990 Gulf War, the UN Security Council said in a statement after a closed session on April 16. The remains of 236 Kuwaiti and third-country nationals have so far been identified, but the security situation in recent years has prevented teams from Kuwait carrying out exhumation work at Iraqi burial sites. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Calls_For_Action_On_Missing_Kuwaitis/1610718.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Calls_For_Action_On_Missing_Kuwaitis/1610718.html Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:50:59 +0000 News Departing from the policy set by the previous administration, the United States has announced it will seek a seat at the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council. While the U.S. presence among the council’s 47 member states could raise its credibility, some analysts say Washington lacks the tools to eliminate problems that have plagued the council since its establishment in March 2006. Major human rights abusers are currently members and as long as they remain, critics say, U.S. membership may be ... http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Seeks_Positive_Role_On_UN_Human_Rights_Council/1606247.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Seeks_Positive_Role_On_UN_Human_Rights_Council/1606247.html Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:15:04 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Seeks_Positive_Role_On_UN_Human_Rights_Council/1606247.html#relatedInfoContainer The United Nations Security Council ended an emergency session on April 5 without agreeing a response to North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket earlier the same day. http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Divided_Over_North_Korea_Rocket_Launch/1602949.html http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Security_Council_Divided_Over_North_Korea_Rocket_Launch/1602949.html Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:32:30 +0000 News In Russia, organized crime has gotten into the DVD piracy game, and with good reason: it offers high profit margins and little risk of arrest. According to a new study from a U.S. think tank, the biggest obstacles in countering this type of crime are corruption and weak rule of law. http://www.rferl.org/content/Report_Says_Film_Piracy_Organized_Crime_Intertwined_In_Russia_/1514434.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Report_Says_Film_Piracy_Organized_Crime_Intertwined_In_Russia_/1514434.html Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:19:04 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Report_Says_Film_Piracy_Organized_Crime_Intertwined_In_Russia_/1514434.html#relatedInfoContainer Publisher and editor Steve Forbes told reporters in New York that because the recent global economic woes originated in the financial sector, it was unsurprising that billionaires whose fortunes were earned in that category had tumbled from the list. http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Others_Tumble_On_Worlds_Richest_List/1508712.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Others_Tumble_On_Worlds_Richest_List/1508712.html Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:18:45 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Others_Tumble_On_Worlds_Richest_List/1508712.html#relatedInfoContainer New York City has been hosting an international conference on global warming this week. But it's not your typical gathering of scientists issuing dire warnings. No, participants at the International Conference on Climate Change aren't here to discuss how to halt global warming. They're here to tell you to stop worrying about it. http://www.rferl.org/content/GlobalWarming_Skeptics_Raise_A_Storm_In_New_York/1507372.html http://www.rferl.org/content/GlobalWarming_Skeptics_Raise_A_Storm_In_New_York/1507372.html Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:24:46 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/GlobalWarming_Skeptics_Raise_A_Storm_In_New_York/1507372.html#relatedInfoContainer The International Criminal Court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity has energized human rights groups around the world. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group hailed the arrest warrant as a "turning point for Sudan," Freedom House called it "a welcome step toward justice," and Amnesty International urged al-Bashir to surrender immediately to face trial. http://www.rferl.org/content/Human_Rights_Groups_Cheer_ICC_Warrant_For_Sudanese_President/1504555.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Human_Rights_Groups_Cheer_ICC_Warrant_For_Sudanese_President/1504555.html Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:12:10 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Human_Rights_Groups_Cheer_ICC_Warrant_For_Sudanese_President/1504555.html#relatedInfoContainer A Moscow-based think tank, the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, has opened branches in Paris and New York. The project is evidence of the Kremlin's growing interest in "soft power" -- using Western media, PR, and think-tank models to advance its own interests in the West. http://www.rferl.org/content/In_The_Heart_Of_New_York_Russias_Soft_Power_Arm_Gaining_Momentum/1493429.html http://www.rferl.org/content/In_The_Heart_Of_New_York_Russias_Soft_Power_Arm_Gaining_Momentum/1493429.html Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:05:35 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/In_The_Heart_Of_New_York_Russias_Soft_Power_Arm_Gaining_Momentum/1493429.html#relatedInfoContainer