Relations between India and Uzbekistan go back in history. Uzbekistan has had a civilization deeply connected with India. Diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Tashkent progressed well over the years. India's second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri breathed his last in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan & India's shared past: Death of former Indian PM Shastri

All eyes are on this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Samarkand summit is scheduled for 15 and 16 September 2022. As the eight-member grouping is all set to expand, the heads of member states are going to consider Iran's membership bid, by granting it a member status.

WION Dispatch | 22nd SCO meet to be held in Uzbekistan; Iran's membership bid on cards

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will come under one roof for the first time since 2020 Galwan clashes for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet at Uzbekistan on 15-16 September. Indian and Chinese troops have also completed the disengagement process in the Gogra-Hot Springs area along the LAC.

SCO Summit 2022: Shanghai cooperation organization meets amid stoked tensions

Leaders of 15 nations will assemble in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit for two days that is scheduled to begin on September 15.

This year’s summit will be the first in-person meet after the Covid pandemic hit the world. The last summit was held in June 2019 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

What is SCO?

The SCO is primarily a geopolitical and security organisation with limited infrastructures to pursue economic integration. The group accounts for about one-third of the world’s land and exports trillions of dollars annually.

It is governed by consensus, which limits the scope of major cooperation between its member states.

It also functions more as a venue for discussion and engagement where high-level dignitaries from across the region can gather to confer, rather than an alliance like the EU, whose members have a common currency, or NATO.

The SCO was founded in June 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China.

The genesis of the grouping can be traced back to the post-soviet era in 1996 when these countries, termed ‘Shanghai Five’, came together

Earlier, it focused on regional security to work on regional security, reduction of border troops, and terrorism.

Its particular focus has been on “conflict resolution”, which provided early successes between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics.

Structure of SCO

The organisation has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years.

But the venue of the SCO council meetings shifts between the eight members (including India and Pakistan).

Members of SCO

Apart from the above mentioned countries— Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China— India and Pakistan are also members of this organisation, both included in 2017.

The SCO also has three observer states — Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia — which may be inducted at a later date. And&nbsp;“Dialogue Partners” —Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey Egypt, Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia.

New member Iran

The membership of Iran, which was also among the observer states, was approved last year by the bloc’s permanent members.

Iran’s previous bids for SCO membership were blocked because it was under United Nations sanctions, and some members, including Tajikistan, were against it due to Tehran’s perceived support for the Islamic Movement of Tajikistan.

Main goals

The main goals of the SCO, as adopted in its Charter in St. Petersburg in 2002, is: “strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas; making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.”

Agenda of this year’s summit

According to the press release of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation in the future.

Topical issues of regional and global importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting.

SCO presidency

Uzbekistan took over the chairmanship of the organisation from Tajikistan on September 17, 2021.&nbsp;

After the 2022 summit, the presidency of the SCO will be handed over to India for the next year till September 2023. New Delhi will most likely host the next&nbsp;SCO summit.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Leaders of 15 nations will assemble in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit for two days that is scheduled to begin on September 15.

Leaders of 15 nations will assemble in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 21st Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit for two days that is scheduled to begin on September 15. This year’s summit will be the first in-person meet after the Covid pandemic hit the world. The last summit was held in June 2019 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. What is SCO? The SCO is primarily a geopolitical and security organisation with limited infrastructures to pursue economic integration. The group accounts for about one-third of the world’s land and exports trillions of dollars annually. It is governed by consensus, which limits the scope of major cooperation between its member states. It also functions more as a venue for discussion and engagement where high-level dignitaries from across the region can gather to confer, rather than an alliance like the EU, whose members have a common currency, or NATO. The SCO was founded in June 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China. The genesis of the grouping can be traced back to the post-soviet era in 1996 when these countries, termed ‘Shanghai Five’, came together Earlier, it focused on regional security to work on regional security, reduction of border troops, and terrorism. Its particular focus has been on “conflict resolution”, which provided early successes between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics. Structure of SCO The organisation has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent. The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years. But the venue of the SCO council meetings shifts between the eight members (including India and Pakistan). Members of SCO Apart from the above mentioned countries— Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China— India and Pakistan are also members of this organisation, both included in 2017. The SCO also has three observer states — Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia — which may be inducted at a later date. And “Dialogue Partners” —Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey Egypt, Qatar as well as Saudi Arabia. New member Iran The membership of Iran, which was also among the observer states, was approved last year by the bloc’s permanent members. Iran’s previous bids for SCO membership were blocked because it was under United Nations sanctions, and some members, including Tajikistan, were against it due to Tehran’s perceived support for the Islamic Movement of Tajikistan. Main goals The main goals of the SCO, as adopted in its Charter in St. Petersburg in 2002, is: “strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas; making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.” Agenda of this year’s summit According to the press release of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation in the future. Topical issues of regional and global importance are also expected to be discussed at the meeting. SCO presidency Uzbekistan took over the chairmanship of the organisation from Tajikistan on September 17, 2021. After the 2022 summit, the presidency of the SCO will be handed over to India for the next year till September 2023. New Delhi will most likely host the next SCO summit. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and what can be expected from this year's summit?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan next week. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Ukraine's invasion. What will the two discuss? What should we expect? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: Xi Jinping to meet Vladimir Putin next week

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. During this, Mr. Singh held bilateral meetings with the Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov. He also met with the Defence Ministers of member countries of SCO.

WION Dispatch: Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh attends SCO meet in Tashkent

The 44th chess Olympiad came to an end on Monday in Chennai, the two week long event was held in India for the first time ever and saw a record number of teams take part. Uzbekistan were crowned champions in the open section while hosts India finished with bronze.

44th Chess Olympiad: Uzbekistan win Gold in open category

The formal meet of the foreign ministers of the SCO grouping is currently underway in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent. Russian foreign minister said, SCO has agreed to trade in local currencies.

WION Dispatch: 'SCO has agreed to trade in local currencies,' says Russian FM

It is the second day of the foreign ministerial concave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the formal meet of the foreign ministers of the SCO grouping is currently underway in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent.

'SCO members must fight against new World threats,' says Indian FM

SCO Summit 2022: Indian, Kazakh foreign ministers hold dialogue

Uzbekistan: SCO FMs meeting currently underway in Tashkent

India on Monday was joined by more than 20 countries in deliberating on the overall situation in Afghanistan on the opening day of a two-day conference hosted by Uzbekistan at its capital city Tashkent. WION's principal correspondent Siddhant Sibbal gets you more on this.

India attends Uzbekistan-hosted conference on Afghanistan situation

Uzbekistan's deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev will visit India this week and will hold regular session of the Intergovernmental Commission meeting with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Both Minister Goyal and his counterpart Khodjaev are the co-chairs of the joint commission meet. Uzbekistan's key focus will be on agriculture, innovation, connectivity, science and technology, textiles and leather.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/missiles-destroyed-ukrainian-military-infrastructure-in-odessa-claims-russia-500218">Missiles destroyed Ukrainian military infrastructure in Odessa, claims Russia</a>

The visit of Jamshid&nbsp;Khodjaev is the 2nd&nbsp;high level visit from Uzbekistan to India this month. Earlier this month Uzbekistan's deputy foreign minister Furkat Sidikov visited India and held talks with minister of state in Ministry of external affairs&nbsp;Meenakshi Lekhi. Key focus of Sidikov's visit was to brief the Indian side on the constitutional reforms announced in the country.&nbsp;

The reforms had led to backlash in&nbsp;Karakalpakstan region over fears of autonomy being taken away, a plan that has been shelved now.&nbsp;Earlier Uzbek DPM Sardor Umurzakov was expected to visit India and hold joint commission meet but he was shifted last week to become the Head of the Presidential Administration.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-dead-in-shooting-at-philippines-university-graduation-ceremony-suspect-in-custody-500265">Three dead in shooting at Philippines university graduation ceremony</a>

Both countries have set a bilateral trade target if USD 1 billion but lack of connectivity has been a key issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;Chabahar port is expected to bridge the gap between the 2 countries. Remember Uzbekistan, along with India and Iran have been part of trilateral working group for the joint use of the Chabahar port. The Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar Port has handled shipments and trans-shipments from various countries including Russia, Brazil, Thailand, Germany, Ukraine, Oman, Romania, Bangladesh, Australia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and UAE.&nbsp;

Indian company India Ports Global Limited through its subsidiary India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), took over the operations of the Chabahar Port in December of 2018. Since then, port has handled 3.2 million tons of bulk and general cargo according to a 2021 data.

Bilateral trade between the 2 countries stands at about USD 442 million as per Uzbek statistics.&nbsp;India and Uzbekistan plan to set up a joint feasibility study for entering into negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). This will see lot of visits from India to Uzbekistan as the country is the chair of the Shanghai cooperation organisation or SCO. This week External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be in the country for the SCO Foreign ministers meet, August will see visit of Indian Defence minister Rajnath Singh to country followed by the summit level meet in September where PM Modi will be present.&nbsp;

Uzbekistan's deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev will visit India this week and will hold regular session of the Intergovernmental Commission meeting with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal.

Uzbekistan's deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev will visit India this week and will hold regular session of the Intergovernmental Commission meeting with Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Both Minister Goyal and his counterpart Khodjaev are the co-chairs of the joint commission meet. Uzbekistan's key focus will be on agriculture, innovation, connectivity, science and technology, textiles and leather. Also read | Missiles destroyed Ukrainian military infrastructure in Odessa, claims Russia The visit of Jamshid Khodjaev is the 2nd high level visit from Uzbekistan to India this month. Earlier this month Uzbekistan's deputy foreign minister Furkat Sidikov visited India and held talks with minister of state in Ministry of external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi. Key focus of Sidikov's visit was to brief the Indian side on the constitutional reforms announced in the country. The reforms had led to backlash in Karakalpakstan region over fears of autonomy being taken away, a plan that has been shelved now. Earlier Uzbek DPM Sardor Umurzakov was expected to visit India and hold joint commission meet but he was shifted last week to become the Head of the Presidential Administration. Also read | Three dead in shooting at Philippines university graduation ceremony Both countries have set a bilateral trade target if USD 1 billion but lack of connectivity has been a key issue. Chabahar port is expected to bridge the gap between the 2 countries. Remember Uzbekistan, along with India and Iran have been part of trilateral working group for the joint use of the Chabahar port. The Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar Port has handled shipments and trans-shipments from various countries including Russia, Brazil, Thailand, Germany, Ukraine, Oman, Romania, Bangladesh, Australia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and UAE. Indian company India Ports Global Limited through its subsidiary India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), took over the operations of the Chabahar Port in December of 2018. Since then, port has handled 3.2 million tons of bulk and general cargo according to a 2021 data. Bilateral trade between the 2 countries stands at about USD 442 million as per Uzbek statistics. India and Uzbekistan plan to set up a joint feasibility study for entering into negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). This will see lot of visits from India to Uzbekistan as the country is the chair of the Shanghai cooperation organisation or SCO. This week External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be in the country for the SCO Foreign ministers meet, August will see visit of Indian Defence minister Rajnath Singh to country followed by the summit level meet in September where PM Modi will be present.

Uzbek Deputy PM Khodjaev to visit India this week

India is due to attend two key meetings next week, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO foreign ministers meet and an international conference on Afghanistan in Uzbekistan. While the conference on Afghanistan will take place on 25th and 26th July at the level of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, the foreign minister meeting will take place on 28th and 29th July. Taliban will also take part in what is officially known as International Conference "Afghanistan: security and economic development".

The meet is expected to see participation of delegations from more than 20 countries and international organisations. Uzbekistan, a country that shares land border with Afghanistan has in the past hosted key meetings on Afghanistan, one in 2018 and another in 2021. The 2021 meeting, which focused on regional connectivity between South and Central Asia, saw participation of the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be attending the SCO foreign ministers' meet. SCO is more than a two-decade-old grouping that includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan and 4 central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is the chair of the grouping for this year and holds all major events. Next month, Uzbekistan will hold SCO interior and defense ministers meet. In September, the country will be holding the summit level meeting in which all the leaders are expected to be present in person, including Indian PM Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping.

On the sidelines of the foreign and the summit level meetings, number of bilaterals are expected and no official confirmation has been given so far on any meetings between India and China or India and Pakistan. The summit level meeting will be important for India as the chairmanship of the grouping is handed over to New Delhi, which means it will be holding all key meetings of the grouping for next one year.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

India is due to attend two key meetings next week, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO foreign ministers meet and an international conference on Afghanistan in Uzbekistan.

India is due to attend two key meetings next week, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO foreign ministers meet and an international conference on Afghanistan in Uzbekistan. While the conference on Afghanistan will take place on 25th and 26th July at the level of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, the foreign minister meeting will take place on 28th and 29th July. Taliban will also take part in what is officially known as International Conference "Afghanistan: security and economic development". The meet is expected to see participation of delegations from more than 20 countries and international organisations. Uzbekistan, a country that shares land border with Afghanistan has in the past hosted key meetings on Afghanistan, one in 2018 and another in 2021. The 2021 meeting, which focused on regional connectivity between South and Central Asia, saw participation of the then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be attending the SCO foreign ministers' meet. SCO is more than a two-decade-old grouping that includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan and 4 central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is the chair of the grouping for this year and holds all major events. Next month, Uzbekistan will hold SCO interior and defense ministers meet. In September, the country will be holding the summit level meeting in which all the leaders are expected to be present in person, including Indian PM Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping. On the sidelines of the foreign and the summit level meetings, number of bilaterals are expected and no official confirmation has been given so far on any meetings between India and China or India and Pakistan. The summit level meeting will be important for India as the chairmanship of the grouping is handed over to New Delhi, which means it will be holding all key meetings of the grouping for next one year. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

India to attend SCO foreign ministers meet, Afghanistan conference in Uzbekistan

Iran will be admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this year within Uzbekistan's chairmanship. The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China.

Iran to become SCO member this year, Uzbekistan takes chairmanship

Eighteen people were killed and hundreds were wounded during unrest in Uzbekistan’s autonomous province of Karakalpakstan that broke out last week over plans to curtail its autonomy.

Uzbekistan: 18 protesters killed, hundreds wounded amid mass unrest

Russia-Ukraine war has driven an exodus of IT specialists to former parts of Soviet Union including Uzbekistan. Reports say that India's IT sector may also see creation of around 50,000 jobs

Uzbekistan and India's IT gain from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the finals of the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series in Istanbul.

Dahiya defeated Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev 11-10 in a thrilling 61kg final and came back with the gold medal.

After trailing 8-10 against Abdullaev, Dahiya stood better in his last move and ended the bout on a happy note for himself.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/stefanos-tsitsipas-grabs-maiden-atp-doubles-title-in-acapulco-beat-dutch-salvadorian-pair-of-rojer-arevalo-457109">Stefanos Tsitsipas grabs maiden ATP doubles title in Acapulco, beat Dutch-Salvadorian pair of Rojer-Arevalo</a>

The silver medallist had earlier won against Iran's Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi in the semi-final clash of the tournament.

Apart from him, wrestler Deepak Punia defeated Kazakhstan's Elkhan Assadov 7-1 in the bronze medal round of 92kg while Aman and Gyanendra also settled for bronze in 57kg and 60kg category, respectively.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the finals of the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series in Istanbul. Dahiya defeated Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev 11-10 in a thrilling 61kg final and came back with the gold medal.

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya on Sunday clinched the gold medal in the finals of the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series in Istanbul. Dahiya defeated Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev 11-10 in a thrilling 61kg final and came back with the gold medal. After trailing 8-10 against Abdullaev, Dahiya stood better in his last move and ended the bout on a happy note for himself. ALSO READ: Stefanos Tsitsipas grabs maiden ATP doubles title in Acapulco, beat Dutch-Salvadorian pair of Rojer-Arevalo The silver medallist had earlier won against Iran's Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi in the semi-final clash of the tournament. Apart from him, wrestler Deepak Punia defeated Kazakhstan's Elkhan Assadov 7-1 in the bronze medal round of 92kg while Aman and Gyanendra also settled for bronze in 57kg and 60kg category, respectively.

Yasar Dogu: Ravi Dahiya wins gold in a thrilling final against Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev

The moment a 3-year-old daughter was tossed into a bear pit at a zoo in Uzbekistan by her mother, who is being probed for attempted murder, is captured on shocking video.

According to East2West News, the disturbing clip from Tashkent shows the toddler being thrown into a pit approximately 16 feet below the fence while a huge bear named Zuzu walks by and sniffs the child.

According to the news outlet, zookeepers were able to lure the beast into an enclosed area before rushing to save the small girl, who suffered a concussion and cuts as a result of the fall.

The mother has been arrested and is charged with attempted murder.If convicted of the heinous act, she might face a sentence of 15 years in prison.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! 
 
CCTV footage shows a woman throwing her daughter into a bear's enclosure in Uzbekistan's Tashkent Zoo. 
 
The toddler was not harmed by the bear, but she was hospitalized with injuries due to the fall. 
 
The woman’s motivation has remained unclear. <a href="https://t.co/R5c4aDzSFA">pic.twitter.com/R5c4aDzSFA</a>
— Press TV (@PressTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressTV/status/1488304916099645443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors. It was completely unclear what her motive was," a zoo spokeswoman said.

"Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her but failed," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The moment a 3-year-old daughter was tossed into a bear pit at a zoo in Uzbekistan by her mother, who is being probed for attempted murder, is captured on shocking video.

The moment a 3-year-old daughter was tossed into a bear pit at a zoo in Uzbekistan by her mother, who is being probed for attempted murder, is captured on shocking video. According to East2West News, the disturbing clip from Tashkent shows the toddler being thrown into a pit approximately 16 feet below the fence while a huge bear named Zuzu walks by and sniffs the child. According to the news outlet, zookeepers were able to lure the beast into an enclosed area before rushing to save the small girl, who suffered a concussion and cuts as a result of the fall. The mother has been arrested and is charged with attempted murder.If convicted of the heinous act, she might face a sentence of 15 years in prison. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! CCTV footage shows a woman throwing her daughter into a bear's enclosure in Uzbekistan's Tashkent Zoo. The toddler was not harmed by the bear, but she was hospitalized with injuries due to the fall. The woman’s motivation has remained unclear. pic.twitter.com/R5c4aDzSFA — Press TV (@PressTV) February 1, 2022 × "A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors. It was completely unclear what her motive was," a zoo spokeswoman said. "Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her but failed," she said. (With inputs from agencies)

Video: Mother throws her 3-year-old daughter into bear enclosure at Tashkent Zoo

Power began trickling back to the three central Asian countries which are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. After one of the biggest blackouts in the region's history, millions of major cities of the three former soviet nations were left without power after an electricity grid accident.

Power began trickling back in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan after biggest ever blackout

The central Asian nations of Kazakhstan,&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;and Kyrgyzstan suffered electrical power outages in major cities on Tuesday, according to authorities and residents, after a major power line in Kazakhstan was disconnected.

The grids of the three ex-Soviet republics are interconnected, and via Kazakhstan are linked to the Russian power grid which they can use to cover unexpected shortages.

But Kazakhstan's North-South power line, which links densely populated southern Kazakhstan and its two neighbours to major power stations in northern Kazakhstan and the Russian network, was disconnected on Tuesday morning due to "emergency imbalances" in the Central Asian part of the grid, grid operator KEGOC said.

The blackout caused chaos across the region for several hours, with subway trains stuck in tunnels and skiers on lifts, airports closing, district heating and tap water pumps going idle and traffic lights switching off.

Neither of the three countries reported any problems with its power stations that could have caused the imbalances.

Kazakhstan, which has previously experienced power shortages due to the influx of cryptocurrency miners, has started routinely cutting off their power supply and did so from Jan. 24 until the end of the month, according to a document published online by one of the local miners.

Outages were reported in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty and several major southern cities close to the Uzbek and Kyrgyz borders. The airport of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, briefly stopped accepting flights.

Authorities in&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;and Kyrgyzstan said they were restarting power plants after emergency shutdowns and would initially remain disconnected from the Central Asian grid.

The central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan suffered electrical power outages in major cities on Tuesday, according to authorities and residents, after a major power line in Kazakhstan was disconnected.

The central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan suffered electrical power outages in major cities on Tuesday, according to authorities and residents, after a major power line in Kazakhstan was disconnected. The grids of the three ex-Soviet republics are interconnected, and via Kazakhstan are linked to the Russian power grid which they can use to cover unexpected shortages. But Kazakhstan's North-South power line, which links densely populated southern Kazakhstan and its two neighbours to major power stations in northern Kazakhstan and the Russian network, was disconnected on Tuesday morning due to "emergency imbalances" in the Central Asian part of the grid, grid operator KEGOC said. The blackout caused chaos across the region for several hours, with subway trains stuck in tunnels and skiers on lifts, airports closing, district heating and tap water pumps going idle and traffic lights switching off. Neither of the three countries reported any problems with its power stations that could have caused the imbalances. Kazakhstan, which has previously experienced power shortages due to the influx of cryptocurrency miners, has started routinely cutting off their power supply and did so from Jan. 24 until the end of the month, according to a document published online by one of the local miners. Outages were reported in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty and several major southern cities close to the Uzbek and Kyrgyz borders. The airport of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, briefly stopped accepting flights. Authorities in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan said they were restarting power plants after emergency shutdowns and would initially remain disconnected from the Central Asian grid.

Power blackout hits Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary.

“I wanted to go to the West to change my life,” the farmer, a father of three who asked that his name not be used to avoid retribution from his employer, recalled in an interview.

His life certainly changed: It got much worse.

The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory under construction in the northern city of Zrenjanin has become a symbol of the chasm between the alluring promise of investment from China and the sometimes grim reality on the ground.

Touted as China’s biggest industrial investment in Europe, the $900 million Ling Long Tire factory is a magnet of criticism for a Serbian government that opponents accuse of no-questions-asked subservience to China. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic.

About 400 Vietnamese work in Zrenjanin, along with hundreds more Chinese, who get higher salaries and better living conditions, according to the workers and local labor activists. The former farmer from Vietnam described his work conditions in Serbia as “miserable and dangerous” and said he was housed in a decrepit shack crammed with other Vietnamese workers and bullied by Chinese supervisors.

The Ling Long Tire project first took shape in September 2018 during meetings in Beijing between Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Xi Jinping, China’s leader.

Xi, who has looked to Serbia as China’s most dependable European friend at a time when other nations are souring on his country, praised the Balkan nation as a “good, honest friend and good partner.”

Vucic predicted that the tire factory, which plans to produce more than 130 million tires a year in Zrenjanin, and other planned ventures would make Serbia “the port for Chinese investments throughout the region.”

Serbia said Chinese investment helped it achieve economic growth of over 7% last year, among the highest in Europe.

But the furor over working conditions has set back Serbia’s yearslong effort to join the European Union, whose view of China has become increasingly jaundiced. The European Parliament last month demanded an investigation into treatment of Vietnamese laborers in Zrenjanin and voiced alarm “over China’s increasing influence in Serbia and across the Western Balkans.”

It has also aggravated what has become Vucic’s biggest political headache: public anger over damage to the environment widely blamed on the government’s drive to juice the economy at all costs. Tens of thousands of people gathered late last year for weeks of street protests across Serbia against the development of a lithium mine project by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto. The protests forced a rare retreat by the government, which on Jan. 20 canceled licenses for the project.

Chinese ventures in Serbia, which include a smoke-belching steel works near Belgrade, the capital, and a copper mine and smelter in the southern town of Bor, have helped stoke this anger. Despite gushing praise of Beijing in the pro-government Serbian media, they have made China synonymous in the minds of many Serbs with environmental degradation.

Unlike Rio Tinto, highly vulnerable because of its links to Australia, a country widely reviled in Serbia after the recent expulsion of tennis star Novak Djokovic, Chinese companies have enjoyed unwavering support from Vucic as indispensable for the creation of jobs and economic growth.

But Marina Tepic, a leader of the main opposition party, said in an interview that the tire factory would “provide a few jobs to Serbs but kill many more with its pollution.”

Strong support from the leaders of both Serbia and China, she added, has put the project largely off limits for government regulators and allowed construction workers there — deprived for a time of their passports, housed in squalor and fearful of retribution — to be kept in “modern slavery.”

The government denies protecting the Chinese project from scrutiny, with the construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic, declaring on a recent visit to Zrenjanin that the Chinese factory was Serbia’s most closely monitored building site. Officials say that Vietnamese workers have all been given their passports back and are now free to leave if they want.

A few of the workers have fled. But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say.

A statement from Ling Long Tire cited in Serbian media said the company was “committed to full respect for and a humane and dignified approach to all employees.” Yet it stressed that none of the construction workers are employees, and work for subcontractors. Ling Long said it had asked the contractors to provide better accommodations. The tire company did not immediately respond to requests for comment at its head office in China.

The Serbian government, which granted 240 acres of farmland free of charge to Ling Long Tire for its factory and pledged $85 million in state subsidies, says the factory will eventually generate 1,200 jobs. It declared the venture a “project of national importance,” a classification that critics see as a move to shield the venture from environmental and other inspectors.

“They behave as if the Chinese factory were a military site,” said Ivan Zivkov, a member of a network of activist groups in Zrenjanin that has been pressing authorities, mostly unsuccessfully, to release information about the factory and its likely impact on the environment.

Zoran Dedic, a retiree in Zrenjanin who attended a recent public meeting hosted by Zivkov, said he did not object to foreign investment. But he expressed alarm that so much information about the Chinese tire factory, particularly future levels of pollution, had not been made public and that Ling Long, while donating money to send local children to soccer camp, had not engaged in serious discussion with residents.

“We know nothing about what is going on over there,” he said.

Marija Andjelkovic, the head of Astra, an independent group in Belgrade that monitors and lobbies against human trafficking, said she visited the construction site late last year and found Vietnamese workers sleeping in hovels without heat or clean water. “It was like a prison camp,” she said.

Labor contracts signed by Vietnamese workers with China Energy Engineering Group, a Ling Long subcontractor overseeing construction, commit each worker not to engage in trade union activities, and to “refrain from anything that would detract from his reputation or the reputation” of the Chinese company.

Even more restrictive are the terms set by recruitment agencies in Vietnam. One agency, Song Hy Gia Lai International, demanded that all workers going to Europe sign a document pledging never to go on strike or protest.

The document appears to have been copied and pasted from agreements originally drafted for laborers recruited in Vietnam for work in the Middle East: It warns that workers going to Serbia risk having their hands cut off if they steal.

Danilo Curkic, program director for A11, a Belgrade research group, said contracts signed by Vietnamese workers were “far away from anything that is legal under Serbian law” and left them in indentured servitude. “It is impossible that Serbian state authorities did not know what was happening,” he said.

One Vietnamese worker who spoke to a Serbian TV station in November about what he described as inhumane living conditions was taken in for questioning by the Serbian police and released after signing a statement asserting that he had no complaints. Another who spoke to a Serbian media outlet was fired.

“This is all part of the process of intimidation,” Curkic said.

Vietnamese workers who agreed to be interviewed by The Times through an interpreter said they had lived for months in squalid barracklike shelters previously used by a local farm to raise pigs and chickens.

The former farmer from northern Vietnam said conditions had improved somewhat in recent weeks. Many workers now live in a two-story concrete block surrounded by a metal fence and watched over by Serbian security guards who bar entry to outsiders.

One resident, a 40-year-old Vietnamese construction worker who requested anonymity, said he shared a tiny room with seven others and that their kitchen was crawling with rats. Salaries of about $900 per month, higher than what he could earn in Vietnam, were often paid late and slashed for days not worked because of sickness or inclement weather, he said.

He previously worked for different Chinese companies for 15 years in Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia and Taiwan, but said he had never endured conditions as bad as at the Ling Long Tire construction site in Serbia.

“It’s like hell on Earth here,” he said.

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary.

Seeking escape from grinding poverty in northern Vietnam, the 43-year-old farmer labored for years on construction sites in Kuwait and Uzbekistan before being offered a ticket to what he was told would be “the promised land” — Europe, and a job with a good salary. “I wanted to go to the West to change my life,” the farmer, a father of three who asked that his name not be used to avoid retribution from his employer, recalled in an interview. His life certainly changed: It got much worse. The job turned out to be in Serbia, one of Europe’s poorest nations, with a Chinese company whose gigantic tire factory under construction in the northern city of Zrenjanin has become a symbol of the chasm between the alluring promise of investment from China and the sometimes grim reality on the ground. Touted as China’s biggest industrial investment in Europe, the $900 million Ling Long Tire factory is a magnet of criticism for a Serbian government that opponents accuse of no-questions-asked subservience to China. Workers and activists say problems like human trafficking, prisonlike working conditions and environmental abuse are endemic. About 400 Vietnamese work in Zrenjanin, along with hundreds more Chinese, who get higher salaries and better living conditions, according to the workers and local labor activists. The former farmer from Vietnam described his work conditions in Serbia as “miserable and dangerous” and said he was housed in a decrepit shack crammed with other Vietnamese workers and bullied by Chinese supervisors. The Ling Long Tire project first took shape in September 2018 during meetings in Beijing between Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Xi Jinping, China’s leader. Xi, who has looked to Serbia as China’s most dependable European friend at a time when other nations are souring on his country, praised the Balkan nation as a “good, honest friend and good partner.” Vucic predicted that the tire factory, which plans to produce more than 130 million tires a year in Zrenjanin, and other planned ventures would make Serbia “the port for Chinese investments throughout the region.” Serbia said Chinese investment helped it achieve economic growth of over 7% last year, among the highest in Europe. But the furor over working conditions has set back Serbia’s yearslong effort to join the European Union, whose view of China has become increasingly jaundiced. The European Parliament last month demanded an investigation into treatment of Vietnamese laborers in Zrenjanin and voiced alarm “over China’s increasing influence in Serbia and across the Western Balkans.” It has also aggravated what has become Vucic’s biggest political headache: public anger over damage to the environment widely blamed on the government’s drive to juice the economy at all costs. Tens of thousands of people gathered late last year for weeks of street protests across Serbia against the development of a lithium mine project by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto. The protests forced a rare retreat by the government, which on Jan. 20 canceled licenses for the project. Chinese ventures in Serbia, which include a smoke-belching steel works near Belgrade, the capital, and a copper mine and smelter in the southern town of Bor, have helped stoke this anger. Despite gushing praise of Beijing in the pro-government Serbian media, they have made China synonymous in the minds of many Serbs with environmental degradation. Unlike Rio Tinto, highly vulnerable because of its links to Australia, a country widely reviled in Serbia after the recent expulsion of tennis star Novak Djokovic, Chinese companies have enjoyed unwavering support from Vucic as indispensable for the creation of jobs and economic growth. But Marina Tepic, a leader of the main opposition party, said in an interview that the tire factory would “provide a few jobs to Serbs but kill many more with its pollution.” Strong support from the leaders of both Serbia and China, she added, has put the project largely off limits for government regulators and allowed construction workers there — deprived for a time of their passports, housed in squalor and fearful of retribution — to be kept in “modern slavery.” The government denies protecting the Chinese project from scrutiny, with the construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic, declaring on a recent visit to Zrenjanin that the Chinese factory was Serbia’s most closely monitored building site. Officials say that Vietnamese workers have all been given their passports back and are now free to leave if they want. A few of the workers have fled. But for most of them, leaving would mean breaking their contracts and leaving family members in Vietnam in hock to labor brokers and loan sharks who paid their way to Serbia, the workers say. A statement from Ling Long Tire cited in Serbian media said the company was “committed to full respect for and a humane and dignified approach to all employees.” Yet it stressed that none of the construction workers are employees, and work for subcontractors. Ling Long said it had asked the contractors to provide better accommodations. The tire company did not immediately respond to requests for comment at its head office in China. The Serbian government, which granted 240 acres of farmland free of charge to Ling Long Tire for its factory and pledged $85 million in state subsidies, says the factory will eventually generate 1,200 jobs. It declared the venture a “project of national importance,” a classification that critics see as a move to shield the venture from environmental and other inspectors. “They behave as if the Chinese factory were a military site,” said Ivan Zivkov, a member of a network of activist groups in Zrenjanin that has been pressing authorities, mostly unsuccessfully, to release information about the factory and its likely impact on the environment. Zoran Dedic, a retiree in Zrenjanin who attended a recent public meeting hosted by Zivkov, said he did not object to foreign investment. But he expressed alarm that so much information about the Chinese tire factory, particularly future levels of pollution, had not been made public and that Ling Long, while donating money to send local children to soccer camp, had not engaged in serious discussion with residents. “We know nothing about what is going on over there,” he said. Marija Andjelkovic, the head of Astra, an independent group in Belgrade that monitors and lobbies against human trafficking, said she visited the construction site late last year and found Vietnamese workers sleeping in hovels without heat or clean water. “It was like a prison camp,” she said. Labor contracts signed by Vietnamese workers with China Energy Engineering Group, a Ling Long subcontractor overseeing construction, commit each worker not to engage in trade union activities, and to “refrain from anything that would detract from his reputation or the reputation” of the Chinese company. Even more restrictive are the terms set by recruitment agencies in Vietnam. One agency, Song Hy Gia Lai International, demanded that all workers going to Europe sign a document pledging never to go on strike or protest. The document appears to have been copied and pasted from agreements originally drafted for laborers recruited in Vietnam for work in the Middle East: It warns that workers going to Serbia risk having their hands cut off if they steal. Danilo Curkic, program director for A11, a Belgrade research group, said contracts signed by Vietnamese workers were “far away from anything that is legal under Serbian law” and left them in indentured servitude. “It is impossible that Serbian state authorities did not know what was happening,” he said. One Vietnamese worker who spoke to a Serbian TV station in November about what he described as inhumane living conditions was taken in for questioning by the Serbian police and released after signing a statement asserting that he had no complaints. Another who spoke to a Serbian media outlet was fired. “This is all part of the process of intimidation,” Curkic said. Vietnamese workers who agreed to be interviewed by The Times through an interpreter said they had lived for months in squalid barracklike shelters previously used by a local farm to raise pigs and chickens. The former farmer from northern Vietnam said conditions had improved somewhat in recent weeks. Many workers now live in a two-story concrete block surrounded by a metal fence and watched over by Serbian security guards who bar entry to outsiders. One resident, a 40-year-old Vietnamese construction worker who requested anonymity, said he shared a tiny room with seven others and that their kitchen was crawling with rats. Salaries of about $900 per month, higher than what he could earn in Vietnam, were often paid late and slashed for days not worked because of sickness or inclement weather, he said. He previously worked for different Chinese companies for 15 years in Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia and Taiwan, but said he had never endured conditions as bad as at the Ling Long Tire construction site in Serbia. “It’s like hell on Earth here,” he said.

'Miserable and dangerous': A failed Chinese promise in Serbia

More than 140 Afghan Air Force pilots and crew members were evacuated as the Taliban had pressured Uzbekistan to return the pilots and crew.

Why did Taliban call on pilots to return?

Iran is all set to host the second round of foreign ministers' meet on Afghanistan, on Wednesday. Foreign ministers from regional neighbours of Afghan including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and China besides hosts Iran and Russia are going to be present at the meeting.

Iran to host second round of foreign ministers' meet on Afghanistan

Uzbekistan&nbsp;will allow girls to wear headscarves in schools in a bid to ensure devout Muslim families send their daughters to school, the Central Asian country's education ministry said.&nbsp;

Islam is the dominant religion in&nbsp;Uzbekistan, but the authoritarian government is staunchly secular and has retained tight control over the faith in the three decades of independence from the Soviet Union.&nbsp;

Education minister Sherzod Shermatov said on Saturday the authorities "intend to allow national headscarves and skullcaps in white or light colours" in schools after "the appeals of many parents".&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uzbekistan-is-taking-efforts-to-make-its-economy-sustainable-and-green-375475">Uzbekistan is taking efforts&nbsp;to make its economy sustainable and green</a>

He said the move was necessary to ensure every child got a secular education.

Prototypes of the permitted headscarves presented by Shermatov suggested girls of school age would not be able to cover their chin, as is the case with the hijab;&nbsp;a head covering popular throughout the Muslim world.&nbsp;

Shermatov did not specify what age category the measures would affect.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has relaxed some controls on state-sanctioned Islam since coming to power in the country in 2016 after the death of long-ruling autocrat Islam Karimov. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Earlier this year,&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;amended its law on freedom of conscience to allow women to wear the hijab in public places - though not in buildings housing state institutions such as schools.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-re-designates-pakistan-china-as-countries-curbing-religious-freedom-348369">US re-designates Pakistan, China as countries curbing religious freedom</a>

Other bans reversed following Karimov's death include a prohibition on children attending mosques and a ban on using loudspeakers for the call to prayer.&nbsp;

The United States government in 2018 removed&nbsp;Uzbekistan's sanction-carrying designation as a "country of particular concern" for religious freedom and last year took it off a "special watch list" of religious freedom offenders.

Uzbekistan will allow girls to wear headscarves in schools in a bid to ensure devout Muslim families send their daughters to school, the Central Asian country's education ministry said.

Uzbekistan will allow girls to wear headscarves in schools in a bid to ensure devout Muslim families send their daughters to school, the Central Asian country's education ministry said. Islam is the dominant religion in Uzbekistan, but the authoritarian government is staunchly secular and has retained tight control over the faith in the three decades of independence from the Soviet Union. Education minister Sherzod Shermatov said on Saturday the authorities "intend to allow national headscarves and skullcaps in white or light colours" in schools after "the appeals of many parents". Also read | Uzbekistan is taking efforts to make its economy sustainable and green He said the move was necessary to ensure every child got a secular education. Prototypes of the permitted headscarves presented by Shermatov suggested girls of school age would not be able to cover their chin, as is the case with the hijab; a head covering popular throughout the Muslim world. Shermatov did not specify what age category the measures would affect. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has relaxed some controls on state-sanctioned Islam since coming to power in the country in 2016 after the death of long-ruling autocrat Islam Karimov. Earlier this year, Uzbekistan amended its law on freedom of conscience to allow women to wear the hijab in public places - though not in buildings housing state institutions such as schools. Also read | US re-designates Pakistan, China as countries curbing religious freedom Other bans reversed following Karimov's death include a prohibition on children attending mosques and a ban on using loudspeakers for the call to prayer. The United States government in 2018 removed Uzbekistan's sanction-carrying designation as a "country of particular concern" for religious freedom and last year took it off a "special watch list" of religious freedom offenders.

In a bid to boost attendance, Uzbekistan will allow girls to wear headscarves in schools

An Afghan military plane has crashed in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek defence ministry has confirmed the earlier reports.

"The military plane illegally crossed the border of Uzbekistan. An investigation is under way," ministry spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov told AFP, confirming Uzbek media reports of a crash taking place late Sunday in Uzbekistan's southern province of Surkhondaryo, which borders Afghanistan.

Zulfikarov said the ministry would prepare a statement on the crash.

Bekpulat Okboyev, a doctor in Surkhondaryo province, told AFP his hospital had taken in two patients who were wearing Afghan military uniforms on Sunday evening.&nbsp;

The doctor described one of the patients as having come in "with a parachute" and noted that the man had suffered fractures.&nbsp;

Central Asia has watched with alarm as Afghanistan's government has collapsed.&nbsp;

Three former Soviet countries -- Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- border the country.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Uzbekistan said 84 Afghan soldiers had been detained crossing the border, adding that it was negotiating with the Afghans over the soldiers' return.

(With inputs from agencies)

An Afghan military plane has crashed in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek defence ministry has confirmed the earlier reports. "The military plane illegally crossed the border of Uzbekistan.

An Afghan military plane has crashed in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek defence ministry has confirmed the earlier reports. "The military plane illegally crossed the border of Uzbekistan. An investigation is under way," ministry spokesman Bakhrom Zulfikarov told AFP, confirming Uzbek media reports of a crash taking place late Sunday in Uzbekistan's southern province of Surkhondaryo, which borders Afghanistan. Zulfikarov said the ministry would prepare a statement on the crash. Bekpulat Okboyev, a doctor in Surkhondaryo province, told AFP his hospital had taken in two patients who were wearing Afghan military uniforms on Sunday evening. The doctor described one of the patients as having come in "with a parachute" and noted that the man had suffered fractures. Central Asia has watched with alarm as Afghanistan's government has collapsed. Three former Soviet countries -- Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- border the country. On Sunday, Uzbekistan said 84 Afghan soldiers had been detained crossing the border, adding that it was negotiating with the Afghans over the soldiers' return. (With inputs from agencies)

Afghan military plane crashed in Uzbekistan, says Uzbek defence ministry

Uzbekistan&nbsp;has detained&nbsp;84&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;military&nbsp;servicemen&nbsp;who&nbsp;crossed&nbsp;the&nbsp;border&nbsp;on Saturday, the Tashkent government said on Sunday, adding that another group of soldiers had amassed near a&nbsp;border&nbsp;checkpoint on the&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;side.

Afghan&nbsp;servicemen&nbsp;crossed&nbsp;the&nbsp;border&nbsp;into&nbsp;Uzbekistan&nbsp;and Tajikistan in a similar way last month when they retreated from the Taliban insurgents' offensive, which has accelerated in recent days leaving little but the capital Kabul in the&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;government's hands.

On Sunday, insurgents took the key eastern city of Jalalabad without a fight.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/back-to-harrowing-times-afghan-women-fear-taliban-rule-405547">Also read |&nbsp;Back to harrowing times: Afghan women fear Taliban rule</a>

Uzbekistan's foreign ministry said in a statement that the first group of&nbsp;84&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;soldiers made no attempts to resist when Uzbek&nbsp;border&nbsp;guards detained them but instead sought medical help.

The Tashkent government is also providing humanitarian aid to a group of&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;soldiers&nbsp;who&nbsp;have amassed on the&nbsp;Afghan&nbsp;side of the Termez-Khairaton bridge, the ministry said. The bridge is a car and railway link between the two countries.

Uzbekistan&nbsp;is in talks with Kabul on returning the troops home and resolving the situation at the bridge, it said.

Uzbekistan has detained 84 Afghan military servicemen who crossed the border on Saturday, the Tashkent government said on Sunday, adding that another group of soldiers had amassed near a border checkpoint on the Afghan side.

Uzbekistan has detained 84 Afghan military servicemen who crossed the border on Saturday, the Tashkent government said on Sunday, adding that another group of soldiers had amassed near a border checkpoint on the Afghan side. Afghan servicemen crossed the border into Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in a similar way last month when they retreated from the Taliban insurgents' offensive, which has accelerated in recent days leaving little but the capital Kabul in the Afghan government's hands. On Sunday, insurgents took the key eastern city of Jalalabad without a fight. Also read | Back to harrowing times: Afghan women fear Taliban rule Uzbekistan's foreign ministry said in a statement that the first group of 84 Afghan soldiers made no attempts to resist when Uzbek border guards detained them but instead sought medical help. The Tashkent government is also providing humanitarian aid to a group of Afghan soldiers who have amassed on the Afghan side of the Termez-Khairaton bridge, the ministry said. The bridge is a car and railway link between the two countries. Uzbekistan is in talks with Kabul on returning the troops home and resolving the situation at the bridge, it said.

Uzbekistan detains 84 Afghan servicemen who crossed border fleeing Taliban

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Tajikistan and Uzbekistan this week. He will also attend the SCO foreign ministers' meet at Dushanbe where Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will be present.

Amid Taliban's surge, Indian EAM Jaishankar to meet Tajik, Uzbek leaders

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from July 12 to 16 and will discuss Afghanistan's situation with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officials.

Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit three Central Asian countries, attend SCO summit

Carpet weaving in Uzbekistan is becoming increasingly popular in a city deserted by its residents since the disappearance of the Aral Sea. To help boost this local industry appreciated by tourists, the government has granted weavers an exemption from income tax.

Rug weaving becoming popular craft in a bid to boost local economy

uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, News on Uzbekistan, stories on Uzbekistan, articles on Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan stories at Wion, Uzbekistan news, Uzbekistan latest news