Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from October, 2008
Georgia: McCain Endorsement
Ahead of next week's presidential election in the United States, This Is Tbilisi Calling says that while most people would prefer a Obama victory, Georgia is firmly behind McCain and posts a photograph of the country's Minister for Refugees to prove it.
Kazakhstan: Blocked Bloggers Discuss Economics
Although LiveJournal, the major blog platform on the post-Soviet space, including Kazakhstan, is still not accessible through the national telecom monopolist Kazakhtelecom, Internet enthusiasts find their way to express their opinions online. The main topic – as, probably, elsewhere these days – is economics.
Armenia: Welcome To Georgia
Dispatches from Armenia travels to the neighboring Republic of Georgia and finds the journey to be quite unlike any other — the local and experienced driver hired to take the blogger and his wife to the border in a dilapidated Russian car did not know where it was and broke...
Afghanistan: Nuristan, in Pictures
We've had enough doom and gloom in Afghanistan for a while, yes? So here's a pretty picture of Aranas village in Waygal district of Nuristan.
Mongolia: A Deal to Sell Uranium to India?
Bilguun reports that according to the article in The Hindu Business Line, India is looking at joint mining and exploration opportunities for uranium with Mongolia among a few other countries.
Uzbekistan: Karimov Comes to Town
Nathan reports on a prank by New York's Citylife blog, which sent a letter to a handful of NYC politicians claiming to be from Alisher Vohidov, Uzbekistan’s consul general to the United Nations, regarding a planned visit to the city by the Uzbek president Islom Karimov.
Kyrgyzstan: Boucher Schmoozing
Patrick Frost writes that Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek, which just last week hosted a Commonwealth of Independent States CIS summit, was the site of a meeting between US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and President Bakiyev.
Afghanistan: President's Family Accused of Abuse of Power
Azar Balkhi reports that provincial opposition activist has accused Karzai’s family for illegal seizure of 20,000 acres of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Armenia: Madrid Principles
Unzipped posts details of the “Madrid Principles,” a proposed framework for future resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The post also compares the principles with that believed to have been agreed in the late 1990s.
Azerbaijan: Life as an OSCE Election Observer
The Continuing Adventures of Super Steve details life as an election observer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during the recent presidential election in Azerbaijan. The blog also questions whether an election boycotted by the main opposition parties can be considered democratic regardless of whether polling...
Armenia: Independent Inquiry
Unzipped has already speculated that the recent decision by the opposition to halt demonstrations and rallies might have been part of some deal with the government. Now, following demands for an independent inquiry into the post-election 1 March clashes that left at least 10 people dead, the blogger is encouraged...
Caucasus: U.S. Presidential Election Preferences
Social Science in the Caucasus examines the findings of a poll for The Economist which indicates that support for Republican presidential candidate John McCain is stronger than for his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, in the Republic of Georgia. With the poll also showing that support for Obama is stronger in...
Caucasus: New Media Blog
Azerbaijani new media specialist Emin Huseynzade (interviewed by Global Voices Online here) has launched a new English-language blog. Caucasus New Media will detail the growth of blogs, as well as video-sharing and social networking sites, in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In the first post, the blog looks at the impact...
Azerbaijan: Idaho of the Caucasus
The Continuing Adventures of Super Steve recounts a recent visit to the Azerbaijiani region of Gadabay. Thanks to the abundance of potatoes, the blog calls Gadabay the Idaho of the Caucasus.
Afghanistan: Sayed Pervez Kambakhsh's Sentence Commuted to 20 Years
At least it's not death: An Afghan appeals court overturned a death sentence Tuesday for a journalism student accused of blasphemy for asking questions in class about women's rights under Islam. But the judges still sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The case against 24-year-old Parwez Kambakhsh, whose brother...
Russia, Georgia: Report Says Stan Storimans Was Killed by Cluster Bomb
From the Frontline links to a report on the findings of the Dutch government investigation into the death of a Dutch TV cameraman in Georgia in August; according to the report, Stan Storimans was killed by a Russian cluster bomb. “In May 2008, more than 100 countries agreed to ban...
Tajikistan: Investments into healthcare are equal to Ones of Sierra Leone
Vadim writes that according to the latest report of WHO, there is a gap of 40 years in life expectancy between Tajikistan and Sierra Leone but in both countries governments allocate the same amount of money for one person per year, which constitutes about 100 USD.
Tajikistan: Beautiful autumn and muddy water
Vadim posts two pictures – the one of a crystally blue skies in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, and another of a scarily brown water from the tap, also in Dushanbe.
Kyrgyzstan: Earthquake
Patrick Frost reports on a large earthquake struck Kyrgyzstan’s Osh region today and the death toll is currently around 70 and may increase.
Afghanistan: Portrait of a Female Politician
Azar Balkhi writes about Fawiza Koofi, a modern thinker, poet and the deputy of the Afghanistan Parliament, a symbol of women in a men-dominated society.
Afghanistan: In the Kingdom of Karzai
Azar Balkhi reports that Jamil Karzai a member of parliament and cousin of Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, had allegedly killed five civilian while driving in Kabul.
About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage
