 RFE/RL Headlines 12.06.2009 A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| News  U.S. Stamps Authority On NATO's Afghan Strategy NATO defense ministers have agreed on changes to the alliance's strategy and command structures in Afghanistan, to reflect a significant increase in U.S. involvement in the country. Washington will send some 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan this year and is seeking greater control over operations in a theater that President Barack Obama calls the biggest foreign-policy challenge for the United States. More  Iran Extends Voting Hours Voting in Iran has been extended into the evening to accommodate long lines at polling stations. Voters are choosing a president from among four candidates who have waged a hard-fought race marked by unprecedented public debates and massive rallies. More  Afghan Government To Use Only Domestic-Made Products Afghan government officials in Kabul will be using only Afghan-made items in their public offices, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports. More  Russians Mark 'Day Of Russia' With Mixed Feelings Russians are marking the Day of Russia with mixed feelings, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  U.S. Seeks Progress On U.S. Broadcasts In Azerbaijan Philippe Gordon, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs, met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and civil society groups in Baku, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports. More  UNICEF Concerned By Rising Child Labor In Afghanistan The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says it is concerned by the growing number of working Afghan children, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports. More  Kyrgyz Presidential Candidate Loses Office In Osh One of the Kyrgyz opposition's two offices in the southern city of Osh has been shut down, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More Workers at the Russky Volfram plant in Russia's Far East received their unpaid salaries from the last seven months after they officially asked Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for help, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Police Officer Shot Dead In Daghestan A police officer was has been killed by an unknown assailant in Daghestan's capital, Makhachkala, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Afghan Drug Addicts Getting Treatment A ceremony marking the successful treatment of drug addicts in Afghanistan has been held in Kabul, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports. More  Pro-Musavi Websites Reportedly Blocked On Election Day Reformists in Iran say a number of websites supporting presidential candidate Mir Hossein Musavi have been blocked. More  Revolutionary Guard Warns Musavi Over 'Interference' Claim On June 11, the day before the vote, reformist candidate Mir Hussein Musavi issued an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei complaining of "interference" by the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militia in the presidential election. More  Playing In The Snow With Mladic What was Ratko Mladic doing playing in the snow with his family a few months ago? Isn't he accused by the UN war crimes tribunal of genocide? Aren't Serbian authorities supposed to be doing everything they can to arrest the fugitive? Bosnia's Federation TV has aired video of Mladic that it says was most probably shot last year. More  Hope And Trust Ahmadnia, a university professor in Tehran, hopes that the trust Iranians are displaying in their political system is fulfilled. More  Iranians Vote, Even In New York City At least 5 million Iranians live outside their homeland and a record number of them are expected to participate in the presidential election. Even in the United States, which has no diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic, voting is taking place. More  Mladic Video May Affect Serbia's EU Bid A Bosnian television station has shown what it says is recent video footage of indicted Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic freely enjoying life with members of his family and at parties attended by scores of guests. But officials in Belgrade say the footage is at least eight years old, and allege it was leaked to undermine Serbia's EU membership bid by suggesting Belgrade is not meeting its promise to arrest Mladic. More  Taliban Threat -- Real Or Useful Fear Mongering? As Central Asian leaders have increasingly sounded the alarm of the security threat posed by foreign militants, a familiar name has entered the argument -- the Taliban. Is the threat of the Taliban real, or merely fear mongering? More  Festival Aims To Dispel Misconceptions About Islam Over 300 Muslim artists, performers, craftspeople, and scholars have gathered in New York for a 10-day festival highlighting the best in culture and performance from the Islamic world. While the "Muslim Voices: Arts And Ideas” event may not bring an overnight end to U.S. misperceptions about Islam, organizers hope the festival will improve understanding between different religions and cultures. More  'Why I'll Vote This Time' I wish I could go back to Iran to vote, but I won't risk being detained or harassed as many of my colleagues have been for the "crime" of disseminating information that Iranians cannot get from the country's strictly controlled media. More  The Election That Changed A Nation Westerners whose image of Iranians has been formed by watching Ahmadinejad on the world stage might be surprised to learn that Persians know how to kiss and make up. But this time, perhaps too many glasses have been broken. More |
