Thursday, June 20, 2013
Qatar -- Muhammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Office of the Taliban of Afghanistan, speaks during the opening of the Taliban Afghanistan Political Office in Doha, 18Jun2013

Interview: Taliban Spokesman Says Qatar Office Marks Beginning Of Political Track

Taliban officials in the newly opened Taliban office in Qatar say the opening of their office is a response to calls by their opponents for the launch of a political process to end three decades of fighting in Afghanistan. In an interview with RFE/RL correspondent Abubakar Siddique, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem explained the hard-line movement's motives and aspirations behind the opening of their contact office in the Qatari capital, Doha. More

There are many in Afghanistan who would not be happy with the Taliban's wish list for peace negotiations. (file photo)

What Afghanistan, United States, Taliban Seek From Doha Talks

Amid news that the Taliban is opening an office in Qatar with the intention of engaging in talks with the United States, RFE/RL looks at what the main players in the Afghan conflict want out of peace negotiations. More

Mahmud Ahmadinejad has only said his immediate plan is to return to university teaching.

After Eight Years In Office, Ahmadinejad Faces An Uncertain Future

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad steps down in August surrounded by enemies after eight years in office. What does his future hold? More

Hassan Rohani flashes the sign of victory as he leaves a polling station after voting in Tehran on June 14.

Iranians, Observers Wonder How Rohani Was Allowed To Win

Three days after Hassan Rohani's surprising victory, many Iranians and Iran observers are still trying to wrap their heads around how and why the moderate cleric was able to win what was expected to be a carefully managed contest. More

The video purporting to be from the Afghan Taliban's "Voice of Jihad" in a monitor grab from June 10.

Mysterious 'Taliban' Video Unleashes Political Storm In Georgia

Ten Georgian servicemen have been killed in Afghanistan in the last month. The appearance of a purported Taliban video threatening “jihad” against Georgia ignited a firestorm of political accusations among supporters of President Mikheil Saakashvili and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. More

Recent Features

Archaeological sites like the one at Bolgar have languished, unable to attract any but the most serious visitors.

Hopes Rise For Archaeological Revival In Tatarstan

For decades, archaeological investigations have languished in the central Russian region of Tatarstan. But a new research center at the ancient site of Bolgar has sparked optimism of new breakthroughs in the study of the region’s pre-Mongol civilization.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Desertification has increased markedly in the past two decades in Central Asia, causing agricultural yields to plummet. Some estimates suggest that 70 percent of Turkmenistan has become desert, but nearby Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have also suffered precipitously.

Photogallery UN-Backed Plan To Combat Central Asian Desertification Won't Hold Water

The United Nations launched an ambitious 10-year project to combat desertification in 2006. As the UN marks World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought seven years later, there is little to show for the effort.
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Demonstrators gather outside Georgia's presidential palace in Tbilisi in July 2011 to protest a notorious 2011 case in which the government used secret materials to accuse three Georgian journalists of spying for Russia.

After Years Of Secret Tapes, Georgia Mulls How To Destroy Them

Georgia's Interior Ministry has pledged to destroy a secret archive of illegally obtained video and phone recordings used by the administration of President Mikheil Saakashvili to blackmail journalists, politicians, and activists. But getting rid of dirty laundry is not as easy as it seems.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Russia Marks 50th Anniversary Of First Woman In Space

Photogallery The Textile Worker Who Kicked Off Half A Century Of Women In Space

Five decades ago, Soviet textile worker Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space.
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Farda Hears From Iranians Since Vote

Listeners from across Iran have been contacting RFE/RL's Radio Farda following the June 14 election of Hassan Rohani as the country's next president.
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Photogallery Rohani Win Signals Desire For Change

As Iranians took to the streets to celebrate Hassan Rohani's victory, analysts said the cleric's win in the presidential vote demonstrated public will for a move toward more moderate politics in Iran.
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Former top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani addresses a ceremony in Tehran in April where he announced his candidacy for president.

Who Is Iran's New President?

Hassan Rohani, 64, is considered a relative moderate, and is best known abroad for his role as Iran's top nuclear negotiator from 2003 to 2005. But he has a long resume of accomplishments as an academic, military commander, longtime parliament deputy, and holder of various high-ranking government posts.
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A group of about 70 Russian-speaking Americans took to the streets for New York's gay-pride parade in 2012. Now, moves are afoot to ensure that this year's parade boasts the first-ever Russian and ex-Soviet float.

First-Ever Russian Float To Debut At New York Gay-Pride Parade

Gays and lesbians from Russia and other former Soviet republics will have their own float for the first time at New York City's famous pride parade this month. Organizers say their aim is to celebrate an openness that they never experienced back home, where gay rights continue to erode.
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Iran's free-falling currency, the rial, has lost almost 80 percent of its value during the past year. (file photo)

Presidential Candidates Long On Rhetoric, Short Of Answers For Iran's Ailing Economy

Iran's weak economy has dominated its presidential election campaign. But there is little reason to believe any of the candidates have a solution.
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Azerbaijan's ambitious Khazar Islands project (artist's impression) could benefit from a new advance in elevator technology.

Video Carbon-Fiber Tape Takes Elevators To New Heights

A Finnish firm says it has developed a new, lightweight technology that will allow elevators to carry passengers to a height of up to one kilometer in a single run -- twice the distance currently feasible.
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