Uzbekistan

Officials have made direct contact with the Taliban as a prelude to peace talks.

An unusual storm made breathing difficult and raised fears of crop damage as dust and salt from the desiccated Aral Sea spread over hundreds of kilometers.

Mirziyoyev’s campaign to undo the strongman policies of his predecessor continues, if not without a hitch or two.

Central Asia’s once isolated states are increasingly seeking foreign money to kick start their economies.

Their ties have been strained for much of the quarter-century since independence, but Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are moving swiftly to patch things up.

Watchdogs say illegal arrests and torture of prisoners continue even as government eases burdens on the citizenry.

President Mirziyoyev slates security police for magnifying trivial matters into national threats, vows to end repression.

Gafur Rakhimov is under U.S. sanctions as a suspected kingpin of a Eurasian crime syndicate.

Landmark event marks a further gesture by the secular authorities to the faith of the majority.

Troubled region welcomes readiness to address longstanding grievances on both sides.