Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Caucasus Report 12/17/2010 5:43:03 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the countries of the South Caucasus and Russia's North Caucasus region. For more stories on the Caucasus, please visit and bookmark our Caucasus page .

 

Azeri Villagers Protest Hijab Ban Several thousand people taking part in an Ashura ceremony in a village near Baku have protested a ban on the wearing of hijabs in schools. More   Daghestan's President Tries To (Re)Make History On December 15, a congress of Daghestan's various nationalities took place in the capital, Makhachkala, which the republic's authorities touted as the third such congress in Daghestan's recent history. More   Gas Chief Named Yerevan Mayor Yerevan has a new mayor, a week after the Armenian capital's top official resigned following allegations he beat up a member of the president's staff. More   Independent Armenian TV Loses Another Frequency Tender Armenia's embattled A1+ TV company, which has been off the air for almost a decade, has been defeated in another frequency tender administered by the state regulator after allegedly submitting fraudulent documents. More   Armenian Military Launches Hotline For Complaints Armenia's Defense Ministry has launched a hotline for reporting complaints, following a recent surge of violent incidents and non-combat deaths within the armed forces. More   Armenia Approves Army Plan Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and his National Security Council have approved a five-year plan to modernize the armed forces, including the acquisition of long-range, precision-guided weapons. More   Armenia: Would Recognize Karabakh Armenian President Serzh Sarksian says his country will recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country if Azerbaijan uses force to resolve their dispute over the breakaway region. More   Armenian Justice Minister Fired Over 'Violent' Subordinate Armenian Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian has been dismissed for what the government describes as a failure to punish one of his high-ranking subordinates allegedly involved in violent conduct. More   A Daunting Challenge With globalization multiplying the avenues by which corrupt practices span the globe, experts are debating the nature of corruption and how to stop it. More   As Corruption Rises Worldwide, Georgia Proves The Exception Corruption is on the rise worldwide, as highlighted in Transparency International's latest Global Corruption Barometer. The surprise exception? Georgia, where only 3 percent of residents say they've paid a bribe in the past year. More   Corruption, And Outrage About It, Is On The Rise Corruption is on the rise in many countries, but so is the number of people willing to report incidents of it, according to a new report by the watchdog group Transparency International. More   Yerevan Mayor Quits In Scandal Yerevan's controversial mayor has resigned following allegations he beat up a member of President Serzh Sarkisian's staff. More   Armenian Oppositionist Set Free Another Armenian opposition activist jailed on charges stemming from postelection unrest in Yerevan in 2008 has been granted parole and released from jail. More   NATO Reassures Russia Over Plans NATO has reiterated that the alliance and Russia pose no threat to each other. More   Ukraine May Ease Georgia Travel Curb Meeting with a visiting delegation from Georgia's Finance Ministry, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said it was necessary to allow Georgian citizens to stay in Ukraine for one year without a visa. More   Chechens Praise European Court Ruling A Chechen woman has welcomed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that awarded her and more than two dozen others record compensation for a deadly Russian air raid on their village. More   Armenia Threatens To Recognize Karabakh Armenia has threatened to formally recognize the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state if Baku tries to use force to win back the disputed enclave and other Armenian-controlled territories near it. More   'No Armenia Effect' On U.S. From Leaks U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch says the publication of thousands of leaked U.S. diplomatic documents will not have a negative impact on Washington's "very close" relations with Yerevan. More