Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Headlines 1/20/2011 9:17:53 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 Russian Literary Stars Launch Khodorkovsky Book In Moscow Best-selling Russian authors Boris Akunin and Lyudmila Ulitskaya were among those who attended a book launch in Moscow for a work written by and about jailed oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose imprisonment has become a focal point for opposition politics. More   Tough Talks Ahead Over Russian, U.S. Smallpox Samples Russia and the United States are the only two countries that officially continue to retain samples of smallpox, one of the world's deadliest scourges. A long-standing, fierce debate on whether to destroy the strains shows no sign of lessening ahead of a key World Health Assembly meeting later this year. More   News Karzai's Opponents Cry Foul Over Delay For Starting New Parliament An order by President Hamid Karzai to delay the inauguration of Afghanistan's new parliament by another month has raised fresh complaints about his authority and his credibility, with critics suggesting he is trying to alter official election results to create a legislature that is more supportive of his administration. More   Report: Guantanamo Trials Resuming U.S. military commissions could start prosecuting Guantanamo detainees in the coming weeks, for the first time since the election of President Barack Obama. According to "The New York Times," Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to lift a ban on initiating new cases against detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. More   U.S. Call For Joint Action On Belarus A group of prominent U.S. senators are calling for a strong, joint response by the United States and the European Union to the crackdown on protests against the reelection of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Belarus. More   Russians Honor Slain Activists, Moderation Russians in a number of cities have attended rallies to honor two human rights defenders -- a lawyer and a journalist -- slain by unknown assailants two years ago. More   European Parliament Condemns Belarus Crackdown EU chief diplomat Catherine Ashton has said that the EU will reinstate a travel ban on Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka for failing to release all those detained in the repression that followed the country's disputed December 19 presidential election. More   Protesters, Advocates Press Human Rights Concerns During Hu's U.S. Visit Arriving in Washington for what observers called the most significant China-U.S. summit in decades, Chinese President Hu Jintao was greeted on January 19 at the White House with red carpets, a 21-gun salute, and a lavish state dinner. More   From Our Bureaus Belarusians Fined For Activists' Support Two Belarusian activists were fined today in the northern town of Navapolatsk after demonstrating solidarity with jailed opposition activists. More   Nemtsov Supporters Detained Two supporters of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov were detained in Moscow today. More   Restoration Of Crimean Autonomy Marked In Ukraine The 20th anniversary of a referendum that restored the Crimean Peninsula's autonomous status was marked in Ukraine today. More   Aksy Hearing Reopens In Kyrgyzstan A hearing into the shooting deaths of six Kyrgyz protesters nearly a decade ago began today in a Bishkek military court. In 2002, security forces in the village of Aksy opened fire on dozens of people protesting a government decision to give China some disputed territory. Nobody was prosecuted for the killings. More   Daughter Visits Mother In Iran Jail A Dutch-Iranian woman,Zahra Bahrami, who has been sentenced to death in Iran on multiple charges, has been allowed a visit from her daughter in Tehran's Evin prison. Bahrami was arrested after participating in Ashura protests against the Iranian regime. She has denied the charges against her. Her daughter, Banafsheh Nayebpor, said she was allowed to visit her mother on January 18. More   New Yorkers Protest Belarus Vote Around 300 people took part in a peaceful demonstration on January 19 in front of the Belarusian mission to the United Nations in New York, in a show of solidarity with detained democracy supporters in Belarus and to protest Minsk’s violent suppression of political dissent. More   Ukrainian Instruction Dying In Donetsk One of the oldest Ukrainian-language schools in the eastern city of Donetsk is facing closure, Authorities say the school, in the Petro district, is being shut down for lack of enrollment, but teachers and parents of students are appealing to officials to reverse their decision. More   TV Owner Escalates Armenia Feud The owner of a TV station facing closure has threatened to campaign for the ouster of Armenia's political leadership if it fails to meet his far-reaching political and economic demands. More   Persian Letters A Sign Of Anger In The Iranian Winter More than a year has passed. It's cold and snowing in some cities in Iran. But some Iranians don't seem to have contained their anger against Iran's leaders. Or so it seems, according to this recent picture we received from Iran. More   Chaikhana Another Side To Alina Kabayeva Alina Kabayeva, the Uzbek-born Olympic champion-turned-Russian politician, has revealed another side of her persona by recording a music video. More