Photos by RFE/RL, AFP, epa, InterPressNews, Itar-Tass, Ukrinform, ISNA, PAJHWOK Afghan News, Photolur, Rifo Dobra, NASA
The Year In Photos
1
Ahead of Kosovo's declaration of independence - On January 8, German and Turkish troops practiced the defense of the Serbian Orthodox Archangel Cloister near Prizren, Kosovo. Approximately 2,200 German soldiers are currently deployed in Kosovo.
2
Three Iranian drug traffickers being hanged in the central city of Qom - Three Iranian drug traffickers hang limply from the nooses as it snows in a square in the central city of Qom, south of Tehran, on January 2. Iran hanged 13 convicted criminals that day, including the mother of two young children who had been found guilty of murdering her husband after discovering he was having an affair.
3
Members of the Russian youth movement Nashi protesting outside the European Commission office in Moscow - Members of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi (Ours) protest outside the European Commission office in Moscow on January 29. The group was protesting what they consider a drive by Estonia to make Nashi members persona non grata in the European Union's Schengen visa zone.
4
Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili winning Georgia's presidential election - President Mikhail Saakashvili seen during his inauguration ceremony in the Georgian capital, Tblisi.
5
Russian President Vladimir Putin mets with his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic in Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) meets with his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic (right) at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 25.
6
Serbia's election campaign gets under way. - Serbian President and pro-Western Democratic Party (DS) presidential candidate Boris Tadic greets supporters during his final campaign rally in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 31. Tadic was reelected in the February vote.
7
Afghans protesting death sentence for journalist accused of blasphemy - Members of Afghanistan's Solidarity Party demonstrate against the death sentence they consider illegal handed down to young journalist Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, who was accused of blasphemy.
8
Ukrainian deputies clash during the opening of a new parliament session in Kyiv. - Ukrainian deputies of the pro-Russian Party of the Regions and Communist Party clash with pro-Western deputies of the Our Ukraine bloc and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc during the opening of parliament in Kyiv on February 5. Opposition deputies paralyzed parliament in protest against government plans to join NATO.
9
Anti-NATO balloons and national flags in Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada - Decorated with anti-NATO balloons and national flags, Ukraine's parliament yet again failed to convene after deputies of the Party of Regions faction blocked the presidium and rostrum early on February 13.
10
Ethnic Albanians celebrate Kosovo's independence in Pristina. - Kosovar Albanians wave Albanian flags during independence celebrations in Pristina, Kosovo, on February 17, after Kosovo's parliament proclaimed independence from Serbia.
11
A Kosovar child waves Albanian and U.S. flags after the Kosovo unilaterally declared independence. - A Kosovar child waves Albanian and U.S. flags after the Kosovo unilaterally declared independence.
12
Kosovar Serbs reaction to Kosovo independence - Kosovar Serbs throw stones at French KFOR soldiers in the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica on March 17. Three UN police officers and two NATO soldiers were wounded in an explosion as they stormed a courthouse occupied by Serbian protesters in the flashpoint Kosovo town, Kosovo police said
13
Armenian opposition supporters protest what they say was fraud in the February 19 presidential election. - Opposition supporters rally to protest alleged election fraud in February 19 presidential election in Yerevan on February 28.
14
RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent Ruzanna Stepanyan at the postelection protests in Yerevan - RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent Ruzanna Stepanyan on March 1 in front of the French Embassy, just before clashes broke out between police and demonstrators protesting the February 19 presidential election, in which opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. A state of emergency was declared in Yerevan later in the day on March 1.
15
An opposition supporter faces police amid clashes in Yerevan following a contested election. - An opposition supporter stands alone in front of a wall of riot police in central Yerevan on March 1. Police moved in early that day to break up protests against the results of the country's February 19 presidential election. Opposition supporters attempted to regroup later and clashes were reported.
16
Food prices rising - A shopper pays for food at a store in Vladivostok, February 22.
17
The New York Philharmonic orchestra performs in North Korea - Members of the North Korean audience listen to the New York Philharmonic orchestra led by Musical Director (conductor) Lorin Maazel during their inaugural performance in the North Korea capital, Pyongyang on February 26, 2008. The concert represents an unprecedented cultural exchange between North Korea and the United States, which labeled Pyongyang part of the "Axis of Evil" along with Iran and Iraq, prior to the US-led 2003 war.
18
Nesting dolls bear the likenesses of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin ahead of Russia's presidential election. - Matrioshka dolls whith the faces of Russian Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) are displayed on the table of the street souvenir vendor in St.Petersburg.
19
As Russians vote for a new president, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov dances in Grozny. - Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov (R) dances at the polling station in Chechen capital Grozny after the voting during the presidential elections 02 March 2008
20
Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev celebrate the latter's election victory in Red Square - Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and First Vice Premier and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (R) during the concert on the Red Square 02 March 2008
21
Russian riot police detain an opposition activist during a rally of Other Russia supporters. - At the March of Dissent in Moscow, Russian riot police detain an opposition activists during a rally of Other Russia supporters, 3 March 2008
22
Portraits of Dmitry Medvedev offered for sale in a Moscow store. - Portraits of Dmitry Medvedev offered for sale in a Moscow store, 14 March 2008
23
In Belarus special police forces detain protesters during an opposition rally in Minsk. - Belarus's special police forces detain protesters during an opposition rally in Minsk on March 25, 2008. Dozens of opposition activists were detained in the capital of Belarus on Tuesday as police beat protesters attempting to mark a nationalist holiday.
24
An Iranian woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Tehran. - An Iranian woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Tehran on March 14, 2008. Iran voted today in elections expected to tighten a conservative grip on parliament after a low-key campaign and the mass disqualification of reformist candidates by a hardline vetting body
25
Unrest in Tibet - The Dalai Lama condemned what he called China's "rule of terror" and "cultural genocide" in Tibet, calling for an international probe into unrest in his homeland. The unrest in the Tibetan captial of Lhasa, which began last week after the 49th anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule, is the biggest challenge to China's rule of the region in nearly two decades. Eighty people have been confirmed dead, the Tibetan government-in-exile said, contradicting the official account in China's state-run media that there were just 10 fatalities.