BISHKEK — Improving how homes are heated is the most effective way to prevent deaths from poor air quality in the Kyrgyz capital, finds the first ever study of key air pollution sources and impacts for the city released recently.

ASTANA — Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission has approved the election schedule for Senate elections, which will be held on January 14, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported.

TASHKENT — In October, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended a presentation on the development of the electric vehicle industry in Uzbekistan. Based on the instructions given at that time, proposals were prepared for organizing the production of electric vehicles and increasing the number of charging stations in Uzbekistan. These proposals were discussed at a meeting chaired by the President last week, the president’s website reported.

ASTANA — The foreign representative office of Kazakh Invest National Company in Europe, together with the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Austria, last week negotiated with Austrian companies on the potential placement of part of the production and implementation of investment projects in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Invest reported.

LONDON — For the first time since 2019, diplomats and experts from the art world have come together to support the continent's best writers. On 18th-19th of November, the Yunus Emre Institute (London) hosted the Hertfordshire Press Award Ceremony and Festival, established with the support of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London).

AKTAU, Kazakhstan — Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi and Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan Kairbek Uskenbayev took part in a Ministerial meeting on Trans–Caspian connectivity on November 25. The foreign ministers and transport ministers of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey considered a number of issues on developing a set of measures to accelerate the development of international transport routes through the modernization of their functioning conditions and worked out practical steps to strengthen cooperation in the Caspian-Black Sea region, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported.

BISHKEK — The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, together with UNICEF, FAO, WFP, WHO, Mercy Corps and USAID, earlier this month released the results of the National Integrated Micronutrient and Anthropometric Survey in the Kyrgyz Republic (NIMAS) – the first large-scale study on the nutritional status of children and women ever conducted in Kyrgyzstan. A total of 3,452 households were targeted and 3,062 were surveyed in all regions, with blood samples being analyzed by certified laboratories in Germany, Jordan and Tanzania. The study was designed to determine the micronutrient deficiencies and other nutrition issues that are affecting children aged 6-59 months and 5-9 years, adolescent girls aged 10-19 years, women of reproductive age 15-49 years and pregnant women, presenting the data by age groups and regions.

DUSHANBE — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), through the joint Thrive Tajikistan program, opened three new drinking water supply systems and two school latrines in Nosiri Khusrav district of Khatlon province. The drinking water systems will provide clean, reliable water to almost 800 households (around 3,600 people), and the new school latrines will provide access to improved sanitation to more than 700 schoolchildren and teachers, the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan said on November 25.

ASTANA — On November 25, the 5th plenary meeting of the Kazakh-Canadian Business Council was held, during which issues of bilateral trade were discussed. The event was aimed at exploring new business opportunities in Kazakhstan and Canada, as well as providing a platform for meetings with potential clients and business partners, the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration reported.

DUSHANBE — A well-known activist and an ex-commander were among five defendants given life sentences by the Tajik Supreme Court on November 23 amid a crackdown by authorities following unrest in the volatile Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), RFE/RL's Tajik Service reported.

BISHKEK — A UN rights envoy, international rights groups, and Western governments have condemned a Kyrgyz court's decision to deport anti-corruption journalist Bolot Temirov to Russia after convicting him of illegally obtaining a Kyrgyz passport.

BISHKEK — Hundreds of Batken residents will receive critical-need items from the United States as part of a larger U.S. effort to support affected citizens in the region. This aid was made possible through cooperation between the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek and the Ministry of Emergency Situations to coordinate a U.S. Department of Defense humanitarian aid cargo flight that delivered these supplies, the U.S. Embassy said on November 24.

TASHKENT — The Uzbekistan Trade Info, a new step-by-step trade information platform was launched on November 23 in Tashkent. This new online platform was developed by the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade with the technical support of the International Trade Centre and funded by the European Union, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported.

TASHKENT — The United States through its Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 23 delivered 131,000 kilograms of food aid worth approximately $410,000 to Uzbekistan. This 13th annual shipment of food aid contains a nutritious vegetable and legume mix which is specially formulated to deliver micronutrients, increase daily calorie and protein intake, and has an extremely long shelf life. The mix will be distributed to health and social care institutions and vulnerable households, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan said.

ASHGABAT — A joint European Union-Turkmenistan Conference on Green Energy and EU Hydrogen and Methane Emissions Reduction Strategies took place in Ashgabat on 22-23 November, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry reported.

BISHKEK — The Bishkek City Court upheld a decision to deport noted Kyrgyz investigative journalist Bolot Temirov to Russia after finding him guilty of illegally obtaining a Kyrgyz passport, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

ASTANA — As part of the visit of a delegation of Saint-Gobain International Group of Companies to Taraz (the main city of the Zhambyl region in south Kazakhstan), a meeting was held between the management of the French company and representatives of more than 60 dealer organizations for the sale of goods in the construction sector, Kazakh Invest National Company said on November 23.

ASTANA — A business mission of the Russian Federation in the field of industrial equipment, organized by JSC Russian Export Center (REC), took place in Astana on November 22.

KABUL — Living conditions remain difficult for Afghan families as two-thirds of households in the country continue to struggle to meet basic food and non-food needs, finds a new World Bank survey published on November 22.

ASHGABAT — The Lebap Welayat Library jointly with the Turkmenabat American Corner and the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan on November 18 hosted the book fair dedicated to the 30 years of U.S.-Turkmenistan diplomatic relations, 20 years of Turkmenabat American Corner and the International Education Week. The book fair featured an exhibit of the classic American literature translated into Turkmen. Participants had a chance to experience some of the exciting activities regularly conducted in the American Corners: Makerspace and STEM activities, EducationUSA resources dedicated to preparing for U.S. higher education admissions, and English language learning activities. Participants competed in the English language Spelling Bee competition in three age groups, and showcased their English mastery and public speaking confidence.

ASTANA — The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan has declared incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the winner of the November 20 early presidential election.

BISHKEK — Primary school children in 124 schools across the Kyrgyz Republic will receive critical nourishment in their formative years through locally produced kefir during the 2022-2023 school year. This is made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, implemented by Mercy Corps, the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan said on November 22.

ASHGABAT — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with the support of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO and in partnership with the local consulting company Orlan, on November 19 hosted a final event of the Handmade Exports 2022 (HME) startup incubator program. The event featured a crafts exhibition and a contest among six program finalists who delivered presentations on their new businesses, products, and achievements to a panel of judges, the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan reported.

BISHKEK — The landslide victory of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the November 20 early presidential elections in Kazakhstan was quite predictable and logical, Zainidin Kurmanov, a former speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, who observed the vote at a Kazakh polling station on election day, told 24.kg news agency.

ASTANA — Incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as expected, has easily won an early presidential election in Kazakhstan.