Russia
# MTS to introduce competitor product to WhatsApp and Skype
# Russia ends cooperation with the U.S. on securing nuclear stockpiles
# Tens of thousands march against Charlie Hebdo in Grozny
# "'Leviathan' Controversy Reveals Bruised Egos" - Natalia Antonova, Moscow Times
Ukraine
# Explosion in Kharkiv injures 14
# Amnesty calls on both sides to refrain from putting civilians in danger
# Things "may have gotten worse" for Ukraine's LGBT community since Euromaidan
Iraq/Syria
# IS demands $200 million within 72 hours for two Japanese hostages
# Canadian troops in gun battle with IS militants
# AFP infographic: European fighters in Iraq and Syria
# Suspicion high as Argentinian prosecutor dies from gunshot just a day before testimony on Iran-linked 1990s bombing
# Israel-linked strike kills top Hizbollah fighter and Iranian general
# Lavish malls appearing in Iran to attract elite
Afghanistan/Pakistan
# Turkey to increase troops in Afghanistan
# Britney Spears' ex killed in Taliban attack
# Pakistan tops the list as the most porn-searching country in the world, according to Salon
# Pakistan prosecutors face routine threats in terror cases
# "Imran Khan’s Wife’s Short Skirt is Causing More Outrage in Pakistan Than Charlie Hebdo" - Sarah Munir, Quartz
Caucasus
# Six-month-old dies from wounds in massacre suffered last week
Balkans
# Kosovo backs off bid to claim mine
Of Interest