TASHKENT (TCA) — The launch ceremony of a new five-year project to develop the livestock sector in Uzbekistan took place on April 23. The project is jointly funded by the European Union (€15 million) and the World Bank ($150 million) and aims to address major problems in the livestock sector such as low productivity, insufficient value addition, limited access to finance and to market for smallholder farmers, poor coordination among various stakeholders and inefficient value chain management, lack of quality of animal health services, and meagre resources for research institutions, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported.

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — A court in Kazakhstan has sentenced a former lawmaker from neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Damirbek Asylbek-Uulu, to 10 years in prison on smuggling charges at a hearing that was interrupted by a fight between defendants, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported.

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KABUL (TCA) — A report by the United Nations says U.S. and Afghan government forces killed more civilians than the number killed by Taliban fighters and other militants for the first time during a three-month period since the UN began keeping records on civilian casualties in 2009, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan reported.

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DUSHANBE (TCA) — China is the largest foreign investor in Tajikistan — and all of Central Asia — and Beijing’s growing economic expansion in the region is being complemented by the growing military and security influence in this strategic area. We are republishing the following article on the issue, written by Stephen Blank:

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NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — On April 23, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin held a meeting with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.

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DUSHANBE (TCA) — Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has canceled a government decision to increase Internet fees in the Central Asian country in the face of online protests, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported.

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