Kyrgyzstan: The rise and fall of a sex webcam magnate Daniel Azhiyev came to prominence during the COVID-19 crisis, when his philanthropy made him something of a minor folk hero. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Oct 27, 2023
Tajikistan pleads poverty, spends money on unneeded luxuries A panhandling president is unaccountable to his Western benefactors. Apr 26, 2023
China gets Central Asia’s votes, Russia gets its silence Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan opposed discussion of Xinjiang at the UN Human Rights Council. Artyem Sochnev Oct 14, 2022
China warns against meddling in Kazakhstan ahead of Putin meeting It sounded like Xi Jinping was warning Putin against any adventures in Central Asia. Joanna Lillis Sep 14, 2022
Kyrgyzstan: Authorities bristle at Black Death research Officials suspect a newly published paper on the 14th century plague is a plot to kill the country's tourism industry. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Jun 17, 2022
Kyrgyzstan National Bank predicts 20% decline in remittances The drop is far greater than what the country saw at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Jun 10, 2022
Kyrgyzstan: Controversy-mongering health minister ends up behind bars Beishenaliyev says he has been set up by vindictive prosecutors. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Jun 6, 2022
Turkmenistan: Where the streets have neigh name Out-of-touch elites, poor planning, and some signs of progress in regional trade. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin May 31, 2022
Kyrgyzstan’s donkeys-to-China trade courts controversy, corruption Religious mores, politics and the coronavirus have cast a shadow over one of the few Kyrgyz products China buys. Aigerim Turgunbaeva, Chris Rickleton May 30, 2022
Amid sanctions, Kazakh firm stops supplying Russian steelworks Kazakh companies are treading carefully doing business with Russia. Joanna Lillis May 18, 2022
“I avenged my father”: A saga of crime and bloodshed in the highlands of Kyrgyzstan The criminal underworld reaches across generations. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 16, 2022
Uzbekistan denies Russian claim it violated Afghanistan’s airspace Tashkent has also announced it will not return Afghan aircraft flown by pilots fleeing the Taliban last summer. Joanna Lillis May 2, 2022
Turkmenistan: No COVID, no worries In our weekly briefing: Restrictions easing, COVID denialism persists, foreign suitors come visiting in hope of business, and the latest annual horse jamboree. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Apr 26, 2022
The rough-tongued poison-prescriber overhauling Kyrgyzstan’s healthcare system Beishenaliyev enjoys a close relationship with the president. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Apr 11, 2022
Sanctions-hit Russian oligarch quits Uzbek bank, but associates snap up stakes The billionaire had bought his stake only months ago from the president’s son-in-law. Joanna Lillis Mar 14, 2022