Deadly blast in Beirut tied to troubled, Russian-leased ship

Because of financial and diplomatic disputes, the ship was abandoned by a Russian businessman, and workers moved its lethal cargo to a dockside warehouse in Beirut.

How the Kremlin employs an 'ecosystem' of disinformation and propaganda

Moscow uses a combination of official channels, state-run media outlets, proxy websites, the weaponisation of social media, and hackers to create a multiplier effect for its disinformation.

EU-Turkmen pipeline talks continue amid pushback from Russia, Iran

The Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCGP) project remains a key part of the European Union's energy security strategy, but Moscow and Tehran have repeatedly tried to torpedo it.

Work begins on cleanup of Soviet-era Kyrgyz uranium waste sites

The Soviets abandoned several such sites in Central Asia, bequeathing radioactive, toxic waste that endangers public health and the environment.

Uighur scholars vanish in China amid Beijing's bid to 'extinguish' ethnic identity

The rounding up of linguists, scholars and publishers is seen as a move by the Chinese government to erase the ethnic group's identity and assimilate it into the Mandarin-speaking Han majority.

Pandemic aggravates human-rights abuses, domestic violence in Central Asia

More vulnerable residents are at risk as governments focus on combatting the coronavirus outbreak.