Stephen M. Bland on Muck Rack

Stephen M. Bland

As seen in: The Times of Central Asia, VICE, VICE UK, The Diplomat Magazine, Eurasianet, E-International Relations, Eurozine, International Policy Digest, Perceptive Travel, IndraStra Global
Covers:  Central Asia, the Caucasus, Post-Soviet Lands, Politics, Culture and Corruption.
Managing Editor & Head of Investigations @thetimesoca; author, journalist, expert specializing in Central Asia & Caucasus. @EurasiaNet @Diplomat_APAC @BBCWorld

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Stephen M. Bland’s Biography

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Managing Editor and Head of Investigations at The Times of Central Asia, I'm a journalist, award-winning author, travel writer, researcher, and editor specializing in Central Asia and the Caucasus. My debut book, Does it Yurt? - Travels in Central Asia or How I Came to Love the Stans was released in November 2016. Ten years in the making, I'm currently putting the finishing touches to a book about the Caucasus. I have written for numerous publications. You can see a variety of my articles at ww…

Stephen M. Bland’s Journalist Portfolio

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U.S. Strikes on Iranian Rail and Coastal Infrastructure Put Central Asia's Southern Routes Under ...

U.S. Strikes on Iranian Rail and Coastal Infrastructure Put Central Asia's Southern Routes Under ...

U.S. strikes on Iranian rail and coastal infrastructure have put Central Asia’s southern trade routes under p…

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Kazakhstan's Persian Gulf Port Plan Faces New Iran Risk - The Times Of Central Asia

Kazakhstan's Persian Gulf Port Plan Faces New Iran Risk - The Times Of Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s plan to build a logistics terminal at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port would give Astana a valuable sou…

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Central Asia's Fuel Squeeze Becomes a Winter Energy Security Problem - The Times Of Central Asia

Central Asia's Fuel Squeeze Becomes a Winter Energy Security Problem - The Times Of Central Asia

Central Asia’s fuel squeeze is moving from filling stations into winter planning. Governments are now trackin…

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Uzbekistan Census Reveals Bigger Population, Younger Pressure, and Planning Gaps - The Times Of C...

Uzbekistan Census Reveals Bigger Population, Younger Pressure, and Planning Gaps - The Times Of C...

Uzbekistan’s first full census since the Soviet era has found more than 810,000 people who were missing from …

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Kyrgyzstan Looks Beyond Russia as Fuel Squeeze Hits Central Asia - The Times Of Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan Looks Beyond Russia as Fuel Squeeze Hits Central Asia - The Times Of Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan is seeking new fuel supplies from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Be…

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Uzbekistan's Logistics Push Aims to Turn Transit Growth into Revenue - The Times Of Central Asia

Uzbekistan's Logistics Push Aims to Turn Transit Growth into Revenue - The Times Of Central Asia

Tashkent is trying to turn a fast rise in transit cargo into a larger role in Eurasian trade. President Shavk…

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Articles

U.S. Strikes on Iranian Rail and Coastal Infrastructure Put Central Asia’s Southern Routes Under Pressure

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By Stephen M. Bland
| The Times of Central Asia
U.S. strikes on Iranian rail and coastal infrastructure have put Central Asia’s southern transport plans under new pressure. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have spent years building routes through Iran to reach the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and markets beyond Russia. Public statements so far do not show a confirmed halt in Central Asian freight, but bridge damage near Iran’s border with Turkmenistan and strikes along Iran’s southern coast have made the security picture more concrete.
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Kazakhstan’s Persian Gulf Port Plan Faces New Iran Risk

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By Stephen M. Bland
| The Times of Central Asia
Kazakhstan has moved a long-planned southern trade project from talks to contract. The move gives Astana a possible foothold on the Persian Gulf, but it comes as a second night of U.S. strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliation around the Gulf states have raised the cost of using that route. On June 28, Kazakhstan and Iran signed a 27-year BOT agreement to build a Kazakh transport and logistics terminal at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas.
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Central Asia’s Fuel Squeeze Becomes a Winter Energy Security Problem

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By Stephen M. Bland
| The Times of Central Asia
Central Asia’s fuel squeeze is moving from filling stations into winter planning. Governments are now tracking gasoline and diesel, gas pipelines, coal deliveries, power imports, jet fuel, and emergency repair crews. Seasonal fuel and power stress is familiar across the region, but the current pressure – tied to Russia, the main supplier for several regional fuel flows – has arrived early. Russia’s own fuel crisis has sharpened the risk.
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See all 239 licensed articles (256 Total)

Interview

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How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

Through my website contact page.

What's your favorite social network?

Twitter

What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?

Persevere and find new angles.
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