The Rundown -- September 30

# Azerbaijani political prisoner Anar Mammadly to receive Vaclav Havel prize, panorama.am

Afghanistan/Pakistan
# President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan Is Sworn In, Even as He Shares the Stage, NYT
# Peaceful progress in Afghanistan, Telergraph
# Ashraf Ghani's Struggle, FP
# Fundamental Rights and the Kashmiri Refugee Vote, foreignpolicyjournal.com
# Don’t Let Pakistan's Military Hijack Democracy - Haider Ali Hussein Mullick, The Diplomat
# Pakistan Seeks Improved Ties With New Afghan Leader, WSJ

Iraq/Syria
# Obama's Islamic State Blame Game, FP
# U.S.-led forces strike Islamic State again in Syria, Iraq, LAT
# Isis an hour away from Baghdad - with no sign of Iraq army being able to make a successful counter-attack, Independent
# Islamic State crisis: Iraq air strikes 'halt IS advance', BBC
# Obama’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment - Marc A. Thiessen, WP
# Residents of Kobane, Syria, flee to Turkish border after Islamic State attacks, WP
# The Real Danger From ISIS Is The Distraction From Russia And China, Forbes

Iran
# Iran executes man for heresy, Guardian
# Iran Says It's Willing to Fight ISIS, for a Price, Newsweek
# Israeli Leader Says Iran Nuclear Program, Islamic State Twin Threat, WSJ
# Iran must halt imminent execution of 26-year-old woman, AI

# The United States’ Silk Road to Nowhere, FP
# Tired of Tajikistan’s Deplorable Schools, Parents Want Russian, Eurasianet

# In Authoritarian Tajikistan, New Fatwa Condemns Criticism as “Sin”, Eurasianet

Russia
# Russia and NATO Should Be Allies, Not Enemies - Nicolai Petro, Robert Ware, MT
# As crises flare in Iraq and Syria, Putin presses - editorial, Chicago Tribune
# Russia's 'Potemkin Village' Elections - Jill Dougherty, Huffington Post
# What Putin Wrought Has World Asking What Russia Might Have Been - Simon Kennedy and Henry Meyer, Bloomberg

# Lavrov suggests a 'reset' with West. Does Russia mean it this time? - CSM
# Russia Calls for Joint Effort With U.S. to Fight Islamic State, MT
# Adopted From Russia, Just Days Before the Ban, NYT

# Merkel Says EU 'Very Far Away' From Lifting Sanctions Against Russia, WSJ

# Germany Will Play Decisive Role in Ukraine - Stefan Meister, MT
# Financial Chernobyl Threatens Kiev's Moderates - Vladimir Fedorin, MT
# Ukraine must push ahead with reform - Dmytro Shymkiv, FT
# Ukraine Firms Launch Trade Body, WSJ
# Ukraine Government Forces Clash With Rebels in Donetsk, WSJ

# Renewed Fighting Around Donetsk Airport Tests Ukraine Cease-Fire, NYT

# Ukrainians just pulled down a massive Lenin statue. What does that signal for Russia? - Michael Birnbaum, WP

# Population growth is as potentially catastrophic as climate change. So why aren’t we talking about it? - Michael McCarthy, Independent
# Yes, the iPhone 6 is a miracle, but it's Apple's tax affairs that deserve a double take, Independent