The mass media tells us that communism around the world fell with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It’s almost become a proverb. But in some places communism never fell.

 

Russia aims for leading role in boosting economies around war-torn Afghanistan

 

 

Social Democrat (SPÖ) MP Anton Gaal has admitted to arranging a meeting between an Austrian detective and a member of the Kazakh secret service as a special government commission is to investigate claims Austrian politicians and journalists have been in the pay of the Kazakh secret service.

Kazakhstan is due to assume leadership next year of an important international body set up to foster dialogue between East and West on topics including human rights. But its record on freedom of expression remains poor and there remain significant concerns about its upcoming stewardship of the 56-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).