 RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova Report 11/6/2009 6:05:19 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. For more stories on Eastern Europe, please visit and bookmark our Eastern Europe page . |
| Belarus Polish TV Company Director Refused Belarusian Visa Belarusian authorities have refused to issue a visa to the director of the Warsaw-based Belsat television company that broadcasts to Belarus, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Belarusian Parliamentarians To Visit South Ossetia, Abkhazia A group of Belarusian lawmakers will travel to Georgia and its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to decide if they should have parliamentary discussions about the recognizing the regions as independent states, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  Russia Is Dying To Learn Its Census Data The news that the next Russian census will be held in 2010 is welcome news indeed. There had been considerable speculation that the census had been delayed largely for political reasons, and it is encouraging to think that the opinions of experts who say the census information is crucially needed were heeded in this case. More  First Swine-Flu Death Reported In Belarus The first death caused by the H1N1 or swine-flu virus has been reported in Belarus, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports. More  EU Learning Curve Heralds Beginning Of End Of Sanctions The European Union's curious history of applying punitive sanctions on non-member states is likely to prove short-lived. After EU foreign ministers decided on October 27 to remove all remaining restrictions on Uzbekistan, which has one of the world's most repressive regimes, the end of the whole idea of sanctions cannot be far away. More  Heat Up Another Cheeseburger! Some friends and I stopped by McDonald's last weekend. We ordered a couple trays of food, paid our money, and waited. After a bit, the clerk came back with the food and said: "I'm sorry, but you can't take your cheeseburgers and fries now. The last customer didn't pay, so until he comes back and hands over the money, we won't give you your food." More  Moving Beyond Russia's Embrace Russia enjoys dabbling in the domestic politics of its neighboring countries, publicly supporting its favorite politicians, and demonstrating its contempt for those whom it dislikes. But it rarely -- at least among its European neighbors -- gets the result it is seeking. More  Examining The Impact Of New Media On Authoritarian Regimes After a year in which Twitter and Facebook catalyzed protest movements in Iran and Moldova and authoritarian regimes around the world unleashed new tools of Internet control, a Congressional panel was told how new media and the Internet affect the balance of power between human rights activists and authoritarian governments. More Ukrainian Election May Be Postponed Due To Swine Flu Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is considering postponing the country's presidential election scheduled for January due to the spread of swine flu in the country. More  Unmasking The Truth About Swine Flu As concerns over massive outbreaks of swine flu rise in many countries with the onset of the influenza season, doctors say much is misunderstood about how people contract the disease. We speak to experts to learn more, and whether there is any cause for panic. RFE/RL correspondent Charles Recknagel reports. More  'Againstall' To Run For Ukraine's Presidency Not that we needed another reminder of the dismal state of Ukrainian politics, but an individual called Protyvsikh ("Against all" in Ukrainian) has registered as a candidate in the country's upcoming presidential election. More  In Fear Of The Flu Public fears of a major outbreak of swine flu are growing in countries from Ukraine to Afghanistan. What is not clear is how many cases are actually the dreaded H1N1 strain, and whether fears of a pandemic are justified. More  Experts Downplay Fears Over Ukraine-Russia Gas Crisis A recent exchange of barbs between Russia and Ukraine is raising worries in Kyiv over a possible new natural-gas crisis this winter. Moscow's shutoff last winter left millions of Europeans without heat in the bitter cold, but observers say they doubt there will be a repeat this year. More  Survey Finds Generational Split In View Of Reforms Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, people in countries that were once behind the Iron Curtain have mixed feelings about the changes democracy and capitalism have brought to their lives. A new survey finds general satisfaction but also disappointment. More  'Ukraine' vs. 'The Ukraine' As every good Slavic studies student knows, it's "Ukraine," without the definite article. But Dick Cheney and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko are reportedly at odds. Slate has more: More  America's Comforter In Chief From Kyiv to Tbilisi and from Warsaw to Prague, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has been insisting that Washington stands by its friends in the former communist bloc -- even as it seeks better relations with Moscow. So how's he doing? More |
