Turkmenistan: How the Grinch stole New Year As the president celebrates, the economic crisis deepened by a coronavirus outbreak he has refused to acknowledge has left his people in a state of Dickensian misery. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Dec 29, 2020
Turkmenistan: The deadly price of lies Electricity exports; crowd control outside food shops; and despite denials, COVID strikes. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Dec 22, 2020
Kazakhstan to start Sputnik V vaccinations early next year Trials for a domestically developed QazCovid-in vaccine are not expected to be completed until March. Almaz Kumenov Dec 4, 2020
Turkmenistan: The Germans are coming! Only the best medicine for the leader. For everyone else, bread shortages. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Dec 1, 2020
Kazakhstan’s independent media losing advertising battle with bloggers, influencers The government will help outlets that publish its propaganda. Almaz Kumenov Nov 20, 2020
Kazakhstan: Nearly half of ventilators bought for COVID-19 defective Numbers of coronavirus cases has seen a sharp surge recently. Almaz Kumenov Nov 19, 2020
Turkmenistan: A dog’s tale Ecological conservation is a matter of pride in Turkmenistan. But a disconnect between rhetoric and reality is a hallmark of the Berdymukhamedov era. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Nov 17, 2020
Kazakhstan: Former health minister arrested The healthcare sector has been embroiled in corruption scandals for years. Almaz Kumenov Nov 3, 2020
UFC Khabib’s last outing too hot for Tajikistan? The authorities are spooked by the idea that a crowd could form. Chris Rickleton Oct 26, 2020
Kazakhstan: Avian flu kills nearly 1 million poultry The die-off has caused a shortage of meat and eggs in markets. Almaz Kumenov Oct 21, 2020
Turkmenistan: Going donuts The dictatorial regime is mostly deaf to people’s complaints, but it sometimes caves. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Oct 20, 2020
Turkmenistan: Reprimands galore The president’s fury has only served to expose once more the implausibility of official data. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Oct 13, 2020
Kazakhstan: Classes continue in remote format Parents are pleading for relief from their kids learning from home, however. Almaz Kumenov Sep 10, 2020
Turkmenistan: They call me Mr. Boombastic For all the bombastic propaganda, there is no papering over the fact that Turkmenistan is still clearly struggling with a COVID-19 problem. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Sep 8, 2020
Kazakhstan’s war on coronavirus fake news underwhelms Confusion and contradiction are at the heart of the government’s counter-disinformation strategy. Almaz Kumenov Aug 28, 2020