New announcements from the Save Mark Seidenfeld site: Mr. Seidenfeld's new charges have now been announced, after a trial delay announced in April, when initial charges appeared to have been satisfied by evidence. The first new charge states that he took more money to pay for the originally-disputed equipment than it actually cost. Derek Bloom over at the […]
At The New York Times Naruddin Farah, a Somalian writer who lives in Cape Town, provides some insight into the situation in Somalia from the vantage point as an insider-outsider who was tapped as a short term emissary between his native country's two main warring factions. He is not optimistic that peace will take […]
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 […]
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 […]
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