Russia took part in two different economic forums last weekend where conflicting propositions for overcoming the global crisis were advanced. Moscow had little to contribute to any course. Finance ministers of the G20 gathered in Horsham, UK, to prepare the agenda for the summit of... MORE

On March 10 the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office submitted its long-awaited second indictment in the case of Ergenekon, a clandestine organization with members from various state agencies, including the military, charged with plotting to overthrow the government (all dailies and local news channels, March 10). Tuesday's... MORE

To date, there has been little other than optimistic prognoses from Belarusian government circles about the state of the economy. Unlike the situation in neighboring states, Belarus is not facing recession, and economic growth continues. Moreover, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has assured citizens of government protection,... MORE

On March 10 in Moscow, Gazprom and Hungary's Development Bank signed the initial documents for a joint venture to implement Gazprom's South Stream pipeline project on Hungarian territory. The respective chairmen, Alexei Miller and Janos Eros, signed the documents in the presence of Prime Ministers... MORE

Will Russia's few remaining oligarchs, those who silently submitted to then-President Vladimir Putin's brutal nationalization of Yukos Oil Company, survive as a privileged clan; or are they doomed to extinction during the world financial crisis? How will they manage to keep buying properties in Spain,... MORE

On March 8 thousands of people gathered in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir to celebrate "Mevlud'a Muhammedi" (birth of Mohammad), the Prophet Muhammad's 1,458th birthday. The event was organized by Ikra-Der and other Islamic associations that have formed a organization called Prophet Lovers' Union, which... MORE

Shortly after Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and opposition forces agreed to negotiate last week, one of the leading opposition leaders and former Foreign Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov was arrested and placed in pretrial detention. At the March 10 negotiations, opposition forces sought to ensure that Bakiyev... MORE

On March 10 in Moscow, Hungary's privately-owned MOL oil and gas company signed an agreement with Gazprom Export in Moscow to jointly establish a gas storage company in Hungary. Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Ferenc Gyurcsany witnessed the signing. This project is separate from and,... MORE

It is early springtime and in the mountain passes separating Georgia from Russia, there is snowfall one day and wet snow or rain the next. Avalanches and mudslides caused by wet snow regularly close down the only road connecting Russia and the breakaway region of... MORE

Turkish media coverage of the "U.S. State Department's 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" highlights how human rights issues might fall victim to domestic political discussions and strategic calculations. As in previous years the 2008 report on Turkey, despite identifying the progress achieved by... MORE