Kyrgyzstan: A stranded village on Tajik border struggles for survival Efforts to stop border trade are causing ethnic Kyrgyz to abandon a remote southern region. Peter Leonard Dec 9, 2021
Perspectives | Islamic State continues anti-Taliban PR push, with Tashkent in crosshairs The Islamic State in Afghanistan is using the Taliban’s cozy relations with Uzbekistan as propaganda fodder. Lucas Webber Dec 9, 2021
Uzbekistan pulls the plug on ‘negative influence’ TikTok festival Tashkent is regretting its early embrace of the Chinese app. Dec 8, 2021
Georgia responds to inflation by increasing spending The cash transfers risk pushing consumer prices up further. Nino Bakradze Dec 8, 2021
Kazakhstan: Satellite images show scale of land squatting Historic efforts to combat the problem bring back memories of a dark episode in the country's history. Almaz Kumenov Dec 8, 2021
International court orders Armenia and Azerbaijan to curb racial hatred The International Court of Justice declined, however, to order more concrete measures related to Armenian prisoners and maps of land mines in Azerbaijan. Joshua Kucera Dec 8, 2021
Kazakhstan: Polluters brace for sting of carbon tax The threshold of permitted CO2 emissions will decline annually by 5.4 percent through 2025. Almaz Kumenov Dec 8, 2021
Turkmenistan: This is Fine A cratering economy, the world’s slowest internet, and the army takes charge of food production. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Dec 7, 2021
Kazakh TikTokers conquer the world, incite suspicion at home The world’s most popular TikTok house is in Almaty. Not all locals are happy about it. Almaz Kumenov Dec 7, 2021
Azerbaijan’s anti-vaxxers remain on the fringe Compared to its neighbors, anti-vaccine sentiment hasn’t really taken hold in Azerbaijan. Some are still trying, though. Heydar Isayev Dec 6, 2021
Kazakhstan: China protests reach landmark, despite official war of attrition Some protesters spend most of their pensions traveling daily to picket outside the Chinese consulate. Daniyar Moldabekov and Nazerke Kurmangazinova Dec 6, 2021
Perspectives | How ADB’s pandemic aid to Uzbekistan was misused, whistleblower silenced The Uzbek blogger who first raised these concerns was smeared, beaten, and now faces trial. Nina Lesikhina Dec 6, 2021
Facing yet more toxic waste, Kazakh town says NIMBY A grassroots environmental campaign has implications far beyond the small Kazakh town where it started. Artyem Sochnev Dec 3, 2021
Tajikistan press-gangs an army to defend long Afghan border The conscripts, generally Tajikistan’s poorest young men, are brutalized into service. And they are the country’s first line of defense. Kamila Ibragimova Dec 2, 2021
Kyrgyzstan: Opposition leader assaulted by busloads of men Tekebayev says he was warned to stop protesting the results of the election. Dec 1, 2021