News Desk Manizha’s family came to Russia after fleeing civil war in Tajikistan, and now she will represent her adopted country at the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Also see: https://www.rferl.org/embed/player/0/31144071.html?type=video Manizha’s unlikely journey to the finals in Rotterdam has also included social activism and a role as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. RFE/RL’s Tajik Service

Asim Sajjad Akhtar FREEDOM is an extremely powerful idea, glorified by those who want it, reviled by those who want to keep status quo intact. We Pakistanis have a particular affinity with the word. Most of us relate viscerally to chants of ‘azadi’ whenever they ring out in Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh, on account of the state’s public patronage. Yet …

BISHKEK (Kyrgyzstan): Activist Altyn Kapalova says she broke “patriarchic norms” in Kyrgyzstan by giving her three children “middle names” that derive from her own first name. The matronymics on the children’s new birth certificates replaced the traditional patronymics that originated from their fathers’ first names. Kapalova, 37, also gave her children — who are five, 10, and 15 years old …

Slovenian climber Tomaz Rotar shares his experiences and the chaotic unsuccessful bid to summit K2 in winter and the tragic incident of Ali Sadpara and companions High Asia Herald Report John Snorri and Tomaz Rotar in 2020. Photo: Apricot Tours/ExplorersWeb Slovenian climber Tomaz Rotar has given the firsthand account of the K2 winter expedition that claimed five lives including Muhammad …

By Ghulam Amin Beg Global research into mother languages shows that changes in demography, migration, cross-culture marriages and the medium of teaching in schools impact minority ethnic languages severely.  In Pakistan coupled with these trends, the apathy of the state, class consciousness, use of Urdu and English as lingua franca as well as means of jobs and businesses as well …

High Asia Herald Report Baltit Fort. File Photo Islamabad: Two world tourism and culture bodies have joined hands to produce new guidelines on the restart of cultural tourism in the post-Covid-19 era, said a statement. “The shared values and close ties between tourism and culture means both sectors can work together to ensure inclusive access to heritage, as countries around …

‘State has systematically manipulated, denied the right to freedom, says Senator Raza Rabbani in his keynote speech at the second Asma Jahangir Memorial Lecture High Asia Herald Report (left to right) Human Rights Commission of Pakistan general-secretary Harris Khalique, HRCP chairperson Hina Jilani, I.A. Rehman, and Senator Raza Rabbani at the second Asma Jahangir Memorail Lecture on Tuesday, Feb 16, …

By: Reshma P. Musofer The educational reforms and ‘single-national curriculum’ have lately become a widely debated topic in Pakistan and across the globe. However, little efforts have been seen to respond to the practical challenges pertaining to ways of enactment and imparting education. My recent research paper as part of my PhD thesis, published in Curriculum Journal, is an effort …

by Aziz Ali Dad Let me start this review of the book “Hunza Matters: Bordering and ordering between ancient and new Silk Roads” by indulging in subjectivity. In 2015, I was a Crossroads Asia fellow at Modern Oriental Institute in Berlin, Germany. As a part of socialization, we interacted with different researchers and members of academia. On one weekend my …

The abusive man used to beat her and wanted to kill them to grab land Gul Hameed Farooqui CHITRAL:  Police have rescued a differently-abled woman and her four-year-old daughter from her husband’s atrocities who allegedly wanted to kill them to grab their land. The land was transferred by the woman’s parents in her name. According to police, the woman belonging …

Mushtaq Ahmad There is a long history of global pandemic and epidemics, but there is also evidence that all these have been challenged by man. Consequently, there have been great losses of human lives coupled with social and economic vicissitudes as well. At the same time, every major crisis brings opportunities to rethink our systems and make them stronger to future …

By Amir Roshan A massive protest joined by mourners on the occasion of Chehlum of the martyrs of Karbala at Aliabad Hunza on October 8. Photo by Ali Ahmed As the sit-in and protests for the release of Awami Workers Party (AWP) leaders Baba Jan, Aleem Ahmed, Iftikhar Karbalai, and 11 other imprisoned comrades continue, more people pour into Aliabad …

by Abdullah Bai Islamabad:  A climber from Poland has fallen to death at a mountain peak in Shimshal’s Ghujerav valley while his friend has been rescued. According to Shaheen Baig, leader of a rescue team, the two Polish climbers, llzuck Michael Jakob and Bogdanski Jakob had gone to Ghujerav Valley three days ago to attempt a little-known 6,200m-high Dhee Sar …

China’s northwestern province resumes inter-provincial travel, tours; flight booking surge 120% Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reopened from Wednesday outdoor scenic spots to visitors and resumed inter-provincial tours, according to the region’s cultural and tourism department. To boost the recovery of tourism, scenic areas in Altay Prefecture, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, the Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin, and other …

by Lolisanam Ulugova Tajikistan has a rich heritage of exquisite wood carvings. Dr. Larisa Dodkhudoeva from the Institute of History, Archeology, and Ethnography named after Donish talks about the origins of this art and how it transformed into a professional craft. The art of wood carving among Tajiks, along with many peoples of Central Asia, originated in an immemorial time, …