 RFE/RL Headlines 9/20/2010 5:23:48 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  Roma Expulsions Challenge Europe's Benevolent Self-Image They have long been Europe's forgotten people, pushed to the margins by poverty and discrimination. But now the Roma have been propelled into the spotlight as never before -- as a consequence of the expulsion policies of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Why have they become fair game and what does their treatment say about contemporary politics in the European Union? More  The Iron Ceiling: Sexism Still Strong In Russia Lifestyles in Russia may have undergone a seismic shift since its people threw off communism two decades ago, but some things have been very slow to change. Although women are more emancipated than ever in Russian history, general attitudes toward the role they play in society remain positively medieval. More  Tatar Strongman's Departure Boosts Chechen Ambitions To Become Top Muslim Region Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has been actively promoting his republic as Russia's new Muslim hub. The recent departure of Tatarstan's strongman leader has fired up his ambitions, but Tatars are not impressed. More  23 Tajik Soldiers Killed in Attack Officials in Dushanbe say Islamist militants were behind an attack on a Defense Ministry military convoy that killed at least 23 government troops in the country's eastern Rasht Valley. The mountainous area was the former stronghold of the Islamic opposition that fought against the secular government in a civil war in the 1990s. More  UN Takes Stock Of Millennium Goals More than 130 heads of state and government gather in New York for a three-day conference at the UN aimed at gauging how developed nations are faring in their pledge to help the developing world climb out of poverty by 2015. More  Cross Controversy Mars Historic Church Service In Turkey For the first time in nearly a century, Armenians have been allowed to conduct a religious service in a recently renovated island church in eastern Turkey, in an event that Ankara intended as a show of tolerance toward its Christian minority. More  Interview: Parliamentary Vote Displayed 'Positive Signs For Afghanistan's Democracy' Mustafa Sarwar of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan spoke today with Jed Ober, chief of staff of U.S.-based Democracy International, which sent a team of observers to monitor Afghanistan's second parliamentary elections on September 18. More  Afghan Vote Count Begins Amid Concerns Over Fraud Afghan election officials have begun counting ballots a day after the country's nationwide parliamentary polls. As the count begins, there are concerns over fraud marring the vote but also optimism that the country could emerge stronger for the election. More  Russian Gay-Rights Activist Released A Russian gay-rights activist who disappeared after being detained at a Moscow airport on September 15 has reappeared after what he says was two days in police detention. More  Mothers Protest Russian Conscripts' Deployment To Daghestan The NGO Soldiers' Mothers of St. Petersburg picketed the Interior Ministry Troops Staff headquarters in the city today to protest the mass deployment of conscripts to Daghestan. More  Russian Provincial Governor Sues Journalist For Libel The governor of the Altai Republic in western Siberia has filed a libel lawsuit against a local journalist. More  Eight Kazakh Inmates Self-Mutilate Eight inmates at the notorious Dolinka prison in central Kazakhstan engaged in self-mutilation today, the latest in a series of such incidents in the country's jails. More  Chelyabinsk Demonstrators Protest Military School Closure Some 250 protesters gathered today in the center of the Russian city of Chelyabinsk to challenge a Defense Ministry decision to close a local military transport school. More  Russian Military Begins Kyrgyz Talks A Russian military delegation has arrived in Bishkek for talks after Kyrgyzstan said it wanted more money to host Russian military facilities. More Officials from Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions say shots were fired overnight at a party branch office in Odesa. More The lead judge in the case that led to ethnic Uzbek rights activist Azimjan Askarov being sentenced to life in prison in Kyrgyzstan denies that the charges were politically motivated and says one of the co-defendants testified against Askarov. More  Farmers' Protest In Kosovo Turns Violent Police say 21 people were injured when a protest by grape growers in southwest Kosovo turned violent. More  Kyrgyzstan Closes Tajik Border Kyrgyzstan has closed its border with Tajikistan following the deadly clashes between an armed extremist group and Tajik military forces in Tajikistan's Rasht province on September 19. More  Official: U.S. Could Still Work With Iraq A U.S. official says the United States is prepared to continue helping Iraq build up its security capacity and train its forces beyond the date set for the departure of the remaining U.S. forces, if it receives such a request from Iraqi officials. More  A 'Decent Woman' Through The Lens Of Iran's State TV Blogger kindkill3r provides examples of "a decent woman" as seen on the state television. More  Umarov Dismisses Renegade Commanders In a new 12-minute video clip posted today on kavkazcenter.com and hunafa.com, North Caucasus insurgency head Doku Umarov announces the dismissal of the four Chechnya-based field commanders who withdrew their formal pledge of loyalty to him last month. More  Russia’s Second Life Democracy At a “modernization forum” in Yaroslavl on September 10, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev once again linked the role technology could play in the development of Russian democracy. More |
