Caravanserai
  2. Analysis

    2021-12-02

    Kremlin pushes Uzbekistan to join EEU as observers warn of risks

    Without the participation of Central Asia's largest republic, 'Moscow's chauvinistic superpower strategy won't be realised,' one observer said, as Putin once again pressures Tashkent.

  3. Security

    2021-12-02

    US warns Russia of far-reaching consequences if it invades Ukraine

    Russia is using the same playbook it employed when it illegally annexed Crimea, including by intensifying disinformation to portray Kyiv as the 'aggressor'.

  4. Human Rights

    2021-12-01

    New Kazakh film seeks to tell truth of Soviet terror

    Kazakh filmmakers are telling the stories of national heroes who stood against Stalin's dictatorship. The most recent is about writer and public figure Akhmet Baitursynov.

What is the long-term future for Central Asian migrant workers in Russia?

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Spotlight

Tough times ahead: Russia targets migrants with expulsion of rights defenders

Forced transfers of Central Asian activists from Russia have become alarmingly common in recent years -- an unwelcome development for migrants at the mercy of authorities and employers.

Tough times ahead: Russia targets migrants with expulsion of rights defenders
  1. Human Rights

    2021-11-30

    World Food Programme kicks off food deliveries from Tajikistan to Afghanistan

    The UN agency also began distributing cash in Kabul to about 3,000 families severely hit by the country's growing humanitarian crisis.

  2. Security

    2021-11-30

    Syria, Russia under pressure over chemical weapons

    The global chemical weapons watchdog says Syria has failed to declare weapons and admit inspectors, while Russia lacks transparency.

  3. Analysis

    2021-11-29

    Stretched thin and cash-strapped, Iran deemed ill-prepared for next domestic uprising

    The Islamic Republic's crackdown on regularly occurring domestic protests will become more challenging as it contends with funding and manpower shortages, observers say.

  1. Diplomacy

    2021-11-26

    Crisis diplomacy: Kremlin seeks out weak spots to exploit

    With deteriorating diplomatic relations, the Kremlin is seizing opportunities to exert influence and flex its military muscles in Africa and Ukraine, on the Belarus-Poland border and even in outer space.

  2. Politics

    2021-11-25

    Kazakhstan 'slavery' incident exposes Russia's strategy in fueling tensions

    A false claim by a Russian in Kazakhstan was seized upon by Russian authorities in an attempt to accuse the country, yet again, of targeting its Russian-speaking population.

  3. Human Rights

    2021-11-24

    Russia's move to dissolve top human rights group sparks worldwide criticism

    The persecution of Memorial, which campaigns for the preservation of historical memory in Russia and against rights violations, shows the Kremlin has taken a 'sharp' dictatorial turn.

  4. Human Rights

    2021-11-23

    Tough times ahead: Russia targets migrants with expulsion of rights defenders

    Forced transfers of Central Asian activists from Russia have become alarmingly common in recent years -- an unwelcome development for migrants at the mercy of authorities and employers.

  5. Society

    2021-11-23

    Palmyra a 'ghost town' under Syrian regime, militia control

    Displaced by ISIS, most Palmyra residents have been replaced by elements of Syrian regime-affiliated Iranian and Russian militias.

  6. Security

    2021-11-22

    Central Asian countries assess vulnerability to terrorist infiltration

    Central Asian states' counter-terrorism policies have yielded tremendous results, but they are still vulnerable to the threat, observers say.

  7. Security

    2021-11-19

    Screws tighten on Kremlin mercenaries as their presence spreads across globe

    Wagner mercenaries, who are tied to Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, are known to be active in Mali, Central African Republic, Libya and Syria following their intervention in the Ukraine conflict.

  8. Terrorism

    2021-11-18

    Challenges continue to hobble repatriation of Central Asians from Syria, Iraq

    In addition to limited social and economic resources and infrastructure in Iraq and Syria, Central Asian governments are bumping up against issues with host-country consent and co-operation.

  9. Security

    2021-11-17

    Kazakhs slam Russian foreign minister's accusations of xenophobia

    An article penned by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Kazakhstan of oppressing Russian-speaking residents. This serves as a wake-up call, Kazakhs warn.

  10. Security

    2021-11-16

    Russia space missile test 'dangerous and irresponsible': US

    The resulting debris field will 'pose a threat to activities in outer space for years to come, putting satellites and space missions at risk', said US Space Command chief Gen. James Dickinson.

  11. Health

    2021-11-16

    US aid bolsters fight against COVID-19 in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

    The US government is donating vaccines to Tajikistan and allocating additional funds for COVID-19 response and recovery in Uzbekistan.

  12. Education

    2021-11-15

    Russia's education initiatives in Uzbekistan raise spectre of hybrid warfare tactics

    Moscow has launched several educational projects in Uzbekistan to promote the Russian language and culture and to increase Kremlin's influence in the former Soviet republic, analysts say.

  13. Technology

    2021-11-12

    Kremlin black boxes seize control of free internet in Russia

    With Beijing's 'Great Firewall' as inspiration, Moscow is trying to silence dissent by reining in Russia's once open and freewheeling internet.

  14. Security

    2021-11-11

    Suspicions grow over Chinese offer to build police base in Tajikistan

    Under the murky deal, China will build a multi-million dollar police station near the Afghan border with no strings attached. 'China does not simply give out money,' one observer said.

  15. Human Rights

    2021-11-10

    Desperate migrants in Belarus become Russia's geopolitical pawns

    Migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa are being instigated by close Russian ally Belarus to storm the Polish border to create pressure on the European Union to drop sanctions.

  16. Security

    2021-11-09

    Global concerns mount as China rapidly expands nuclear arsenal

    China could have 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027 and could top 1,000 by 2030 -- an arsenal two-and-a-half times the size of what the US military predicted only a year ago.

  17. Society

    2021-11-08

    Kremlin-linked bank's disdain for Kazakh draws complaints from customers

    The unwillingness of the Kremlin-linked Sberbank to cater to Kazakh customers -- symbolised by a broken option for the Kazakh language on an ATM -- is expressive of a new and troubling trend.

  18. Technology

    2021-11-08

    International community uniting against threat from Russian hackers

    US authorities and IT companies are working to combat a spike in Russia-based hacking and cyber-extortion attacks.

  19. Security

    2021-11-05

    Central Asia grows concerned as Moscow uses gas as 'geopolitical weapon'

    Gazprom recently offered cheaper gas to Moldova if it agreed to back out of a free-trade agreement with the EU, shelved energy market reforms and joined the Russian-led EEU.

  20. Environment

    2021-11-04

    Xi skips crucial climate talks as China ramps up coal production

    China accounts for nearly a third of global emissions, is building dozens of new coal plants and refuses to sign international pledges. At the same time, Beijing touts itself as an environmental leader.

  21. Economy

    2021-11-03

    Russian push to expand EEU seen as effort to deepen unequal gains

    Continued efforts by Moscow to expand the EEU will exacerbate the unequal positions of the member states and benefit only Russia, according to economists.