 RFE/RL Headlines 4/30/2010 8:20:30 PM A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty RFE/RL is looking for guest bloggers, preferably writing from and about our broadcast region. If you're interested, drop us a line at webteam@rferl.org. |
| Features  Fifty Years Later, Gary Powers and U-2 Spy Plane Incident Remembered It has been five decades since American pilot Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down during a reconnaissance mission over Soviet airspace on May 1, 1960. Powers was convicted of espionage against the Soviet Union and sentenced to 10 years in jail. He was released after less than two years, but the incident is seen as setting back negotiations between the U.S. and Soviet leadership at the height of the Cold War. On the 50th anniversary of the U-2 incident, Vladimir Abarinov of RFE/RL's Russian Service speaks to Powers' son. More  Interview: Europe's Debt Problems And The Greek Crisis Prominent European publisher, author, and academic Josef Joffe was an early critic of plans to introduce the euro. The editor of Germany's "Die Zeit" newspaper talks to RFE/RL about Europe's debt problems and the Greek crisis. More  Putin: Merge Russia, Ukraine Gas Firms The Russian and Ukrainian prime ministers met to discuss further expanding cooperation as relations between the two countries have greatly improved in recent weeks. More  Prison Term For Repatriated Uzbek A court in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon has sentenced Dilorom Abduqodirova to 10 years and two months in prison for her alleged role in deadly protests five years ago. More  Turkmen Prez Stunned At Opium Find Turkmenistan has increased its public battle against drugs after opium-poppy fields were discovered during a regional visit by the president. More  Kyrgyz Transform State Broadcaster Kyrgyzstan's interim government has issued a decree turning the state-run National Television and Radio Company (KTR) into a public broadcaster to be overseen by an independent board. More  Montenegrin Firms' Debts Burden Economy Montenegro's central bank says that most of the country's businesses are in such a poor financial state that only a handful of the country's 15,000 companies would qualify for a loan. More  Abkhaz Exclude Int'l Observers Separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh has said he will not allow international observers to enter the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia. More  Bakiev's Chief Of Staff Arrested The former chief of staff of Kyrgyzstan's presidential office has been arrested. More  Azerbaijani Youth Leader Arrested The chairman of the opposition Musavat Party's youth wing has been arrested and sentenced to 10 days in jail. More  Baku Police Arrest Mourners Dozens of youths were arrested in Baku today as they attempted to mourn the victims of a mass killing at the State Oil Academy a year ago. More  Former Official Jailed In South Ossetia The former economics minister of the pro-Georgian Provisional Administration of South Ossetia remains in detention in the breakaway republic's capital, Tskhinvali, RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus reports. More  The $64,000-Plus Question For Afghanistan In July, Afghanistan will once again find itself with the world's undivided attention. Although unsure of who will respond, those who are interested in how U.S. foreign assistance aid has been spent should ask the question: Where did the money go? More  The Rundown - April 30 A review of news and opinion on RFE/RL's broadcast region. More  'Don't Filter Hard-Line Blogs!' The hard-line, pro-Ahmadinejad "Rajanews" website has protested in a report against the filtering of hard-line blogs. More  The EU's Imperial Understretch While there is no question its gospel of reform is well-meant, the European Union seems utterly oblivious to the fundamental paradox at the heart of its neighborhood policy -- that what it does presupposes a stability that can only be secured by radically different means. More  Maybe Iran's Women Really Can Cause An Earthquake They told us that the hijab was a gift from God that would preserve us as "untouched pearls." We heard lots of beautiful phrases like that. Many of my friends and I did not buy this line. More |
