The Rundown -- November 24

# Armenia Public Radio Follows Light, radioworld.com

# Fact Sheet: U.S. Assistance to Ukraine, whitehouse.gov

# The Peoples Voice cites RFE/RL report "New Ukraine Coalition Agreed, Sets NATO as Priority"

# Sputnik news cites RFE/RL report on Afghanistan and Hamid Karzai

Afghanistan/Pakistan
# The end in their sights. As the war in Afghanistan wanes, troops deploying for a final combat tour still have a long way to go, WP
# Afghan mission for U.S. to continue under new authorities, WP
# US troops get tough new powers to protect Afghan regime from Taliban, Guardian
# What Afghanistan must do to get billions more in aid - Sudarsan Raghavan, WP
# U.S. military role in Afghanistan will still be combat, Politico
# The Army & Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan - Hassan Javid, dawn.com
# Pakistan wants Russian engagement in Afghan peace process, pakobserver.net
# Pakistan ranked 172 in ease of paying taxes: study, dawn.com
# Zarqawi — the link between Pakistani and Iraqi militants, dawn.com

# Elimination of monitoring on observance of human rights, eurobelarus.info

# Moldova, eyeing Ukraine, divided on Europe integration as election nears, Reuters

# Journey to Transnistria, a country that doesn’t officially exist, thenational.ae

Caucasus
# The Costs of Exile. Leaders in countries of the former USSR are increasingly driving their best and brightest into emigration... Foreign Policy

# Estonian Ports to facilitate Central Asian exports, neurope.eu
# Why the Russians might pull out of Kazakhstan’s Baikonur, neurope.eu

Iraq/Syria
# Battle for Ramadi: Iraq counterattacks against Islamic State, CS Monitor
# Isis in Iraq: The trauma of the last six months has overwhelmed the remaining Christians in the country - Patrick Cockburn, Independent
# Thousands of Iraq Chemical Weapons Destroyed in Open Air, Watchdog Says, NYT
# Revealed: UK ‘mercenaries’ fighting Islamic State terrorist forces in Syria, Guardian

Russia
# Putin Talks Obama, God and the Iron Curtain in New Interview, MT
# Russian Nationalist Hysteria - Maxim Goryunov, MT
# The Russian Rebel Spirit - Alexei Bayer, MT
# 'Honor Killings' Persist in Russia's Dagestan, Chechnya, MT
# The Past, Present and Future of Russia-West Relations - Michael Averko, globalresearch.ca

Ukraine
# Biden Visits Ukraine as NATO Accuses Russia Over Weapons, Bloomberg
# Ukrainian Leader Evokes Stalin's Famine as Fight With Pro-Putin Rebels Intensifies, Bloomberg
# Kiev says Russia has 7,500 troops in Ukraine, Al-Jazeera
# With Borscht and Rifle Scopes, Volunteers Power Ukraine Forces, NYT

# Shadow currency trade points to new Ukraine financial crisis, FT

Of Interest
# Report - Paying Taxes 2015, World Bank, PWC

# The Brave Journalists, Asia Report To End Impunity, Forbes