RFE/RL in the Media

# Margarita Simonyan, in RT editorial, mistakes John O’Sullivan for current RFE/RL executive editor

# Social media campaign to free Khadija Ismayilova covered by Al Jazeera and Reuters

# Read Zarangez Navruzshoh in “Guardian” on Tajikistan turning to Hollywood to teach population English 

 

 

Russia

# “Time” says Putin cut Ukraine criticism from speech ahead of peace talks 

# A dispatch from Grozny

# Russian oligarch buys James Watson’s Nobel prize for $4.7 million, says he will return it to him

# “Is Russia 2015 Venezuela 1983?” – Paul Krugman, “New York Times” 

# “The EU Must Prepare for a Cold Peace With Russia” – Ulrich Speck, Carnegie

 

Ukraine

# Bomb explosion at Odesa army-support organization 

# “Day of silence” largely observed 

# Ukraine’s border wall with Russia will cost over $500 million

 

Eastern Europe

# Seven arrested on suspicion of uranium smuggling in Moldova 

# Belarusian journalist Alesin could face 15 years in prison

 

Iraq/Syria

# IS beheading video used equipment costing $200,000 and may have taken six hours to film 

# How relatively liberal Raqqa became an IS bastion

# IS posts photos apparently showing man accused of “sodomy” being thrown off roof

# Iraq pushes halting advance against IS 

 

Iran

# Rohani lashes out at Revolutionary Guard

# Video catches abuse of Afghans in Iran

# Hamas’ envoy to Iran is now based in Turkey

 

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# Afghanistan vets trying to cultivate peace through Saffron 

# In Kandahar, some made rich by U.S. presence now face uncertain future

# Another anti-polio worker killed in Pakistan

 

Central Asia

# Russia, Uzbekistan agree on $890 million debt settlement 

# Russia to increase oil transit to China through Kazakhstan 

 

Of Interest

# This is Mars 

# $4 from a Chinese restaurant
…