RFE/RL

Romania Pledges To Support Serbian Bid During Upcoming EU Presidency

Romania says it will work to bolster Serbia's bid to join the European Union when it takes over the bloc's rotating presidency on January 1.

U.S. Intelligence Chief Says Russia, Iran Sought To Influence 2018 Midterm Voters

The top U.S. intelligence official says that Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign powers sought to influence voters in the 2018 midterm elections, but there were no signs that the results were comprised by the attempts

Erdogan Vows To 'Remove' Kurdish Militia, IS From Syria After U.S. Withdrawal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will clear Syria both of a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and Islamic State (IS) militants after the U.S. decision to pull troops out.

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives In Persian Gulf, Shawdowed By Iranian Boats

Russia's Media Regulator Checks Legality OF BBC Operations

Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, says it has started checking the legality of the BBC World News channel's Russian operations and the BBC's websites, following British media watchdog Ofcom's allegations that Russia's RT television channel had violated impartiality rules.

Afghan President Says Possible U.S. Troop Withdrawal Won't Affect Security

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a “significant” withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, U.S. news media are reporting, with some quoting unnamed officials as saying the decision has already been made.

U.S. Defense Chief Mattis To Leave, Says Views Not Fully ‘Aligned’ With Trump

U.S. Defense Chief Jim Mattis will be leaving his post early next year, saying in his resignation letter that his views are not fully “aligned” with President Donald Trump and citing policies toward Russia and China as among the differences.

Trump Says Defense Chief Mattis Will Retire At End Of February

U.S. President Donald Trump says on Twitter that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will retire at the end of February.

U.S. Envoy Doubts Afghan Taliban 'Genuinely Seeking Peace'

The U.S. special peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has questioned the Taliban's determination to end the 17-year war, after the group's representatives refused to meet with an Afghan government-backed negotiating team.

Putin Warns Against Underestimating Risk Of Nuclear War, Talks Up Russian Economy In Annual Press Conference

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding his annual news conference, fielding questions in what is usually an hours-long event and this year it is being held at a time when his ratings have fallen due mainly to an anemic economy.

Trump's Syria Withdrawal Announcement Criticized By Allies, Praised By Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump says in a Twitter video message that "after historic victories" against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, U.S. troops are "all coming back and they’re all coming back now," a plan earlier condemned by many Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

Albania Expels Two Iranian Diplomats For Allegedly ‘Harming’ National Security

Albania says it has expelled two Iranian diplomats for national security reasons, with a U.S. official saying one was Tehran’s ambassador to the Balkan country.

Key Taliban Commander Killed In Eastern Afghanistan

A key Taliban commander has been killed in an operation conducted by Afghan government forces in the country's east, the Defense Ministry says.

Soviet Sentimentality: Russians' Regret At U.S.S.R.'s Collapse Hits 14-Year High

More Russians regret the breakup of the Soviet Union than at any other time since 2004, an opinion poll shows.

Reports: U.S. Planning ‘Complete Withdrawal Of Troops’ From Syria

The United States is preparing to withdraw all its troops from Syria, according to U.S. media reports.

Iran’s Economy Minister Denies Apologizing To Lawmaker

Armenia Named The Economist's 'Country Of The Year'

The Economist has named Armenia as its country of the year, saying the South Caucasus nation has a "chance of democracy and renewal" after street protests led to a peaceful change of government.

Putin Open To Other States Joining Russia-U.S. Nuclear Pact

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested he is open to the idea of other countries joining a Cold War nuclear-arms treaty between Russia and the United States or to starting talks on a new pact.

Thousands Rally Outside Hungary's State TV In Fifth Night Of Protests

Thousands of demonstrators have rallied outside Hungary's state TV broadcaster in a fifth night of protests against the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Putin Signs Law Aimed At Banning Online 'Columbine Communities'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that proponents say is aimed at banning what they call "online Columbine communities" that allegedly encourage violence by schoolchildren.