Kyrgyzstan’s Eco-City: What are the Chances?

There is no shortage of ambitious projects undertaken now by the government of Kyrgyzstan’s president Sadyr Japarov – a leader who came to power following the popular revolt against the election-rigging and corrupt clan of Sooronbay Zheenbekov in late 2020.

A feasibility study for the much-needed railroad linking China and Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan is underway; the development of yet untapped major mineral deposits is being tendered to international players; Government quarters are to be

In the developing world, the true cost of Covid may never be known

Just how many lives have we lost to Covid-19? In large parts of the world, that is a question to which we may never get an answer. Officially, as of August 2021, the global death t

As the U.S finally leaves Afghanistan, China could fill the vacuum

As the last American troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, Taliban militants continue to make gains. The insurgents have escalated their offensive against government forces this wee

Under the cover of Coronavirus, democratic backsliding

Democracy in decline

A new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) bears a sombre headline: global democracy has had an awfully bad year in 2020. The index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.

Ankara & Brussels: Turkey cannot afford a confrontation

Turkey’s economy remains in dire straits. Its currency, the Lira, has lost thirty per cent of its value against the US dollar just this year alone.
Exclusive
Russian retail investors flock to stock market for easy gains, creating a bubble

Maybe it is just COVID. Sitting at home during lockdown stimulates the search for excitements that one can enjoy without having to go outside. Trading stocks and currencies online

China, Uyghurs, forced labour: a recipe for litigation?

China’s treatment of its Uyghurs population could spark a wave of lawsuits.
In Donald Trump, North Korea loses an unlikely ally

“When Donald Trump first strides into the Oval Office as president, his perfect day is likely to be ruined by a file marked “North Korea.”
Kazakhstan’s International Financial Centre: A Hub Too Far

Creating an international finance centre out of nothing is not an easy task. Kazakhstan made a daring bid in 2018 to launch a financial hub in its capital, Astana (now renamed Nurs
What President Biden could mean for Central Asia

As President-Elect Joe Biden prepares for government, his transition team looks to reclaim American foreign policy from Trump-era isolationism. President Trump had famously declare
Special Report

Kazakhstan’s International Financial Centre: A Hub Too Far

Creating an international finance centre out of nothing is not an easy task. Kazakhstan made a daring bid in 2018 to launch a financial hub in its capital, Astana (now renamed Nurs