The Georgian-Russian conflict lasted for five days in August, 2008. But along the ceasefire line today both sides remain on a war-footing.
An abundance of checkpoints, defensive positions, and fortifications have sprouted up all along the ceasefire line. In some places, the no-man's land separating Georgian and Russian forces is only about a hundred yards wide.
Kazakhstan's government is mulling a plan that would enable China to lease a large swath of Kazakhstani land for agricultural use. The proposed deal is stirring passionate opposition in the Central Asian state, with critics expressing concern about the country's sovereignty.
The sudden cancellation of an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, along with the subsequent sacking of the chief of the Central Asian nation's culture agency, is stoking a debate over freedom of expression.
Thomas Krens, the influential former Guggenheim Museum director who oversaw the museum's dynamic, yet controversial expansion to Bilbao, Spain, now has energy-rich Baku, Azerbaijan, in his sights.
Officials in Georgia believe that Kremlin skullduggery has succeeded in pulling the plug on a Georgian satellite television channel capable of broadcasting Russian-language content throughout the former Soviet Union.
The US Helsinki Commission in recent months has been a frequent and vocal critic of Kazakhstan's record on human rights and democratization. But commission members gave an enthusiastic welcome to Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev on February 2 during a Washington, DC, hearing marking the start of Kazakhstan's OSCE chairmanship.
