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The Rundown - February 7


RFE/RL In The Media
# Read RFE/RL in "The Atlantic" on political power in Russia

International Press Review

Iran
# The U.S. has imposed another round of sanctions on Iran
# Iran has release what *may* be footage from a U.S. RQ-170 drone
# Hooman Musavi's escape from Iran
# Iranian banks have been able to get around sanctions and bans on money transfers

Russia
# The Sochi Olympics will be the most expensive in history (more on preparations)
# "United Russia's Phony Liberals" - Vladimir Ryzhkov, "Moscow Times"
# Russia can claim 20 years of population loss
# Russian academics are going to have to dig out their university transcripts

Afghanistan/Pakistan
# Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has a $10 million bounty on his head, talks to NYT in a middle class neighborhood in Lahore
# The U.S. and Afghanistan are at odds over weapons systems
# Some suggestions for symbols to represent Pakistan's political parties
# Afghanistan's attorney general may not be the best investigator

RFE/RL Target Region
# The presidents of Serbia and Kosovo have met for the first time since 2008
# Two opposition politicians have been charged with "inciting riots"
# China says it will build a Central Asia railway
# Central Asia struggles to fight drug trafficking

Of Interest
# "The Rise of Syria's Kurds" - Heiko Wimmen & Müzehher Selcuk, "Sada"
# The "Financial Times" on the resource rush in the thawing Arctic
# At least 35 small pyramids have been discovered in Sudan
# The Berlinale Film Festival is set to begin

Technology
# Mobile Internet usage is expected to grow at least 66% per year for the next five years
# "What Galileo Saw" - Adam Gopnik, "The New Yorker"

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
# The Senate will begin John Brennan's confirmation hearing (written testimony here)
# The White House will release its legal justification for drone strikes
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