Internet in a Box Reaches Remote Kyrgyz Villages
A Q+A with the Internet Society Kyrgyzstan chapter’s co-founder about bringing internet to the most rural schools. From Eurasianet.
Around the Bloc
Monday, 23 November
Please note: Around the Bloc is on hiatus this week as we prepare a new format for the section. Look out for our new daily newsletter, coming in December.
Friday, 20 November
Regional headlines: Azeris consolidate Karabakh gains; new EU sanctions against Belarus; Serbian patriarch dies; another Russian-American spy case; and Tajikistan’s winter electricity woes.
Thursday, 19 November
Regional headlines: North Macedonia and Bulgaria; a Russian spy in the U.S. Army; mass COVID testing in Slovakia; Pompeo visits Tbilisi; and Kyrgyz presidential maneuvers.
Wednesday, 18 November
Regional headlines: EU budget mess; protecting Karabakh’s monuments; Putin power; Bosnian elections; and lights out in Abkhazia.
Monday, 16 November
Regional headlines: Turmoil in Armenia; a new Moldovan president; Uzbek poverty; and fire devastates a COVID ward in Romania.
Commentary
Bonds of Ice and Fire
What lies behind Bulgaria’s refusal to advance North Macedonia’s EU prospects?
The Other America
Much of Central Europe is basking in relief over Biden’s victory. The euphoria may be short-lived.
Trapped in the Krajina
Stuck just miles from the EU border, thousands of migrants are helplessly entangled in the complexities of Bosnian politics.
Three Lessons in Chaotism
What remains of public trust in the state is vanishing as the pandemic roars back into Central Europe.
Latest News
Czech ‘Aunt’ Reaches Out to Polish Women
Court decision prompts the creation of an initiative to help Polish women obtain abortions in the Czech Republic, though there are legal uncertainties. From Respekt.
Why I Post About the Belarus Crisis
Nothing can match the “disruptions” my old classmates are facing in their reality, an executive writes to his fellow professionals.
A Time to Heal the Body Politic
A prominent member of the Czech Romani community laments “a near-complete inability to warn Roma about the dangers of COVID itself.”
Pandemic Opens a Door to Curtailment of Digital Rights
COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on digital freedoms in Central and Southeastern Europe, but it’s going to be a challenge to roll back intrusive regulations.
The Ancient Band of Shepherds Taking on a NATO Land Grab in Montenegro
Every day is critical in the pastoralists’ fight to save their ecosystems and way of life from the military training ground. From openDemocracy.
Racha: On the Occupation Line
An invisible wall divides villagers in north Georgia from their neighbors in South Ossetia. From Mtisambebi.ge.