Kazakhstan

(Newser) - Two days after former president Bill Clinton took pal and mining mogul Frank Giustra to meet Kazakhstan's de facto dictator, Giustra landed a monster contract to mine uranium with state-run mining company Kazatomprom, the New York Times reports—despite his firm’s lack of relevant experience. Shortly thereafter, Clinton’s...

(Newser) - Russia faces a threat to its international trump card as Gazprom—its powerful natural gas company—struggles to meet massive worldwide demand, Newsweek reports. The company gets much of its oil dirt cheap from former Soviet republics in Central Asia, then resells it a handsome profit to Europe. Now those...