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12/14/2011 9:17:48 PM
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CAUCASUS REPORT
 South Ossetian Opposition Suffers Two Further Setbacks The parliament of Georgia's breakaway Republic of South Ossetia has failed to endorse two key provisions of the agreement signed on December 9 between the republic's then de facto president, Eduard Kokoity, and Alla Dzhioyeva, the opposition candidate whose victory in the runoff presidential ballot on November 27 was subsequently annulled by the republic's Supreme Court. More  The Tandem's Next (And Last) Surprise? For the past two weeks, the opposition has had the initiative and has been setting the agenda. Now the Kremlin wants it back. More  Pakistani Tribal Areas Lose A 'Voice For The Voiceless' Friends, colleagues, and fellow tribesmen mourned Zarteef Khan Afridi's murder by visiting his house and issuing statements calling December 5 a black day for Pakistan's tribal areas.More  Kabul Recalls Envoy To Qatar The Afghan Foreign Ministry has recalled its ambassador to Qatar for "consultations" in an apparent protest at being left out of talks over the opening of a Taliban office in that Persian Gulf state. More  U.S.-Armenian Businessman Released A U.S. businessman of Armenian descent and two of his Armenian employees have been released from jail in Yerevan three days after being controversially arrested on tax-evasion charges. More  Does Iran Have Legal Basis To Block Strait Of Hormuz? A hard-line Iranian newspaper closely tied to the country's supreme leader has editorialized that Tehran would be justified in closing the narrow Strait of Hormuz if the United States and Europe continue to press for an oil embargo against the Islamic republic. More than 30 percent of the seaborne-traded oil supplies are shipped through the strait. Does Tehran have a legal argument? Or the military capability to maintain a blockade? And how would global oil markets be affected? More  Kazakhs Jailed On Terrorism Charges Twelve men have been jailed for up to 15 years by a court in northwestern Kazakhstan after being called "associates of Kazakhstan's first-ever suicide bomber." More  Kazakhs Get Shares In Oil And Gas Field Kazakhstan has worked out a deal to acquire 10 percent of the Karachaganak oil and gas field, the last major oil and gas field in Kazakhstan that did not have any Kazakh shareholders.More  UN Expert Urges Kyrgyz To Stop Torture A United Nations human rights expert has urged Kyrgyz authorities to prevent abuses, torture, and ill-treatment and to end impunity by ensuring that alleged perpetrators are held responsible. More  Kyrgyz Ex-Official Makes Surprise Court Appearance The former chief of the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security has been put under house arrest in Bishkek after he unexpectedly showed up in court where he was being tried in absentia. More  Osh Protesters Disperse Former Kyrgyz parliament speaker Akhmatbek Keldibekov has persuaded several hundred of his supporters to end their protest in the southern city of Osh. More  Children Describe Pakistan Torture Dungeon Following a police raid on a madrasah in Karachi, children as young as 7 have told horrific tales of being shackled together in a dungeon-like basement where they were starved and regularly beaten by teachers. More  Train Blockade Risks Tajik Food Dearth The head of the UN's World Food Program (WFP) office in Tajikistan says Uzbekistan's decision to block rail traffic to Tajikistan threatens to create severe food shortages. More  Turkmen Army Deserters Detained Two Turkmen soldiers have been detained near the capital, Ashgabat, after deserting their military unit the previous day with their weapons. More  Ukraine Drops Case Against Kuchma A district court in Kyiv has dismissed charges against former President Leonid Kuchma in connection with the 2000 killing of investigative journalist Heorhiy Gongadze. T More |
