 RFE/RL Headlines 8/6/2009 5:46:41 PM A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| News  Tensions Escalate Between Venezuela And Columbia Tensions between Venezuela and its neighbor Colombia have flared over a proposed deal in which Bogota would allow the United States to establish seven military bases on its soil. More  Iraq Denies Blocking Food To Iranian Exile Camp Iraq has denied it was preventing food, water, or medical supplies from entering an Iranian exile camp it wants to shut down north of Baghdad. More  Iran Bans Ramadan Pilgrimage Over Swine Flu Iran has banned Iranians from performing the umra pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan to slow spread of swine flu in the country, a Health Ministry official has said. More  Russia, Turkey Agree South Stream Route In Turkey, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has secured Ankara's backing for the South Stream gas pipeline project, which will cross the Black Sea through Turkey's territorial waters so as to bypass Ukraine. The pipeline is seen as a competitor to the EU's Nabucco project, which will also transit through Turkey and already has secured Ankara's approval. More Qadir Hama Jan, director of security for Sulaymaniyah Province, told Radio Free Iraq that Shane Bauer, Sara Short, Joshua Fattal, and Shaun Gabriel are American tourists who entered Iraq's Kurdish region on July 27 via Turkey. More  'King Of Uzbek Comedy' Dies In Tashkent Ergash Karimov, 75, was known as the "king of Uzbek comedy" during his long career in the Soviet Union. More  Not So Friendly Fire You may recall that in May a Russian warship accidentally fired missiles into a Leningrad Oblast village. Apparently the seamen could use more training, since 10 missiles were fired at the unsuspecting target but no one was injured and almost nothing was damaged. More  Where Is Moldova? Apparently it's "The Brilliant New Board Game For The 21st Century." Yes, it's "Where Is Moldova?" More  Russian Media On The Georgia War Anniversary With the first anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war tomorrow, the "Vremya novostei" daily has some interesting comments today from leading Russian politicians: More  South Ossetian Parliament Approves New Prime Minister Having successfully engineered the election two months ago of a parliament devoid of any opposition representation, on August 3 South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity proceeded to dismiss Prime Minister Aslanbek Bulatsev. That move in turn necessitates the resignation of the entire cabinet named last fall in the wake of the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war. More  'History Shall Register All' Blogger Webriz says history will show Mahmud Ahamdinejad's true colors. More  Chronology Of The Conflict One year after war broke out between Russia and Georgia, many issues remain unresolved. South Ossetia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia unilaterally declared independence, tens of thousands of Georgians are still displaced, and political tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow are simmering. Here is a look back at the key events in the conflict over the past 12 months. More  Covering The Russia-Georgia War RFE/RL Georgian Service correspondent Koba Liklikadze was on the front lines at the start of the Russia-Georgia conflict, reporting from the breakaway region of South Ossetia. One year after the conflict, Liklikadze recalls the challenges of reporting from the battlefield. More  Separate Paths One year after Russia and Georgia fought a bitter five-day war, the two breakaway territories at the heart of the conflict, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, appear to be moving in opposite directions – one away from the Russian sphere of influence, and one deeper into it. More  In Central Asia, Corruption Undermines System Throughout Central Asia, people say it's a fact of life that most university entrants must pay bribes to get enrolled into institutions of higher education. And because of the corruption in the system, many say can lead to doctors, lawyers, and other professionals with little qualification for the important work they do. More  Central Asia Still Battling Militants Ten Years After IMU Raids When a small band of armed "refugees" seized a village in Kyrgyzstan 10 years ago this week, they didn't appear to pose much of a threat. It has since become clear that the storming of the international stage by IMU gunmen dashed Central Asian hopes of escaping Pakistan- and Afghanistan-style Islamist insurgencies. More  Was North Korea Mission A Success, And For Whom? Former President Bill Clinton went to North Korea as a private citizen, not as an official representative of the U.S. government, though his actions clearly were in the nation's interest. But was it enough that he secured the release of the two American journalists? Or did he, as some say, play into the hands of North Korea's leader? More  The Triumph Of The 'Not Indifferent' The system has begun to change -- whether for better or worse, we'll find out soon enough. But it's begun to change, and that's the main thing. More |
