Page 5 - Chris Rickleton News Today

When civilians were put on trial in relation to the Karakalpakstan unrest, their names were known, their faces splattered across the media. We only have initials for the three law enforcement officers tried.

KEMIN DISTRICT, Kyrgyzstan -- While Kyrgyz authorities were preparing the population for possible electricity shortages this winter, a giant crypto-minin

An investigation by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service shows how a single cryptocurrency farm sucks more electricity from the state grid than major factories and gold mines combined, just as officials proclaim a crisis in the energy sector. A top state energy official may be benefiting from its operations.

The group Human Rights Activists in Iran says it is concerned over the official resumption of morality police patrols and has condemned the "humiliating and disproportionate" sentences handed to women for violations of the mandatory hijab law.

Gholamali Koveitipor, an Iranian singer known for his support of the Islamic government, has released a song critical of the crackdown authorities have waged in the face of months of unrest.

With 87 percent of the votes in a campaign devoid of genuine competition, the Uzbek president has cemented himself in power much like his predecessor.

There is little the region's governments can do about shrinking glaciers and low precipitation. But better planning would go a long way toward mitigating water crises that are exacerbated by fast-growing populations.

The cost of building Kazakhstan’s longest bridge has more than doubled since the contract was first awarded in 2020. An investigation by RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service showed that the company overseeing the project is owned by businessmen with ties to the local governor’s son. 

In one province of economically struggling Turkmenistan, authorities have hinted at the end to a system of rations for low-cost food. In Ashgabat, residents say they haven't had access to such goods in months.

Protests by unemployed residents of Mangystau have spotlighted systemic problems in a province that accounts for around a quarter of Kazakhstan’s oil production. RFE/RL spent several days in the village of Zhetybai to understand the demands of an increasingly restive population.