IHT Quick Read: Feb. 2 NEWS Four years after Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. proposed a "reset" with Russia, the United States is quietly adopting a new approach to its old cold war rival: the cold shoulder. David Herszenhorn and Andrew E. Kramer report from Moscow. Abdulkader al-Saleh, a k a Hajji Marea, and other rebel field commanders could become Syria's postwar power brokers. He leads the military wing of Al Tawhid, the largest antigovernment fighting group operating in and near Syria's most populous city, Aleppo. C.J. Chivers reports from Aleppo. Algeria's antiterrorism policy of playing favorites among various armed groups backfired last month when extremists seized a gas field, but signs of concern were evident months before. The tangled web of allies and interests across the volatile region underscore the unique difficulties the French and the African forces could face as they begin to wrest control of Mali's north from the jihadists. Adam Nossiter and Neil MacFarquhar report from Algiers. The espionage thrillers of Gérard de Villiers have more than the ring of truth to them. His books are often ahead of the news and sometimes even ahead of events themselves, like when he wrote about the threat of Islamist groups in Libya before the attack in Benghazi. Robert Worth reports from New York. ARTS Slowly, the signs are multiplying that the auction market for Old Master paintings as a financially viable system might be drawing to a close. SPORTS Soccer players crossed paths in planes, trains and cars as they were rushed in or out of the revolving doors of clubs trying to preserve their status in England's lucrative Premier League. Rob Hughes reports from London.