The big surprise that rejoiced the vast majority of Russians last Friday was the decision by the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) to hold the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia. One person who did not appear surprised was Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, who... MORE

On November 2, the Mongolian newspaper MN-Onoodor reported that the Mongolian cabinet had adopted a plan to extend the existing railway infrastructure. The plan envisages the construction of a 1,100 kilometer-long internal railroad to begin later this year. The proposed railroad would connect Dalanzadgad, the... MORE

The father of Umar Israilov, the former bodyguard of the Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov, who was murdered in Vienna in January 2009 after accusing Kadyrov of torture and giving evidence against him to the European Court of Human Rights, is expected to testify today (October... MORE

The Caspian littoral states have pledged to resolve their differences in 2011, but they still appear to remain divided on a variety of sensitive issues. Caspian summits will become an annual event, Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, announced on November 18 in Baku. “We decided to... MORE

The situation in Kyrgyzstan generated an emotive exchange between Kazakh and Uzbek officials during the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Astana, on December 1-2, highlighting continuing disagreements between neighbors.While Kazakhstan’s President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, affirmed that the OSCE has done everything... MORE

Mass arrests of alleged terrorists in three European countries –Belgium, Holland and Germany– were shown live on TV in Holland and Belgium in late November. The campaign started with bold headlines referring to the arrests of individuals from the Chechen branch of Islamists. In an... MORE

This week’s annual national address by President, Dmitry Medvedev, to a joint session of parliament sitting in the Kremlin together with the entire senior ruling elite, amazed the press in Moscow, being mostly about the problems of childcare and education (EDM, December 1). The official... MORE

In November, the European Union offered Kyiv a plan for visa-free travel and the European parliament recognized that Ukraine has a right to apply for EU membership. Previous Ukrainian governments, perceived in Europe as more pro-European than the current one, could not boast such achievements.... MORE

The sensational release of US diplomatic cables has touched upon the situation in the North Caucasus. The WikiLeaks website published what appeared to be a US Embassy employee’s account of his visit to an influential Dagestani politician’s wedding in August 2006. The report is undersigned... MORE

On December 30, Dmitry Medvedev delivered a national address, his third as Russia’s president (https://kremlin.ru/news/9637). It was also his third major communication session with the population in just one week. Judging by their different content and means of delivery, it looks like a classical marketing... MORE