Rising Star Calls Georgian President 'Misguided'

As disenchantment grows with the former darling of Georgia's Rose Revolution, President Saakashvili's most strident critics are already on the lookout for a possible counterweight. Could 35-year-old Irakli Alasania be their man? More

RFE/RL's Full Interview With Irakli Alasania

Irakli Alasania spoke to RFE/RL's Tbilisi bureau chief Marina Vashakmadze on December 25. This is an edited transcript of that interview. More

Commentary: Georgia's Very Bad Year

A year ago, Mikheil Saakashvili was reelected president, just two months after a peaceful opposition demonstration was forcibly dispersed. Since then, a disastrous war with Russia has raised questions about his political judgment and mental stability, as several of his former closest allies went into opposition. More

2008 Through The RFE/RL Prism

As part of our look back at 2008, we asked broadcasters, editors, and correspondents representing the 20 countries and 28 languages in which RFE/RL broadcasts to vote on what they thought were the top news events of the year. With a few exceptions, their choices reflect challenges that will only get tougher in 2009. More

Ex-Mayor Of North Ossetian Capital Shot Dead

The former mayor of one of the largest cities in Russia's restive North Caucasus region was shot dead along with his driver just weeks after his successor in the same post was assassinated, local officials have said. More

Armenian Speaker Says No 'Political Prisoners'

The speaker of Armenia's parliament, Hovik Abrahamian, denies the presence of political prisoners in his country and urges critics to wait until the completion of trials of leading opposition members. More

Azerbaijan Bans RFE/RL, VOA, BBC Broadcasts

Rights watchdogs are criticizing a decision to ban international radio stations from broadcasting on Azerbaijan's national frequencies. Beginning January 1, broadcasts by RFE/RL, the BBC, and Voice of America will end in Azerbaijan, where radio remains one of the primary sources of information. More

Armenian PM Defends Economic Crisis Policies

The Armenian prime minister believes the set of measures foreseen by the government will help Armenia cope with the negative consequences and minimize the impact of the continuing economic crisis in 2009. Tigran Sarkisian said more investments in infrastructure development and several large projects to be launched by the state will provide new jobs for people to offset possible redundancies elsewhere. More

Azerbaijan Sets Referendum On Presidential Term Limit

Azerbaijan's parliament has voted overwhelmingly to hold a referendum early next year to remove the limit on presidential terms, potentially extending four decades of dynastic rule in the oil-rich state. More

Nothing Surprising In Russia's Unexpected Moves

A U.S. official recently remarked that Russia's move to prevent the OSCE from extending the mandate of its mission in Georgia came as "a surprise" to her. Similar sentiments were heard from many Western officials back in August, when Russia's large-scale military intervention in Georgia seemed totally unexpected to them. A short time later, Moscow again took the West by surprise when it recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions. When will the West stop being surprised by Russ More