The resurgence of Taliban militancy increases the risk of skirmishes along Central Asia's southern border. Although the prospect of major instability has been exaggerated, there are long-term security implications for Central Asia, writes Saif Islam.
The Islamic State's threat to Central Asian countries has been exaggerated. However, it should not be dismissed, writes Saif Islam.
The emergence of Islamic State has had limited impact on Russia so far, but the militant threat should not be ignored, writes Saif Islam.
Kristen Blyth assesses the new wave of privatisations in the Russia economy and explores the likely impact.
At the start of 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin had reasons to be pessimistic about how the year was going to progress. As the year's end approaches, his and Russia's position on the international scene has improved considerably, thanks to several favourable developments, writes Saif Islam.
While Vladimir Putin may welcome the opportunity to play off two major world powers, he will worry about Russia's interests, writes Saif Islam.
Saif Islam assesses the factors that could reignite the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2017.
Saif Islam assesses the stumbling blocks to a peaceful resolution to the war in eastern Ukraine.
The Trump administration's contradictory positions on the conflict in eastern Ukraine may aggravate an already volatile situation, writes Saif Islam.
In the past 6 months, the Russian Central Bank (RCB) has stepped in to save two of the country's biggest banks, leading to speculation that a sector-wide crisis may be on the horizon. TOM BOUGHTON takes a closer look at the RCB's swashbuckling attempts to clean-up the sector since 2013.