Tajikistan pleads poverty, spends money on unneeded luxuries A panhandling president is unaccountable to his Western benefactors. Apr 26, 2023
Birth and marriage rates increase in Nagorno-Karabakh The increases have reversed a demographic decline that the territory has seen since the pandemic and war with Azerbaijan. Lilit Shahverdyan Jul 25, 2022
Kazakhstan: Labor unrest troubles another Chinese project Kazakh officials know they cannot be seen siding with a Chinese company. Apr 15, 2022
Uzbekistan: Get a jab, win a car Tashkent’s vaccination campaign is getting a shot in the arm. Feb 2, 2022
Tajikistan: Teachers leaving for Russia and not looking back Salaries were always horribly low but living costs have soared since the pandemic began. Nov 10, 2021
Afghan refugees hope Tajikistan is just a pit stop Middle-class Afghans with the means to navigate Tajikistan’s bureaucracy see the country as a springboard to the West. Kamila Ibragimova Oct 15, 2021
Armenian vaccination mandate faces backlash The government hopes to boost vaccination rates, but a new anti-vaccine campaign is on the rise. Karine Ghazaryan Sep 29, 2021
Iranians report arbitrary ban at Georgian border In recent years the Caucasus country has become a magnet for Iranian students, business owners, and dissidents. But now many report they’re not being allowed to enter. Giorgi Lomsadze Sep 24, 2021
COVID deepens digital divide in Georgian schools 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. Giorgi Lomsadze Aug 19, 2021
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan experiment with vaccines amid lack of public confidence Central Asia’s largest nations are using unique coronavirus vaccines that haven’t been carefully studied. Do they have a choice? Aug 16, 2021
Kazakhstan suffers from acute shortage of doctors The COVID-19 outbreak has compounded a problem caused by low salaries. Almaz Kumenov Aug 9, 2021
Georgia: The discreet inevitability of Chinese vaccines A few months ago, the thought of taking a Chinese COVID vaccine was unthinkable to Georgians. Now it’s the norm. Giorgi Lomsadze Jul 8, 2021
Kazakhstan: Black market in fake coronavirus passports booms Conspiracy theories have fueled the low update for vaccination. Joanna Lillis Jul 2, 2021
Kazakhstan draws on current crises in designing national security strategy The documents focuses on viruses, droughts, water shortages and food deficits as potential crisis flashpoints. Almaz Kumenov Jun 23, 2021
Tajikistan: COVID-19 crisis escalates, forcing government to drop denials China has delivered 300,000 doses of vaccine, but will the public want them? Kamila Ibragimova Jun 21, 2021