Latest from our Stephen M. Bland U.S. strikes on Iranian rail and coastal infrastructure are raising new questions over whether Iran can remain a reliable southern outlet for Central Asian trade https://ow.ly/a9Ll50Zmlpz #Iran #CentralAsia #TransportCorridors #Kazakhstan #Geopolitics #RailTransport

Kazakh observers view Tokayev’s option to seek another presidential term as power transfer “fail-safe”: The constitutional overhaul, drafted and approved within weeks earlier this year, has prompted… Bne IntelliNews #Kazakhstan #Tokayev #PresidentialElection #Politics #ConstitutionalReform

Tajik satirist Bakhtiyor Rahimov is being remembered for comedy that turned daily life into sharp social commentary https://ow.ly/3xiZ50Zlcjr #Tajikistan #BakhtiyorRahimov #Satire #Culture #Obituary

Exposing Iran's Lego Propaganda Network www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrIy...

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court has cleared Tokayev to seek another term, turning the country’s new Constitution into a major political reset https://ow.ly/KiXA50Zl8BL #Kazakhstan #Tokayev #Constitution #Politics #CentralAsia

Thank you, Medet Tiulegenov for being on Spotlight on the Central Asia podcast to discuss the recent verdict in the trial of former Kyrgyz security chief Tashiyev. open.spotify.com/episode/3nZB... And a big thanks to our sponsors, @Oxus Society & @timesca.com!

Make Spotlight on Central Asia part of your weekly routine. There is nobody more authoritative than @pannierb.bsky.social and Michael Hilliard. Thanks you @timesca.com

Spotlight on Central Asia examines Kyrgyzstan’s biggest political upheaval in years, with Medet Tiulegenov joining @pannierb.bsky.social and Michael Hillard to discuss the Tashiyev trial https://ow.ly/v3Zl50Zk0aH #Podcast #Kyrgyzstan #Politics #Justice #CentralAsia #TashiyevTrial

Latest from our @pannierb.bsky.social a Kyrgyz court convicted eight senior figures over an alleged coup plot, but probation leaves the political fallout unresolved before the 2027 election https://ow.ly/Sv0R50ZjXTw #Kyrgyzstan #Politics #Justice #CentralAsia #Election2027 #PoliticalFallout

A must read from @pannierb.bsky.social in times where water is becoming a sought after commodity for life. @ericamarat.bsky.social @timesca.com @sierraclub.org

Latest from our @pannierb.bsky.social a new study finds sharp declines in Amu Darya flows, raising deeper concerns for Tajikistan and the downstream countries that depend on the river https://ow.ly/oAJQ50ZjJyX #WaterSecurity #AmuDarya #ClimateRisk #Tajikistan CentralAsia #WaterCrisis

The Termez crossing has kept food moving into Afghanistan for 25 years, but WFP says the real barrier now is funding https://ow.ly/4F9Q50ZjAIq #Afghanistan #HumanitarianAid #WFP #Uzbekistan #FoodSecurity #TermezCrossing #FoodAid

PANNIER: Countries line up to access Central Asia’s critical minerals: The minerals are there but the planned scale of production requires a dozen or more new processing plants. Bne IntelliNews #CentralAsia #CriticalMinerals #MineralProduction #SustainableMining #EconomicDevelopment

Партия AMANAT отказалась от участия в выборах в Курултай orda.kz/partija-aman...

Kurchatov is still living with the legacy of Soviet nuclear testing, but the former closed city is slowly reshaping itself around science https://ow.ly/aWai50ZjewZ #Kazakhstan #NuclearHistory #Kurchatov #Semipalatinsk #ScienceHistory #NuclearLegacy #SovietHistory #NuclearTesting

Date for snap parliamentary election in #Kazakhstan set for 23 August - no opposition parties will be able to stand as none are registered, and recent reforms bar independents from standing. Another rubberstamp parliament is guaranteed tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_n...

Russia remains central to Central Asian labor migration, but new routes are reshaping where workers look for opportunity https://ow.ly/f6LK50ZjcHK #LaborMigration #CentralAsia #Migration #Russia #MigrationTrends #MigrationRoutes #CentralAsianWorkers

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov is requesting that institutions make preparations for engineering and infrastructure programs as the country signed numerous AI development agreements. Senior Fellow Bruce Pannier provides details in a piece for The Times of Central Asia.

In a TCA interview, Emre Erdur says Central Asia’s symbols can shape a new visual future only when artists understand why they remain relevant https://ow.ly/8R0s50ZiA3v #VisualStorytelling #Art #Design #EurasianCulture #CentralAsiaArt #ModernArt #CulturalSymbols #EmreErdur #Kazakhstan

Critics say Kazakhstan’s law giving people right to raid pension piggy bank inflated housing bubble: As officials rush to narrow access to funds also popularly used for dental treatment, economists advise many… Bne IntelliNews #Kazakhstan #HousingBubble #PensionReform #EconomicPolicy #RealEstate

Michal Rahimi lays out the structural choices that led to decreased foreign-language learning in the UK and US—and why, despite the hype, AI language models aren't capable of filling the gap.

In this piece, David Akopyan and I, write about the budding Armenia-Kazakhstan partnership to develop strategic connectivity in Eurasia: nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-ro...

The European Union Global Gateway's Connectivity for #CentralAsia project delivered a series of practical cyber hygiene seminars for 105 public administration staff in Shymkent, Semey, and Aktau.

Cash shortages in Turkmenistan’s Kaka district are pushing residents toward informal cash-out agents as access to basic banking remains unreliable https://ow.ly/kO0g50Zh4ij #CashShortage #BankingAccess #FinancialSystem #Turkmenistan #KakaDistrict #FinancialServices #CashOutAgents

Social media recruitment is drawing women from the region into Georgia’s surrogacy market, where weak oversight can turn pregnancy abroad into a risky contract. https://ow.ly/LIZl50Zggme #Surrogacy #ReproductiveRights #Migration #HumanRights WomenInSurrogacy #Georgia #MigrantWomen #CentralAsia

In a piece for The Times of Central Asia, Senior Fellow Bruce Pannier details a $10 billion AI and energy investment in Kazakhstan which will significantly develop its digital capacity.

Red tape means Turkmenistan’s modern Caspian Sea port operating at third of capacity, says Middle Corridor official: Multi-billion-dollar facility said to be failing to capitalise on new business boom linked to… Bne IntelliNews #Turkmenistan #CaspianSea #MiddleCorridor #PortDevelopment #TradeRoutes

Expert views: Addressing water-management challenges in Central Asia: A Eurasianet partner post. Bne IntelliNews #WaterManagement #CentralAsia #Sustainability #Eurasia #EnvironmentalChallenges

After Messi, Mbappe and Haaland all scored twice yesterday, Harry Kane can follow them tonight. But of course another legendary forward will be playing today as well in the Portugal - Uzbekistan match. Can Abbosbek Fayzullaev show them all that he still has it? jonathancampion.com/2026/06/16/u...

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are accelerating nuclear power plans, but public confidence will depend on whether they can deliver reliable energy without creating new regional risks https://ow.ly/i9Hw50ZfSWp #NuclearEnergy #CentralAsia #EnergySecurity #Kazakhstan #Uzbekistan #NuclearPower

Spotlight on Central Asia looks at foreign influence in the region’s media with Samuel Doveri Vesterbye joining @pannierb.bsky.social to discuss a new EU report & narratives pushed by Russia & China https://ow.ly/sFfK50ZfT7Q #Podcast #SoftPower #Disinformation #MediaInfluence #CentralAsia #EUPolicy

TIIF 2026: Uzbekistan sees tourism as the next engine of growth as it seeks to become Central Asia's travel hub: The great cities of the Silk Road have captivated travellers’ imaginations for centuries. Today, however, Uzbekistan… Bne IntelliNews #Uzbekistan #Tourism #SilkRoad #Travel #CentralAsia

"The research and development block consists of six departments: innovation and advanced technology development, capability integration and fielding, analytical, medical technology development, training, and communications, and command and control systems."

Thank you, Samuel Doveri-Vesterbye for discussing the recent ENC report on foreign information manipulation and interference in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Spotlight on Central Asia/ open.spotify.com/episode/1XXV... Thanks also to our sponsors, @timesca.com & The Oxus Society for C. A. Affairs.

Just what we've been waiting for. @pannierb.bsky.social and Hilliard's latest. Don't miss it. @timesca.com @stephenmbland.bsky.social

Latest from our @pannierb.bsky.social Kazakhstan’s $10 billion AI infrastructure push with NVIDIA and Firebird aims to turn Ekibastuz power into global digital export revenue https://ow.ly/COOE50Zf8cF #AI #DataCenters #EnergyTech #Kazakhstan #US #NVIDIA #Firebird #EkibastuzPower #DigitalExport

Latest from our Stephen M. Bland Tokayev’s Brussels visit is a test of whether Kazakhstan and the EU can turn years of partnership promises into concrete projects https://ow.ly/YEak50Zfiwe #EUPartnership #CriticalMinerals #MiddleCorridor #Trade #Investment #Kazakhstan #EU #BrusselsVisit #Tokayev

“This criminal investigation into Javokhir Muminov, coupled with his allegations of abuse, is reminiscent of a much darker time in Uzbekistan’s history." - @mihrarittmann.bsky.social / @hrw.org Read more⤵️

Delegates from digital and government agencies in Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic successfully completed the 7th Tallinn Summer School on Cyber Diplomacy in Estonia, joining participants from more than 60 countries worldwide.

TIIF 2026: Masdar and ACWA Power, twin engines behind Uzbekistan's renewable energy boom: Two Gulf utility giants control the lion's share of Central Asia's largest green energy market. At the Tashkent International… Bne IntelliNews #RenewableEnergy #GreenEnergy #Investment #Uzbekistan #TIIF2026

The latest Spotlight on Central Asia is out. open.spotify.com/episode/1XXV...

Let's get into this, people. @pannierb.bsky.social and Mike Hilliard doing what they do best. Yes. The Spotlight has dropped again. 👏👏👏

Due to an unforeseen complication, @SLonCentralAsia (Spotlight on Central Asia) will have to move our podcast scheduled for today to next Sunday. Apologies. Hope you can listen in on June 7.

Don't miss the latest from @ericamarat.bsky.social Always an insightful and fresh perspective. @themoscowtimes.com @pannierb.bsky.social

Latest from our @pannierb.bsky.social Caspian shipping is becoming the Middle Corridor’s biggest test as regional states race to expand cargo capacity https://ow.ly/CCqE50Z4F7Y #MiddleCorridor #CaspianSea #Trade #Logistics #Eurasia #TradeRoutes #CargoTransport

Kazakhstan Was a Soviet Nuclear Dumping Ground. Now It Wants a Reactor www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Knq...

The latest Spotlight on Central Asia podcast is out. Our thanks to guest Vadim Ni from the Save the Caspian Sea movement. And a BIG thank you to our sponsors, The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs and The Times of Central Asia. open.spotify.com/episode/2Q9X...

Latest from our @pannierb.bsky.social USC professor Steve Swerdlow says Kyrgyzstan denied him entry without explanation while he was leading students on a regional study trip https://ow.ly/Jc5R50Z2IyT #Kyrgyzstan #Bishkek #HumanRights #AcademicFreedom

Принципы «нулевой терпимости» к репрессиям Азиатского банка развития и реалии страха и преследований в Узбекистане tinyurl.com/f66674cs

Glad my summer break from teaching does not include this. Thanks for covering this @timesca.com Why Serdar? timesca.com/turkmen-stat...