BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Central Asia is an important geopolitical area between Europe, Russia and China. It is in Central Asia that world powers have confronted each other for centuries; it is here that China needs to succeed with its new Silk Road Belt for direct access to the Western markets; and it is here that a large wealth of raw materials has its origin. Every week thousands of news appears all over the world in printed and online media and it is quite understandable that many of them may escape the attention of busy readers. At The Times of Central Asia, we strongly believe that more information can better contribute to peaceful development and better knowledge of the region, and for this reason we are presenting this Weekly Digest of Central Asia which compiles what other media have reported during the past week.

Continue reading

ALMATY (TCA) — International passenger trains between Urumqi, the main city of China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty will have a shorter route in China starting from September 30, Xinhua news agency reported citing a local railway bureau.

Continue reading

BISHKEK (TCA) — A court in Bishkek has freed a Kyrgyz journalist, Zulpukar Sapanov, who had been sentenced to four years in prison for a book he wrote, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Continue reading

TASHKENT (TCA) — After years of being condemned by international rights organizations for the use of forced and child labor on cotton fields, the government of Uzbekistan has suddenly abandoned the practice during the ongoing harvesting season. It remains to be seen if the move is irreversible or just a campaign to mend the country’s poor rights record. We are republishing this article on the issue, originally published by EurasiaNet.org:

Continue reading

BISHKEK (TCA) — The EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Peter Burian, visited Kyrgyzstan on 27-29 September.

Continue reading

ASTANA (TCA) — At a press conference on September 28 on the application of new technologies presented at the recently concluded Expo-2017 in Astana, Deputy Chairperson of KazAgro JSC Gulnaz Atamkulova told about KazAgro’s exposition presenting the application of “green” technologies in agriculture and demonstrating the potential of Kazakhstan in the production of organic products, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.

Continue reading