Afghanistan
Award seen as Nobel Prize for human rights won by Kabul women’s rights activist and jailed Tajik lawyer
Jury recognises “exceptional courage and determination” in “deeply repressive environments”.
PANNIER: Central Asia faces tough race against clock to prevent water crisis
Region in no doubt that climate change has arrived. Efforts to save critical resource taking on more urgency.
Pakistan could quit TAPI as India now “extremely lukewarm” on gas pipeline project, says report
Demise of investment would deal major blow to Turkmenistan, which badly needs to diversify its gas exports.
URUS-ClearPic: M&A in Central Asia Tracker
In recent years, the economies of Central Asia have witnessed various mergers and acquisitions driven by economic restructuring, geopolitical developments and opportunities arising from regional connectivity initiatives.
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Taliban warn Uzbek border town to kill the music or face Afghan trader ban
Islamic fundamentalists get cranky over concerts held at new Airitom Free Economic Zone.
Nine in 10 terrorist Tajiks recruited after migration period in Russia, study shows
Disillusioned with life under regime back home, migrant workers come under influence of extremist imams and online groups.
Kyrgyzstan facing growing winter power shortfall as demand growth outpaces investment plans
Though water levels are up at hydropower reservoirs, hot summer was a big drain on electricity reserves as air conditioners were cranked up.
Uzbekistan joins Kyrgyzstan in committing to October start on China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction
Financing for CKU edging forward with finalised commitments still to be hammered out.
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Four Western nations to sue Taliban over women's rights violations
Germany, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands have prepared a draft proposal indicating they will file a complaint against the Taliban at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if the group fails to change its policies towards Afghan women.
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TEHRAN BLOG: Iranian MP claims “17mn Afghans in Iran”
An Iranian member of parliament has claimed there are 17mn Afghan nationals residing in Iran, while Tehran officials announced a crackdown on Afghan street vendors.
PANNIER: The great mirage that is the TAPI gas pipeline
With great fanfare, construction was for a second time launched in Afghanistan, but you’ll struggle to find any observer who thinks the project is going anywhere fast.
COMMENT: Strengthening Interregional Connectivity: A Path to Prosperity for Central Asia and the Caucasus
Climate change, supply chain disruptions and the digital divide represent significant challenges to global growth. It is more important than ever to create the conditions to address these challenges.
The new Uzbek-Afghan free economic zone on the border promotes better ties with the Taliban
Uzbekistan is once again asserting itself as one of the most active countries in Central Asia in its pragmatic rapprochement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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Taliban official slams exclusion from UN General Assembly
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar, has criticised the exclusion of the group's representative from the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
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Central Asian leaders seek German expertise to build manufacturing base
German chancellor’s Central Asian tour lays groundwork for win-win deals that can nudge region in Westward direction.
Jihadists “in full swing” preparing “new September 11”, warns Afghanistan expert
Political scientist also assesses Taliban regime will fall “relatively soon” in upcoming civil war.
Central Asia is a big winner from the Ukraine war
The outbreak of war has caused devastation in Ukraine and recession in Europe, but Russia has boomed and the spillover effects means Central Asia is enjoying its strongest trade surpluses since independence and is undergoing a manufacturing boom.
COMMENT: Problems with the Taliban have bottled up Central Asian trade
The return of the Taliban has been the greatest threat to regional security and has cut Central Asia off from potentially very lucrative markets in South Asia. Diplomatic efforts to normalise relations with the Taliban are going slowly.
Afghanistan’s embassy in London to close in three weeks
Diplomatic sources in the United Kingdom say that the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office have refused to hand over the Afghan embassy in London to the Taliban and has ordered its closure.
Afghanistan: the worst country to be a woman – Statista
Rights for women are fast deteriorating in Afghanistan. In the latest major setback, a new set of vice and virtue laws have been laid out by the ruling Taliban, including rules prohibiting women from being heard or showing their faces in public.