A new report from Freedom House has ranked countries according to their levels of freedom, and Kyrgyzstan is ranked as the highest in Central Asia. Freedom Watch has studied political rights and civil liberties in every country and in some territories in the world, and then given them a number rating. The ratings range from 100, which represents the most free, to 0, which represents the least free. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Sweden and Norway all top the list, with scores of 100, and Syria brings up the end, with a score of negative 1. The countries were then divided into three categories – Free, Partly Free, and Not Free.

 

In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan leads the list with a score of 37. This makes Kyrgyzstan the only Partly Free country in Central Asia, with the rest being ranked as Not Free. The report also named Kyrgyzstan as a country to watch, as the country heads towards a presidential election at the end of the year. The report also encourages readers to keep an eye on political events around the world, as many are worried about rising extremist movements.

 

 

Internet games and pages focused on suicide have taken Russia and Central Asia by storm, sparking worries about youth and their internet usage. The pages have a variety of names and related hashtags, such as “Sea of Whales”, “Blue Whale”, “Wake Me Up at 4:20”, and “D58”. The content ranges from games that end with players killing or harming themselves, to pages dedicated to discussing suicide and mental illness. These sites have already been tied to around 130 suicides in Russia, as well as incidents in Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

 

As these sites start to become more popular among Kyrgyz youth, adults are at a loss as to how to respond. Already, 4 students in Osh have participated in these games, with one cutting her wrists. Luckily, she survived, but many are still worried and unsure how best to help. Some are organizing talks and support groups for students, some want to ban these sites, some want students to turn to religion. Parents are encouraged to monitor their children and their internet usage. There is a government commission investigating claims and the appropriate response for Kyrgyzstan, while at least one person has been arrested in Russia in connection with the games and sites.

 

Luckily, the number of youth involved seems to be relatively small, with only a small number actively participating.

 

 

Many Bishkek citizens have been asking – why are the street lights in the city on during the day? The Mayor’s Office has an answer. New energy-saving lights are being installed around the city, work that has to be done during the day.

 

In the short amount of time since the New Year, the Mayor’s Office has already installed 260 new lights on main streets around the city, with another six thousand planned on 38 more streets around the capital for later this year. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these new lights later in 2017!

 

 

Singer and pop-culture icon Beyoncé announced this week that she is expecting twins with husband Jay-Z. The couple married in 2008 and welcomed daughter Blue Ivy in January of 2012. Beyoncé released the news through Instagram, posting a picture of herself surrounded by flowers and shrouded by a veil, with a caption that expressed her gratitude for her two new blessings.

 

The photo easily became the most-liked photo on Instagram, gathering 8.9 million likes and surpassing reigning Insta queen Selena Gomez. To some, the photo was a show of power from America’s reigning black singer and icon. Indeed, mentions of Beyoncé far outnumbered mentions of Donald Trump shortly after her photo went public, and there were thousands of articles repeating the announcement about her pregnancy, and even art experts discussing the symbolism in her photoshoot.

 

Beyoncé’s next step is to headline Coachella in April with her surprise guests. After that, the world will be expecting two of the youngest celebrities in America.

 

 

February marks Black History Month, a time for reflection on race and history in several countries. The month is most widely observed in the US, though there will also be events and other mentions in Canada and the UK. The recognition has roots reaching back 100 years, and the first US president to officially recognize the month was Jimmy Carter in 1976. The theme this year is “Crises in Black Education.”

 

Not everyone is happy with Black History Month. Critics include people who think it is unfair to white people or other minorities for a whole month to be dedicated to one racial group, while others more closely follow actor Morgan Freeman’s views: “Black history is American history.” Whatever your views, February is the perfect time to learn more about Black history, both in the Americas and abroad.

 

 

Another American icon made an appearance this week – the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil climbed out of his burrow in Pennsylvania to predict the weather. This tradition goes back over a century, and is timed to be in the middle between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Punxsutawney Phil either sees his shadow on February 2^nd, which means six more weeks of winter, or he doesn’t, which means spring will come early.

 

This year, Phil saw his shadow, which should mean that there are six more weeks of winter ahead, but many people doubt his accuracy. It’s true, it isn’t a very scientific method of predicting the weather, but the tradition remains strong.

 

There are other North American rodents that make predictions – General Beauregard Lee in Georgia predicted an early spring for the southern states, and a win for the Atlanta Falcons in this weekend’s Super Bowl.

 

Only time will tell if these predictions come true.