Topic: Russia

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Briefing
Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile

President Obama said Assad's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line' for US. Did he use sarin or any other chemical weapon against his own people?
Briefing
Chechnya: How a remote Russian republic became linked with terrorism

The main suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing are two brothers from Chechnya, a Russian republic that has been the scene of cyclical revolts and brutal crackdowns for the past 200 years.
4 ways US can boost cyber security

The US needs a proactive cyber foreign policy that goes beyond naming and shaming. Here are four steps the US can take to bolster its diplomatic efforts to address cybersecurity threats.
3 of spring's most anticipated novels

From the latest novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Elizabeth Strout to a new novel by legendary author James Salter, this fiction roundup includes some of spring's most anticipated titles.
10 influential authors who came to the US as immigrants

These 10 immigrant authors have all made significant contributions to US literature and culture.

All Content

Young Moldovan voters get the last tweet

Youth-driven effort to unseat Moldova's Communist Party succeeds in its second attempt.
Opinion: Could the great recession lead to a great revolution?

A look at mass protests during the past 500 years reveals surprising clues.
Possible US-Colombia military deal raises regional tensions

Venezuela and Ecuador have strongly condemned the pending agreement, which would allow the US to use three bases for counternarcotics and counterinsurgency surveillance.
Skype's a threat to Russian national security? So say Russian phone companies

Telecommunications companies, whose business is hurt by Skype, are calling the the VoIP software a threat to natitonal security because the government cannot eavesdrop on Internet calls.
Opinion: Should Obama sign a peace treaty with North Korea?

It's too late to rid the country of nukes, but we can keep its program under control.
Russia: Art club lets rich and famous sell drawings – anonymously
US ally Kyrgyzstan holds Soviet-style election

As host to a key US air base – used to support troops in Afghanistan – the country may feel little pressure to address electoral and human rights abuses.
The Monitor's View: Hillary Clinton's loose talk on Iran

Her idea of a US ‘defense umbrella’ against Iranian nukes may only trigger war.
Catastrophe? Israel bans 'nakba' from Arab textbook.

The move to prevent Israeli Arab students from being taught that the creation of Israel was a 'catastrophe' for Palestinians reverses a 2007 decision.
Biden seeks to reassure Georgia over Russia

On visit, the vice president pledged support for Georgia but also insisted that more war over separatist enclaves is not an option.
In Russia, murder, harassment of activists continues

The Russian president promised to protect rights, but Thursday, officials announced that the body of another activist had been found.
Russia-China war games battle extremists, separatists

In a first, the games will range across Russian as well as Chinese territory near Khabarovsk in the far east.
Biden's tough love for Ukraine

Vice President Biden lets Washington's frustrations with political infighting in Ukraine be known.
Who is really running Russia?

President Medvedev is likened to a general without an army, with most top posts held by Putin's people. But there are signs he's pushing back.
Is Israel serious about closing 23 fringe settlements?

It is reportedly planning to dismantle the outposts in a single day to minimize the violence and bad PR that marred the last major evacuation, in 2006.
Ten countries on the brink of failure

Somalia, still No. 1, proved so lawless that even Al Qaeda complained.
How Jim DeMint did Obama a favor

The senator said healthcare would be Obama's 'Waterloo' – if Obama lost, it would break him. Now, Obama is using the comment as an example of crass Beltway obstructionism.
The Monitor's View: Clinton helps Obama rope in India as potential ally

The successes during her trip expand the president's vision for a multipolar world.
Clinton's India trip could net new defense pact

The deal would allow the US to sell India sophisticated military technology, and comes amid US efforts to boost ties with India.
Opinion: Are summits of rich Western nations obsolete?

Despite what Obama says, the G-8 remains essential.
A Stranger to Myself
'Death to China' heard at Rafsanjani sermon. Why?

Protesters also targeted Russia. Both countries had quickly recognized President Ahmadinejad's reelection victory last month.
Who killed Natalya Estemirova?

Colleagues of Ms. Estemirova say her murder Wednesday is part of a pattern that shows cost of a Kremlin pact with Chechnyan President Ramzan Kadyrov.
Chechnya: 'Open season' for killing rights activists?

Natalia Estemirova, who has long documented abuses by government-backed militias, is the fourth prominent critic of Kremlin policies to be killed in three years.
Iran airline crash: What's the Russian jet's safety record?

Ten percent of the 40 crashes by Russian-built Tupolev Tu-154s have been in Iran. But Russian experts say its a reliable jet.