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12/8/2011 9:10:30 PM
A daily digest of the English-language news and analysis written by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio LibertyRFE/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. |
NEWS
 Clinton: Curbing Internet Freedom A 'Disaster' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that efforts to restrict the Internet within national borders would be "disastrous" for freedom online, and urged technology firms to guard against their products being used to stifle voices in cyberspace. More  EU Gears Up For Crunch Summit EU leaders prepare to gather for two days of tense negotiations at a key moment in the battle to prevent the collapse of the 17-country eurozone. More  Does Rasul Guliyev Fancy Himself As Azerbaijan's Bidzina Ivanishvili? Rasul Guliyev, who served as Azerbaijan's parliament speaker under the late President Heydar Alyev from 1993 till 1996, when he left Azerbaijani for the United States, apparently hopes again to become a force in Azerbaijani politics. More  The Decembrist Uprising Throughout his first stint in the Kremlin Vladimir Putin was able to count on the rock-solid support of Russia's emerging new middle class. No more. More  Afghan Women Wary Of Taliban Talks Afghan women have long fought for a voice in their country's future. But that struggle has gained urgency as international forces prepare to leave and efforts intensify to reach a political settlement with the Taliban. More  Yerevan 'Vulnerable' To Powerful Quake Most of the residential buildings in the Armenian capital Yerevan may not withstand a powerful earthquake and are in urgent need of strengthening, an official from the National Seismic Defense Service has warned. More  Armenia Spurns Eurasia Bloc Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian says Yerevan has no plans to join a customs union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan which Moscow hopes could form the basis of a future "Eurasian Union" of former Soviet republics. More  Azeri Pay Raises Seen As Too Small Teachers and doctors in Azerbaijan say a recent 10 percent increase in their salaries by the government is not enough to keep up with the cost of living. More  Summoned Belarus Journalist Disappears An opposition activist has disappeared after reporting to police for questioning in eastern Belarus. More  Iran Airs Footage Of Captured U.S. Drone Iranian state television has aired video footage of a U.S. spy aircraft that Tehran says it downed near the Afghan border. More  Kazakh Students To Sue Over Hijab Ban Eight Kazakh female students at a university in northwestern Kazakhstan say they will sue school officials for not allowing them to attend classes wearing head scarves. More  Nazarbaev Visits Astana Mosque Site Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has visited the construction site in Astana of what officials say will be Central Asia's largest mosque. More  Atambaev's Party Gets Coalition Nod Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has tasked the Social Democratic Party, his former party, with forming a new ruling coalition in parliament. More  Pakistani Human Rights Activist Killed Armed men have gunned down the coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in the northwestern Khyber tribal district. More  Russian Case Against Researcher Of Soviet Germans Closed A Russian court has closed the case against a historian accused of illegally revealing personal data about ethnic Germans in the Soviet Union. More  Mayors Go After Poor United Russia Poll The mayors of two Russian cities where the number of votes for the ruling United Russia party in parliamentary elections on December 4 was relatively low have tendered their resignations. More  The Consequences Of Hiding From History Twenty years ago today, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was declared. In a new book, journalist David Satter argues that the continuing failure to understand the roots of communism’s human tragedy reinforces the authoritarianism of Russia’s government today. More  Turkmen Rail Safety Questioned A Turkmen railway official says staff cuts have jeopardized public safety after two passenger-train accidents occurred on the same day in Turkmenistan. More  Kyiv Protesters On 'Dry' Hunger Strike Twelve of the some 30 hunger strikers in Kyiv protesting social benefits cuts for Chornobyl cleanup veterans have switched to a so-called "dry hunger strike." More |
