https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:31:13 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Many Tajiks say decisions about clothing, appearance, and faith have become intertwined with official expectations. https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-religion-crackdown-beards-hijab/33809947.html https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-religion-crackdown-beards-hijab/33809947.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:01:28 +0200 TajikistanFeaturesThe Rundown Stories As the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle-east/33803414.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle-east/33803414.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:30:00 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Moscow wants to bring in thousands of North Korean soldiers again for its invasion of Ukraine, with preparations in Russia having been under way since early summer. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-claims-caspian-strike-russia-iran-military-route-kyiv-mourning/33812868.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-claims-caspian-strike-russia-iran-military-route-kyiv-mourning/33812868.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 15:32:07 +0200 UkraineNewsRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline Construction has resumed on a $107 million bridge in Belgrade after a crane collapse killed a Chinese worker, yet no one can say who owned the machine. https://www.rferl.org/a/china-balkans-loan-infrastructure/33812817.html https://www.rferl.org/a/china-balkans-loan-infrastructure/33812817.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:11:55 +0200 SerbiaBosnia-HerzegovinaVideosThe Rundown Stories China's investments in Pakistan's Balochistan are increasingly at risk as attacks by separatists are on the rise in the impoverished region. The worsening security situation has strained ties between the Iron Brothers, raising concerns over the future of Beijing's investments in Pakistan. https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-china-balochistan-investments-attacks/33812355.html https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-china-balochistan-investments-attacks/33812355.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 10:12:05 +0200 PakistanFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesChina US President Donald ⁠Trump ⁠said Washington and Tehran were still conducting negotiations to end their conflict -- even as attacks intensified throughout the region, further threatening to widen the conflict into a full-blown Middle East war. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-talks-houthi-yemen-gulf-trump/33812472.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-talks-houthi-yemen-gulf-trump/33812472.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:02:42 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Sixteen people are facing charges connected to protests in Isfahan in January, during which a colonel in Iran's Revolutionary Guard was killed. Rights defenders are raising concerns about the legitimacy of the case, including the charges against 20-year-old sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-trial-isfahan-protests-human-rights/33812470.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-trial-isfahan-protests-human-rights/33812470.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 23:10:23 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories Russia's deepening partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea represent one of the most significant geopolitical realignments driven by the war in Ukraine. Yet according to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, viewing this grouping through the lens of a traditional military alliance misses the bigger picture. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:37:49 +0200 RussiaNewsFeaturesUkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope Ukrainian drones struck Wildberries logistics hubs near St. Petersburg and in occupied Crimea, causing fires and disruptions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine also hit a key military facility in Russia’s Kirov region that supplies components for aircraft and missile systems. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-hits-more-wildberries-warehouses-near-st-petersburg/33811994.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-hits-more-wildberries-warehouses-near-st-petersburg/33811994.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:13:42 +0200 RussiaRussia Invades Ukraine Ukraine struck targets in several parts of Russia early on July 24, including another warehouse of Russian e-commerce retailer Wildberries, as Kyiv continues to expand its retaliatory long-range strike campaign in an effort to force Moscow into negotiations. https://www.rferl.org/a/wildberries-russia-ukraine-strikes-us-rubio/33811940.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wildberries-russia-ukraine-strikes-us-rubio/33811940.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:50:56 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories From espionage to arson, European intelligence services are sounding the alarm on a dangerous new trend: Russia’s "disposable" agents. Who are they, and how do they operate? https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-agents-destabilize-europe-russia/33810693.html https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-agents-destabilize-europe-russia/33810693.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:17:29 +0200 RussiaSerbiaVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories Islamabad has condemned attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi-flagged vessels in the Red Sea. It also warned that any aggressive actions toward Pakistan-flagged vessels or the country's maritime interests would be regarded as a “grave threat” that may result in “lawful use of force.” https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-pakistan-ships-attacked-read-sea-houthi/33810504.html https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-pakistan-ships-attacked-read-sea-houthi/33810504.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:15:14 +0200 NewsPakistanThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian drone-interceptor crews are working around the clock to stop Russian reconnaissance and attack drones approaching the frontline city of Kramatorsk. RFE/RL spent a night with one team defending the skies as aerial attacks intensify. https://www.rferl.org/a/on-the-front-line-of-ukraine-s-drone-war-over-kramatorsk/33810699.html https://www.rferl.org/a/on-the-front-line-of-ukraine-s-drone-war-over-kramatorsk/33810699.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:20:24 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the United States remains prepared to help broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine but that fresh proposals would be needed after previous peace ideas failed.  https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-war-lavrov-meeting-russia/33810551.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-war-lavrov-meeting-russia/33810551.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:56:09 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dodged RFE/RL's senior correspondent Alex Raufoglu's questions on ending the war in Ukraine amid a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meetings in Manila on July 23. https://www.rferl.org/a/nice-hairstyle-russian-foreign-minister-dodges-rfe-rl-question-on-ukraine/33810525.html https://www.rferl.org/a/nice-hairstyle-russian-foreign-minister-dodges-rfe-rl-question-on-ukraine/33810525.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:40:49 +0200 VideosIranRussiaUkraineVideo Archive As battlefield injuries mount from a long-running war, Ukrainian companies are racing to meet a high demand for prosthetic limbs. One start-up, Allbionics, is making sophisticated prosthetics that it offers to patients at no cost, with the help of government support and private donations. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-disabled-veterans-prosthetic-limbs/33809139.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-disabled-veterans-prosthetic-limbs/33809139.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:18:10 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Iran's army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have said they struck multiple US bases in Kuwait, retaliating for fresh American strikes on Iranian targets following a 12th consecutive night of US bombing. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-houthis-saudi-tanker-hormuz-blockade/33810481.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-houthis-saudi-tanker-hormuz-blockade/33810481.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:35 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Headline Iran has executed Mehdi Khaneki, a young man convicted on charges tied to anti-government protests that swept across the country in January. The execution came as some 1,500 death row inmates at the prison continued a hunger strike demanding an end to executions. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-prisoners-protest/33810073.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-prisoners-protest/33810073.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 22:11:35 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideosHuman RightsThe Rundown Stories After fleeing Mariupol in 2022, Kateryna Kolmykova rebuilt her life and business in Kyiv from scratch. But a Russian missile strike in June destroyed the small shop that was her family's only source of income. After the strike, she says she received thousands of messages of support. https://www.rferl.org/a/after-fleeing-mariupol-ukrainian-woman-s-new-life-destroyed-in-russian-attack/33810005.html https://www.rferl.org/a/after-fleeing-mariupol-ukrainian-woman-s-new-life-destroyed-in-russian-attack/33810005.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:32:19 +0200 VideosUkraineVideo ArchiveRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Iran executed a man it accused of carrying out "operational actions" during nationwide protests at the start of the year as the country's leadership ratchets up its crackdown on dissent, sparking a hunger strike among hundreds of death row inmates. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-protest-death-row-inmates/33810002.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-protest-death-row-inmates/33810002.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:03:30 +0200 IranNewsHuman RightsThe Rundown Headline