Eurasianet

Georgian cinema has been enjoying a renaissance, becoming a darling of the international independent film world. But it’s also running into political problems at home.

A disengagement from the world medical community combined with conservative societal norms have led to many doctors shunning COVID jabs even as the wave of infections reaches new heights.

The government said the system was useless against the Omicron variant, but critics accused them of pandering to anti-vaxxer sentiment.

Tbilisi’s world-famous nightclubs were the country’s last businesses to reopen following the COVID lockdown. But it took a confrontation with the authorities to make it happen.

Similar systems have been used around the world to encourage vaccinations. But under Georgia’s, you may be better off not being vaccinated at all.

Geneticists say the popular vegetable was first domesticated in the region.

While clumsy on COVID-19, Turkmenistan is being more sure-footed, or consistent at least, on the Afghanistan front. Plus, unsustainable agriculture. Our weekly briefing.

The decision elicited criticism, in particular as bars, restaurants, and tourism infrastructure remain open.

The government signals it is taking COVID a bit more seriously, without admitting the virus is running rampant. And Ashgabat gets down to business with the Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Poor and rural families are not equipped to handle online school. Now they fear another academic year is going to start with schools still closed.

With the Taliban at the border, the president heads in the other direction to oversee defense operations on the Caspian Sea. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Georgia’s mortality rate is among the world’s highest, and just under 6 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

To renovate or destroy? The Culture Ministry is dragging a dispute about Georgia’s heritage into the country’s muddy politics.

That Central Asia's presidents seemed to enjoy themselves together was itself a breakthrough. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

When Koma Wetan was formed, singing in Kurdish was illegal in Turkey. Now, the group is a legendary influence among Turkish Kurdish rockers..