RFE/RL in the Media
# Yahoo News uses RFE/RL video of displaced civilians in North Waziristan
Iraq/Syria
# In Mosul, feared ISIL crackdown has not materialized
# Iraq crackdown on Internet to prevent spread of ISIL propaganda
# Why is Ankara recalibrating its Syria policy
# "Obama's Disastrous Iraq Policy: An Autopsy" - Peter Beinart, "The Atlantic"
# The seven al-Qaeda rules ISIL is breaking
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# "Moscow's Afghan Endgame" - Richard Weitz, The Diplomat
# HRW calls on Afghanistan to end "moral crimes" prosecutions
# Navy Seal saviour marked for death by the Taliban
# Pakistan censors "New York Times" story
# Pakistan refugees protest against food shortages
Iran
# ISIL hails Messi goal over Iran, calls on him to join jihad
# Rohani breaking norms by fighting back against hardliners
# On Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, "the closest thing Iran has to J. Robert Oppenheimer"
# World Cup euphoria "evoking Iran of our imagination"
# Breaking the law to go online in Iran
Russia
# Putin renounces right to send troops to Ukraine
# Goble says Putin carrying out "biggest information special op in modern times"
# Austria and Russia sign South Stream deal
# Psaki superimposed into Bulgakov's Heart of a Dog
Ukraine
# Ukraine rebels break cease-fire, shoot down government helicopter; Russia reportedly claims Ukraine broke it
# UN estimates 423 killed in Ukraine's east
# BBC speaks to Ukrainian refugees in Russia
# "Putin Readies Stealth Mode in Ukraine" - Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg
Eastern Europe
# Leanca says strong pro-EU stance will eventually lead to benefit in relations with Russia
# Leanca says strong pro-EU stance will eventually lead to benefit in relations with Russia
Central Asia
# "Central Asia is China's Backyard, Not Russia's" - Casey Michael, "Moscow Times"
Of Interest