Author: Tejomay Mohal Sethi

After six months of trading, Uzbekistan’s FTT amounted to approximately $29.2 billion, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz News Agency. According to the Statistics Agency, the foreign trade turnover of Uzbekistan increased by $4.7 billion or 19.4% compared to the corresponding period of 2022. During the reporting period, the republic exported goods and services worth $12.1 billion. Imports, in the meantime, amounted to $17 billion. In January-May 2023, Uzbekistan carried out trade relations with 183 countries of the world. Source: azernews

Kazakhstan is gearing up for snap elections of the lower house of parliament on March 19, and there is a sense of anticipation in the air. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who came to power in 2019, called for snap elections in the wake of the deadly street protests in January 2022. The elections are part of the president’s ambitious reform agenda, Jana Kazakhstan (New Kazakhstan), which aims to usher in a new era of political liberalization. The parliamentary elections are stage two of Tokayev’s program, following his re-election winning 80 percent of the votes last November. The coming elections will see…

Paris, Washington (13/7 – 50) Kenes Rakishev (Keñes Hamitūly Raqyşev) aka Kenges Rakishev is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, former special envoy for Kazakhstan, head of the Kazakh boxing federation, a family man, and most importantly, a man of success. Under Kenges Rakishev’s leadership, the Kazakh female and male boxing squad leaped considerable forward and secured the top ranking in the recent boxing championship putting Kazakhstan boxing squarely in the top ranking in the world. A total of 21 medals were won by the Kazakhstan’s boxers – a tally of six gold, seven silver and eight bronze – and all were honoured…

The Steering Committee of the Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP) – Phase 7 held the second meeting in Ashgabat on July 5, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan reported. The meeting was attended by representatives of state institutions-beneficiaries of the Central Asian countries, representatives of the delegation of the European Union in the Central Asian countries, representatives of a number of the European institutions and programs within the EU. The meeting aimed to inform about the expected results and planned activities of CADAP-7, as well as to strengthen mutual understanding regarding program tasks, implementation strategies and results. The heads of…

India’s outgoing wrestling chief has been charged in court after months of protests by the country’s top wrestlers who accuse him of sexual harassment. Police have charged Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh with stalking, harassment and intimidation as well as making “sexually coloured remarks”. Mr Singh, an influential MP from the ruling BJP party, denies the charges. However, police have suggested dropping charges involving a minor, which would have made his arrest imminent. “No corroborative evidence” was found in allegations by the minor after a detailed investigation in the case, the prosecution lawyer said on Thursday. The protests had made headlines…

The US Senate confirmed Garcetti’s nomination earlier this month, ending a protracted hiatus of over two years to fill the key diplomatic position. Eric Garcetti, the former Mayor of Los Angeles, was officially sworn in as the US Ambassador to India on Friday by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremonial event here. The US Senate confirmed Garcetti’s nomination earlier this month, ending a protracted hiatus of over two years to fill the key diplomatic position. Garcetti’s nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated by President Joe Biden. Garcetti’s daughter Maya held the Hebrew Bible during…

Should judges pick judges? For long judges in India’s top courts have been selected by their colleagues through a mechanism called the collegium system. Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president after consultation with fellow judges. (The law minister puts up the justices’ recommendations to the prime minister, who advises the president to appoint them.) The government believes this system needs radical reform. In recent weeks, a number of senior functionaries, including the law minister and the vice-president, have spoken out against the collegium. “Across the globe judges do not appoint judges. But in India, they do,”…

At least one person has been killed and two others injured after an earthquake struck western Nepal, a local official told AFP, with authorities still searching for damage. The magnitude 5.6 quake’s epicentre was in the hilly and remote Bajura district, 400km (250 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu, according to the United States Geological Survey. The jolt hit at around 2:43pm local time (08:58 GMT) on Tuesday, with tremors felt as far away as India’s capital New Delhi, where buildings briefly shook. “It was quite a big tremor. There were people all gathered on the streets. There was terror…