As he laid flowers recently at the grave of Uzbek strongman Islam Karimov, neighbouring Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev could have been forgiven an extra pause for thought.

ISIS often features Central Asia’s children in its propaganda videos, labeling them “Cubs of the Caliphate.”

There is nothing special about Taraz, who runs in a 0-80 handicap at Pontefract (5.40) but there's plenty out of the ordinary about the four-year-old's owner, Nurlan Bizakov, all the way from Kazakhstan.

The Opec and IEA reports this week pretty much buried any remaining hopes of substantial market rebalancing this year.

Prime Minister Karim Massimov has been ousted by Kazakhstan’s leader after a flurry of social media activity. There is more to this than meets the eye.

A weakening economy has triggered top-level changes in oil-rich Kazakhstan by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The latest shift in Kazakhstan’s highest echelons of state power has almost immediately led to speculations concerning the eventuality that the head of state, now 76, but apparently still in good health as opposed to his ailing peer in Uzbekistan, is preparing the ground for his succession.

Succession plans are a serious political vulnerability for the ageing leaders of Central Asia. With the death of President Islam Karimov announced in Uzbekistan on 2 September, cloak-and-dagger intrigues are now seriously underway in Tashkent. Who might succeed Islam Karimov as the president of Uzbekistan? And what challenges are they likely to face on taking office?

A Series of five articles covers 25 years of independence of all Central Asian republics. All five articles are included in this one piece of writing to give a background of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs) so readers can understand circumstances new states went through after disintegration of former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).From Soviet Socialist Republics to Independent States: A story of Central Asia