The Rundown -- February 7

RFE/RL in the Media

# Read Ron Synovitz and Zamira Eshanova in "The Atlantic" on Uzbekistan's use of genetic testing to spot future Olympians

# "Globe and Mail" also cites report on genetic testing

# Pink News and San Diego Gay and Lesbian News cite RFE/RL reporting on threat to charge ninth grader with violating gay propaganda law

# Neue Zurcher Zeitung cites RFE/RL coverage of Bulatov's torture claims (German)

Russia

# Russian official defends Sochi hotels by citing surveillance video of showers

# "Russians Think We're Engaging in Olympic Schadenfreude. They're Right" - Julia Ioffe, "The New Republic"

# Russia calls for "Olympic Truce" during Sochi games

# New restrictions on U.S. flights to Russia

# "Vladimir Putin's Remarkable Comeback" - Daniel Treisman, CNN

# Google goes rainbow

Ukraine

# Two Dnepropetrovsk tycoons revolt

# U.S. calls tape of conversation, apparently between Nuland and Pyatt, in which the former had choice words for the EU, a "new low in Russian statecraft"

# Bulatov describes torture in press conference

# Radicalization in Ukraine

Eastern Europe

# CNN enrages Belarus with ugliest monument nod (RT)

# How Russian culture and media shape Belarusian politics

Iran

# Iran willing to change Arak reactor

# Rohani apologizes for food ration problems

# Iran investigating health risks of jamming TV signals; U.S. says Iran not currently jamming satellite signals

# Rohani calls for universal healthcare by 2018; donates $170,000 to Jewish hospital

Iraq

# Al-Maliki making "same mistakes the U.S once made in Anbar"

# HRW: Security forces abusing women in detention

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# Afghanistan election watchdog may not be ready in time for April elections

# Taliban holding coalition forces dog hostage

# The economic consequences of the delay in signing a security agreement

# Pakistani Taliban moves into Swat valley

Central Asia

# Kazakhstan accuses Russia of foot-dragging on a space launch facility

# "Tajikistan: Power Plant Produces Heat and Anger" - Asel Kalybekova, Eurasianet

Balkans

# "Bosnian Ice Hockey Rises From Ashes of War" - Maja Zuvela, Reuters

Of Interest

# Forget about clicks, Upworthy measures "attention minutes"

# A man in briefs

# The bobsledder from East Timor

# Why Twitter struggles in developing countries