Two Rivers: A Photographic Voyage Through Central Asia. Castles in the Steppe: Who Benefits from Kazakhstan's Gleaming New Buildings?

The Diplomat - Two Rivers: A Photographic Voyage Through Central Asia - For most of us, this region is little more than an unfathomable blank space that stands between the Middle East and China, bordered by Russia to the north with Iran and Afghanistan to the south. Within the dramatic terrain of this epic landmass lie two rivers as old as the region itself: the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, from which the book’s name is derived.

The Atlantic - Castles in the Steppe: Who Benefits from Kazakhstan's Gleaming New Buildings? - The central Asian nation is pouring billions into a new capital, Astana, for the upcoming Expo. But in a land where many live in poverty, critics say it's a waste.

Agri Money - World wheat harvest upgraded to record high - The Kazakh crop was upgraded by 2.5m tonnes to 17.0m tonnes, representing a 73% rebound year on year, thanks to amongst the best rains in post-Soviet times in the April-to-July period.