The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

A delivery courier in Tashkent says police confiscated the electric bicycle he used to deliver orders after demanding a driver's license, leaving him unable to work. In an early October video appeal, the man said his bicycle could not exceed 25 kilometers per hour and that he did not ride on roads used by cars.

Economist Otabek Bakirov published the video amid increasingly frequent police inspections of moped and scooter riders, including delivery workers.

Police have justified the inspections by pointi

Drone Strikes on Russian Data Centers Disrupt Yandex Services Across Central Asia

Uzbekistan AI: Can Its Tech Boom Deliver an AI Economy?

Child Protection Laws

Uzbekistan Introduces Life Imprisonment for Rape of Children Under 14

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Delivery Couriers

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

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Drug Smuggling

Russian Rapper Navai Detained at Kazakhstan Border on Suspicion of Drug Smuggling

4 hours ago

CICA

Kazakhstan Proposes Asian Transport Strategy at Baku Summit

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Labor Migration

Kyrgyzstan Expands Foreign Worker Quotas While Citizens Work Abroad

4 hours ago

Growth Forecasts

Central Asia Economic Growth Expected to Slow in 2027

5 hours ago

White Tigers

White Tiger Cubs Born at Ashgabat Zoo

1 day ago

Railway Economics

Opinion: China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway: Turning Transit Into Local Benefits

1 day ago

AI training

Women in Tech Uzbekistan Forum Highlights Growing Demand for AI Skills

1 day ago

Economic Growth

Kazakhstan Economic Growth Hits 4.2% Despite Decline in Oil Production

1 day ago

Small Businesses

Almaty Facade Renovations Leave Small Businesses in the Dust

1 day ago

public transport

Bishkek Metro Plans Resurface Despite High Costs and Low Demand

1 day ago

Mineral Processing

Kazakhstan Proposes Local Rare Earth Processing Partnership with Belgium

1 day ago

Global Power Rankings

Kazakhstan Ranks 34th, Uzbekistan 71st Among World’s Most Powerful Countries

1 day ago

Airline Expansion

Tajikistan’s Shohin Airlines Unveils First Plane

2 days ago

Migrant Resettlement

Kyrgyzstan Rejects European Migrant Resettlement Proposals

2 days ago

C5+1 Diplomacy

C5+1 and the Forgotten Geography of Central Asia

2 days ago

political parties

Tokayev Dissolves Kazakhstan Local Councils Ruling Party Merger

2 days ago

Innovation Rankings

Central Asia in the Global Innovation Rankings: Supercomputers, Engineers, and the Economics of Government Ambitions

2 days ago

Agricultural Trade

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Apple and Potato Import Ban to Protect Domestic Farmers

2 days ago

Nuclear Power Plant

IAEA Helps Kazakhstan Prepare for Nuclear Infrastructure Review

2 days ago

Water Shortages

Uzbekistan Rejects Claims That the Amu Darya Is Drying Up

2 days ago

Regional Cooperation

Opinion: Central Asia’s Minilateral Diplomacy and the Limits of Cooperation

2 days ago

Artificial intelligence

Kazakhstan’s AI Strategy: Eurasia’s Emerging Digital Power

2 days ago

Middle Corridor

Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan Ties Could Reorient Central Asian Integration

3 days ago

Nuclear Energy

Japanese Firm Backs Uzbekistan’s Nuclear-Powered Data Center Project

3 days ago

Vibe Coding

Kazakhstan Begins Military AI Training for 75 Personnel

3 days ago

Grain Trade

Kazakhstan’s Grain Exports to Europe Hit Russian Rail Bottleneck

3 days ago

Flaxseed Trade

Kazakhstan Flaxseed Exports Hit Record 1.3 Million Tons

3 days ago

Safety measures

Kyrgyzstan Road Safety Plan Proposed After 900 Traffic Deaths in 2025

3 days ago

Features

Railway Economics

Opinion: China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway: Turning Transit Into Local Benefits

At the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan on October 8, 2026, Azerbaijan joined the forum as a full member after three years of participation as a guest of honor. President Ilham Aliyev stated that “Transport is one of the primary areas of...

AI Training

Women in Tech Uzbekistan Forum Highlights Growing Demand for AI Skills

Small Businesses

Almaty Facade Renovations Leave Small Businesses in the Dust

Global Power Rankings

Kazakhstan Ranks 34th, Uzbekistan 71st Among World’s Most Powerful Countries

C5+1 Diplomacy

C5+1 and the Forgotten Geography of Central Asia

political parties

Tokayev Dissolves Kazakhstan Local Councils Ruling Party Merger

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on October 12 terminating the powers of maslikhats, the country’s local representative assemblies. Snap elections must now be held by December 12. The move follows a decision in June 2026 to merge the Amanat party into the newly established pro-presidential Adilet party, which...

Innovation Rankings

Central Asia in the Global Innovation Rankings: Supercomputers, Engineers, and the Economics of Government Ambitions

Artificial Intelligence

Kazakhstan’s AI Strategy: Eurasia’s Emerging Digital Power

Astana hosted AI & Digital Bridge 2026 on October 1–3, and NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to visit the capital on October 23 for a fireside chat with Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. Speaking to The Times of...

Religious Regulations, Russian Rehearsals, and the TCTC’s Regional Roadblocks

00:00 / 00:00

Dastan
Short Stories from the Region

Dastan: Why Are Uzbekistan’s Snipers So Good?

00:00 / 00:00

Opinions

Opinion: Central Asia Is More Than Minerals

Eric Rudenshiold & S. Frederick Starr

Opinion: Weaponizing Faith – The Cold War Roots of Central Asia’s Security Dilemma

Zabikhulla Saipov

From Lenin to Kenesary: What Kazakhstan’s Renamed Streets Say About Power

Issatay Minuarov

Opinion: Why Central Asia Cannot Afford to Abandon the Iranian Route

Timur Serikuly

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Show What Diplomacy Can Deliver as Vast Rail Project with China Advances

Javier M. Piedra

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

Mathieu Lemoine

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Demining Expertise Could Provide Boost to Afghanistan

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Uzbekistan Census – When the Village Reappears in the City

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: The Specter Is Back – A Kazakh Warning to America

Askar Alimzhanov

Opinion: The Amu Darya Stress Test – Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Politics of Agricultural Adaptation

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s New Income Growth Plan – Administrative Measures Against Market Realities

Igor Klevtsov

Opinion: Central Asia’s Shift from Silk Road Romance to Infrastructure Finance – What the June Forums Are Building

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

Business & Economy

Labor Migration

Kyrgyzstan Expands Foreign Worker Quotas While Citizens Work Abroad

Kyrgyzstan plans to allow up to 120,000 foreign nationals to work in the country in 2027, even as more than 700,000 of its own citizens have worked abroad this year. Although official estimates are lower than four years ago, the country remains heavily dependent on money sent home by migrant workers, particularly those in Russia. According to the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan received approximately $3.5 billion in transfers from abroad in 2025, more than 90% of which came from Russia. The Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration reported that 736,600 citizens had worked abroad so far...

Railway Economics

Opinion: China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway: Turning Transit Into Local Benefits

Economic Growth

Kazakhstan Economic Growth Hits 4.2% Despite Decline in Oil Production

Airline Expansion

Tajikistan’s Shohin Airlines Unveils First Plane

Nuclear Power Plant

IAEA Helps Kazakhstan Prepare for Nuclear Infrastructure Review

Growth Forecasts

Central Asia Economic Growth Expected to Slow in 2027

After several years of rapid expansion, Central Asian economies are expected to lose some momentum. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) forecasts that regional economic growth will slow from 5.8% in 2026 to 5.3% in 2027. However, growth in manufacturing and construction will not necessarily translate into comparable increases in household incomes. The forecast appears in the EBRD’s September report. The bank’s Central Asia figures also include Mongolia, so the regional growth rate should not be interpreted as an average for the five Central Asian countries alone. The Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) has published its...

AI Training

Women in Tech Uzbekistan Forum Highlights Growing Demand for AI Skills

Uzbekistan is attracting foreign technology companies, expanding IT education, and training young people to work with artificial intelligence. But employers’ needs are changing faster than educational programs can adapt. Just a few years ago, companies were looking for programmers, then cloud technology specialists. Now they need developers capable of building AI systems and autonomous digital agents. Against this backdrop, discussions in Tashkent are focusing on how to increase women’s participation in the technology industry and enable them not only to learn new tools but also to develop their own products. These issues took center stage at the Women in Tech...

Mineral Processing

Kazakhstan Proposes Local Rare Earth Processing Partnership with Belgium

Kazakhstan has invited Belgian companies to help process critical minerals domestically. Astana hopes to gain access to European processing technologies to expand exports of higher-value products used in high-tech industries. For now, the two sides are discussing laboratory testing and potential projects, with no new investment agreements announced. The proposal was presented at a Kazakhstan-Belgium seminar held on October 12 at Nazarbayev University in Astana. Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Olzhas Saparbekov said Kazakhstan could supply 21 of the 34 critical raw materials on the European Union's list. "We are ready to discuss phased models under which processing is...

Innovation Rankings

Central Asia in the Global Innovation Rankings: Supercomputers, Engineers, and the Economics of Government Ambitions

In the Global Innovation Index (GII), published on September 29 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Kazakhstan climbed eight places to rank 73rd among 139 economies. Uzbekistan ranked 77th and Kyrgyzstan 92nd. Tajikistan placed 112th, while Turkmenistan was not included in the study. The overall rankings, however, conceal some interesting details. Uzbekistan ranks second worldwide in the share of graduates in science and engineering. Kyrgyzstan ranks second in labor productivity growth, while Tajikistan leads in utility model applications relative to the size of its economy. Utility models are a simpler form of patent protection, usually for smaller inventions. Such...

Local Politics

Delivery Couriers

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

A delivery courier in Tashkent says police confiscated the electric bicycle he used to deliver orders after demanding a driver's license, leaving him unable to work. In an early October video appeal, the man said his bicycle could not exceed 25 kilometers per hour and that he did not ride on roads used by cars. Economist Otabek Bakirov published the video amid increasingly frequent police inspections of moped and scooter riders, including delivery workers. Police have justified the inspections by pointing to traffic accidents. Figures released in early October put the number of accidents involving mopeds and scooters in Uzbekistan...

political parties

Tokayev Dissolves Kazakhstan Local Councils Ruling Party Merger

Vibe Coding

Kazakhstan Begins Military AI Training for 75 Personnel

Election Campaign

Kyrgyzstan Presidential Election: What Has Changed Since 2020?

Population

Kyrgyzstan Aging Population Puts Growing Pressure on Pension System

Public Transport

Bishkek Metro Plans Resurface Despite High Costs and Low Demand

Bishkek is once again talking about building a metro, despite an assessment by the Kyrgyz capital's own planners that it would attract too few passengers and cost roughly ten times as much as a tram network. Officials have now raised it with French and European development partners. Plans for the new transport systems were discussed on October 9 by Bishkek First Deputy Mayor Kubanychbek Imanaliev, French Ambassador Nicolas Faye, and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The French side expressed its willingness to help finance a feasibility study. Alexander Baranov, one of the developers of the city's...

Agricultural Trade

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Apple and Potato Import Ban to Protect Domestic Farmers

Kyrgyzstan is considering temporary bans on apple and potato imports to prevent foreign produce from driving down prices during the domestic harvest season. The proposed apple import ban would remain in place until February 1, 2027, while potato imports would be restricted until March 1. The Ministry of Agriculture expects Kyrgyz farmers to harvest 179,400 metric tons of apples this year. Meanwhile, the country imported 6,400 tons between January and August, more than twice the amount imported during all of 2025. The main suppliers were Poland (3,600 tons), China (1,700 tons), and Uzbekistan (859 tons). Kyrgyz apple exports, by contrast,...

Ministry of Defense

Kazakhstan Names Former Finance Official Deputy Defense Minister Amid Military Shake-Up

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Tatyana Savelyeva deputy defense minister on October 7. The former vice minister of finance and member of parliament joins a ministry undergoing a major investigation following the deaths of 14 service members during exercises in the Caspian Sea. The investigation has led to criminal cases and arrests, while senior military commanders have been dismissed. Savelyeva replaced Asker Beisenov, who was dismissed from his position on the same day. To take up the appointment, she resigned early from the Kurultai, Kazakhstan's new unicameral parliament. Savelyeva joined it in late August 2026. The 50-year-old Savelyeva has spent most...

Tourism

Turkmenistan Launches E-Visa System, But Questions Remain

Turkmenistan says it has introduced an online visa system that will streamline travel for foreign citizens, though there is some uncertainty about the new procedures for visiting one of the world’s most closed countries. The State Migration Service briefed foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations about its system of processing and issuing electronic visas as well as an online system to register foreign citizens staying in Turkmenistan, along with “individuals and legal entities” hosting them. “New digital services will allow foreign citizens arriving in the country to save time, transfer documents to electronic management, and carry out all work...

International Affairs

CICA

Kazakhstan Proposes Asian Transport Strategy at Baku Summit

Kazakhstan has proposed a common transport strategy for Asia at a summit in Baku, where Central Asian leaders called for closer economic and technological cooperation. The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan presented their initiatives on October 15 at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The proposals came amid negotiations to transform the forum into a full-fledged international organization. CICA has particular historical significance for Kazakhstan. The idea of establishing the forum was first proposed in 1992 by Nursultan Nazarbayev, then the country’s president, at the United Nations General Assembly. President...

Migrant Resettlement

Kyrgyzstan Rejects European Migrant Resettlement Proposals

Regional Cooperation

Opinion: Central Asia’s Minilateral Diplomacy and the Limits of Cooperation

Fuel Supplies

Tajikistan Holds Fuel Talks With U.S. After Starting Imports From Iran

Visa Liberalization

Tajikistan and Iran Expand Visa-Free Travel

Global Power Rankings

Kazakhstan Ranks 34th, Uzbekistan 71st Among World’s Most Powerful Countries

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were the only Central Asian countries included in World Population Review’s 2026 ranking of the world’s 100 most powerful countries, placing 34th and 71st, respectively. Kazakhstan ranked immediately ahead of Egypt (35th), and also placed above the United Arab Emirates (37th), South Africa (38th), Norway (39th), Saudi Arabia (40th), Pakistan (42nd), and Iran (46th). Among former Soviet republics, Russia ranked higher, in 11th place, while Ukraine came in 51st and Belarus 57th. Uzbekistan placed below Cambodia (69th) and Oman (70th), but ahead of Sri Lanka (72nd), Estonia (75th), Kenya (77th), Algeria (79th), and Armenia (80th). World Population...

C5+1 Diplomacy

C5+1 and the Forgotten Geography of Central Asia

In modern diplomacy, Central Asia usually means five post-Soviet states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. But how fixed are the region’s boundaries, and who gets to define them? Should Central Asia be understood as the five states that have emerged as a distinct political space? A broader historical and cultural region that includes Afghanistan, parts of Iran, western China, and Mongolia? Or an even more fluid system of economic, transportation, and strategic ties? New details about the origins of the C5+1 format involving the United States bring us back to precisely this question. Frederick Starr, one of the most...

Yandex Drone Attack

Drone Strikes on Russian Data Centers Disrupt Yandex Services Across Central Asia

Drone attacks on three Yandex data centers in Russia disrupted taxi, delivery, and other digital services in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. At the same time, the company said that Kazakh users’ personal data continued to be stored within Kazakhstan. The outages revealed how heavily Central Asia’s digital economy depends on computing infrastructure beyond its borders. Between October 8 and 11, drones attacked three Yandex data centers in Russia. The first facility hit was in Sasovo, in the Ryazan region, where two supercomputers used for artificial intelligence development were located. The center shut down completely. A subsequent strike hit a data...

Migrants in Russia

They Went to Russia for Work and Ended Up at War: How Central Asians Enter the Russian Military

Twenty-year-old Ainabek Keldibek went to Russia expecting to work as a security guard. Relatives of other young Kazakh men say they had taken jobs at a sausage factory and a poultry farm. But according to reports aired in early October on Kazakhstan’s KTK television channel, the men later ended up in or near the combat zone in Ukraine. Some appeared in videos wearing Russian military uniforms and asked Kazakhstan to help bring them home. On October 7, relatives of Kazakh citizens who had reportedly ended up in Russia’s military visited the Foreign Ministry in Astana to seek help bringing them...

Life & Culture

White Tigers

White Tiger Cubs Born at Ashgabat Zoo

Two white tiger cubs have been born at Ashgabat Zoo and will be shown to the public starting in the spring of next year, according to a Turkmen news report. Digital news outlet Takyk reported this week that the male and female cubs are under close veterinary monitoring alongside their mother at the zoo, whose formal name is the National Museum of Wildlife. The cubs were born to a tiger named Taymaz and a tigress named Narin, according to Takyk. Many people are drawn to the striking appearance of white tigers, but several international conservation groups have said the animals...

Safety measures

Kyrgyzstan Road Safety Plan Proposed After 900 Traffic Deaths in 2025

Archaeology

Rare Medieval Coins Discovered in Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul

Book Launch

Farewell to Russia: An Interview with Joe Luc Barnes on Central Asia’s Changing Role

TCA Interviews

Goethe-Institut Director on Kazakhstan’s Cultural Ties with Germany

Small Businesses

Almaty Facade Renovations Leave Small Businesses in the Dust

When Gaukhar Osmonalieva rented a space in central Almaty for a pet grooming salon and coffee shop, renovations to the building’s facade were already underway. She was assured the work would be finished soon. Her business opened in August, but instead of a busy street and an outdoor terrace, she found herself surrounded by scaffolding, a torn-up sidewalk, and constant dust. By mid-October, construction was still underway, and the customers she had hoped to attract by choosing the location were coming less frequently. “At one point, the construction workers dug up the entire road, and foot traffic dropped noticeably. We...

Archaeology

Ancient Fortress and Rare Figurine Discovered at Kalzhyr Settlement in Kazakhstan

Fortress walls destroyed by fire, remains of ancient buildings, and a rare ceramic bird figurine with a rattle inside were discovered by Kazakh archaeologists during excavations at the Kalzhyr settlement in the country's east, near the border with China. Archaeological evidence and radiocarbon analysis date the site to the 6th–7th centuries CE, when the first Turkic states were emerging in Central Asia. An expedition from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University studied the settlement in the Zaysan Basin, between the villages of Kalzhyr and Boran. Researchers uncovered the remains of fortifications in the southern part of the 25-hectare site and found evidence...

Book presentation

The Angel of Karaul in Frankfurt: Leyla’s Story as a Call for a World Without Nuclear Testing

The story of a girl from the Kazakh village of Karaul whose life was shaped by Soviet nuclear testing has reached one of the world's largest book events. Roza Mukanova's The Angel of Karaul was presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair, held from October 7 to 11. Originally written in Kazakh as Mäñgilik Bala Beine (The Eternal Child), the work has been reissued in Kazakh and English by publisher Arman-PV. The launch comes in the year marking the 35th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, which was officially shut down on August 29, 1991. Between 1949...

Language Dispute

Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air Apologizes After Uzbek-Language Dispute

Uzbekistan's Centrum Air has apologized to a passenger removed from a flight after a dispute over his request to be addressed in Uzbek. The airline initially accused the man of aggressive behavior but later acknowledged that the flight attendant had been at fault. The incident occurred on October 5 during boarding for flight C6468 from Samara to Tashkent. Daryo reported that a passenger named Komiljon had asked a flight attendant to speak to him in Uzbek after she requested his boarding pass in Russian. According to Komiljon, an argument followed, and the captain refused to allow him to travel. In...

Justice

Child Protection Laws

Uzbekistan Introduces Life Imprisonment for Rape of Children Under 14

Uzbekistan has introduced penalties of 15 to 25 years in prison or life imprisonment for rape and certain other serious sexual offenses against children under 14. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a law eliminating the statute of limitations for prosecuting these crimes. The amendments affect five codes and six laws and expand legal protections for children against physical and psychological violence, including abuse by relatives and educational staff. For intentional crimes resulting in a child's death, suspended sentences and early release on parole will be prohibited. “Violence against a young child can never be tolerated, and punishment must be inevitable...

Victim Compensation

Most Compensation for Uzbekistan’s Dok-1 Max Victims Remains Unpaid

Espionage

German Spy Scandal Puts Central Asian and Caucasus Espionage Cases in Focus

Military Deaths

Kazakhstan Defense Ministry Inspection Leads to 13 Criminal Cases in Wake of Soldiers’ Deaths

Religious Freedom

Why Central Asian Governments Are Regulating Religious Life

Drug Smuggling

Russian Rapper Navai Detained at Kazakhstan Border on Suspicion of Drug Smuggling

Russian rapper Navai Bakirov, known professionally as Navai, was detained on October 13 while entering Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan. A Kazakh court has since ordered him held in custody as police investigate suspected drug smuggling and unlawful possession of narcotics. Police in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region said officers and border guards discovered and seized a narcotic substance during a search of his vehicle at the Korday checkpoint. They have not identified the substance or disclosed the quantity seized. Navai had performed in Bishkek the previous day as part of a Central Asian concert tour. His concert scheduled for October 14 in Astana...

Political Trials

Kyrgyzstan Court Jails Kadyr Atambayev and Temirlan Sultanbekov

A court in Kyrgyzstan has sentenced Kadyr Atambayev, the son of former President Almazbek Atambayev, to four years in prison and opposition Social Democrats leader Temirlan Sultanbekov to seven years over an alleged plot to seize power following last year's parliamentary elections. The defendants denied the allegations, and Sultanbekov described the prosecution as politically motivated shortly before the October 8 verdict. The trial at Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court was held behind closed doors despite defense lawyers’ requests for public hearings, preventing independent scrutiny of much of the evidence. Kadyr Atambayev entered politics in 2021, when he was elected to Bishkek's...

Asset Recovery

Kazakhstan Ratifies European Legal Assistance Convention as Asset Recovery Push Expands

Kazakhstan has ratified the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, in a step that could strengthen a long-running effort to obtain evidence and pursue assets held across foreign jurisdictions. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the ratification law on October 6. The 1959 Council of Europe convention requires participating states to assist in criminal cases, including gathering evidence, transmitting records, serving judicial documents, and executing certain search and seizure requests. The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers invited Kazakhstan to join on June 18, 2025. Kazakh prosecutors have said accession would provide a common legal channel with European states where...

Ukrainian Childen

Ukrainian Woman Detained in Astana at Russia’s Request

Ukrainian citizen Lyubov Rozhanska has been detained at Astana airport at Russia’s request in connection with a criminal case over an alleged attempt to abduct a child, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported. She had flown from Istanbul to collect her grandson. Ukraine has called for her release and opposed her possible transfer to Russia. Rozhanska was detained on October 1 while passing through border control. She is currently being held in a pretrial detention facility in Astana, her Kazakhstan-based lawyer Riza Nurbayeva told DW. A court is expected to consider whether she should remain in custody. According to Nurbayeva and Russian...

Environment

Water Shortages

Uzbekistan Rejects Claims That the Amu Darya Is Drying Up

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Water Resources has rejected claims circulating on social media that the Amu Darya River is drying up. The ministry said water continues to flow through the river, although discharge at some locations is lower than a year ago. On October 9, the water level near Termez, where the Amu Darya enters Uzbekistan, was 27 centimeters higher than it had been at the same time in 2025. Farther downstream, however, discharge at the Kerki monitoring station was approximately 11% lower than a year earlier. These figures provide little indication of the river’s longer-term condition. The ministry noted that...

Energy

Uzbekistan Solar Panel Program Targets 3,100 Sites in $20 Million Project

Land Restoration

Kyrgyzstan Plans to Restore Land in Syr Darya Basin

Environmental Assessment

Sea Breeze Uzbekistan Clears Second Stage of Environmental Review

Rogun Dam

Tajikistan Ratifies $300 Million World Bank Grant for Rogun Dam

Water Security

Central Asia Agrees New Water Limits, but National Quotas Remain Unclear

Water has repeatedly caused friction between Central Asian governments. Uncoordinated releases have flooded communities downstream, while disputes over access have contributed to deadly fighting along contested borders. On October 7, the region's countries agreed on water withdrawals from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya for fall and winter 2026–2027, though published results do not reveal how much water each country will receive. The agreements were reached at the 95th meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) in Avaza, on Turkmenistan's Caspian coast near Turkmenbashi. Participants agreed on national water withdrawal limits and projected reservoir operating schedules, but the...

Nuclear Safety

Kazakhstan Nuclear Emergency Center Opens With U.S. Support

Kazakhstan has opened a center to monitor radiation and coordinate responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies, with support from the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The center opened on October 2 under Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency. It will receive and analyze radiation data, facilitate information exchange between government agencies, and coordinate their actions during emergencies. The authorities also plan to train specialists and conduct practical emergency-response exercises. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest uranium producer and operates nuclear research facilities. The consequences of Soviet nuclear weapons testing at Semipalatinsk continue to require monitoring and remediation. Between 1949...

Caspian Sea

Japan Funds $3 Million Caspian Sea Monitoring Project in Kazakhstan

Japan is funding a $3 million project to improve monitoring of the shrinking Caspian Sea, focusing particularly on Kazakhstan’s shallow northern basin. The project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with Kazakhstan, was officially launched in Aktau on October 5. Experts from across the Caspian region are expected to take part in joint research and a regional scientific platform designed to improve the exchange of data and expertise. For Kazakhstan, the most immediate problem lies in the northern Caspian. The water there is extremely shallow, meaning that even relatively small declines in sea level can push the...

Water Security

Opinion: Central Asia’s Old Water Bargain Was Built for Cotton

Central Asia inherited a water bargain built for another economy. In the Soviet system, upstream republics stored water and released it for summer irrigation. Downstream republics used that flow for cotton and other crops. The cost of the exchange stayed inside one plan. Water releases, electricity, fuel, and crop quotas were part of the same political economy. After 1991, the dependence survived, but the plan that balanced it did not. The 1998 Syr Darya agreement already tied reservoir operation to irrigation releases and set compensation for the winter power Kyrgyzstan gave up. The 2000 Chu-Talas agreement went on to share...

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

Latest

Features

Features

Religious Regulations, Russian Rehearsals, and the TCTC’s Regional Roadblocks

Latest

Dastan: Why Are Uzbekistan’s Snipers So Good?

Religious Regulations, Russian Rehearsals, and the TCTC’s Regional Roadblocks

Dastan: Why Are Uzbekistan’s Snipers So Good?

Opinions

Opinions

Eric Rudenshiold & S. Frederick Starr

Zabikhulla Saipov

Issatay Minuarov

Timur Serikuly

Javier M. Piedra

Mathieu Lemoine

Timur Serikuly

Zamirbek Minbaev

Askar Alimzhanov

Zamirbek Minbaev

Igor Klevtsov

Dr. Magsud Mammadov

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Expands Foreign Worker Quotas While Citizens Work Abroad

Central Asia Economic Growth Expected to Slow in 2027

Women in Tech Uzbekistan Forum Highlights Growing Demand for AI Skills

Kazakhstan Proposes Local Rare Earth Processing Partnership with Belgium

Central Asia in the Global Innovation Rankings: Supercomputers, Engineers, and the Economics of Government Ambitions

Local Politics

Local Politics

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

Bishkek Metro Plans Resurface Despite High Costs and Low Demand

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Apple and Potato Import Ban to Protect Domestic Farmers

Kazakhstan Names Former Finance Official Deputy Defense Minister Amid Military Shake-Up

Turkmenistan Launches E-Visa System, But Questions Remain

International Affairs

International Affairs

Kazakhstan Proposes Asian Transport Strategy at Baku Summit

Kazakhstan Ranks 34th, Uzbekistan 71st Among World’s Most Powerful Countries

C5+1 and the Forgotten Geography of Central Asia

Drone Strikes on Russian Data Centers Disrupt Yandex Services Across Central Asia

They Went to Russia for Work and Ended Up at War: How Central Asians Enter the Russian Military

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

White Tiger Cubs Born at Ashgabat Zoo

Almaty Facade Renovations Leave Small Businesses in the Dust

Ancient Fortress and Rare Figurine Discovered at Kalzhyr Settlement in Kazakhstan

The Angel of Karaul in Frankfurt: Leyla’s Story as a Call for a World Without Nuclear Testing

Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air Apologizes After Uzbek-Language Dispute

Justice

Justice

Uzbekistan Introduces Life Imprisonment for Rape of Children Under 14