RFE/RL
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Frud Bezhan and @RadioAzadi report on Afghan officials’ decision to omit the past four decades from history books FYI @atnussan @mattaikins…[READ MORE]
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@GEsfandiari interviews 22-year-old Olad Azimi, (pictured below) one of those voices who has been pressured so much by the #Iranian authorities, he has been forced into exile…[READ MORE]
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The move was criticized by journalists and characterized by some as an effort by the Afghan authorities to placate the Taliban amid reported peace negotiations involving Afghan and U.S. officials with the Islamist group.
Nasrin, a newscaster at Kabul’s Ariana Television Network, told @RadioAzadi that female presenters already faced a lot of family and societal pressure because of their high-profile jobs…[READ MORE]
Caption: An Afghan man watches an Indian soap opera at his TV shop in Kabul. The Afghan culture minister said that female newsreaders should appear different from actresses in movies and soap operas.
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A dispute over Ukrainian cheese is threatening to further damage relations between Russia and Ukraine, where officials are accusing Moscow of political blackmail…[READ MORE]
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The outcome is seen as unsurprising in the autocratic Central Asian nation, where Berdymukhammedov was facing off against seven largely unknown nominal opponents and the election processs was seen as a mere formality…[READ MORE]
A woman dressed in traditional Turkmen clothing casts her ballot for president at a polling station in Ashgabat.
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Medvedev speaking to journalism students:
“I agree with you that the mass media very often comes under pressure. But that doesn’t mean that there is unbridled censorship in our country. First of all, nobody has introduced censorship and nobody is imposing it. Secondly, and this is my firm belief, censorship is impossible in the modern world.”
- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaking today (January 25) at a meeting with journalism students at Moscow State University. -
Radio Azadliq Takes Down Corrupt Cops
A video of policemen taking bribes in the middle of Baku — filmed by a correspondent with RFE/RL’s Radio Azadliq — has led to the police officers’ expulsion from the Baku police force. Posted on December 31, the video went viral and immediately drew a reaction from the Azerbaijani government. The short video (above) shows a team of policemen signaling passing cars to stop and then accepting what appears to be a roll of cash followed by a firm handshake between the driver and the policemen…[READ MORE]
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Iran’s saber-rattling — including expanded military exercises and threats to close the Straits of Hormuz, a major avenue for oil tanker traffic — are grabbing headlines. But while the war games may be getting all the international attention, the regime continues to squeeze Iranian activists and their families.
Join Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL’s Senior Correspondent and blogger for “Persian Letters,” and Niusha Boghrati, Editor in Chief for Radio Farda, for our next live Facebook chat to discuss these issues and other breaking news.
Submit your questions in advance or join us live at 12:00 pm EST/6:00 pm Prague time/8:30 pm Tehran time. -
Iran Buries Missile Commander Killed In Blast, Amid Speculation About Israel’s Role
Photo Caption: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (second from left) and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari (left) stand next to the coffins of 17 members of the Revolutionary Guards who were killed in a blast at a military base last week.
