RFE/RL in the Media

# Estonian president talks to Al Jazeera about his 10 years working for RFE/RL

# Read Tom Balmforth in the “Guardian” on pieces of Lenin for sale

# Read Daud Khattak in Foreign Policy on splits in the Pakistani Taliban

 

Russia

# Russia very close to banning Bitcoin

# “Tensions Surge in Estonia Amid a Russian Replay of Cold War Tactics” – Andrew Higgins, “New York Times” 

# “What Russia is Learning from Frank Sinatra” – Steve Rosenberg, BBC 

 

Ukraine

# Infographics show just how damaged is Ukraine’s economy 

# Major clashes at Donetsk airport threaten “ceasefire” 

# Corruption: “Ukraine’s enemy within” 

# “Rebels in Eastern Ukraine Dream of Reviving Soviet Heyday” – Andrew Kramer, “New York Times” 

# Vandals target exhibit in New York connected to Ukraine

 

Eastern Europe

# Latvian pro-Russian party wins the most seats, but likely not enough for ruling coalition 

# Poland navigates around Eastern Europe’s strains

 

Iraq/Syria

# UN says IS selling women at “slave markets”

# IS militants conduct public execution of Iraqi soldiers

# The ghost villages of northern Iraq

# “Isil’s Reign of Terror Rooted in the Political Culture of Iraq and Syria” – Richard Spencer, “Telegraph” 

# “Impotent U.S. Airstrikes, Passive Turks and an ISIS Triumph” – Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast

 

Iran

# Iran releases one journalist on bail, but husband still detained

# The IS plan to ruin Iran’s carpet industry

 

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# On the BSA and SOFA: “Three birds with one stone”

# Afghanistan reverses expulsion of “New York Times” reporter

# Afghanistan Taliban spokesman’s tweet geolocates him in Pakistan

# Pakistan’s lessons for Turkey

 

Central Asia

# The stunning disappearance of the Aral Sea

# Kyrgyzstan “growing more Russian”

# In Tajikistan, doubts about promised Russian military aid

 

Caucasus

# Leyla Yunus’ family calls on British government and BP to intervene in her case

 

Of Interest

# The story of the CIA agent who spent 20 years in Chinese captivity 
…