Stories from Quick Reads from January, 2022
Belgium introduces new passport design featuring characters from domestic comics
"The introduction of this new passport is also an opportunity for us to highlight the 9th art, the comic strip, which is a central element of our culture and our influence abroad"
Armenian president resigns amid dual-citizenship scandal
The former president criticized the limited powers of the presidential office and decried attacks on the presidential office from "various political groups."
Georgian PM gifted his wife part of a state-owned forest
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has come under fire after the government leased almost 6,000 square meters of publicly owned forest in the resort town of Bakuriani to his wife.
In Turkey, a veteran pop star is facing scrutiny over song lyrics
The 67-year-old singer-songwriter, Sezen Aksu, is being accused of degrading religious values because one sentence in her song reads, "Give my regards to the ignorant Eve and Adam."
#helloTürkiye — Turkey's latest attempt to rebrand itself
The branding campaign follows a presidential circular signed on December 4, 2021, requiring the use of "Türkiye" instead of "Turkey" in all correspondence with other states, international institutions, and organizations.
In Georgia, six months after the tragic death of journalist, authorities blame drug overdose
The same day, authorities claimed Lashkarava died from drug overdose, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Laskharava's name to its observatory of killed journalists in 2021.
