Under ordinary circumstances a discussion of the possible successors to Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe would be an affirmative thing. Mugabe's murderous regime has to go. And similarly, a discussion of a possible successor who has shown the temerity to challenge Mugabe frontally would ordinarily represent serious progress. Alas, the most likely successor to Mugabe will […]
In today's test match South Africa pummeled a depleted England team missing up to 30 of its top players due to injury, illness, and the absence of players from last week's Heineken Cup champonship game. The final score was 58-10. Notwithstanding England's weakened status, this triumph seems to validate South African optimism on the state […]
There has been a perplexing story unwinding in South Africa over the course of the last few weeks. The Springboks are gearing up for their World Cup run later this year. The start has been promising — two South African teams, the Bulls and the Sharks, made the finals of the Super 14 with […]
Dr. Mannavar Sivakumar, chief of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) agricultural meteorology division, argues that Africans need to be more aware and “proactive” on the issue of climate change: “He said it was ‘critical’ for Africa, which forecasters predict will be the region worst affected by changing weather patterns, to get its act […]
Now that Turkmenbashi is gone, I feel constrained to preserve the memory and teachings of his most amazing book, The Ruhnama. In my experience, there is no other book quite like it for range of subject matter, and reading it expresses a dedication to Central Asian affairs that is well worth remarking upon. Those of you who […]
It's sometimes difficult to get good information about the Xinjiang Autonomous Uighur Region of China, but these two blogs do an excellent job: On the serious side: Xinjiang Watch has a great article up now that should help us all read news about Xinjiang a little more intelligently: Xinjiang Man Throws Flaming Projectile at Picture […]
Targeting Xinjiang: According to the People's Daily online, the Chinese government is implementing a USD 2.6 million program to halt iodine deficiency in the Xinjiang area. 30 of Xinjiang's prefectures have significant populations suffering from iodine-deficiency diseases. The program will provide 5 yuan per person to equalize the costs between iodized salt and black market salt. […]
President Berdymukhammedov plans to open a new economic free zone along the Caspian Sea that would welcome tourists to his country. The zone would center around the town of Turkmenbashi and be called “Avaza”. Previously, Turkmenistan's tourism efforts were hampered by its stringent security. The new tourism zone would cut down on the constant […]
Uzbekistan's labor force has increasingly turned to migration in order to bring money home to families. Now it looks as if immigration is going to be a new revenue-builder for the state. According to a new resolution, immigrants must now register before going abroad. Not only that, but regional governors of Karapalkstan are also recalling […]
OJSC (Open joint stock company) Nurbank is the seventh largest of Kazakhstan's banks, opening for business in 1992. According to its Web site, it is owned by the largest oil, food, publishing and foreign trade firms operating in Kazakhstan, and also currently lends to oil, food, foreign trade, and publishing & information firms. Already part of many loan syndication networks (where […]
The U.S.-proposed border fence along the Mexican border is facing opposition not only from immigrant rights groups, but also from some environmental organizations. Claiming that hundreds of miles of border fences will keep many animals from the Rio Grande River, their only source of water, wildlife experts fear that some land animals will be killed […]
I’ve posted a couple of isolated reports on the CSTO recently. It now seems that these are part of some new, more comprehensive Central Asian security initiatives. The Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Nikolai Bordyuzha, was in Kyrgyzstan to attend a working meeting. He inspected Kyrgyz Defense and Interior special forces exercises. Mr. Bordyuzha also spoke at Kyrgyzstan's first Media Conference, on “The […]
At Real Clear Politics Peter Brookes, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and columnist for The New York Post, diagnosis our acute case of the Niger Delta Blues. We now import more oil than ever from Africa — moreso even than the Middle East, according to Brookes, though such numbers tend to be volatile […]
Mark Seidenfeld is still in prison in Kazakhstan, after an April trial delay that pushes back legal presentations until probably June. In the meantime, according to the Save Mark Seidenfeld blog, both Russian and Kazakhstani press are publishing articles that make Mr. Seidenfeld look guilty, or that he is a spy. If you get a […]
Economic ministers from Mexico and India agreed today on a plan to bolster bilateral trade relations. Indo-Mexican trade has increased by 600 percent in the last 6 years, totaling about $530 million through March in this fiscal year alone. The countries announced in New Delhi today that they would set up a group of senior government […]