 RFE/RL Headlines June 26, 2009 A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| News  G8 Calls For Halt To Iran Violence Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrial countries have said they "deplore" the postelection violence in Iran, and called on Tehran to settle the crisis "soon" through democratic dialogue and peaceful means. More  Iran Opposition Vows To Continue Challenge The streets of Tehran are largely quiet as the Iranian government seeks to signal a return to normal after almost two weeks of sometimes massive and bloody public protests. But opponents vow that the challenge of the election results will go on. More  Jackson's Death Felt Across Former Soviet Bloc The sudden death of music legend Michael Jackson has sent shock waves across the globe, as fans mourn the passing of one of the world's most famous pop icons. More  Iraqi Lawmakers Concerned By Uptick In Violence Iraqi politicians are blaming the recent spike in violence in the country to a combination of factors including complacency, funding shortages for security, and political in-fighting, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports. More Activists of the opposition Youth Front movement in Belarus held a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in Minsk on June 24, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Belarus Cycling Star Dies In Traffic Accident Prominent Belarusian cyclist Zinaida Stagurskaya, 38, was killed in a traffic accident on June 25, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Berezovsky Sentenced To 13 Years Fugitive former Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who was convicted of embezzlement earlier this week, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More  Bashkir President Urged To Preserve Sovereignty The Youth Union of Bashkortostan is urging President Murtaza Rakhimov and legislators in the republic to preserve its sovereignty, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports. More  Radio Sweden To End Broadcasting In Belarusian Radio Sweden plans to stop broadcasting in Belarusian as of September 1, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Ingush Opposition Calls For Assembly Of Ingushetia's Peoples The political opposition in Russia's Republic of Ingushetia is calling for an extraordinary assembly of Ingushetia's peoples and the appointment of former President Ruslan Aushev as interim president of the republic, RFE/RL's North Caucasus and Russian services report. More  Former Russian PM Ready To Testify At Khodorkovsky Trial Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov is ready to testify at the embezzlement trial of former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More Ten activists in the Russian city of Orenburg have held a public demonstration to protest torture in the region, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. More Russia will help Belarus construct a new nuclear power plant, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Iraq Officials Discuss Antinarcotics Plans An official of Iraq’s Health Ministry has warned the country is in danger of transforming from a transit country for narcotics into a drugs-consuming nation, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Iraq reports. More Iraq’s Kurdish regional parliament has approved the autonomous territory’s constitution by an overwhelming majority, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Iraq reports. More  Direct Armenia-U.S. Air Service Expected By Year’s End Armenia’s national airline is expected to begin its first-ever direct service to the United States by the end of this year, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports, citing Armenian officials. More 'There Is Nothing Left For Us But To Die' More More E-mails and voicemails sent to Radio Farda on June 25. More The Week In Facebook Inspired by "The Atlantic's" mock "World Leaders" Facebook group, RFE/RL presents a Facebook-style summary of last week's events. More  'From The Ashes A Fire Shall Be Woken' In an effort to keep would-be protesters on their couches, Iran's Channel 2 has been airing Peter Jackson's nine-and-a-half-hour trilogy "The Lord of the Rings." "Time" magazine has an anonymous on-the-couch report saying that Iranians are associating their recent political struggles with the analogy-rich fantasy movie. The author points to the politically-charged Farsi dubbing of the film. More  How Big Was Michael Jackson? In a jolting leap of the geographical fence, dozens of Michael Jackson look-alikes take the stage at a Norouz celebration in Kazakhstan, dressed in black and white and wearing top hats. Striking all the familiar poses, they conclude the spring spectacle with a dance-at-your-seat rendition of "Billie Jean" that leaves the audience cheering. More  Karachayevo-Cherkessia Parliament Rejects United Russia's Proposed Senatorial Candidate Fourteen members of the pro-Kremlin United Russia faction in the Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic (KChR) parliament have been reprimanded for rejecting the candidate proposed by the presidium of United Russia's General Council to represent the KChR in the Federation Council. More  Interview: 'Splitting Hairs Won't Help: We Are At War' The death toll is rising for German troops in Afghanistan. A battle with militants this week left three more soldiers dead, raising the total to 35. The mounting body count has prompted many Germans to question their country's "networked security approach," which is meant to favor civil projects over military might. Germans are asking, "Are we actually at war?" For answers, RFE/RL's Bernd Volkert spoke to Hening Riecke, an expert on German foreign and defense policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. More  Constitutional Rows Leave Ukraine In 'Legal Turmoil' Between 1996 and 2006, Ukraine has switched from a semi-parliamentary to a semi-presidential system, but neither model yielded political stability. If Ukraine really wants such stability, it needs to opt either for a full presidential or a full parliamentary system. More  Moscow Film Festival -- A Celebration Of Obedience Cinema -- including the 31st Moscow International Film Festival, which ends June 28 -- is one of the cornerstones of the Russian power vertical. How can a film festival with hundreds of foreign stars and thousands of viewers and guests buttress state policy, you may ask. Apparently, it is less difficult than it seems. More |
