Europe, relatively integrated, lives today in a de facto two-speed reality. Eurasia integration, a work in progress and with vastly more reach, is for the moment a three-speed process, as seen through the positioning of three Central Asian “stans”. Away from the hysterical 24/7 news cycle, Turkmenistan quietly went to the polls. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in power for 10…
An Mi-8 gunship made a spectacular landing on a highway in Kazakhstan, blocking a truck convoy. To the astonishment of the drivers, a crew member then got out and started asking for directions to the closest city. The video, which appeared on social media, opens with the Soviet-designed helicopter sitting in the center of a…
One of the most commonly heard buzzwords heard around Washington is «American leadership». America must lead, we are told, or nothing good can happen. No matter what the issue or relevant locale, no matter how far from American shores or insignificant the impact on Americans’ safety or prosperity, the whole world waits with bated breath…
The Changing Of The Guard Central Asia is slated for a series of inevitable leadership transitions with the future passing of the elderly leaders in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan coming after the recent one in Uzbekistan, opening up many avenues for state breakdown and interstate sabotage in the latter two mutually antagonistic Fergana Valley states and…
Most people think cycling is a good way to beat rush hour traffic, but a man in Kazakhstan took the concept to another level, reportedly riding an ostrich past commuter cars. The hilarious moment was captured on a dashcam.
