“She’s not a stepcat, she’s the cat that stepped up!” one user said, while another commented: “That IS his mommy.”
Day: April 8, 2025
More than a dozen people are dead after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed early Tuesday as a well-known merengue singer was mid-performance, authorities said. At least 13 were killed and roughly 90 others were rushed to hospital when the roof of the renowned Jet Set nightclub suddenly caved in as Rubby Pérez…
All five Central Asian nations have launched a regional campaign titled “Central Asia Free of Tuberculosis” with the ambitious goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant strains, across the region by 2030, according to Turkmenportal. The initiative is led by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and supported by international health organizations.
Health ministers and senior officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan convened in Astana to formally launch the campaign and sign a joint declaration. The agreement outlines commitments to work closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Stop TB Partnership, the Global Fund, civil society organizations, and other partners.
Over the past decade, the five countries have made significant strides in combating TB through the introduction of new treatments and improved disease surveillance systems. The new initiative aims to accelerate these efforts toward total eradication.
Key Objectives of the Initiative Include:
- Testing Coverage: Ensure that at least 95% of all new and recurrent TB cases are diagnosed using rapid WHO-recommended diagnostic tools, which are already in place across the region.
- Treatment Expansion: Broaden access to shorter, injection-free treatments for drug-resistant TB, which have demonstrated success rates of over 85%.
- Vaccine Preparedness: Prepare national health systems for the rollout of new TB vaccines once they become available.
- Primary Healthcare Integration: Incorporate TB diagnosis and treatment into each country’s primary healthcare system, with support from WHO’s Primary Health Care Centre in Almaty.
WHO Regional Director Dr. Hans Kluge commended the political leadership demonstrated by the Central Asian governments. He emphasized that the region is now closer than ever to achieving TB elimination but must sustain its commitment through continued investments and stigma-reduction efforts to ensure equitable access to care.
The regional strategy is expected to yield significant results by 2027 and will serve as a framework for monitoring and accelerating progress toward TB elimination in Central Asia.
A major reforestation campaign will launch later this month on the northwestern outskirts of Petropavlovsk, near the Voroniy Island neighborhood, to restore forestland damaged by fire. Approximately 10,000 trees will be planted with the help of local residents, volunteers, and activists. The initiative is fully financed by Russian eco-blogger Alexei Sibirsky.
Grassroots Support and Cross-Border Solidarity
The project was initiated by concerned residents of Petropavlovsk. Local activist Dinara Omurzakova reached out to Sibirsky after learning of his successful reforestation work around Semey, in the east of the country. Sibirsky responded positively, agreeing not only to fund the purchase of seedlings and soil preparation but also to take part in the planting personally.
“I had been following Alexei for a long time. When I saw that he was involved in a similar project in East Kazakhstan, I wrote to him, and he agreed to come to us,” Omurzakova said.
Eco-Activism Without Borders
Alexei Sibirsky is among the most prominent Russian-speaking environmental bloggers, with a following in the millions. His initiatives span multiple countries, focusing on reforestation and the clean-up of water bodies. He funds these efforts through advertising and income from his eco-services platform, which offers tree planting and environmental clean-up.
Sibirsky began his environmental mission following a life-changing accident. Since then, he has implemented green projects worldwide, including several in Kazakhstan. In 2022, after Russia’s partial mobilization, he relocated to Uralsk with his family. As a gesture of gratitude for the city’s hospitality, he organized a clean-up along the Ural River. In 2024, he participated in a river clean-up in Almaty.
A Collective Effort Toward a Greener Future
The Petropavlovsk campaign will be the largest privately supported environmental initiative to date in the North Kazakhstan region. The local forestry authority will manage land preparation, while regional environmentalists, including activist Timur Zveryachenko, are also involved.
Organizers are inviting community members to join the planting on April 26 and 27.
“Every resident of our city can participate with their family and children. If this event is successful, we’ll definitely do it again,” said Omurzakova.
Reforestation as a Strategic Priority
North Kazakhstan region has one of the lowest forest coverage rates in the country, just 5.5%. The regional akimat (council) manages over 550,000 hectares of forest land. Since 2021, the region has been implementing a long-term reforestation program that runs through 2027, aiming to plant 122 million seedlings across 20,000 hectares. From 2021 to 2023 alone, 28.2 million trees were planted.
The Voroniy Island reforestation effort is not just a standalone event but part of a broader strategy to tackle one of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges. Support from both grassroots activists and private benefactors adds critical momentum to these efforts.
