Local Politics - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 379 - 384 of 633

More Mudflows Flood Homes in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Region

Powerful mudslides caused by heavy rains are again causing damage in Kyrgyzstan's northern Issyk-Kul region. A state of emergency has been declared in three districts. The mudflows descended in several locations in the south and north of the Issyk-Kul region, flooding highways and mountain passes. In the town of Cholpon-Ata, water from the canal has reportedly flooded the streets. Several resorts and vacation homes have also been flooded, and there are power outages in the region. Eyewitnesses have reported that Lake Issyk-Kul has turned green. It is known that dozens of people have been evacuated from the flooded areas. Seven hundred fifty-five rescuers and military personnel are clearing up the damage, but heavy rains are still forecast for the coming days. Other parts of Kyrgyzstan, such as Naryn and Jalal-Abad in the center of the country, are also susceptible to mudflows. “We urge citizens to be vigilant and observe precautionary measures,” rescuers have appealed to citizens.

Justice Tajikistan Justice Home Tajikistan Local Politics Tajikistan Local Politics Tajikistan Home

New York NGO Calls on Tajik Authorities to Release Journalist Ahmad Ibrohim

The New York-based press freedom NGO the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Tajik authorities to release journalist Ahmad Ibrohim. Ibrohim is the founder and editor-in-chief of Paiq, the only independent newspaper in Tajikistan's Khatlon region. According to Radio Ozodi sources, Ibrohim was detained on August 12. CPJ expressed concern that his arrest underscores the dangers journalists in Tajikistan face. CPJ's Program Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia, Gulnoza Said, said Tajik authorities should release Ibrohim and seven other journalists imprisoned for their professional activities, and ensure media freedom. Officials have not yet provided information about Ibrohim's detention, and his relatives refuse to comment. However, a source in the security services said that a criminal case had been opened against him under Article 320 of the Criminal Code (bribery), allegedly for attempting to bribe a government official to extend Paiq's registration. This is not the first instance of government pressure on Paiq. In 2014, the regional prosecutor's office stopped the newspaper from operating, citing problems with renewing its registration. Despite this, Ahmad Ibrohim continued to work, remaining one of the few independent journalists in the region.

Central Asia Local Politics Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy Kyrgyzstan Local Politics Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Kyrgyzstan Lacks Cement Amid Booming Construction

Kyrgyzstan is experiencing a cement shortage as new high-rise residential buildings and thousands of one- and two-story houses are being erected nationwide. This booming construction requires a large amount of cement, which has caused huge demand for the product. Local media quoted Syrgak Omorov, a representative of the Anti-monopoly Regulation Service, as saying that domestic producers are not capable of meeting the growing need. The Kant cement plant, the country’s largest cement producer, typically produces 600,000 tons of cement annually, but this year the production volume has already exceeded a million tons. According to Omorov, the Kant cement plant can produce up to 4,000 tons daily, but market demand is 5,000 tons. The official attributes the shortage to the unprecedented scale construction of housing and social facilities, such as schools. Earlier this month, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov, announced that the number of new schools and residential buildings constructed in Kyrgyzstan has exceeded Soviet-era figures. Japarov cited data from the National Statistical Committee, saying that 1.560 million square meters of residential housing were built in Kyrgyzstan when it was part of the Soviet Union in 1990. In 2023, independent Kyrgyzstan constructed 1.587 million square meters of housing. The highest numbers of secondary schools were built in 1968 and 1987 — 50 in each of those years, while in 2023, Kyrgyzstan built 105 new schools. Last week, TCA reported that Kyrgyzstan is also suffering from a shortage of laborers, with the head of the construction agency in the Kyrgyz Republic stating that the construction industry alone urgently needs at least 10,000 workers.

Education Turkmenistan Life & Culture Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Local Politics Local Politics

Turkmen Student Wins UNESCO Prize in AI Competition

Abdyleziz Saryev, a student from Turkmenistan's International University of Humanities and Development, has won the award for "Best Idea and Approach" at the third UNESCO International Model competiton on the ethics of using artificial intelligence in education. The event's final stage was held from August 12-14 in Almaty, and Saryev won the jury's recognition against stiff competition from students from 52 countries. In addition to Saryev, awards were given to representatives of Egypt and Hong Kong. Students from these countries were recognized for "Best Paper" and "Best Presentation", respectively. The Third UNESCO International Model is an educational event in which students try on the role of representatives of UNESCO member states by simulating official UNESCO meetings. Participants get an opportunity to study in-depth the international problems related to the use of AI, and propose solutions for their implementation in the education system.

Central Asia Uzbekistan Local Politics Business & Economy Uzbekistan Business & Economy Uzbekistan Local Politics

Uzbekistan Targets Further Reduction in Poverty Rate

Uzbekistan has set itself the ambitious goal of reducing the rate of poverty in the country from 11% to 7% in the next three years. To achieve this, the government plans to introduce a series of systematic measures to improve the economic situation of low-income segments of the population. The main emphasis will be placed on the development of the private sector and entrepreneurship, which should lead to the creation of new jobs. In addition to economic measures, attention will be paid to improving the social protection system, improving the quality and accessibility of education, and expanding access to healthcare. Since 2020, Uzbekistan has made significant progress in fighting poverty: the poverty rate has fallen in this time from 17% to 11%. This has been achieved through a comprehensive approach that includes economic and social reforms. In the Syrdarya region, for example, the poverty rate has fallen by 6 percentage points, and in the Andijan region by 5.5 percentage points. The authorities plan to allocate significant funds annually to fight poverty. This money will be distributed to regions and mahallas (local communities) with high levels of poverty, where individual support programs for each family will be introduced. Public control over the implementation of these programs will also be strengthened.

Central Asia Uzbekistan International Affairs Local Politics Uzbekistan Justice Uzbekistan International Affairs Uzbekistan Local Politics

Uzbekistan Brings Home Citizens Convicted Abroad

On August 13, Uzbekistan amended its Code of Criminal Procedure to compel Uzbekistan's citizens who have been imprisoned for crimes in certain foreign countries to serve the rest of their sentences in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has so far signed agreements with only 10 countries for imprisoned persons to be transferred to prisons in Uzbekistan to continue serving their sentences. According to Sherzod Tokhtashev, a politician from the government-aligned Miliy Tiklanish (National Revival) party, this law does not concern Uzbeks currently imprisoned in Russia. He did however mention that there are separate appeals in parliament to return Uzbek nationals convicted of crimes in Russia to domestic jails. At the same time, there are also calls for these prisoners' families to be brought home. “We receive requests to return children and relatives of Uzbeks from Russian prisons to Uzbekistan. Due to the lack of an agreement with Russia on the exchange of prisoners, everyone is helpless,” said Tokhtashev. According to Uzbek government, 20 citizens of Uzbekistan are currently serving terms in Italy, 250 in Turkey, and more than 450 in Kazakhstan.