RFE/RL in the Media
"The Wall Street Journal" quotes "Radio Farda" on Rouhani's offer of return for Iranians living abroad
Middle East
# "Does John Kerry’s Peace Process Have a Chance?" - Aaron David Miller, "Politico"
# Saudi journalist sentenced to 600 lashes and 7 years in prison
# Video - Huge explosion in Homs, Syria
Russia
# Snowden crosses into Moscow. Julia Ioffe on what he has to look forward to
# White House "extremely disappointed"
# 1,200 Vietnamese workers detained in pre-dawn raid
# Senate resolution will call on International Olympic Committee to oppose "gay propaganda" law
# Stolichnaya head responds to LGBT vodka boycott, says his company is not Russian
# Putin pivots towards Asia
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# During Kerry visit, U.S. and Pakistan agree to a "full partnership" ; but tensions persist below the service
# Photos - Afghanistan's children
Iran
# Khameni warns constituents to stay away from Baha'is
# Could new Iran sanctions strengthen Rouhani's hand?
# "Rouhani's Inauguration and the West's strategic Suicide" - Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett, "Al Jazeera"
Iraq
# Iraq wants more tourists, but bad safety reputation is "difficult to shake"
# Over 1,000 people died in Iraq in July -- highest monthly death toll in five years
Balkans
# How sexual violence was used as a weapon of war in Bosnia
Central Asia
#Almaty officials forced to ride the bus
Caucasus
# Public opinion in Armenia shifting away from Moscow?
Eastern Europe
# "Ukraine Divided Over World War II Legacy" - Maria Danilova, "AP"
# "Eastern Europe’s Freedom Fulcrum" - Father Raymond J. De Souza, "National Post"
# Femen becomes a global brand
# Did Belarusian President Lukashenko catch a bigger fish than Putin?
# Belarus in potash crisis with pullout by Russian partner
Of Interest
# Helmut Kohl wanted half of Turks gone in early 1980s
# Zimbabwe - Mugabe challenger calls elections a "huge farce"
# "Mugabe Won't Go" - Jon Lee Anderson, "The New Yorker"
# "Did Goldman Sachs Overstep in Criminally Charging Its Ex-Programmer?" - Michael Lewis, "Vanity Fair"