Internet restrictions in Russia hurt small businesses
Small businesses across Russia are increasingly feeling the impact of tighter internet restrictions, including ...
Former Kyrgyz MP Shairbek Tashiev has been detained in a corruption investigation linked to state oil firm Kyrgyzneftegaz, as the case expands to include members of a powerful political family.
Tashiev, the brother of former State Committee for National Security (GKNB) head Kamchybek Tashiev, was taken into custody by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and placed in a temporary detention facility in Bishkek as part of an ongoing criminal inquiry.
The detention follows earlier developments in the same case, in which Kamchybek Tashiev himself was questioned by investigators and designated as a witness. In the weeks since, the inquiry has widened, with increasing scrutiny directed at his relatives and close associates, indicating a broadening investigation rather than an isolated prosecution.
According to official statements, the case centres on alleged corruption in the oil sector. Tax authorities say members of the Tashiev family may have generated substantial profits over several years through intermediary firms.
Investigators describe a possible scheme in which close relatives, including the former security chief’s son and brother, controlled the resale of petroleum products produced by a state refinery affiliated with Kyrgyzneftegaz. The refinery, according to investigators, was managed by a nephew of Tashiev, potentially enabling a closed system of distribution and control.
The allegations place the state-owned company at the heart of the case. Kyrgyzneftegaz remains a strategic asset in Kyrgyzstan’s energy sector, responsible for the extraction, refining and sale of oil and petroleum products.
Allegations involving such an enterprise carry broader economic and political significance, particularly in a system where control over key industries is closely tied to political influence.
The investigation is unfolding against a backdrop of significant political change. On 10 February, President Sadyr Japarov dismissed Kamchybek Tashiev from his post as head of the GKNB, citing the need to prevent divisions within society.
The decision came shortly after the publication of an appeal calling for early presidential elections, signed by dozens of individuals, some of whom were later detained on charges of organising mass unrest.
His removal was followed by a wider reshaping of the political landscape. Several allies were dismissed from their positions, while lawmakers associated with him, including the parliamentary speaker, relinquished their mandates.
These developments have reinforced the perception that the investigation is unfolding alongside a redistribution of influence within the country’s ruling elite.
Within Kyrgyzstan, the case is increasingly viewed through both legal and political lenses. While authorities present it as an anti-corruption inquiry, the sequence of events has led many observers to interpret it as part of a broader rift between President Sadyr Japarov and his former ally Kamchybek Tashiev, with potential long-term implications for the country’s balance of power.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
Thousands of displaced families in Gaza are facing growing infestations of rats and insects as worsening sanitation conditions and mounting waste deepen the humanitarian crisis across overcrowded camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Uzbekistan has launched a nationwide environmental initiative titled ‘Day Without Cars’, which will take place twice a month as part of efforts to improve air quality and reduce vehicle emissions.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum will open in Baku on Sunday, bringing together government representatives, city leaders, urban planners, international organisations, businesses and civil society to discuss the future of sustainable urban development.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, has travelled to Baku to attend the 13th World Urban Forum, where climate change and safer cities will be discussed.
Children laughed, applauded and watched wide-eyed as animated characters lit up the screen at the opening of the ninth Animafilm International Animation Festival in Baku, where filmmakers and audiences from around the world gathered to celebrate the growing influence of animated cinema.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment