RFE/RL in the Media

# “Moscow Times” cites RFE/RL reporting on Lesin investigation (site currently down) 

# “Jerusalem Post” on Khadija Ismayilova’s arrest and the dilemma for Israel

# “Guardian” lists Azerbaijan political prisoners, including Ismayilova

 

Russia

# BBC World Service fears losing information war to Russia 

# Facebook declines comment on pulling Navalny protest page in Russia

# “Washington Post’s” Putin year-ender

# European tourism hotspots suffer with Russians staying home

# In meetings with OPEC, Russia refused to cut oil production itself

 

Ukraine

# In Kyiv, Lukashenka promises to help

# Peace talks stalled as violence resumes

 

Eastern Europe

# Moldovan migrants denied re-entry to Russia

# “Russia Growls Across the Border as Lithuania Readies for Euro” – Alistair Scrutton and Andrius Sytas, Reuters

# “The Baltic States Are Not Serious About Defending Themselves” – Ted Carpenter, “Newsweek” 

# Belarus blocks access to independent news sites

 

Iraq/Syria

# Western journalist who just spent 10 days with IS says group is popular

# IS reportedly executed 100 of its own fighters who tried to flee Raqqa

# Iraq TV show makes “terrorists” confront victims

# Documentary: The mothers of jihadists

 

Iran

# Iran says Cuba thaw proves sanctions are “useless”

# Assad tells top Iranian official he supports local truces

# Iran’s support for Syria tested by oil price drop

 

Afghanistan/Pakistan

# Some Guantanamo Bay detainees returned to Afghanistan

# Taliban publicize training camp in northern Afghanistan

# The rise of Maulana Fazlullah, the man who ordered the Peshawar attacks

# “In 2008 Mumbai Attacks, Piles of Spy Data, but an Uncompleted Puzzle” – ProPublica and “New York Times” 

 

Central Asia

# Uzbekistan holds “vote”

# Nazarbayev’s grandson named deputy mayor of Astana

# “Turkmenistan’s Climate of Fear Silences its People” – Abdujalil Abdurasulov, BBC
…