Eurasianet

Tashkent is eager not to be seen as endorsing anti-war positions.

Plus: The geopolitical rivalry over Central Asia heats back up.

Mirziyoyev has himself said he wants a free press, although his remarks are greeted coolly by skeptics.

Farmland and pastures across Central Asia are far less productive after decades of monocropping.

News reported last week about Uzbekistan preparing to accommodate Russian gas in its pipelines may not have been true, despite officials initially stating otherwise.

The teen creators of the video have got the backing of at least one senior official though.

Plus: Rising gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan

The activist ended up being hoist by his own petard when he was fined for disseminating religious material without permission.

Police routinely catch people trying to sell mercury on the black market.

Young people are falling prey to new scams that their parents’ generation could never have imagined.

Local media have ignored a report by RFE/RL's Uzbek service about shady goings-on in the oil and gas sector.

Plus: Valentine’s Day is just one challenge to dating in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Details are still unclear, suggesting the ban is a sudden decision – perhaps in response to the devastation in Turkey.

Organizers say the move to Bukhara is not political, but Tashkent is keeping a close eye on Karakalpakstan after unrest last summer.

There is wariness, though, particularly in Kyrgyzstan, about jobs and ethnic tensions.