The Rundown -- October 23

RFE/RL in the Media

# Christian Science Monitor cites RFE/RL reporting on Volgograd bus attack

# RIA Novosti cites RFE/RL Uzbek Service reporting on Gulnara Karimova's TV stations stopping broadcasts

Middle East

# Saudi Arabia to make "major shift" away from U.S.

# Do the Saudis have alternatives?

# Turkey may renege on spy deal with Israel

# "Obama's Uncertain Path Among Syria Bloodshed" - Mark Mazzetti, Robert Worth and Michael Gordon, "New York Times"

Iran

# Iran student leader freed after four years

# "Obama Could Lift Iran Sanctions Tomorrow" - Yochi Dreazen, "Foreign Policy"

# "The Disappearing Phallic Sculptures of Iran" - AFP

# Warhol in Iran

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# Cameron to host Karzai and Sharif next week

# "A Far Cry From Failure" - Michael O'Hanlon, "Foreign Affairs"

# In Washington visit, Sharif calls drones "major irritant" in relations

# Former Pakistan envoy to Washington says Islamabad supports terrorism

# White House pushes back against Amnesty report on drones

# "Let Pakistan's Talks With Taliban Fail Without Us" - Daniel Markey, Reuters

Russia

# Sobyanin says he talked with Putin about Navalny participation in Moscow elections

# Russia looks to expand Internet monitoring

# The Volgograd bomber's mysterious passport

# Putin accuses foreign rivals of fostering Muslim extremism

# "Pliancy As Legal Precedent" - Yael Levine, Russia

Eastern Europe

# Six conditions Ukraine has to fill before Association Agreement

# Belarus willing to return Uralkali CEO -- for compensation

# Belarus petition to ban Eurovision because of transexual singer

Central Asia

# Turkmenistan leader releases novel about his father, titled "The Bird of Happiness"

# "Kazakhstan: Gay Rights Debate Heats Up Amid Homophobic Outbursts" - Joanna Lilis, Eurasianet

Balkans

# Serbia to implement austerity program

# Montenegro's "first openly gay man" attends pride march by Skype

Caucasus

# 107-year-old Armenian genocide survivor honored in Chicago

Of Interest

# David Pogue on moving to Yahoo

# "An Angel Kidnapped by Gypsies?" - Louise Doughty, "The Guardian"

# Podcast: Alec Ross and Afshin Molavi on beating censorship

# Another East European cat