The Rundown - March 14

RFE/RL In The Media
# "THe Huffington Post" notes Golnaz Esfandiari's participation in Tech@State

International Press Review

First Read(s)
# Six pieces on Pope Francis I

Iran
# "Reuters" reports that Iran has stepped up military support for Bashar al Assad
# The U.S. is skeptical about the Iran-Pakistan pipeline

Russia
# "Is China More Democratic Than Russia?" - Ivan Krastev, "OpenDemocracy"
# "Russia's Recipe for Sustaining Innovation" - Ross Nicholson, "Moscow Times"
# What Russia needs is tougher pupils
# Taking the train from Beijing to Moscow

Afghanistan/Pakistan
# Parveen Rehman was shot dead in Karachi
# Afghan officials want tougher verdicts in Kabul Bank cases
# "Pakistan Will Rise Again" - Madiha Afzal, Brookings Institution
# Pervez Musharraf will return to Pakistan

RFE/RL Target Region
# Iraqi Sunnis are coming together as a political bloc
# How western weapons aid Azerbaijan's crackdown
# Nursultan Nazarbayev has some powerful European allies
# The Syria-Iraq border is increasingly in flux
# BBC video: "The Lungs of Almaty"

Science & Technology
# "The Great Cyberscare" - Thomas Rid, "Foreign Policy"
# Android and Chrome may become one
# Scientists are coming closer to the big bang
# Etiquette is being redefined in the digital era

U.S. Politics/Foreign Policy
# Things don't look good for a budget deal
# A fight is brewing over the "Magnistsky List"
# "Obama Should Lift Secrecy on Drones" - John Podesta, "The Washington Post"