Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Headlines 2/24/2011 7:18:24 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 Iraqi PM Warns People To Avoid 'Day of Rage' Thousands of Iraqis are planning to take to the streets on February 25 for their own "day of rage" to express their discontent with the country's fledgling democracy, following weeks of small protests that have been met with violence by government officials. More   Why Iran Is Different On first glance, it looks like an archetypal no-brainer; a large Middle Eastern country with a repressive regime and a simmering, angry protest movement. More   Ukrainian Medical Staff Flee Libya, But No Word On Qaddafi's Nurse Ukrainian nationals fleeing the violence in Libya have described to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service a tense situation in the Mediterranean country, which has fully descended into the throes of civil war. More   Kosovo's New President Takes Office Amid Controversy As a result of political deal-making, Kosovo now has a president with close personal and business ties to a country that strenuously opposes Kosovo's independence and a prime minister who has been linked to allegations of trafficking in human organs during the 1990s conflict with Serbia. More   Soaring Global Food Prices Keep Consumers -- And Rulers -- Guessing What do the revolution in Egypt, the struggle to combat drought in China, and campaign politics in Pakistan have in common? More   News Russia, EU Spar Over Energy Policy Russia and the European Union argued about energy policy and discussed issues ranging from visa-free travel to human rights to Russia's bid to the World Trade Organization at a meeting in Brussels. More   World Grapples For Response In Libya International momentum is building for action against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s regime for a protest crackdown that has killed hundreds in more than a week. More   Qaddafi Blames Al-Qaeda For Violence In Western Libya Libya's embattled ruler Muammar Qaddafi has blamed violence on youths who are "stoned on drugs" and taking orders from Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. More   Bombs Found Outside Georgia TV Station Georgian police say they discovered three unexploded bombs outside the premises of the private Imedi TV station in the capital, Tbilisi. More   From Our Bureaus Kazakh Court Denies Uzbeks Asylum An Almaty city court has upheld a decision not to grant asylum to four Uzbek citizens wanted in Uzbekistan on charges of religious extremism and terrorism. More   Yabloko Official On Extortion Charges The leader of the Russian opposition Yabloko party's branch in the central Sverdlov Oblast has been charged with extortion. More   Moldovan Defense Minister: NATO Membership Key For Joining EU Moldovan Defense Minister Valeriu Marinuta says joining NATO is crucial to gaining European Union membership, and belonging to the Atlantic alliance is no longer a taboo subject in his country. More   Azerbaijani Police Disperse Protesters Azerbaijani police have dispersed people in the central Saatli district trying to protest the government's failure to provide assistance to families whose homes were destroyed in flooding last summer. More   Kyrgyz Bread Prices Shoot Up The price of bread has increased by some 8-10 percent in Kyrgyzstan in a single day, dealing a blow to households in one of post-Soviet Central Asia's poorest republics. More   Conscript Killings Prompt Azeri Sacking Seven conscripts died on February 20 at a base in the northwestern Shamkir region in what the Defense Ministry said was "a serious crime." Reports said a serviceman opened fire on his fellow soldiers. More   Transmission The Rundown - February 24 News and views on RFE/RL's broadcast region. More   Caucasus Report Who Are Kabardino-Balkaria's 'Black Hawks'? The Kabardino-Balkaria-Karchai jamaat headed by Asker Jappuyev will have to contend with a second adversary in the shape of the "Black Hawks," a band of armed, masked, black-clad men who have vowed to kill him and others for having "brought shame upon their race" by killing innocent civilians and by aligning themselves with Chechen insurgent commander Doku Umarov. More   Gandhara Where Is Pakistan's Media Leading Us? Shaheen Buneri discusses how Pakistan's mainstream media may be hurting the country. More