RFE/RL in the Media
# Read Golnaz Esfandiari in Informed Comment on government pressuring media over Iran acid attack
# CPJ cites Esfandiari on acid attacks
Russia
# Russia says it's serious about going it alone on oil exploration
# "Can Johnny Weir Save Russia’s Gays?" - Kevin Fallon, Daily Beast
# France denies Russia warship delivery reports
# Russians celebrate U.S. rocket explosion, but its engine was made in Russia
# "Russians Re-write History to Slur Ukraine Over War" - Simon Shuster, Time"
Ukraine
# "Will Lustration Help or Hinder Ukrainian Reform?" - Yuval Weber, Carnegie
# An interactive on the battle for Donetsk airport
# 36 hours with the man who started Ukraine's revolution
# "How Putin turned Ukraine to the West" - Oxana Shevel, "Washington Post"
Iran
# Did U.S. call Netanyahu "chickensh--" to send a signal to Iran?
# U.S.-Iran relations move to detente
# Apple in talks to sell iPhone in Iran
# "The U.S.-Iran Non-Alliance Alliance Against Islamic State" - Aki Peritz and Faris Alikhan, Reuters
Iraq/Syria
# Iraq victory in Sunni town underlines challenges
# In their words: Sunnis on their treatment in Maliki's Iraq
# An IS fighter sent back to Germany -- to go shopping
# The Iraqi TV comics who take great risks to make fun of IS
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# Rebuilding tech in Afghanistan with open source
# West "breaking" promises to Afghanistan's girls
# Pakistan's Taliban launches "quality" English-language magazine
# "ISIL’s rapid rise in Pakistan smacks of desperation" - Tom Hussain, "National"
Caucasus
# Georgia one step closer to EU visa liberalization
# Armenia and Azerbaijan debate who's Israel's ally in "Haaretz"
Central Asia
# "Another Wrinkle in Kazakhstan-Russia Relations?" - Casey Michel, "Diplomat"
# Kazakhstan court orders massive damages over same-sex kiss poster
# Eurasian Union "gets ready to take on the world"
Of Interest
# Bad news: Your cat may not care about you