Stories from Quick Reads
Azerbaijan continues to keep its land borders closed, citing COVID-19 as a concern
Three years on, while the world, including Azerbaijan, lifted most, if not all, pandemic-related restrictions, Azerbaijan continues to keep its land borders closed for passenger traffic, citing the pandemic as a threat.
FC Barcelona opens its first academy in Central Asia and commits to build more
The academy in Jalalabad was FC Barcelona's 29th in the world and first in Central Asia.
If adopted, Tajikistan’s draft law on bloggers will do more harm than good
In the last few years, the country has recorded significant backsliding with regards to freedom of expression as well as overall political freedoms.
Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. Did Russians know who he was?
In a poll conducted in Russia three weeks after the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group, only a third of respondents (33%) said they knew about “the military crisis that occurred in Russia on June 24.”
Kyrgyzstan's national game, kok-boru, continues to attract new fans around the world
The turning point for kok-boru’s popularity beyond Central Asia came with the first World Nomad Games (WNG) hosted by Kyrgyzstan in 2014.
In Azerbaijan, couriers are facing intimidation and arrests at the hands of the state
The recent wave of arrests and persecution are linked to the changes adopted to Article 27 of the Law on Traffic in December 2022.
A podcast in Kazakhstan is under controversy for inviting a friend of the Boston Marathon bomber
Critics viewed the episode as an attempt to whitewash a criminal by providing him with a platform and not asking tough questions.
Zere's new album is a continuation of her fight against gender inequality in Kyrgyzstan
It continues discussing gender inequality while exploring other social and political problems in Kyrgyzstan against the background of her intimate and personal experiences and stories from childhood.
These women are fighting back on the continued destruction of Turkey's Akbelen forest
Some 300 organizations have rallied behind the residents' call to stop any mining activities and deforestation in the area in a statement issued on July 28.
Russian diplomats react to a new law on language in Kyrgyzstan, bringing back colonial past
The Kyrgyz language is an integral part of national identity. It is vital for the survival of Kyrgyz people as a separate ethnic group and Kyrgyzstan as a nation.
Mongolia turns to its dinosaurs in an attempt to attract more tourists
Out of 400 species of dinosaurs discovered so far, 80 came from southern Mongolia, where they lived in the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era.
Turkmenistan unveils its first ‘smart’ city, named after the former president
Arkadag’s future remains unclear given the government’s authoritarian and bizarre rules for its potential residents.
And then there were none — how political parties are disappearing in Azerbaijan
Opposition political parties have long struggled in Azerbaijan, faced with arrests, detentions, financial hurdles, or persecution of their members.
About 47,000 Russian soldiers died during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine
In just 15 months of fighting in Ukraine, three times more Russian soldiers have died than Soviet troops did over 10 years in Afghanistan.
Kyrgyzstan's highest court sides with a female activist and allows the use of the matronymic
People in Kyrgyzstan can now add an appendage to their first names that derive from their mothers’ names.
Gay penguin parenthood stories ruffle some conservative feathers
From Australia to United States, some conservatives are blocking the inclusion of gay penguin stories in schools and libraries.
A rapper in Uzbekistan is challenging widespread social issues through his songs
Konsta’s songs focus on Uzbek society, its problems, and the role of each individual in unfolding events.
Celebrating feminist joy: The power of a collaboratively built playlist
"Whether you need a little dose of queer feminist fire or seek a soundtrack for your own resistance, this playlist stands ready to uplift and speak truth to power."
Chişinău hosted the largest LGBTQ+ march in the history of Moldova
The march this year focused on advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Moldova to have their marriages legally recognized.
Ashes on their foreheads: Forest fires in Kazakhstan expose pervasive corruption and government’s fake promises
Over the past three years alone, four large forest fires have occurred in the north and east of Kazakhstan, causing the destruction of more than 100,000 hectares of forests.
President Erdoğan's obsession with childbirth expands past Turkey's borders
Independent economists say under existing economic conditions and salaries, it is nearly impossible to support five children in Azerbaijan.