The Rundown -- May 2

# Khadija Ismayilova named one of CPJ's "100 Information Heroes"

# Read Daud Khattak in Foreign Policy on the battle for Pakistani Taliban's "soul"

# RFE/RL cited by Express Tribune for reporting on brother of Afghan Taliban leader reportedly held in Pakistan

# Al Jazeera cites RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service on arrest of Leyla Yunus

# Julia Ioffe takes on Stephen Cohen's pro-Putin bent (his most recent work)

# 100,000 join May Day parade in Moscow

# Russia is now an adversary, says NATO official

# Ukraine crisis showcases revamped Russian military

# "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love What's Happening in Russia" - KermlinRussia, "New Republic"

# Exxon pushes ahead with Rosneft Arctic partnership despite sanctions

# Ukrainian security forces reportedly beginning Slovyansk operation this morning

# More buildings seized; Putin demands Ukrainian military leave the east

# Ukraine reinstates military conscription

# "It's Not Russia That's Pushed Ukraine To The Brink of War" - Seumas Milne, "Guardian"

# Sex-trafficking snarls Moldova

# Did Afghan media underplay the negatives on election day?

# High profile attacks in Afghanistan "skyrocket"

# "Without U.S. Troops, Afghanistan, Like Iraq, Could Descend Into Chaos" - Max Boot, "Los Angeles Times"

# Pakistan seminaries reportedly assisting Pakistan Taliban with extortion

# Pakistani Taliban says it will accept constitution

# "Pakistan: Who’s Afraid of the ISI?" - Ali Sethi, "New York Review of Books"

# Election a "slap in the face" to terrorism, says al-Maliki

# Anbar from the perspective of Iraq's army

# "Iraq needs a future without Maliki" - "Financial Times"

# "Iraq: A Proxy Battleground in a Regional War" - BBC

# Iran accused of desecrating Baha'i cemetery

# Approaching "tipping point" in Iran talks

# Iran bans access to WhatsApp

# Former US officials detect shift in Israel on Iran nuclear deal

# Samarkand historic sites on verge of collapse

# Remembering May Day in Uzbekistan

# Creators of movie about Armenian genocide launch IndieGogo fundraising campaign

# The return of Geopolitics

# Almost 50 percent of Americans think U.S. should be less active in world affairs