Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday urged Kyrgyzstan's interim leaders to end political uncertainty, saying Moscow was considering more aid for the embattled Central Asian state.

Kyrgyzstan's new government could inspire its neighbors, with Europe's help.

The old saying that if you keep expectations low, you will never be disappointed may go a long way towards explaining what the 56 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were thinking when, three years ago, they agree to let the autocratic regime of Kazakhstan become the OSCE chair-in-office for 2010. As it approaches the mid-term mark for its chairmanship, it's worth looking at Kazakh performance so far -- both in action and example -- to see if the state has any possibility of avoiding a failing grade when its term ends in December.

Kazakhstan has made its president "Leader of the nation", granting him immunity from any prosecution, just weeks before it is due to chair a major international conference on democracy and human rights.

Prince Andrew was involved in the controversial sale of his former home to an oil tycoon for £3million more than the market price, it was claimed yesterday.

Discussions of the military aspect of Kazakhstan's "multi-vector diplomacy" usually conclude that, whatever happens with oil and gas and other trade, the country's armed forces are likely to remain oriented toward Russia. That's because language limitations mean Kazakh officers who train abroad are most likely to do so in Russia, and of course because the military's legacy equipment and doctrine is Russian.