The legendary iceberg A23a has almost disappeared, having lost 99% of its area, Donald Trump has ruled out a nuclear strike on Iran amid ongoing tensions, and Saudi Arabia has introduced strict restrictions on the Hajj – entry to Mecca is now only with special permission.
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Emomali Rahmon in Astana
Emomali Rakhmon took part in the regional summit in Astana and held talks with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the President of Armenia.
We discussed expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan – trade turnover has already reached $1.2 billion.
At the summit, the president said that Tajikistan forms up to 60% of the region’s water resources, and proposed the creation of an interstate energy commission in Central Asia.
He also warned of environmental risks: more than a thousand of the country’s more than 14,000 glaciers have already disappeared, and dust storms are becoming more frequent.
“Smart” traffic lights” in Dushanbe
In Dushanbe, they began installing traffic lights with an automatic system that regulates traffic depending on the flow of cars.
The project is being implemented as part of the modernization of road infrastructure; such systems are planned to be implemented in stages throughout the city.
This is expected to help reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety.
Phones are allowed in schools, but with restrictions
The Ministry of Education explainedthat you can bring your phone to school, but using it during lessons is prohibited.
During breaks, use is permitted, but schools do not have the right to confiscate the phone without reason. The law does not provide for a complete ban on telephones.
A schoolboy saved a girl and received a reward
In Dushanbe, 17-year-old schoolboy Rakhmatullo Mardiktoev saved a girl who had thrown herself into the river: he jumped into the water, pulled her out and took her to the hospital himself.
The incident occurred on the evening of April 19; the cause of the incident, according to the police, was a family conflict.
The teenager himself says that he “just wanted to save the person” and did not think about the risk.
The boy was awarded a letter of gratitude and a cash prize, calling his action an example for young people.
10 million euros for oncology treatment
Tajikistan attracted a 10 million euro soft loan from the Export-Import Bank of Austria for the modernization of the Republican Cancer Center in Dushanbe.
The funds will be used to purchase modern diagnostic equipment made in Europe and improve the skills of specialists.
It is worth noting that in just six months of 2025, 2,742 new cases of cancer were identified, and in total more than 21 thousand patients were registered.
Rare double organ transplant
In Tajikistan, for the second time since independence, a complex operation was successfully performed – a simultaneous transplant of the pancreas and kidney from a living donor.
Such operations are extremely rare: about 200 of them have been performed in the world, and most often from deceased donors.
In this case, the donor was the patient’s wife.
An updated unit was launched at Nurek HPP
Emomali Rahmon launched hydroelectric unit No. 7 at the Nurek hydroelectric power station after repair; it is capable of generating up to 8 million kW/h per day.
The modernization of the unit cost 34 million euros of credit and 9.5 million somoni from the budget.
Since 2019, three units have already been replaced at the station, increasing capacity by 260 MW. The complete modernization of the hydroelectric power station will be completed by 2032 and is estimated at $750 million.
Tajikistan is at the bottom of the employment rankings
Tajikistan took 175th place out of 187 countries by employment level, only about 36% of the working age population works.
Despite the creation of 280 thousand jobs in 2025, only a quarter of them are permanent, the rest are temporary and seasonal.
The authorities plan to create 1.4 million jobs in the coming years, but experts point to low wages, lack of skills and dependence on informal employment.
Migrants will be sent to Russia under a new scheme
The Parliament of Tajikistan approved organized recruitment of migrants — now some citizens will go to work in Russia through government agencies and pre-selected employers.
Some of the procedures will be transferred to Tajikistan: medical examinations, fingerprints and exams will be possible before departure. This should make the process more transparent and reduce the risk of problems with entry and employment.
Meanwhile, at the Dushanbe airport, returning migrants began to be advised: they are explained the new rules, helped with documents and offered work within the country – from construction sites to large projects.
Thousands of Tajiks are fighting in Ukraine under contract
According to the “I want to live” project, more than 3,400 citizens of Tajikistan were sent to war in Ukraine under a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to this indicator, the country ranks second in Central Asia after Uzbekistan.
At the same time, despite the criminal liability for mercenarism, no cases of prosecution have been recorded in Tajikistan.
Flights between Dushanbe and Mashhad resume
Varesh Airlines resumes flights on the Mashhad-Dushanbe route after a pause due to the conflict in the Middle East.
The first flight is scheduled for April 24; for now, flights will only be carried out in this direction.
Air traffic between the countries has been suspended since the end of February.
Fuel prices are rising in Dushanbe
In Dushanbe, prices for gasoline and diesel increased by 8-9%: AI-92 went up from 9.5 to 10.3 somoni, diesel – from 10.4 to 11.3 somoni per liter.
The growth is associated with world oil prices amid the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes.
Tajikistan remains dependent on imports: more than 70% of fuel comes from Russia.
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan discuss gas supplies
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan resumed negotiations on the supply of oil and gas products, which were terminated back in 2012.
The parties are considering the possibility of purchasing Uzbekneftegaz products.
Previously, Uzbekistan was a key supplier of gas to Tajikistan, then it was about hundreds of millions of cubic meters.
The water system is being improved at Tigrovaya Balka
In the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve, work is being done to install culverts and clean channels to improve water circulation.
This should prevent the accumulation of silt, reduce the risk of flooding and maintain the ecological balance of the area.
The reserve remains one of the key natural areas of the country.
Potato supplies from Kazakhstan have increased sharply
Potato exports from Kazakhstan to Tajikistan increased 257 times – to 16.7 thousand tons in January-February 2026.
Tajikistan has become the second largest buyer after Uzbekistan, having already provided about 20% of annual imports in just two months.
The increase in supplies is associated with the abolition of export restrictions in force in Kazakhstan in 2025.
Farmers are forced to sow cotton despite losses
Cotton sowing has started in Tajikistan, and, despite the authorities’ statements about voluntariness, farmers on the ground actually oblige to sow up to 70% of the fields with this crop – even to the point of threatening to plow up already sown fields with other crops.
In 2026, they plan to allocate 186.8 thousand hectares to cotton, with a forecast of a harvest of 422 thousand tons.
However, farmers themselves are increasingly abandoning cotton due to low profitability; income does not cover costs.
Registration has been simplified for farmers
In Tajikistan, registration of dekhkan farms has been transferred online – now it can be done through the Andozi Man application.
Farmers no longer need to contact government agencies in person; registration takes less time and reduces bureaucracy.
The authorities hope that this will help bring more farms into the green and make it easier to conduct agribusiness.
Judokas returned with medals and prizes
The Tajikistan judo team was greeted in Dushanbe as heroes after the Asian Championship – the winners were awarded 100 thousand somoni.
The team won 5 medals – two gold, two silver and one bronze, taking second place in the overall standings.
The victory of Emomali Nurali was especially noteworthy – this is the first “gold” for the country at the Asian Championships in the last 9 years.
Tajikistan won the CIS Chess Cup
The Tajikistan national team took first place at the CIS Chess Cup, held in Almaty.
The team also showed strong individual results: Tajik chess players took all the prizes among women. Other participants also received separate awards in the categories of veterans and civil servants.
