It is now unquestionable that the Asia-Pacific region is becoming the global economic center of the 21st century, currently accounting for 57 percent of global GDP. However, severe security problems remain a challenge, resulting in the rise of geopolitical wrangling and distrust within the region. The Korean Peninsula is still on the edge of conflict; Japanese politics continue to shift right; territorial and maritime disputes are simmering in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific; and West Asia remains unstable. Meanwhile, many countries in the region are plagued by terrorism, extremism, separatism, and organized crime as well as drug trafficking.

The cafés and market stalls on the streets of Almaty are rather bleak affairs. Many have just a few goods on display and, with the exception of outstanding cheesecake, what they do show off rarely looks that appetising. Their décor is not helped by the black and white photograph on the wall of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the heavy-set brow and unforgiving stare sets a tone that even the best cheesecake cannot lift. Kazakhstan would like you to believe that it has moved on from the Soviet era, with a decade-long modernisation programme that British businesses have been in the vanguard of, but a lot of the past remains.

Six months ago this week, the Eurasian Natural Resources Company slunk away from the London Stock Exchange. Rarely has a City star so quickly dimmed. Its exit was the culmination of a series of scandals that involved allegations of destruction of sensitive documents, corruption in Africa, boardroom leaks in London, backbiting between auditors, investigators and directors in the City and the humiliation of UK regulators.

Multi-millionaire exile Rakhat Aliyev is now in Greece. Ahead of police challenge to investigate Kazakh on torture allegations against him, Aliyev's lawyers claim police was assisted by Kazakh secret service in investigations against him

The continuing crisis in Ukraine has everyone wondering whether Putin will strike elsewhere in the post-Soviet space next. Russia has so far justified its actions by saying that it has an obligation to protect Russian speakers everywhere, which could plausibly be used as an excuse to make additional landgrabs in independent nations that used to be part of the USSR

Nazarbayev owes $132K in back fees on $20M condo in hotel, suit claims. The condominium board at the Plaza hotel is suing the nephew of the president of Kazakhstan for allegedly paying no building fees on his $20 million apartment in the past year.