In this week's briefing, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak drills down on two issues: Montenegro edging closer to the European Union; and more sanctions on Russians for the deportation of Ukrainian children.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif begins a three-day visit to China on May 23 as tensions in the Middle East remain high. Analysts say Sharif is expected to push for renewed urgency in US-Iran negotiations.

Sometimes, it feels like there aren't any new ideas under the sun. Although there's some truth in that assertion, given how the ever-churning IP machine tends to dominate film and television, franchise name recognition has always factored into which projects do and don't see the light of day. The "there's nothing new under the sun" adage has always been true, and that's not always a bad thing. Tropes exist because we can only tell so many variations of a story; innovation often boils down to re-envisioning genres from the ground up.

RFE/RL interviewed Anwar Gargash, a senior official in the United Arab Emirates, about the prospects of a deal to end the Iran war.

It’s been a good few years for thrillers, but you could also say that it’s always been a pretty good time for the genre, since there’s always been a desire for thrilling, exciting, and suspenseful films. They're probably not going out of style any time soon, but if you want the best of the best, and are focusing specifically on fairly recent titles, then One Battle After Another is probably the easiest one to single out. To be fair, it’s more than just a thriller, since One Battle After Another also functions as an action movie, a dark comedy, and something of an epic, with a total runtime of well over 2.5 hours.

RFE/RL spoke with Lisa Gable, a former US ambassador who served during the George W. Bush administration and is now the chairwoman of World In 2050, about the prospects for diplomacy with Iran, the challenges of verification, and the broader geopolitical stakes of the current conflict.

In 2019, Wendell Pierce was walking through London’s Piccadilly Circus to make it to that night’s performance of “Death of a Salesman,” when he stumbled upon a massive billboard. The ad was for the latest season of “Jack Ryan,” the Prime Video series in which he also stars. As he looked at himself on the […]

Focus Features’ Obsession is officially their highest grossing movie ever with the Curry Barker directed horror romance crossing $224.7M worldwide. The pic already became Focus’ highest grossing movie at the domestic box office back on May 31. Obsession beats Focus’ previous biggest global earner, 2019’s Downton Abbey ($194.6M worldwide) as well as all the other […]

Why, yes, we are watching what happens live in Andy Cohen's love life.  Because when the Bravo exec turned up to New York City's Via Carota to celebrate his 58th birthday June 2, he had an extra...

If organizers’ hopes are fulfilled, thousands of devout Belarusians -- Baptists, Adventists, other Protestants – could jam a Minsk stadium for a 2-day religious festival, where famed preacher Franklin Graham is expected to speak. It’s an exceedingly rare event for Belarus’ authoritarian regime.

Key Takeaways Paris Hilton made the LIFX Smart Mirror one of Coachella’s unexpected beauty-tech stars, showcasing how customizable lighting can elevate makeup routines, selfies, and glam-room aesthetics. The Smart Mirror is both a high-tech beauty tool and mood-setting style upgrade designed to fit perfectly into a content-savvy modern lifestyle. Tune lighting via convenient buttons or...

Frederick Flott, who died in 2006, was a longtime State Department diplomat around the world, as well as a CIA agent who worked under diplomatic cover. For years, the KGB tried to recruit him. Did it succeed?