Another extension on negotiations looks like the most likely outcome for continued nuclear talks between the P5+1 Powers (Germany, Russia, China, the US, France, and Britain) and Iran. With the deadline approaching tonight at 12 am – Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi reported back to Tehran on Sunday to discuss new terms with Supreme Leader…
The Islamic State’s activities in Afghanistan have been limited, according to a new report issued by the Pentagon. The activities of the extremist organization have, according to the report, been thus far focused on exploration and have not included widespread recruiting or military campaigns. Furthermore, the province in which the report alleges ISIL to be…
The Central Bank of Kazakhstan’s governor, Kairat Kelimbetov, tantalizingly announced once again that it intends to move away from its currency peg to the dollar and move towards what it called an “inflation targeting” method, implying a switch to a floating exchange rate regime. Bloomberg conducted an extensive interview with Kelimbetov where he explicitly stated…
Representatives from several Western oil majors including Royal Dutch Shell and Eni recently held meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran. The meetings are the first of their kind following the tentative Iranian nuclear framework deal, and demonstrate the existing level of interest in the Iranian nuclear program. According to Shell representatives, the recent meetings revolved…
According to new data, Russia has surpassed Saudi Arabia as the chief supplier of crude oil, in what was considered an unlikely outcome for the battle over market share since oil prices took a tumble last year. The Chinese data, released by the General Administration of Customs, said that some 927,000 barrels per day were…
The Afghan Taliban took credit for Sunday’s siege on the Afghan parliament in Kabul. The attack was perpetrated by seven Taliban, one suicide bomber and six gunmen, and culminated in the death of the seven attackers and two civilian bystanders. No members of the military were killed during the especially brazen attack on the Wolesi…
As EU Leaders mull the passage or extension of its sanctions against Russian leaders and upper class, an economic aide in the Kremlin said that the Russian government is considering additional measures that can be taken in response, in addition to the already-in-place ban on Western food imports and travel bans on European officials. Either…
Russia announced that it will boost its arsenal of nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) by 40 as part of a large-scale modernization of the Russian military. While the modernization has been ongoing for quite some time, the latest announcement seems to come as a direct counter to NATO’s own announcement that it would place forces…
After the reported death of an additional two servicemen yesterday in Ukraine as reported by Kiev’s military spokesman Andrei Lysenko and increased heavy weaponry presence on both sides in the contested region of Luhansk has prompted calls by both separatists and Kiev to meet again on June 23 in Minsk. The last meeting in the…
A close adviser to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has been arrested on charges of graft and corruption, according to Tajik media. Hasan Rajabov, one of the president’s advisers on “personal” affairs, now faces a lengthy prison term for “bribery and embezzlement,” among other crimes. The arrest marks the latest in a series of high profile…
STEPPE DISPATCHES 