Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Headlines 2/22/2011 8:25:43 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 Ex-Moscow Mayor, Wife Under Pressure From Russian Investigators After longtime Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov was forced from office last year, Russian law enforcement has been working overtime looking into municipal affairs on his watch and into the business affairs of his wife, billionaire Yelena Baturina. More   News Russian Activists Post Pics Of 'Patriarch's Dacha' Environmental activists in Russia post photographs of a Black Sea mansion they say is being built on protected land for the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. More   Iranian Activists Say Pressure Keen Young activists in Iran say they have come under increased pressure in recent weeks, with authorities restricting their movement and arresting more and more of them. These activists believe the pressure is evidence the state remains fearful of the power of the Green Movement. More   Iranian Naval Ships Cross Suez Canal Two Iranian naval ships entered the Suez Canal today, believed to be headed to Syria for training exercises. Israel has strongly condemned the passage as a provocation. Does Iran legally have the right to send ships through the canal, and why is it choosing to do so now, more than 30 years after it last crossed the Suez Canal? More   Qaddafi Defies Calls To Step Down In an angry, rambling speech broadcast on state TV, embattled Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi vowed to remain in power, even as international condemnation over his brutal crackdown continues to grow. More   From Our Bureaus Tatarstan's Small Business Owners Mad More than 300 owners of small businesses and local Communists have marched in Kazan to protest tax increases. More   Kyrgyz Prosecutor Seeks Long Jail Terms The prosecutor at the trial of two former Kyrgyz officials charged with organizing mass disorder in two southern cities and attempting to seize power last year have asked the court to sentence them to long jail terms. More   Tajik Election Board Head Dismissed Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has replaced the head of the country's Central Election Commission. More   $32Mln Earmarked For Kazakh Election The Kazakh government has allocated 4.7 billion tenges ($32 million) to hold the early presidential election on April 3. More   Bribe-Case Mayor To Stay In Jail A court in eastern Russia has ruled that a former mayor charged with extortion will remain in jail despite demonstrations calling for his release. More   Transmission Azerbaijani Anticorruption Campaign Unfolds Before Wary Public Eyes Three weeks have passed since the Azerbaijani government launched a well-publicized anticorruption campaign, but authorities have so far failed to convince the public of the sincerity of their intentions. More   The Power Vertical An Offer He Can't Refuse The massive assault on the business empire of former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and his wife Yelena Baturina is one of those rare instances that gives both main factions of the Russian elite something they want. But it does little of advance the rule of law. More   Caucasus Report A Look Inside Kadyrov's Villa Thanks to the Internet, we now have photos of Ramzan Kadyrov's mansion in Tsentoroi. The photos don't tell us much about the man aside from a penchant for expensive, if tasteless, furnishings. More   Tangled Web Would Anonymity Help Activists On Facebook? Maybe Not Facebook doesn’t seem too bothered about the Mr. Mickey Mouses of the world, but does seem more active in blocking the accounts of activists. More