 RFE/RL Headlines 5/12/2010 7:27:42 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 Confession Of Jailed Journalist Aired On Transdniester TV A television channel in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester has aired a video showing a jailed local journalist confessing to spying More  When It Comes To Andijon, Don't Ask -- And Certainly Don't Tell Even discussing the brutal crackdown that took place in eastern Uzbekistan in 2005 remains taboo under the hard-line rule of President Islam Karimov, and Andijon remains cloaked in fear and suspicion. More  Cannes Film Festival Kicks Off With Entries From Iran, Ukraine, Russia The Cannes Film Festival begins today in southern France, and will feature entries such as "Schastye More," by Ukraine's Sergei Loznitsa, and "Exodus," the sequel to Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov's "Burnt By the Sun." Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami and Georgian veteran filmmaker Otar Iosseliani will also be showing new works. More  Estonia First Ex-Soviet To Be Cleared For Euro The European Commission today said Estonia is ready to join the EU's single currency, the euro on January 1, 2011. More  Iraqi Election Hinges On Court Ruling On Banned Candidates Iraqi politicians and officials have agreed to stop disqualifying candidates for having ties to the party of former leader Saddam Hussein, but an appeals court will determine the election outcome by ruling on whether nine candidates will be reinstated. More  EU Showcases Neighborhood Policy Successes It's been less than a week since the one-year anniversary of the EU's Eastern Partnership passed with little celebration. But today, the EU's enlargement and neighborhood policy commissioner, Stefan Fuele, sought to praise the bloc's wider European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), which groups the same six countries, as well as 10 other countries on the EU's southern flank. More  Obama, Karzai Renew Goal Of Defeating Al-Qaeda President Barack Obama has praised the "broad and deepening" U.S. partnership with Afghanistan, saying he and visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai have renewed their goal to defeat Al-Qaeda. More  Kazakh President One Step Closer To Being 'Leader Of The Nation' Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament has approved legislation on making President Nursultan Nazarbaev "leader of the nation," granting him the right to have final approval on all policy moves in the country, both domestic and foreign, even if he leaves office. More  Ukraine Reopens Tymoshenko Probe Just months after losing Ukraine's presidential elections and resigning as prime minister, opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is facing a criminal probe that she calls politically motivated. More  Four Die In Balkan Border Shoot-Out Police said the four were killed when police intercepted them attempting to smuggle weapons across the border from Kosovo. More  New U.K. PM Forms Coalition Cabinet Conservative leader David Cameron has begun his first full day as British prime minister, putting together the country's first coalition government in 70 years. More  Tajik Officials Reverse Ban Against Mobile Phone Ads Tajik industry and government officials say a government ban on mobile phone advertising in Dushanbe has been suspended. More  Fugitive Russian Tycoon Appeals To Medvedev To Release Associate The former owner of the Russian telecom company Evroset has appealed to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to release the company's vice president from pretrial detention. More  Georgia Magnate Flees To S. Ossetia A Georgian media mogul and religious group leader has confirmed that he has fled to Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia. More  Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania Sign Protocol On Gas Exports The energy ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Romania signed a protocol in Tbilisi today on forming a joint venture to export liquified natural gas (LNG) to Europe. More  Kazakhstan 'Breaks Border Pledge' The Kyrgyz-Kazakh border remains closed despite what Bishkek says was an agreement between the two countries' leaders to reopen it. More  Protesters Demand Bakiev Extradition Some 2,000 protesters gathered today on Bishkek's central square demanding that ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev be put on trial, one of several demonstrations in the capital. More  Armenian Party To Snub PACE Chief The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said today it will refuse to meet with Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Mevlut Cavusoglu, a Turkish citizen, during his upcoming visit to Yerevan. More  Executed Iranian Activist's Lawyer Criticizes Judiciary The lawyer for a recently executed Iranian activist has criticized the country's judiciary for its treatment of political cases. More  Russia Asked To Help Free Journalist A group of bloggers and rights activists have picketed the Russian Embassy in Yerevan to urge Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to seek the release of an Armenian-born journalist jailed in Moldova's Transdniester region. More  Closing In On Maksim Bakiev It seems they’re finally closing in on him. After more than a month of speculation as to the whereabouts of Maksim Bakiev, the son of Kyrgyz ex-President Kurmanbek Bakiev, Kyrgyz authorities on May 10 asked the Latvian government to detain him. More As if the Spanish wife wasn't enough. This will be proof for many that Nick Clegg is indeed a latte-sipping, windsurfing, arugula-munching Euro-snob. As if the Spanish wife wasn't More  The Rundown - May 12 A review of news and opinion on RFE/RL's broadcast region. More  The Luzhkov Paradox With the May holidays over and life in Moscow returning to normal, speculation that Mayor Yury Luzhkov is about to be ousted is reaching fever pitch. More  A Video Game Ahmadinejad Would Love To Play Several Iranian news websites, including “Kharabonline” and “Aftabnews,” are reporting that copies of a computer game targeting Iran’s opposition leaders has been distributed in some cities in Iran’s Isfahan Province. More  New Draft Georgian Constitution Unveiled The state commission established last summer to draft further amendments to Georgia's already much-amended constitution approved on May 11 by a vote of 31 to 10 with two abstentions a new draft constitution that, if adopted, will augment the powers of the prime minister at the expense of the president. More  Embattled South Ossetian Premier Wins Reprieve The Russian leadership, which is funding postconflict reconstruction in the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia, has apparently warned President Eduard Kokoity against continuing to try to force the resignation of the republic's government, which is headed by Vadim Brovtsev, a Russian businessman from Chelyabinsk. More  The Greek Thrills Are Far From Over Although the huge international disbursements mean that Greece can now survive for a couple of years without relying on private capital markets, the austerity plan’s evasions and uncertainties can only lead to further stress. More |
