Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from January, 2006
Azerbaijan: YAMs
Carpetblogger says that Azerbaijan's newly denominated currency, the YAM (Yeni (new) Azerbaijan Manat), is causing all kinds of mayhem in the country.
Mongolia: Elephant Keeping
Chris Miller reports that Mongol ingenuity is being put to use to keep two elephants from the Russian circus who arrived in Ulaanbaatar early warm. In this case, the ingenuity goes by the name of vodka.
Kazakhstan: Pressure on the Opposition
neweurasia reports that, in spite of the president's landslide victory and the opposition being a marginal force, pressure on the president's political opponents has increased since the recent election.
Ukraine: Deserving Respect
Scott W. Clark says that Viktor Yushchenko deserves respect for acting within the law and through democratic institutions to restore order to Ukraine's government.
Afghanistan:Turkic People
Gardegah says Turkic people in Afghanistan are facing discrimination. These people,Turkmen & Uzbek who are about 12% of population, according to blogger have no place in afghan administration or government. (Persian)
Mongolia: Protest and Uncertainty
Protesters have seized the headquarters of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party after its members at the head of government ministries resigned, sending the government into chaos. Chris Miller offers valuable background and explanation, while yan and Registan.net have more on the protests.
Armenia: Homelessness and Justice
Oneworld Multimedia discusses homelessness and the fight for social justice in Armenia.
Ukraine: Thoughts on Government
Scott Clark has additional thoughts on the dismissal of the Ukrainian government, saying it is perhaps not as bad for Yushchenko as it first seemed.
Kazakhstan: State of the Media
neweurasia reports on the state of Kazakhstan's media.
Armenia: Adoptions
Oneworld Multimedia reports that, despite new regulations, the number of international adoptions has not decreased.
Russia: Shoot the Birds
Nomad Notes reports that Russia's eccentric Vladimir Zhirinovsky has proposed shooting all migratory birds as they fly into the country to prevent bird flu.
Albania: Making Money
Our Man in Tirana reports on making money in post-communist Albania.
Armenia: Language Map
Blogrel has a surprising map showing the distribution of Armenian speakers. In Los Angeles…
Kazakhstan: The Inauguration
KZ Blog reports on the pomp and pageantry of Kazakhstan's presidential inauguration ceremony.
Armenia: Bird Flu Update
Oneworld Multimedai has an update on bird flu in Armenia. Armenians are following developments closely and the government is preparing measures to deal with the possible threat.
Mongolia: Government Collapse
Mongolia Matters reports that the Mongolian government has collapsed and that demonstrations are planned for this weekend.
Russia: Rodina's Calendar
Russia Blog reports on the Rodina (Motherland) party's proposal to return to the Julian calendar..
Afghanistan: Ethnic diversity
Safrang (“commentary” in old Persian) says it is through accepting the realities of ethnic diversity and building institutions that reflect this that societies find peace and throw away their weapons. More particularly, the Balkan lesson has shown that long-lasting peace can be achieved through devolution of power and decentralization of...
Ukraine: Frustrated
Ukraine's government has been sacked now that details of the deal have emerged. Veronica Khokhlova is frustrated with politics in Ukraine.
Turkmenistan: Coverup
neweurasia reports that Turkmenistan's government is worried about bird flu, but that it is suppressing information about it.
Kazakhstan: Oiled Inauguration
Kazakhstan's president will be inaugurated for a new seven year term soon and plenty of world leaders will be on hand. neweurasia reports that by the end of the festivities, President Nazarbaev will have heard plenty about oil.