Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Central Asia Report 4/2/2012 9:31:36 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the five countries of Central Asia. For more stories on Central Asia, please visit and bookmark our Central Asia page .

 

Is Happiness Just As Important As GNP? And How Do You Measure It? Economists and development experts are meeting at the United Nations in New York to discuss whether improving happiness is just as important as increasing gross national product (GNP) for developing countries. More   Bishkek Asks U.S. For Drones Kyrgyz officials have asked a U.S. military delegation for pilotless drone aircraft. More   For The Love Of Liza The plight of 2-year-old Liza Gracheva is touching hearts not only in her native Kazakhstan but throughout the region. More   Turkmenistan Begins Week Of Health And Happiness Turkmenistan -- one of the world's worst abusers of human rights -- has launched an official "Week of Health and Happiness." Events include the staging of theater productions titled "The Inspirational Era of Happiness" and "The Era of Power Illuminated by Happiness." More   U.S., Tajikistan Discuss Security The head of U.S. Central Command, General James Mattis, has met with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe to discuss security cooperation. More   Indicted Kyrgyz Ex-Official In Tbilisi Georgian officials say that the former chief of Kyrgyzstan’s Presidential Secretariat, who is wanted in Bishkek on charges of corruption and involvement in the shooting of unarmed protesters, will be allowed to stay in Tbilisi until her legal status is officially clarified. More   Kazakh Oil Firms Want Stakes in Belarusian Refineries Kazakhstan's ambassador to Belarus says state-affiliated Kazakh oil firms are interested in obtaining ownership stakes in Belarusian oil refineries. More   Giving Up Nukes -- Is The Post-Soviet Experience A Model For Others? After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine gave up their Soviet-legacy nuclear weapons. But what did they get in return and how do they feel about that decision now? More   'Terror Plot' Foiled In Kazakhstan Kazakh authorities say security forces have thwarted a planned series of "terrorist" attacks, which investigators have linked to exiled banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, a leading opponent of President Nursultan Nazarbaev. More   Turkmen One-Party Rule May End Soon Authorities in Turkmenistan have pledged that two new political parties will be established "soon" -- a move aimed at bringing an end to the country’s current one-party system. More   Crowds Throng Kazakh Riot Trial Hundreds of people besieged a temporary court as the trial got under way of 37 defendants accused of involvement in deadly unrest in Kazakhstan’s southwestern city of Zhanaozen. More   Does This Language Make Me Look Fat? A new study by a Yale University economist suggests that the language you speak can have an impact on your long-term well-being by affecting how you think about saving money, smoking, exercise, and even obesity. More   Mass Terrorism Trial Begins In Kazakhstan The trial of 47 men charged with terrorism has begun in the western Kazakh city of Aqtau. More