RUSSIA: More long jail sentences, removals of citizenship

In a typical recent case, a court in Saransk, capital of the Republic of Mordoviya, handed two Jehovah's Witnesses long prison sentences on 19 September for exercising their freedom of religion or belief. It jailed 39-year-old Ivan Neverov for 7...

Herat Tribal Peace Paves Way for Central Asian Connectivity Projects

In Herat province, a long-standing conflict between the Timuri and Achakzai tribal communities has officially ended. With the mediation of local authorities, religious scholars (ulemas), and community elders, peace was sealed by a public...

Bloomberg: Putin Has Lost Influence In Former Empire

3 Allies have turned their backs and are forging ties with China, the EU and Turkey. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will attend a CIS summit in Tajikistan on October 10, where leaders of member countries will express their support for him. In...

Former champion Brook to face UAE's Al Dah in Dubai to mark life of Hatton

Former IBF world welterweight champion Kell Brook is making a comeback in Dubai next February in a bout to honour the late Ricky Hatton. Hatton had been set to make a comeback of his own against UAE fighter Eisa Al Dah on December 2, but died last...

Kazakhstan Boosts Grain Exports by 14%, Driven by Strong Demand in Central Asia, Caucasus

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has exported 1.6 million tons of new-harvest grain between Sept. 1 and Oct. 19, showing a 14% increase compared to the same period last year. The export growth reflects rising demand for Kazakh grain across Central Asia and the...

The Eighth ‘-Stan’ the Arab World Won’t See

Kazakh-stan, Afghan-stan, Uzbek-stan, Tajik-stan, Kyrgyz-stan, Pakistan, Turkmen-istan – seven familiar suffixes on our maps, each meaning, simply, “land.” There is, however, an eighth that has been deliberately erased from the cartographic...

Report: State of E-Commerce in Central Asia

nCa Report Editor’s Note: There are certain shortcomings in this report, mainly because quite a bit of the related information and data is not available on the net. Some of the information is behind the firewalls. The difference in methodologies...

Tokayev Calls for Stronger CIS Unity Amid Global Tensions

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to strengthen unity, expand economic cooperation, and coordinate actions to maintain peace amid growing global instability....

The competition «Hünärli nesil-röwşen geljek» was held in Balkan velayat

Celebrations and events at various levels dedicated to the International year of peace and trust are gaining momentum in the Balkan velayat. A competition recently held at the «Türkmeniň ak öýi» building in Balkanabat was one such exciting event....

Russia-China Gas Pact Poses New Challenges For India

India should simultaneously prioritise domestic exploration and production of more oil and gas in the country and ensure we retain diversified suppliers for imports, points out former foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra...

Putin Courts Central Asian Leaders at Regional Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan on Thursday during the first full day of his state visit to Dushanbe. Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmon greeted the Russian...

Shavkat Mirziyoyev calls for stronger Central Asia–Russia partnership amid global tensions.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the second “Central Asia – Russia” summit held today in Dushanbe. According to the presidential press service, the meeting, chaired by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was also...

Hatay quake survivors craft sports apparel for local football academy

HATAY In the wake of the devastating Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes that struck Türkiye’s south, women in Hatay’s İskenderun have turned resilience into creativity, designing sportswear for young athletes. At a sewing shop launched eight months ago at...

Putin: Russia and Tajikistan are working to strengthen defense

Dushanbe - Saba: Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed, during an official visit to Tajikistan, today, Thursday, that Russia and Tajikistan are continuously cooperating in the fields of defense and security. During a meeting with Tajik...

Russia increases gas supplies to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan by 15%.

The combined economies of the three Central Asian countries could grow by 60% within the next five to six years, which would require a rise in gas consumption. Photo: Alexander Demyanchuk / TASS Since the beginning of 2025, Russia has increased...

‘It isn’t fair’: Australian taxpayers supporting China’s renewables, ‘gender equality’ vision

Australian taxpayers have bankrolled a Chinese climate initiative aimed at driving renewables in the nation’s built-up east, which an expert has slammed as "a vain attempt to help them decarbonise." The Chinese Communist Party-run initiative aims...

Russia and Tajikistan Strengthen Ties as Vladimir Putin Visits Dushanbe, Hails 'Reliable Alliance'

In a significant diplomatic engagement, Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on a three-day state visit to Tajikistan, arriving in the capital, Dushanbe, late on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. During his visit, Putin met with his Tajik...

UN liquidity crisis: analysis of contributions paid by UN Member States by date of payment (2019-2025)

This analysis is regularly updated and serves as complementary information to ISHR’s report ‘Budget Battles at the UN: How States try to Defund Human Rights’ launched on 21 October 2025. Funding the UN’s regular budget The UN’s regular budget...

Environmental Disaster and Hopeful Revival in Central Asia

Zaualkhan Ermakhanov grew up in the village of Ak-basy in western Kazakhstan, on the northern shore of what was once the Aral Sea. He learned to catch fish when he was very young. “The fish fed us, and we had to feed ourselves,” he recalled years...

Uzbekistan Weighs Risks of Chabahar Investment

Executive Summary: Uzbekistan’s plans to build infrastructure facilities at the Iranian Chabahar port to gain direct access to the Indian Ocean have not been implemented, indicating Tashkent’s possibly cautious approach to this issue. New Delhi is...