The Times of Central Asia

Evidently freedom of speech is dead on arrival in Israel

Uzbek Citizen Detained in Israel After Video Mocking Civilians During Rocket Alert - The Times Of Central Asia An Uzbek citizen working in Israel has been detained after a video circulated online showing him mocking civilians rushing to bomb shelters during a rocket

An Uzbek citizen in Israel has been detained after posting a video mocking civilians rushing to bomb shelters during a rocket alert https://ow.ly/cxoE50Yqw2k #Uzbekistan #Israel #CentralAsia #RocketAlert #Iranwar

The USSR Is Gone, the Story Isn’t: Joe Luc Barnes On the Road Across the Former Soviet Union - The Times Of Central Asia On a foggy but mild London evening, The Times of Central Asia joined journalist and contributor Joe Luc Barnes to celebrate the launch of his new book,

Latest from our Ola's Kool Kitchen Georgian wine Armenian brandy and the ghosts of empire Joe Luc Barnes travels the former USSR to tell the human story of life after Soviet rule https://ow.ly/pvhc50YqbSI #CentralAsia #USSR #TravelWriting #History #PostSoviet #TravelStories

The USSR Is Gone, the Story Isn’t: Joe Luc Barnes On the Road Across the Former Soviet Union - The Times Of Central Asia On a foggy but mild London evening, The Times of Central Asia joined journalist and contributor Joe Luc Barnes to celebrate the launch of his new book,  A

My latest for @timesca.com vodka, gulags, and Silk Road cities @joelucbarnes.bsky.social travels the former Soviet world to ask what happened after empire timesca.com/the-ussr-is-... #CentralAsia #USSR #PostSoviet #TravelWriting #Geopolitics #NewBook

Pannier and Hillard's Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now - The Times Of Central Asia As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, we are

Stephen M. Bland will appear on the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast with @pannierb.bsky.social to discuss how the Iran war is affecting the region’s trade routes and diplomacy alongside Alex Vatanka https://ow.ly/eUOA50YpHwo #CentralAsia #IranWar #Podcast #Geopolitics #TradeRoutes #MiddleEast

Azerbaijan Accuses Iran of Drone Attack on Nakhchivan - The Times Of Central Asia Drones allegedly launched from Iranian territory struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic around noon on March 5, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has

Drones reportedly launched from Iran struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, injuring civilians and raising fears the widening conflict could spill into the South Caucasus https://ow.ly/bXqU50YpHcY #Azerbaijan #Iran #Nakhchivan #SouthCaucasus #Geopolitics #droneattack

Wallet in Telegram Launches Crypto Stocks Pilot for 27 Million Users in Uzbekistan - The Times Of Central Asia On March 5, a new “Crypto Stocks” section was introduced within the Wallet feature in Telegram, giving users access to more than 60 tokenized shares and

Telegram users in Uzbekistan can now trade tokenized U.S. stocks from $1 inside the app in a new pilot linking crypto platforms to global markets. https://ow.ly/twCc50YpEEB #Uzbekistan #Crypto #Investing #Fintech #CentralAsia #DigitalAssets #Telegram

Iran War Highlights Central Asia’s Vulnerable Southern Trade Corridors - The Times Of Central Asia The widening war centered on Iran is reverberating far beyond the Middle East, exposing a structural vulnerability in Central Asia’s economic geography: the

Latest from our Stephen M. Bland war around Iran is exposing Central Asia’s reliance on fragile southern trade corridors and accelerating the search for safer routes like the Middle Corridor https://ow.ly/bJ3q50YpGIk #CentralAsia #IranWar #TradeRoutes #MiddleCorridor #Geopolitics

Psychological Support in Kazakhstan: Growing Demand, Changing Stigma, and the State’s Move Toward Regulation - The Times Of Central Asia Just a few years ago, conversations about psychotherapy in Kazakhstan were conducted in hushed tones, as if acknowledging “weakness” or personal failure.

Psychotherapy in Kazakhstan is moving from taboo to mainstream, as demand surges and new regulations reshape mental health care. https://ow.ly/RmR850Yoyjs #Kazakhstan #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy #CentralAsia #MentalHealthAwareness

Why Tajikistan Lags Behind Global Animal Welfare Standards - The Times Of Central Asia While animals are legally recognized as sentient beings and, in some countries, effectively regarded as family members, their legal status in Tajikistan

Tajikistan faces mounting criticism over animal welfare gaps as activists call for a comprehensive protection law and end to stray culling and illegal wildlife trade https://ow.ly/4p4550YowmP #Tajikistan #AnimalRights #CentralAsia #Wildlife #Reform

Central Asia Updates from Mideast Conflict - The Times Of Central Asia The Iranian city of Sarakhs is a key transit point for trade between Iran and Central Asia. The border between Iran and Turkmenistan is more than 1,000

Kazakhstan condemns deaths of schoolgirls in Iran as Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan and Tajikistan assist stranded citizens amid escalating regional conflict https://ow.ly/lMFm50YowhN #Kazakhstan #Iran #CentralAsia #CrisisResponse #MiddleEast #IranConflict

Iran War Tests Emerging C5–Azerbaijan Solidarity - The Times Of Central Asia In an effort to coordinate responses to the Mideast conflict, the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries, as well as Azerbaijan, have spoken

Latest from our Stephen M. Bland Central Asia and Azerbaijan coordinate crisis response on Iran conflict signaling a more united C5 diplomatic front https://ow.ly/9yZ650YoxmL #CentralAsia #Azerbaijan #Iran #Diplomacy #Geopolitics #C5 #IranConflict #C5Diplomacy

Pakistan launches airstrikes inside Afghanistan after Taliban border attacks raising risks for Central Asia’s rail energy and pipeline projects https://ow.ly/vhnB50Yo9wH #Pakistan #Afghanistan #CentralAsia #Security #Geopolitics

Central Asia Confronts Iran War Fallout as Trade Routes and Citizens Come Under Pressure - The Times Of Central Asia Central Asian governments are racing to protect citizens and keep trade moving as the U.S.–Israel war with Iran widens across the Middle East, disrupting

Central Asia moves to protect citizens and trade as Middle East war disrupts oil and shipping routes https://ow.ly/u6sq50Yo9Qy #CentralAsia #Iranconflict #Trade #Energy #MiddleEast #Iran

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Kazakhstan Suspends Extradition of Navalny Associate as Courts Weigh Asylum Claim - The Times Of Central Asia Kazakhstan has suspended the extradition of Yulia Yemelyanova, a former staff member of Alexei Navalny’s St. Petersburg office, to Russia. Yemelyanova was

Latest from our Stephen M. Bland Kazakhstan suspends extradition of Russian activist Yulia Yemelyanova as courts weigh asylum claims amid shifting regional geopolitics https://ow.ly/2mny50Yn2OR #Kazakhstan #Russia #Extradition #CentralAsia #Navalny #YuliaYemelyanova

From Africa to Antarctica: How Kazakh Mountaineer Anar Burasheva Conquered Seven Continents - The Times Of Central Asia Mountaineer Anar Burasheva is the first Kazakh woman to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents and has already summited three of the world’s fourteen

In an interview Kazakh mountaineer Anar Burasheva reflects on conquering the Seven Summits and chasing all fourteen eight thousanders https://ow.ly/Emcn50Yn2iw #Kazakhstan #Mountaineering #SevenSummits #WomenInMountaineering #MountaineeringLife

Uzbekistan Continues Busy Sporting Year with Tashkent Judo Grand Slam - The Times Of Central Asia The event is the second stop on the 2026 World Judo Tour, following the Paris Grand Slam, and will feature 400 world-class judokas representing more than 40

'Uzbekistan Continues Busy Sporting Year with Tashkent Judo Grand Slam' – my latest for @timesca.com:

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How Much is Berdymuhamedov's 8 March "Gift" to Turkmen Women Actually Worth? - The Times Of Central Asia Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdymuhamedov has ordered that female residents of the country receive 60 manats each in honor of March 8, International

Turkmenistan marks International Women’s Day with a 60 manat payment to women though its real value is about three dollars at market rates https://ow.ly/B2XR50YmzSQ #Turkmenistan #InternationalWomensDay2026 #CentralAsia #Women

Russian media rhetoric toward Kazakhstan intensifies as famine history and sovereignty debates test regional ties amid Moscow’s shifting foreign policy doctrine https://ow.ly/Kvrj50YmzFL #Kazakhstan #Russia #CentralAsia #Geopolitics #History #FamineHistory

Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan on Regional Integration and a Shifting Global Order - The Times Of Central Asia Amid shifting regional dynamics and an evolving global order, Uzbekistan has emerged as one of Central Asia’s most proactive diplomatic and economic actors.

In an interview Uzbekistan’s ambassador outlines reform regional integration and pragmatic diplomacy from Kazakhstan to China and Afghanistan https://ow.ly/yMF450YmyWa #Uzbekistan #CentralAsia #Diplomacy #Geopolitics

Uzbekistan Continues Busy Sporting Year with Tashkent Judo Grand Slam - The Times Of Central Asia The event is the second stop on the 2026 World Judo Tour, following the Paris Grand Slam, and will feature 400 world-class judokas representing more than 40

Latest from our Jonathan Campion Tashkent hosts the 2026 Judo Grand Slam as Uzbekistan builds momentum in a landmark year for sport https://ow.ly/b2ih50Ymywl #Uzbekistan #Judo #Tashkent #GrandSlam2026 #JudoCommunity #JudoLife

What Is Happening to Tajikistan’s Main Nature Reserve? - The Times Of Central Asia International experts have warned of a potential water crisis in the Tigrovaya Balka nature reserve, while Tajik authorities maintain that the situation

Water regulation and rising pressure are fueling debate over the future of Tajikistan’s Tigrovaya Balka reserve https://ow.ly/E8Lu50Ym1jj #Tajikistan #Environment #Water #CentralAsia #UNESCO #TigrovayaBalka #WaterConservation

Digital Inequality in Central Asia: Who Is Winning the AI Race in Finance? - The Times Of Central Asia AI in Central Asia’s financial sector is no longer a fashionable add-on. It has become a dividing line between leaders and laggards. A comprehensive report by

AI is widening the financial divide in Central Asia, with Kazakhstan pulling ahead https://ow.ly/q3OM50Ym13w #CentralAsia #Kazakhstan #AI #Fintech #AIImpact #AIinFinance

Gender Pricing and Tax Policy in Kazakhstan: Does a “Pink Tax” Exist? - The Times Of Central Asia Women often pay more for everyday goods, from hygiene products to personal care services. In public discourse in Kazakhstan, this phenomenon is often referred

Kazakhstan’s pink tax debate underscores how pricing and pay gaps shape women’s everyday costs. https://ow.ly/gKlK50Ym0W3 #Kazakhstan #PinkTax #GenderPayGap #CentralAsia #WomensRights #FairPricing #PinkTaxAwareness

Syria After Assad: What the New Regional Order Means for Central Asia - The Times Of Central Asia The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 fundamentally reshaped Syria’s regional position. The collapse of the old power structure weakened Iran’s

Post-Assad Syria is reshaping regional power dynamics, forcing Central Asian states to weigh cautious engagement against geopolitical risk https://ow.ly/9eB350Ym1x7 #Syria #CentralAsia #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #ForeignPolicy #CentralAsiaRelations #PostAssadEra #GeopoliticalRisk

Reporter Christopher Wren, Member of 1974 Team That Found Climbers´ Bodies on Lenin Peak, Has Died - The Times Of Central Asia Christopher S. Wren, a journalist for The New York Times who was part of a 1974 American expedition that discovered the bodies of seven Soviet women climbers

Christopher S. Wren the New York Times reporter who revealed the 1974 Lenin Peak tragedy during the Cold War has died at 89 https://ow.ly/bh6750Yl8vZ #ChristopherWren #LeninPeak #Kyrgyzstan #Mountaineering #NYTimes #ColdWarHistory #MountainTragedy

Farmers, Courts, and Investors: Examining Recent Land Disputes in Uzbekistan - The Times Of Central Asia Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector is once again in the spotlight following a recent report by Human Rights Watch and the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, which

Uzbekistan’s farm reforms face scrutiny as rights groups cite coercion while officials say courts and modernization are strengthening farmers’ protections https://ow.ly/Pt4Q50Yl8bs Uzbekistan #Agriculture #LandReform #CentralAsia #HumanRights

An Early European View of Nomadic Central Asia - The Times Of Central Asia Rather than producing an official report or military survey, Karutz wrote in a personal and descriptive style typical of travel literature. His narrative

A 1911 travel memoir by German explorer Richard Karutz offers a rare glimpse of nomadic Kazakh and Turkmen life before imperial transformation https://ow.ly/MO5k50Yl7zS #CentralAsia #History #TravelWriting #Kazakhstan #Turkmenistan

Kazakh Startup Higgsfield AI: From “Unicorn” to Racism and Sexism Scandal - The Times Of Central Asia In October 2025, the Kazakh startup Higgsfield AI officially joined the ranks of “unicorns” – companies valued at more than $1 billion. The rapid growth

Kazakhstan’s first AI unicorn Higgsfield faces backlash over subscriptions deepfakes and controversial marketing that risks denting its global reputation https://ow.ly/YkTY50Yki0n #Kazakhstan #AI #Higgsfield #Tech #Startups #TechEthics