Tuesday, May 22, 2012


Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States, Eklil Hakimi

Afghanistan's U.S. Envoy Says NATO Pledge Sends 'Strong Signal' To Region

Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United States says his country is grateful for the support that NATO allies have pledged at their summit in Chicago. Eklil Hakimi told RFE/RL that the agreements reached between President Hamid Karzai and the United States and its NATO partners will send a strong message to the region and assure the Afghan people that Kabul will not be left on its own after NATO ends its combat mission in the country in 2014. More

The Key Players In Russia's New Government

Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Russia's new cabinet on May 21 after weeks of intense speculation. Putin appears to have kept loyalists in key posts, which may block any reformist agenda. Some longtime stalwarts, like Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, hold onto their posts. More

Azerbaijani plainclothes police officers detain an opposition supporter during an antigovernment protest in central Baku on May 21.

Video Critics Say Eurovision Has Done Little To Stop Azeri Regime's Rights Abuses

With its flashy costumes and sugary pop songs, the Eurovision Song Contest can be a light-hearted, even silly, affair. But as the oil-rich nation of Azerbaijan prepares to host the contest for the first time, critics aren't smiling. Instead, they're pointing to numerous human rights violations that have flourished under the autocratic regime of President Ilham Aliyev -- and say that Eurovision officials and other European authorities are willingly turning a blind eye. RFE/RL looks at what is proving to be one of the most controversial contests in Eurovision's 56-year history. More

Serbian President-elect Tomislav Nikolic (foreground) celebrates his election victory with supporters in Belgrade.

Video Serbian Nationalist's Surprise Presidential Win Raises Uncertainty

The surprise win of nationalist Tomislav Nikolic in Serbia's presidential polls on May 20 throws the country into fresh political uncertainty. Nikolic, a one-time ally of late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, may now ask his party to form a new government and break an existing deal on a new ruling coalition headed by Boris Tadic's Democratic Party. Nikolic's election also casts serious doubt on Serbia's attempts to join the European Union. More

Princeton University professor and "New York Times" syndicated columnist Paul Krugman (file photo)

Transcript: Economist Krugman Predicts 'Moment Of Truth' Coming For Eurozone

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has written extensively about the crisis in the eurozone -- what led to it and what should be done about it. Following last week's Group of Eight meeting, in which European leaders expressed hope that debt-ridden Greece remains in the eurozone, RFE/RL correspondent Heather Maher got his thoughts. More


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NATO Gathers To Discuss Afghanistan, Missile Defense, And Its Own Future

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U.S. Activists Use NATO Summit To Make Their Case

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Baku Hotel Owners Questioned On Hidden Sex Camera Claims

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Russian Opposition 'Likes' Facebook

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Eurozone Crisis Looms Over G8 Summit

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Eurovision Glitz Is Assured, But For Azerbaijan's Gays, It's Same Old Song

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Mladic Genocide Trial A Big Story Everywhere, Except Serbia

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