DECEMBER 8 marks Constitution Day of Uzbekistan. The Parliament of Uzbekistan adopted on Dec. 8, 1992, the Basic Law of the nation — the constitution of the sovereign Uzbekistan. On the same day Uzbek President Islam Karimov signed the laws ‘On the Adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan’, ‘On Declaring the Constitution Day of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a National Holiday’, and ‘On the Order of Enforcement of the Constitution’.
Twenty-two years have passed since that time. During this period democracy has become stronger in the country. The Basic Law has been, in fact, a policy document that created all the necessary conditions for the flourishing of the open civil society where people, their rights and freedom are the main priority. These principles were enshrined in the constitution which states that “democracy in the Republic of Uzbekistan shall rest on the principles common to all mankind, according to which the ultimate value is the human being, his/her life, freedom, honor, dignity, and other inalienable rights.”
At the dawn of its independence the young state faced a difficult task — to develop and to adopt a constitution that would correspond to the new realities. However, during that time, just as now, the head of state had a clear political vision according to which he built his strategy. He succinctly expressed this idea in his book ‘Uzbekistan on the Threshold of Independence’.
He writes “the main thing for us is always serve the interests of the people, the interests of the country, to create decent living conditions for all who live on this land. Our wealth, our opportunities, our people with ancient traditions and culture that gave the world brilliant thinkers and great scientists and will have all the necessary conditions so that every family and every person on this land live in happiness.”
The Basic Law was developed according to the traditions, geographic, ethnic, economic, political and historical features. It was a kind of a ‘regulatory element’ and a guarantor of all spheres of life of the people and the state.
“The whole lot of reforms and transformation in the life of every person in Uzbekistan and the nation in general, coupled with the confident advancement of the country toward progress and prosperity, are the result of rigorous adherence to the norms and requirements fixed in the constitution,” said President Islam Karimov during a speech at the 20th anniversary of the constitution.
The constitution became the basis for Uzbekistan’s unique model of socio-economic development. It guarantees social stability, peace and harmony in the country. With its adoption country’s political process received new realities such as a multi-party system, free elections, liberalization. The constitution created a stable political system, bicameral professional parliament, and a holistic legal framework that regulates the life of the society and the state.
However, there are always new requirements and criteria for the development of the country. Along with the time the constitution ‘matures’ and ‘accumulates’ new provisions in tune with the relevant strategic requirements.
The constitution of Uzbekistan has been amended six times since its first adoption. But the basic fundamental provisions of the 1992 constitution have been retained as they are topical today.
We must pay tribute to the fact that the constitution’s adoption predestined the future of Uzbekistan. Incorporating the fundamental provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other fundamental international documents, our constitution made the rights, interests and freedoms of people pre-eminent over state interest. The Basic Law defined creating decent living conditions for the people to be its core essence. The constitution proclaimed the principles of social justice. Moreover, the constitution enshrined the basic principle of the rule of law; it declared all citizens to be equal before the law.
The constitution supports the principle of the separation of power between the legislative, executive and judicial authorities. Legal frameworks to strengthen the independence of the branches of government have been created in Uzbekistan so to guarantee their independent development. The Constitution created effective mechanisms of checks and balances which is the most fundamental component of a democratic regime.
Thanks to its constitution, Uzbekistan established a strong legal framework for the development of various institutions of civil society, multi-party system and free activity of political parties. The constitution ensured the revival of national traditions, language, values and culture of the people. It created conditions for moral perfection and harmonious development of human kind.
And today, analyzing the chosen strategy, we can say that the ultimate goals of political reforms, economic modernization, humanitarian and spiritual development which radically changed Uzbekistan’s image and place in the international community were correct.
Results achieved in state-building and in socio-economic reforms were achieved due to the laws and programs adopted in accordance with the basic principles and norms of the constitution. The young country has made great strides which are widely recognized in the world. These facts thereby reaffirm the correctness of the path chosen by the country for its independent development.
Speaking of absolute importance and significance of the constitution, we should not forget that the Day of the Constitution is also a great national holiday. Meetings, discussions and various cultural and educational events devoted to the 21st anniversary of the constitution are held across the country.
During these events, the focus is given to propagate the essence and meaning of the Basic Law and to improve legal awareness of the people. Rights and duties of the people enshrined in the constitution are being fully explained during the meetings organized in enterprises, neighborhoods, schools etc. To facilitate this process President of Uzbekistan issued ordinance ‘On the Arrangement of Study of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan’ dated Jan. 4, 2001.
Due to this document the country created an effective system for a deeper study and broad explanation to youth the content and meaning of each section, chapter and article of the constitution.
There is another important thing about the Constitution Day. These days, the government outlines priority areas for further development of the country, reflecting the dreams and aspirations of the nation. At the initiative of the head of state, Year 2014 was declared the Year of Healthy Child.
22 years on: Uzbeks continue their journey toward progress
22 years on: Uzbeks continue their journey toward progress
Nigerian Dambe boxing goes global — amulets and charms included
- The Dambe World Series kicked off in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Saturday in the latest evolution of a sport that traces its roots back centuries among west Africa’s Hausa speakers
ABUJA: The first strikes in Dambe are thrown before the boxers even leave their house.
Fighters don charms and amulets, dye their fist or even score their arm with a razor, inserting traditional medicine before it scars over — all guaranteed to protect them in the ring or deliver a knock-out punch.
Combined with prayers from “mallams,” or spiritual guides, they are unstoppable — not just in Nigeria, but increasingly around the world.
The Dambe World Series kicked off in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Saturday in the latest evolution of a sport that traces its roots back centuries among west Africa’s Hausa speakers.
“Instead of trying to Westernize it, or instead of trying to make it something else, for us the goal is to professionalize it,” said Maxwell Kalu, founder of the West African Fighting Championship, the group organizing the tournament.
At the same time, a key goal is also “opening the door in terms of inviting people to compete in Nigeria.”
Held on the ground of the national stadium and broadcast by DAZN, a British sports streaming service, the tournament is a far cry from the social tradition said to have been organized by 10th-century Hausa butchers.
“This one is big, I’m very happy,” said Abdullahi “Coronavirus” Ali, a 20-year-old who has been fighting since he was a child. “The audience is growing every day.”
As Coronavirus — nicknamed for his ferocious punches — spoke to AFP, two amateur fighters worked the ring behind him, in a pre-tournament exhibition match in Dei Dei, a working-class Abuja exurb.
Chickens pecked under the rickety wooden stands while cigarette smoke wafted above the crowd.
In Dambe, in lieu of a glove, the fighters each have one fist tightly bound in rope — their striking arm. The other hand reaches out, feeling the space between the opponents and looking for something to grab or parry before the fighting arm whips forward as if from a loaded spring.
Amid the blows, one fighter lost his balance and fell — a “kill.” The round was over.
Dambe might have once seemed destined to be confined to the margins in places like Dei Dei as Abuja’s elite paved over anything standing in the way of modern skyscrapers and highways.
But slowly, the government has taken more interest in preserving and promoting the sport, as have private groups like the WAFC.
With the advent of YouTube and Instagram, Dambe now attracts fans across the world, with one promoter telling BBC in 2017 that 60 percent of his viewers were outside Nigeria.
The sport has also grown at home.
In 2018, a Dambe match in the southern city of Lagos drew spectators curious about their northern countrymen’s pastime — and excited to see it in a proper stadium.
Earlier this month, athletes from across the continent descended on the megacity for the African Knockout Championship, a Western-style mixed martial arts tournament.
But Kalu envisions the opposite: foreigners making their way to witness a distinctively Nigerian way of fighting.
Professionalization also brings the opportunity to bring in safety protocols and stable salaries to the otherwise unregulated sport.
“If I get married, I won’t allow my children to do it,” said Usman Abubakar, 20, his fist dyed a dark henna color and arm replete with charmed scars, recalling an injury to the chest that saw him sit out for two years.
Saturday’s fighters were competing to represent Nigeria in what is envisioned as a multi-stage, international series.
Boxers took to a sand-filled ring under stadium lights, with matches interspersed with musical acts and commercial breaks.
“Coronavirus” and his opponent danced around each other, sweat glistening, looking for an opening. He landed a blow, sending a tensed crowd into cheers as spectators overcame their urge to wince in shared pain.
“It’s somehow scary, but I do enjoy it,” said Joy Beatrice, a 30-year-old forestry officer in the stands.
Last year, supported by the WAFC, British national Luke Leyland traveled from Liverpool to compete in a Dambe match — reportedly the first white fighter to ever do so.
He was “destroyed,” according to one local media report, though he wrote positively of the experience.
Nigerian fighters remain cool on the idea of sharing the spoils of victory.
Asked what would happen if non-Nigerians started competing, “Coronavirus,” Abubakar and a third fighter, Anas Hamisu, were all excited at the prospect of more people embracing their sport.
But they also all shared the same prediction: the Nigerians would win.
Roosters banned in north Lebanese village over loud squawking
- Municipal chief tells Arab News keeping the birds as pets where they may cause a nuisance is now illegal
- Decision was made after many villagers also complained of mess, bad odors
BEIRUT: Keeping pet roosters between houses in the northern Lebanese village of Bednayel has been banned after a municipal decision.
Earlier this week, Salaheddine Al-Ayoubi, the municipality chief of Bednayel, in Al-Koura region, issued the decision banning villagers from keeping roosters to maintain public order and prevent loud noises during the daytime.
“It is illegal to (keep) pet roosters between village houses because they squawk loudly and cause mess and awful smell … not only roosters, but also chicken or any other animal that causes public disorder. Tens of residents complained of roosters’ crowing during daytime and due to that I issued the decision,” Al-Ayoubi told Arab News on Saturday.
The decision caused a social media frenzy and triggered uproar amongst internet users, most of whom criticized Al-Ayoubi.
In his decision, which granted villagers a 10-day deadline to get rid of roosters or any other animal that causes noisiness or disorder, Al-Ayoubi said that it was taken in the best interests of Bednayel’s residents, and was meant to maintain public order.
Elaborating further, the municipality chief explained: “Unfortunately, many villagers misinterpreted the decision. Some questioned how their chicken could lay eggs without roosters. Well, chickens do lay eggs without the need of roosters.”
He added the decision did not single out the issue of owning roosters, but it also discussed several other factors which have been causing public nuisance.
“I did not prevent them from owning roosters … whoever wants to keep a rooster, could do so but not between the houses. Tens of residents have complained of the loud crowing at any time during the day. That is not acceptable … so they are free to have roosters away from the houses and not between them,” he told Arab News.
Al-Ayoubi pointed out that anyone who owns a pet must take all necessary measures to prevent any disturbance to residents, such as maintaining cleanliness, limiting noise, and not allowing animals to roam without supervision.
The decision also prohibits driving motorcycles with loud or modified noises and any motorcycle that violates the regulations will be impounded and its driver fined.
“The municipality will take the appropriate legal action against violators,” he added.
Fans bid teary farewell to four giant pandas at a zoo in Japan before their return to China
- Around 3,000 visitors flocked to the Adventure World theme park to get a last glimpse of the beloved animals
- Many rushed straight to the panda exhibit zone, calling out the names of their favorites
SHIRAHAMA, Japan: Thousands of fans bid a teary farewell Friday to a family of four giant pandas at a zoo in Japan’s coastal town of Shirahama as the animals made their last public appearance before their return to China.
Around 3,000 visitors flocked to the Adventure World theme park to get a last glimpse of the beloved animals. Many rushed straight to the panda exhibit zone, calling out the names of their favorites.
Although the 24-year-old mother Rauhin and her three daughters — Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin — were all born and raised at the park, they remain on loan from China and must now be returned.
Once they return to China, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo will be the only pandas left in Japan.
More than 1,000 people, many wearing panda-themed attire, queued outside the entrance of the theme park hours before it opened while some camped outside the night before.
Junko Ikeda, who came from the neighboring prefecture of Nara, slept in her camper van Thursday night to secure a parking spot for the pandas’ send-off.
“I still can’t believe they are all leaving,” Ikeda said.
Giant pandas are native to southwestern China and serve as an unofficial national mascot. Beijing lends them to other countries as a sign of goodwill but maintains ownership over them and any cubs they produce.
Born in 2000, Rauhin had seven other cubs with Eimei, a male panda sent from China in 1994. Eimei returned home two years ago.
Despite strained political ties between Japan and China, giant pandas are hugely popular in Japan.
“We feel comforted just by looking at pandas,” said zoo director Koji Imazu.
Imazu said the departure of the four pandas marks the end of the zoo’s 30-year joint project with China. He thanked Chinese specialists for sharing their expertise with the Japanese staff and said the zoo will be ready for a new arrival at any time.
“Of course we all miss them, but I hope you could wish them good health when they go to China,” Imazu said.
In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said giant pandas are “friendly ambassadors” conveying the goodwill of the Chinese people.
Guo said that China and Japan have collaborated on panda conservation and research since 2000, and that China is ready to further strengthen international cooperation, including with Japan.
Rauhin and her daughters will be flown to China on Saturday where they will join other pandas at a facility in Sichuan province near their original habitat. There, the three young ones will find partners.
These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on Earth
NEW YORK: Scientists have identified what could be the oldest rocks on Earth from a rock formation in Canada.
The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt has long been known for its ancient rocks — plains of streaked gray stone on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Quebec. But researchers disagree on exactly how old they are.
Work from two decades ago suggested the rocks could be 4.3 billion years old, placing them in the earliest period of Earth’s history. But other scientists using a different dating method contested the finding, arguing that long-ago contaminants were skewing the rocks’ age and that they were actually slightly younger at 3.8 billion years old.
In the new study, researchers sampled a different section of rock from the belt and estimated its age using the previous two dating techniques — measuring how one radioactive element decays into another over time. The result: The rocks were about 4.16 billion years old.
The different methods “gave exactly the same age,” said study author Jonathan O’Neil with the University of Ottawa.
The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science.
Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of dust and gas soon after the solar system existed. Primordial rocks often get melted and recycled by Earth’s moving tectonic plates, making them extremely rare on the surface today. Scientists have uncovered 4 billion-year-old rocks from another formation in Canada called the Acasta Gneiss Complex, but the Nuvvuagittuq rocks could be even older.
Studying rocks from Earth’s earliest history could give a glimpse into how the planet may have looked — how its roiling magma oceans gave way to tectonic plates — and even how life got started.
“To have a sample of what was going on on Earth way back then is really valuable,” said Mark Reagan with the University of Iowa, who studies volcanic rocks and lava and was not involved with the new study.
The rock formation is on tribal Inukjuak lands and the local Inuit community has temporarily restricted scientists from taking samples from the site due to damage from previous visits.
After some geologists visited the site, large chunks of rock were missing and the community noticed pieces for sale online, said Tommy Pallizer, who manages the land with the Pituvik Landholding Corp. The Inuit community wants to work with scientists to set up a provincial park that would protect the land while allowing researchers to study it.
“There’s a lot of interest for these rocks, which we understand,” said Pallizer, a member of the community. “We just don’t want any more damage.”
Anna Wintour steps down as US Vogue editor after nearly 40 years
- She will continue to hold senior roles at the group and remain Vogue’s global editorial director
NEW YORK: Magazine legend Anna Wintour stepped down as editor of US Vogue on Thursday after 37 years during which she was often hailed as the single most influential figure in the fashion world.
Wintour, 75, was famous for making Vogue's front covers an authoritative statement on contemporary fashion, and for her total control over the glamorous pages inside.
She will no longer run day-to-day editing of the fashion bible, but magazine group owner Conde Nast was quick to scotch suggestions of retirement.
She will continue to hold senior roles at the group and remain Vogue's global editorial director.
British-born Wintour came to public renown as the inspiration for "The Devil Wears Prada," a hit 2003 novel and 2006 movie, for which Meryl Streep earned an Oscar nomination for her role as tyrannical magazine editor Miranda Priestly.
Wintour announced at a staff meeting in New York that US Vogue would seek a new head of editorial content.
In remarks reported by the New York Times, she called it "a "pivotal decision" but stressed she would not be moving out of her office.
"I'll be turning all my attention to global leadership and working with our team of brilliant editors around the world."
Wintour was made a British dame in 2017 and in February this year became a companion of honour -- an elite recognition.
At the ceremony in London in February, Wintour removed her trademark sunglasses to receive the award and said she had told King Charles III that she had no plans to stop working.
Wintour, who was raised in the UK by a British father and an American mother, reigned over Vogue in the heyday of glossy magazines.
US Vogue was a staid title when she took it over in 1988 and transformed it into a powerhouse that set trends -- and often make or break designers, celebrities and brands.
She took the title to a global audience, with huge budgets to spend on models, design, photographs and journalism funded by lavish advertisements and high subscription rates.
Vogue remains fashion's flagship magazine but, like many print publications, has struggled to adapt to the digital era.
Known to some as "Nuclear Wintour" for her decisive leadership, such as axing work without discussion, she was also a fixture in the front row at catwalk shows with her unchanging bob haircut.
A 2015 documentary "The September Issue" about the monthly magazine featured her ice queen image and steely ambition but also revealed a warmer human side.
Wintour has for many years also run the Met Gala, an extravagant Manhattan charity event that attracts an A-list of dressed-up stars from the worlds of fashion, film, politics and sports.
She is a fanatical tennis player and fan -- frequently appearing at Grand Slam finals -- and a major fundraiser for Democrat politicians including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the top US honor, before leaving office in January.
As Conde Nast's chief content officer, she will continue to oversee publications including Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, Conde Nast Traveler and Glamour.
For many years, Wintour declined to comment on "The Devil Wears Prada," which was written by one of her former assistants, Lauren Weisberger.
But when it was turned into a musical and opened in London in 2024, she told the BBC that it was "for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly."
Explaining her sunglasses, she told the outlet that "they help me see and they help me not see. They help me be seen and not be seen. They are a prop, I would say."
