January 2015

24 Jan

Special projects

7939

ISIS to sets sights on Central Asia?

The Islamic State, the jihadist group better known as ISIS, was said to have allocated US$70 million in an attempt to destabilize Central Asia, posing significant threats to China's borders, reports n... read more..

MPs seek law to force Blair to declare his paymasters

21 Jan

Events and opinions

1723

MPs seek law to force Blair to declare his paymasters

Conservative MPs in Britain will today launch a campaign to force Tony Blair to reveal how much he earns - and continue to declare who pays him for the rest of his life. The Tory MP Andrew Bridgen is ... read more..

Russia’s borders: Moscow’s long alliance with Kazakhstan is strong but not unbreakable

20 Jan

Events and opinions

1898

Russia’s borders: Moscow’s long alliance with Kazakhstan is strong but not unbreakable

In this instalment of our series looking at Russia's relations with the countries along its border, we reach Kazakhstan, Moscow's closest ally in central Asia. Region specialist Julia Kusznir tells a ... read more..

Kazakhstan Facing Serious Challenges From Low Oil Prices

20 Jan

Events and opinions

2062

Kazakhstan Facing Serious Challenges From Low Oil Prices

In the current volatile energy market, Italy has again bet big on hydrocarbon-rich Kazakhstan, trying to re-cement its cooperation with the Central Asian republic. The bilateral partnership had been s... read more..

Even Vladimir Putin's Authoritarian Allies Are Fed Up With Russia's Crumbling Economy

20 Jan

Events and opinions

1839

Even Vladimir Putin's Authoritarian Allies Are Fed Up With Russia's Crumbling Economy

To get a sense of why the world this month welcomed the Eurasian Economic Union with such resounding silence, look back to late August. As his country began its ongoing march into economic crumble, Ru... read more..

15 Jan

Economy

2641

Kazakhstan energy profile: second-largest oil reserves among Former Soviet Republics – Analysis

Kazakhstan, an oil producer since 1911, has the second-largest oil reserves as well as the second-largest oil production among the former Soviet republics after Russia. Kazakhstan is a major oil pr... read more..

Kazakhstan Devaluation Risk Revealed in Fivefold Jump in Swaps

15 Jan

Economy

2304

Kazakhstan Devaluation Risk Revealed in Fivefold Jump in Swaps

In Kazakhstan, the most telling sign that investors are bracing for another currency devaluation is their refusal to part with dollars. Exporters and other holders of the greenback are turning to the ... read more..

15 Jan

Events and opinions

2266

Court Decisions

It's not often that Kazakhstan's backyard politicking come to the fore. It's rarer yet when such sniping is aired in English, made available to that much larger of an audience. It's political gossip a... read more..

Compass subsidiary accused of paying bribes to Kazakhstan officials

15 Jan

Corruption!

3520

Compass subsidiary accused of paying bribes to Kazakhstan officials

Ex-finance director at arm of FTSE 100 company claims officials received holidays and cash for lucrative contracts. A subsidiary of Compass Group, the FTSE 100 catering firm, paid bribes to Kazakhsta... read more..

Kazakh Leader's Ex-Son-in-Law Jailed in Murder Probe

14 Jan

Events and opinions

1980

Kazakh Leader's Ex-Son-in-Law Jailed in Murder Probe

Rakhat Aliyev, the ex-husband of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's eldest daughter, surrendered today in Austria seven years after police in his home country sought his arrest in a murder probe.... read more..

Tony Blair Has Another Repressive Central Asian Autocracy to Sell You

07 Jan

Events and opinions

1916

Tony Blair Has Another Repressive Central Asian Autocracy to Sell You

With Ukraine in continued crisis and Moscow deflating under a crippled ruble, the European Union has begun scouring for non-Russian gas. Azerbaijan, in the gas-rich southern Caspian, should present a ... read more..

Prince Andrew and his past controversies are still challenging the royal family

07 Jan

Events and opinions

1952

Prince Andrew and his past controversies are still challenging the royal family

EVERY couple of years a now familiar cycle begins at Buckingham Palace when officials try to rehabilitate Prince Andrew's battered image. Journalists invited to in... read more..

Moscow-Led Trade Bloc Begins in Troubled Times

03 Jan

Events and opinions

1986

Moscow-Led Trade Bloc Begins in Troubled Times

The Eurasian Economic Union, a trade bloc of former Soviet states, expanded to four nations Friday when Armenia formally joined, a day after the union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan began. The... read more..

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