RFE/RL in the Media
# Read Daud Khattak in Foreign Policy on the Pakistani Taliban's crisis
# Americablog cites Claire Bigg and Alisher Sidikov's reporting on an attack on a gay Uzbek
# Human Rights Watch and Business News Europe cite Glenn Kates and Alisher Sidikov's piece on Karimova "talking torture"
Middle East
# "Notes From Egypt’s Show Trial" - Sarah El Sirgany, "New York Times"
# Polonium may have killed Arafat; What to know about the substance
# U.S. takes soft line on women drivers in Saudi Arabia
Iran
# U.S. willing to offer "reversible sanctions relief" in negotiations
# AFP profile of Zarif
# On the logistics of unblocking social media in Iran
# Ebadi criticizes Rohani's human rights record
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# Longread: "The A-Team Killings" - Matthieu Akins, "Rolling Stone" (short version)
# Shrinking numbers threaten Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan
# "A Bad Time to Kill a Bad Man?" - Arif Rafiq, Foreign Policy
Russia
# Russian Foreign Ministry apologizes for treatment of Norwegian journalists
# "Russia's End Game in the North Caucasus" - Luke Rodeheffer, Interpreter
# String of violence by nationalists against minorities
# The story behind the relationship between Bush and Putin
# Video: "What if Living a Dream Meant Living a Lie"
Eastern Europe
# "Belarus’ Choice Between EU and Customs Union" - "Lithuania Tribune"
# Ukraine lagging behind on visa liberalization
# Yanukovych says agreement with EU is "urgent" task
Balkans
# Kosovo to repeat vote in areas where violence occurred
Central Asia
# Rahmon easily reelected in Tajikistan, with 83 percent of vote
# Horse cook-off in Kazakhstan
Of Interest