Harsh winter weather sweeps across Central Asia

The harshest phase of winter has descended with a snowy thud across all of Central Asia. Eurasianet says highways are blocked in Kazakhstan, schools have been shuttered in Tajikistan, trees and electricity pylons are crashing in Uzbekistan, and officials in Kyrgyzstan are pleading with apartment-dwellers to close windows to basements to avoid water pipes freezing. asiaplustj.info »