Ekho Moskvy, or Echo of Moscow, has been a fixture in Russia since just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, a favorite of the intelligentsia, a relentless critic of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and, many believe, a safety valve in a country where free expression on the airwaves is typically suppressed. But with a presidential election campaign underway, and tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets regularly, even Ekho Moskvy’s relatively small voice might have become too loud for the Kremlin’s liking.

For a Canadian mining company, these same hills look like a billion dollars worth of buried silver.

In late January, Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly passed a resolution to end “objectionable” music concerts in public and private schools. But the measure was widely repudiated in the media for impinging on free creative expression.

Gilani, who pleaded not guilty, has steadfastly defied court orders to reopen old corruption cases against Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. If convicted, Gilani would face six months in jail and possible removal from office.

The Navy said Friday that its newest Littoral Combat Ship, a small, agile surface vessel, will be known as the USS Gabrielle Giffords. The ship’s “sponsor” will be Roxanna Green, the mother of Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl who was killed in the Tucson shooting that wounded Giffords in January 2011.

As they do most years, a number of Valentine’s Day-hating governments and political parties sought Tuesday to put an end to the holiday of ardor.

That was no different Monday as police sought to curtail Bahraini demonstrators seeking to celebrate the one-year protest anniversary, with tear gas manufactured by Jamestown-based Combined Systems Inc.