Central Asia

Russian, North American astronauts return to earth

NASA astronaut Anne McClain, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Canadian Space Agency record-holder David Saint-Jacques touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 0247 GMT, NASA said.

UN counterterrorism chief visits China's East Turkistan region

The Chinese foreign ministry says in a statement Sunday that Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov traveled to Beijing and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region from Thursday to Saturday last week.

Turkey rejects 'fait accompli' in Jerusalem - President Erdogan

The leaders of Turkey, Russia, Qatar, China, and Iran arrived for Asian cooperation summit in Tajikistan, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the world to respect UN resolutions and the historical and legal status of Jerusalem.

Analysis: How strong is the Russian-Chinese alliance?

Despite an increase in ties between the two countries, Russia still remains a minor partner for China, which, for now at least, has much stronger trade with the US and EU.

Ally of Kazakhstan's longtime ex-leader wins presidency

The Central Election Commission says Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won nearly 71 percent of the vote with all the ballots counted. The results have not yet been formally confirmed.

Incumbent Tokayev wins Kazakh presidential vote - exit poll

Kazakhstan's interim leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the hand-picked successor of long-term former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, wins over 70 percent of the votes in the presidential election, according to an exit poll.

'My father was the first to negotiate with the Taliban'

Will the son of the legendary 'Lion of Panjshir' help to shape Afghanistan's future?

In annexed Crimea, guitar virtuoso ‘taps’ Silk Road music

Guitarist EnverIzmaylov’s trademark is his meticulously arranged renditions of folk music, ranging from Tatar and Armenian to Turkish, Ukrainian and Russian.

At least 32 killed after Daesh militants riot in Tajik prison

Central Asian nation's Justice Ministry says the riot broke out late on Sunday in the prison in the city of Vakhdat, 10 km east of the capital Dushanbe, as militants armed themselves with knives and killed three guards and five fellow prisoners.

How Uyghurs are silenced from sharing their suffering with the world

Many Uyghurs don't speak out due to fear of repercussions and others don't because they have been indoctrinated against criticising the Chinese government.

Turkey blasts Kyrgyzstan for FETO iftar invitation

'It is unacceptable that leading FETO members in Kyrgyzstan were invited to an iftar dinner,' says Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Artworks of the Islamic world to be staged at British auction house

A portrait of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent by Italian painter Gentile Bellini and many other art pieces from the Ottoman Empire will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s as part of the “Arts of the Islamic World” collection.