There was no let up in fighting between Russia and Ukraine on September 20, as voters in Russia cast ballots on the final day of parliamentary elections from which a political party calling for peace was excluded.

Hundreds of drones targeted Moscow and its surrounding region on the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, killing at least two people and damaging a major oil refinery, according to Russian authorities.

Work is now underway to the restore Afghanistan's Minaret of Jam, which experts say reflects a welcome departure from the icon-smashing rule of the Taliban of the 1990s. The change contrasts with the current Taliban rulers' draconian restrictions on other facets of life in the country.

Russia is racing to build Rassvet, its answer to Starlink, after losing access to the satellite network on the battlefield in Ukraine. But troubled satellites, tight deadlines, and a lack of ground terminals could leave Moscow waiting years.

Families of dozens of Kyrgyz women imprisoned in Iraq are calling on the government to bring them home. The women -- mostly wives and relatives of Islamic State fighters -- traveled to Iraq and Syria more than a decade ago as the extremist group seized swaths of territory. 

Russian officials claimed voting systems came under cyberattack, as the country entered the second of three days of voting for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.

US President Donald Trump signed into law legislation aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia over its war on Ukraine, including by targeting Moscow's energy revenues as well as countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas.

At least 16 people were reported dead and dozens were injured after an attacker drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a police complex in Pakistan. Officials said several other attackers died in a shootout with police after the blast in the city of Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

An attack involving an explosion and gunfire at a police headquarters killed at least 20 people and injured dozens of others in the Pakistani city of Kohat in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan.

Plans for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles under license are “not going to solve this winter's problem” as it reels under Russian aerial bombardment, US ambassador to NATO told RFE/RL.

Fighting has escalated between the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The hostilities could have global implications, including for oil prices already high amid the Iran war.

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has warned that global demand for missiles for Patriot air defense systems is “outpacing supply” in an interview with RFE/RL.

US President Donald Trump says Washington and Warsaw are making "major progress" toward establishing a permanent US Army base in Poland, potentially expanding the American military presence on NATO's eastern flank.

Russians cast ballots to choose lawmakers for the State Duma, with the more-than-4 ½-year-old war on Ukraine and a slowing economy looming over the country’s first parliamentary elections since the 2022 invasion.

With a sweeping Russia sanctions bill headed to President Donald Trump’s desk, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen tells RFE/RL the legislation is intended to squeeze Moscow’s energy revenues and pressure countries buying Russian oil and gas.

Jeanne Shaheen, the senior senator from New Hampshire, spoke to RFE/RL shortly after the passage of sanctions legislation intended to target Russia’s energy revenues. Shaheen said the sanctions will force other countries, notably China, to wean themselves off of Russian oil and gas.

John Coale, the US special envoy to Belarus, spoke to Current Time shortly after the release of 25 Belarusian political prisoners in exchange for the easing of sanctions. Coale said his negotiation efforts are also meant to eventually help Belarus normalize its relations with other countries.

After brokering the release of 25 prisoners from Belarus, US envoy John Coale tells RFE/RL discuss the deal, sanctions relief, Washington’s tentative thaw with Minsk -- and where Russia fits in.

Billions of dollars in oil revenue are missing from Iran’s coffers. At the center of the scandal are shadowy middlemen known as "trustees" who help Tehran sell oil, steel, petrochemicals, and other goods abroad while bypassing international sanctions.

A web of contractors, suppliers, and others with links to Russian state giant Rosneft’s big Arctic oil project includes a billionaire associate of Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and the father of President Vladimir Putin’s purported partner, Alina Kabayeva, among others. Systema investigates.