Latest Articles about Domestic/Social

Kazakhstan to Kick Off its “People’s IPO” With KazMunaiGaz
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has announced that five percent of London-listed KazMunaiGaz Exploration and Development (KMG EP), a subsidiary of the national oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz (KMG), will be floated on the Kazakh stock exchange in 2011. These shares are worth $500 million and... MORE

Is Karachaevo-Cherkessia the Next North Caucasus Hot Spot?
The surprise visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Vladikavkaz on February 22, 2010 (www.rian.ru/politics/20110222/337349132.html) clearly shows how complicated the situation is in the region. The choice of cities in the North Caucasus where the head of the Russian state can be safely hosted has... MORE

While IMF Takes Pause, Ukraine Considers Ailing Banks
The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed its work in Kyiv on February 14, but more difficult talks are ahead. Ukraine still has to prove that it qualifies for the next $1.6 billion IMF loan tranche. The government of President Viktor Yanukovych like... MORE

Replacement of Karachaevo-Cherkessia’s President Highlights Kremlin Crisis in Appointment System
On February 28, President Dmitry Medvedev appointed two heads of North Caucasian republics, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov was reappointed to rule Chechnya since his first term as head of the republic was about to expire. Karachaevo-Cherkessia received a new leader, 34-year-old Rashid Temrezov, while... MORE

Mosques and Islamic Education Under Increasing Scrutiny in Tajikistan
The Tajik government has recently taken steps to put the country’s mosques, imams (prayer-leaders) and madrasahs (Islamic schools) under greater centralized control. Speaking at the country’s Security Council meeting on February 10, President Emomali Rahmon urged more decisive measures against the unchecked proliferation of mosques.... MORE

Russian Military Reform And The Unlikely Duet
On February 25, the Kremlin reacted angrily to an article that appeared on the same day in Nezavisimaya Gazeta in which Vladimir Mukhin alleged that responsibility for military reform had passed to the Security Council. Russian presidential press secretary, Natalya Timakova, denied that the defense... MORE

Muhammad Yasin Malik: From Underground Militant Leader to Kashmir’s Gandhi
Background Muhammad Yasin Malik, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), has undergone a 15-year transformation from underground militant leader fomenting violence to an advocate for a non-violent solution to the festering crisis plaguing South Asia’s northernmost tier for decades. He describes... MORE

Kyrgyz Government Attempts to Crack Down on Organized Crime
On February 22, Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva said that the country’s major criminal kingpin, Kamchy Kolbayev, was placed on the government’s wanted list. Although many in Kyrgyzstan know about Kolbayev’s criminal’s activity, Otunbayeva’s announcement symbolizes the Kyrgyz police’s attempt to tackle the criminal underworld. Whether... MORE

Government Helpless as Rebels Expand Operations in Kabardino-Balkaria
On February 27, a counterterrorist operation regime in Kabardino-Balkaria was extended to parts of the republican capital Nalchik, and the Chegem and Cherek districts. The counterterrorist operation had been established earlier in parts of the Elbrus and Baksan districts. The introduction of a counterterrorist operation... MORE

The Kremlin Spins Conspiracy Theories Explaining Revolutions Away
The shockingly violent civil war in Libya has pushed the Russian leadership to re-evaluate the nature and the impact of the revolutions that keep shaking the Arab world. Worries in the Kremlin are very different from concerns in Washington about the departure of such loyal... MORE