The Rundown -- October 8

RFE/RL in the Media

# Read Tom Balmforth and Claire Bigg in "The Atlantic" on the struggles of Russia's disabled population

Middle East

# "Spiegel's" hard-hitting interview with Bashar al-Assad

Iran

# Debate in Iran about ending "death to America" chants

# Why Israel should help the U.S. strike a deal with Iran

# "Iran Missed the Real Revolution" - Afshin Molavi, Weekly Wonk

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# "Portrait of an Afghan Assassin" - Matthieu Aikins, "Mother Jones"

# "The most important year" of the war in Afghanistan

# Video: In interview with BBC, Karzai says women "should not fear" return of Taliban; U.S and Afghanistan may go separate ways; and NATO actions have brought "no gains"

# "Who bombed Pakistan's Christians" - Jean MacKenzie, Global Post

# Pakistani Taliban issues fresh threat against Malala Yousafzai

# "The Guardian" interviews Yousafzai

Russia

# On the rig targeted by Greenpeace activists

# Moscow bans Lithuanian milk imports

# Igor Sechin concerned by question to Putin

# Obama's withdrawal from APEC summit a "gift" to Putin and Xi

# A Snowden appearance in Moscow?

Eastern Europe

# Klitschko-Povetkin boxing match turns into a "settling of geopolitical scores"

Azerbaijan Elections

# "What Lies Ahead for Azerbaijan" - Thomas de Waal, Carnegie

# In Azerbaijan, Aliyev set to win amid claims of corruption

# Can social media level the playing field? (No)

# "Female Believers See Opportunity in Election Protests" - Shahla Sultanova, Eurasianet

Caucasus

# "Contras in the Caucasus" - Alexandros Petersen, "The National Interest"

# Stalin the editor

# Georgian mom keeps dead son mummified

Central Asia

# Pastor to be transferred to house arrest

# "Has China Shanghaied Central Asia?" - Temuri Yakobashvili & Christina Lin, RCW

# Kazakhstan's glass tree house

Of Interest

# John McCain on Vo Nguyen Giap

# The Fox News deck

# Inside North Korea