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Dr. Strangelove has a cow: could a wayward bovine spark a war in Central Asia?
Written by Alpharabius on Monday, 8 February 2010 | No Comment

Breaking news: Uzbek border guards say they were close to open fire killing 25 Tajik servicemen who, according to them, violated state borders of Uzbekistan and intruded to its territory in search of a lost cow. neweurasia’s Alpharabius reports.

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Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Snowing in Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan, Politics and Society »

Written by Aravanski on Monday, 8 February 2010 | One Comment

What a wonderful weather outside! It has been snowing in Bishkek for the past three days. As the temperature has been below zero, snow is not melting down. It is cold, and eveything in white. Bishkek residents are happy. Some are enjoying real winter weather. Others are happy that snow is hiding all the dirt in the city.

Kyrgyzgidromet“, a Kyrgyz hydrometeorology center, states [ru] that for the past three days Bishkek has seen 70% of the monthly norm of precipitation.

Here are some pictures of the city under snow.

Are we heading toward Roghunarok?

Politics and Society, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan »

Written by Dushanbe on Monday, 8 February 2010 | One Comment

Are we heading toward Roghunarok?

Photograph of construction at Roghun from Asia-Plus.

Photograph of construction at Roghun from Asia-Plus.

Editor’s note: neweurasia’s Dushanbe describes how a possible Ragnarok is building up between the leaderships of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over the Roghun dam project.  Check out neweurasia’s ongoing coverage of the dam here.

Tajikistan has rejected the Uzbek proposal to suspend building the Roghun power plant until independent expertise determines its possible impact on environment and water distribution in the region.

In a reply letter to the Uzbek authorities, the Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov says his country will not change its plan to build the plant.  He adds that they believe the new reservoir will help both countries to save and use regional water resources more effectively.

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For Tajik readers: Дар баҳси байни додрасон ва журналистон ҳарду тараф бо интихоби вазнин рӯбарӯст
Written by Alpharabius on Sunday, 7 February 2010
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For Tajik readers: Дар баҳси байни додрасон ва журналистон ҳарду тараф бо интихоби вазнин рӯбарӯст

Editor’s note: This post is for our Tajik readers. The original post here.

Дар баҳси байни додрасон ва журналистон ҳарду тараф бо интихоби вазнин рӯбарӯст
Рӯзи сешанбеи 2-юми феврал нишасти додгоҳии се …

Kanat Saudabayev speaks at Atlantic Council
Written by Vicki on Saturday, 6 February 2010
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On Wednesday February 3, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Foreign Minister, Kanat Saudabayev spoke to a group of journalists and foreign policy community specialists at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. (transcript in English and …

Podcast: Antonio Henriques speaks about youth in Kyrgystan
Written by Nuraika on Friday, 5 February 2010
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Podcast: Antonio Henriques speaks about youth in Kyrgystan

Young active people do their best in internships in diffrent professions, besides only studying. Antonio Henriques, one of 20 top-managers in AIESEC, has visited 28 countries for three years. He tells neweurasia about advantages and …

Soviet history from their eyes
Written by Schwartz on Friday, 5 February 2010
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The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Cold War International History Project (the oddly acronymed CWIHP, but check out the cool logo) has been publishing English translations of previously classified Warsaw Pact documents.
The project is …

Exclusive interview with Tajikistan Supreme Court Judge Nor Nurov
Written by Alpharabius on Friday, 5 February 2010
3 Comments
Exclusive interview with Tajikistan Supreme Court Judge Nor Nurov

In an exclusive interview with neweurasia, Tajikistan’s Supreme Court Judge Nor Nurov for the first time speaks with the media about the lawsuit against three independent Tajik newspapers. The interview was conducted via phone with our blogger Alpharabius. “Baseless accusations have been directed against us,” says Mr. Nurov. “All the papers of Tajikistan, all the journalists are against us…”

Where are you Rahmon? Transcendentally quiet about the lawsuit crisis…
Written by Averroes on Thursday, 4 February 2010
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Where are you Rahmon?  Transcendentally quiet about the lawsuit crisis…

Are the Roghun project and the lawsuit against three independent newspapers connected? neweurasia’s Averroes arrays the circumstantial evidence to give his view of whether a conspiracy is going on in Tajikistan to silence the nation’s independent media. The biggest question is to what extent the president may be involved — and who’s side he’s on.

BBC: blogger describes Xinjiang as an “internet prison”
Written by citizen on Thursday, 4 February 2010
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Just a quick note to say that there’s an important story on the BBC by an American blogger in Xinjiang.
Until recently, my only hope of communicating internationally and making contact with my family in …

To those in need of teeth
Written by Mansurhon on Thursday, 4 February 2010
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To those in need of teeth

Recently President Karimov again mentioned about leading role of mass-media in Uzbekistan. Considering sensitivity of this issue and increasing cases of pressure on independent journalists (i.e. thos who don’t work in the official media), Uzbek …

In the fight of judges versus journalists, both sides face hard choices
Written by Alpharabius on Wednesday, 3 February 2010
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In the fight of judges versus journalists, both sides face hard choices

The lawsuit by three Tajik Supreme Court judges against three independent Tajik newspapers promises to be earthshattering for all involved, writes neweurasia’s Alpharabius. Will the government choose power over justice? Will the media choose safety over truth?

BBC: Kazakhstan’s Uzbek refugees wait in limbo
Written by citizen on Wednesday, 3 February 2010
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BBC: Kazakhstan’s Uzbek refugees wait in limbo

Just a quick note to say that there’s an important story on the BBC by Rayhan Demytrie about Uzbek refugees in Kazakhstan.
“Welcome to my home,” he says opening the door to the small room his …