Eugen Tomiuc is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL.
Looking back at better days Moldova is one of Europe's poorest states, despite its rich farmland and renowned vineyards that during communism earned the country the status of the breadbasket of the former Soviet Union. Lack of reforms, political turmoil, and dependence on Russian energy imports have brought Moldova's once prosperous agriculture-based economy to its knees and forced its mostly rural population into deep poverty and mass migration.
Tens of thousands of Moldovan women are estimated to have fallen victim to human trafficking. Most victims come from rural areas, where economic hardships and ignorance turn young girls into easy prey for traffickers. RFE/RL spoke with nongovernmental organizations and government officials about measures in place to help those who have fallen victim to such trafficking, and to curb future abuses.
The "Shadow Wolves" is the name of a group of U.S. Customs officers who are helping in the fight against illegal migration and drug trafficking. They are Native American trackers, experts in using footprints, broken branches, and other clues to follow the trails of human beings and other animals across difficult terrain. RFE/RL tracked down several members of the Shadow Wolves in one unexpected location -- Moldova -- where they were helping to train local border guards.
Vladimir Voronin with Russian President Vladimir Putin (file photo) Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has called for an international peacekeeping force to replace the Russian peacekeepers in Transdniester. In an interview with RFE/RL, Voronin accused the Russian peacekeepers of siding with the separatists in their long-running dispute with Moldova. Voronin also admitted that Moldova's relations with Russia, Ukraine, and the Commonwealth of Independent States have cooled.
Over the past decade, Moldova has earned the unwanted reputation as the economic basket case of Europe, with nearly three-quarters of the country's 4 million people living in poverty. Hundreds of thousands of Moldovans have fled a country once celebrated for its delicious wines in hopes of finding a better life abroad. Those who remain are left to eke out a living in often derelict, semi-deserted villages. Yet RFE/RL correspondent Eugen Tomiuc, traveling in rural Moldova, has found a remarkable family who prove that hard work and devotion can still reap a handsome return -- even in the poorest country in Europe.
A new United Nations report says that global efforts to reduce poverty by providing reproductive health care and improving women's rights have made partial progress over the past decade. But the report, issued today by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), cautions that lack of funding and insufficient education are hindering further progress on achieving goals by an official target date of 2015.
Moldovan officials and an international media watchdog group are calling for the release of a Moldovan television journalist who was beaten and then detained by Transdniestrian separatists. Cameraman Dinu Mija was attacked yesterday while trying to film the seizure of a railway station by separatists. He was later sentenced to 15 days in prison. Transdniestrian separatists also briefly detained a BBC crew last week. The attacks on journalists come amid heightened tensions between Moldova and its breakaway region.
Milosevic: still wants to defend himself Slobodan Milosevic's court-appointed lawyers today called the first witness in his defense, as the ex-Yugoslav leader blasted the war crimes tribunal's decision to appoint lawyers for him and demanded he be given back the right to represent himself. Milosevic is facing numerous counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide for his alleged role in the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia throughout the 1990s. The court last week imposed a defense counsel on Milosevic after his war crimes trial was repeatedly delayed due to his ill health. Legal experts say the decision could give new momentum to the 2 and 1/2 year-old trial. But as RFE/RL reports, it remains unclear how the trial will continue if Milosevic refuses to cooperate with his court-appointed attorneys.
Slobodan Milosevic (file photo) Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic opened his long-delayed defense case today at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague by calling the accusations against him "unscrupulous lies." Milosevic -- who faces life in jail if found guilty -- is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes in connection with the 1990s conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo. Milosevic has also been charged with genocide and complicity in genocide for the war in Bosnia that left some 200,000 people dead. In his opening statement, Milosevic also accused the international community of being "the main force for the destruction of Yugoslavia." As RFE/RL reports, the start of Milosevic's defense case, originally set for April, has been delayed five times because of his recurrent health problems.
Russia and eight other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are accusing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) -- the continent's biggest security and human rights watchdog -- of failing to respect their sovereignty. A written statement signed by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan said the OSCE does not respect fundamental principles such as noninterference in internal affairs and respect of national sovereignty.
(file photo) The human rights watchdog Amnesty International says clashes in Kosovo in March showed that international forces have failed to protect ethnic minorities in the UN protectorate. In a report published today, the London-based group also says that five years after the international community took control over Kosovo, Serbs and other minorities remain as vulnerable as ever. Amnesty calls for those responsible for crimes committed in March to be brought to justice and for the international administrators of the region to investigate why peacekeepers failed to protect minorities during the violence.
The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency said today he is ready to discuss Israel's concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Muhammad el-Baradei, who is in Israel on a three-day visit, held talks today with Israeli nuclear officials. El-Baradei has said he wants Israel to begin a dialogue to rid the Middle East of nuclear weapons, but will not force it to publicly reveal whether it has nuclear weapons. Israel's so-called "ambiguity policy" is to neither admit nor deny whether it has nuclear arms.
Judges at the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague are expected to decide as early as today on how to proceed with the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. The future of the trial was thrown into doubt yesterday when the start of Milosevic's defense case was postponed due to his poor health. The court ordered a "radical review" of the trial process after a doctor's report said Milosevic needs to rest because of high blood pressure and heart concerns. Milosevic has been on trial since February 2002 for genocide and war crimes in connection with the 1990s Balkans wars.
The catastrophic effects of climate change depicted in the new Hollywood blockbuster "The Day After Tomorrow" has once again raised the issue of global warming and what, if anything, can be done to stop or slow the process.
Prague, 31 May 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Among the main topics up for discussion in the press today are the terrorist attack on foreigners in Saudi Arabia and its impact on the world oil market, the hurdles in choosing the members of Iraq's post-30 June government, Russia and democracy, Libya's change of path, and other issues.
The Romanian-Moldovan pop band O-Zone has stormed to the top of the charts in several Western countries, following in the footsteps of other Eastern European musical sensations like the Russian "lesbian" band tATu or the Romanian duo Cheeky Girls. O-Zone has now set their sights on Britain, Europe's top musical market.
The escape of American hostage Thomas Hamill from his Iraqi captors has refocused attention on those foreigners still being held hostage in Iraq. It has also shed light on how different governments are responding to hostage crises involving their citizens. In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has asked Italian broadcasters not to air any reports on three Italian hostages, saying such a move would put their lives in danger.
The latest World Competitiveness Survey says that, while the United States remains the world's most competitive country, a new breed of challengers is emerging -- mainly from Asia, but also from Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. But the survey's author cautions that lack of democracy and transparency, as well as widespread corruption, could scare away much-needed investment in the region.
Poland appears to be expressing doubts about its commitment to keeping troops in Iraq. This comes after decisions by Spain, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic to withdraw their forces. Other states have shown varying degrees of commitment to their Iraq obligations. How strong is the U.S.-led "coalition of the willing"?
A U.S Marine operation against Sunni insurgents continued in Iraq today as the U.S.-led coalition vowed to destroy a Shi'a cleric's rebellious militia. The latest wave of fighting is seen as testing the resolve of coalition troops in Iraq. Ukraine announced it has withdrawn from a flashpoint town in the south, while Bulgaria reaffirmed its determination to continue its engagement in Iraq, despite its troops coming under attack.
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