Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has died at the age of 85, after spending eight years in a coma following a massive stroke. Sharon ended his tenure as one of the most popular political leaders in Israel -- and as one of the most despised figures in the Arab world, particularly among Palestinians.
An Iranian legislator has sparked outrage among the country's large ethnic Azeri minority after he proposed carving a new "Northern Kurdistan" province out of Iran's West Azerbaijan Province.
Almost two weeks after the Sunni uprisings in Ramadi and Fallujah, both cities remain out of the control of Baghdad. RFE/RL asked Radio Free Iraq correspondent, Abdulkhaliq Muhammad, who is in Ramadi, to explain the situation.
Andrei Kurayev, a prominent Orthodox theologian, says he is bracing for further retaliation after exposing what he claims is a powerful gay lobby within the Russian Orthodox Church. Kurayev has been fired from the prestigious Moscow Theological Academy over his allegations.
Scientists in Uzbekistan say they will soon begin genetically testing children in search of future Olympic athletes. But is Uzbekistan's plan really a good idea? And is it even good science?
Registration has closed for mayoral races in Kyrgyzstan's two largest cities, Bishkek and Osh. In the capital Bishkek, a single candidate will run unopposed in the January 15 race. But in the restive southern city of Osh, two candidates will square off -- including the city's controversial former mayor, Melis Myrzakmatov.
Turkey's prime minister is dismissing police to stop a corruption investigation targeting his allies. How does he get away with it?
Could Iran's hard-liners, unhappy with the direction of nuclear negotiations with the West, be carving out a bigger role? Reports that two conservatives have been appointed to the council tasked with monitoring Tehran's nuclear-negotiation team would suggest so. But it's unclear what the council's true role is -- or whether it exists at all.
Thousands of Georgians have been flocking to the ancient town of Mtskheta after rumors that a nun had a vision of a local saint sparked a massive pilgrimage to his grave. Georgia's Orthodox Church has warned against the pilgrimage, which comes as Orthodox believers celebrate Christmas.
Should Bishkek legalize marijuana? It's not just stoned logic for one Kyrgyz drug-addiction expert who reckons it could have many benefits.
Kyrgyzstan is reeling from the release of a secret video that appears to show the country's grand mufti, Rakhmatulla-Hajji Egemberdiev, in bed with a young woman. The tape is just the latest misadventure to affect a string of scandal-plagued muftis in the Central Asian nation.
Iraqi security forces have launched an assault against Al-Qaeda-linked militants who have seized control of two cities in the country's Sunni-dominated west. RFE/RL looks at the main players involved in the fighting, the reasons behind the violence and its broader implications.
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