 RFE/RL Headlines 8/11/2010 7:20:35 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  The Language Of Ahmadinejad: 'The Boogeyman Snatched The Boob' In a harangue delivered to Iranian expatriates visiting Tehran last week, Mahmud Ahmadinejad resorted to an odd turn of phrase to describe the futility of Washington's use of threats and allegations against Iran. "The boogeyman snatched the boob," the Iranian president declared. More  In Kyrgyzstan, Uzbeks Criticize Osh Reconstruction Plan Some residents say Osh authorities, mainly ethnic Kyrgyz, are using June's violence as an excuse to carry out a previously existing reconstruction plan that targets their neighborhoods. More  Kyrgyz Official Criticizes Foreign Partners The deputy head of Kyrgyzstan's government, Azimbek Beknazarov, has used a press conference to lash out at regional and international organizations of which Kyrgyzstan is a member. More  Russia Deploys Missiles In Abkhazia Russia says it has deployed antiaircraft missiles in the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia, in a move greeted with alarm in Tbilisi. The move comes just days after a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the region, on the second anniversary of Russia's brief war with Georgia. More  Russia Says Fires In Radioactive Region Russian officials have confirmed for the first time the presence of wildfires in contaminated, radioactive areas, a day after Greenpeace accused the authorities of downplaying the blazes' radioactive danger. More  Prayers Banned At Tajik Mosque Prayer has been banned in the mosque at the headquarters in Dushanbe of the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), in a move that could pave the way for its closure. More  Kyrgyz University Students Asked To Fill Teacher Shortage The Kyrgyz government is asking university students to teach at secondary schools in the southern city of Osh due to a shortage of teachers. More  Kyrgyz Protest OSCE Deployment Dozens of activists have protested in Kyrgyz cities about the planned international police deployment in the south of the country. More  Tatarstan Announces Dramatic Drop In Grain Harvest Officials in Tatarstan say the severe drought affecting the Russian republic this summer will reduce the grain harvest to about one-seventh the total of 2009. More  Armenian Ruling Party Slams Church Service In Turkey President Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party (HHK) today spoke out against Armenian participation in a landmark service to be held in a 10th century Armenian church in southeastern Turkey next month. More  Moscow Prices Surge Amid Heat, Smog Muscovites and Russian consumer advocates are complaining that stores have raised the prices on key products such as air conditioners, ventilators, and even cold drinks amid the intense heat and smog that is plaguing Moscow. More  Georgian Privatization Plan Falls Short The Georgian government's plan to raise some 170 million laris ($92.3 million) this year by privatizing state property is unlikely to be realized. More  Six Kazakh Prisoners Maim Themselves Six inmates at a prison in north-central Kazakhstan have been taken to a hospital for treatment after maiming themselves. More  What Net Neutrality Means In Uzbekistan The U.S. debate about net neutrality -- whether ISPs can discriminate against certain types of content -- has been anything but sensible, with no shortage of hyperbole from both sides. What is a complex, legitimate, and healthy debate about regulation and the opaque and sometimes byzantine deals between ISPs and content providers has been reduced to a standoff between proponents of a "public" Internet and evil corporations bent on controlling your favorite blog. More  The Rundown - August 11 A review of news and opinion on RFE/RL's broadcast region. More  A Law On Lawlessness? There has been a lot of ink spilled in recent weeks pondering the proposed new law on the police and, before that, the law on expanding the powers of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Good textual analyses of both bits of legislation can be found on the blog A Good Treaty here and here. More  New Blueprint Proposed For Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia Writing in "The Moscow Times" to mark the second anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war, Moscow Carnegie Center Director Dmitry Trenin proposed a new approach to resolving the deadlock between Georgia and the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. More  Georgia's Lonely Unilateralisms RFE/RL correspondent Ahto Lobjakas argues that Georgia appears resigned to a ritualistic contest of wills with Abkhazia and South Ossetia from which the latter may hope to gain respectability by association -- and taint Tbilisi's in the process. More |
