Azerbaijan

Low oil prices will restrict regime's options as it sees a rising threat from religion-based dissent

Baku fears the many Azerbaijanis who have gone to Syria may return to threaten the secular government's stability

Outage starts rumours of cyberattack but lack of back-up looks the likely culprit

Regime can use minority parties to present election as democratic but government still looks fragile

Azerbaijan stands to benefit due to its proximity to Iran, their socio-cultural affinities and improving bilateral ties

In an opaque authoritarian polity such as Azerbaijan, the reasons for sacking senior officials must often be guessed at

Pegging the manat to a currency basket is draining central bank currency reserves, forcing a change in policy

A Russian general has scotched talk of reopening the Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan, which always seemed unlikely