Life

Thousands of university places remained vacant as Armenia recorded unprecedented low results in the admission exams. © Dato/Wikimedia

Armenian Universities’ Lost Applicants

Thousands of places remain vacant as students fail entry tests due to low quality education and fewer applicants.

31 Aug 22

Maxim, an eight-year-old copper-coloured Maine Coon cat.

How a Ukrainian Cat Escaped Russian Captivity

Amid multiple tales of looting and destruction, a rare happy ending.

29 Aug 22

Village leader Dina, 62 enters a bomb-damaged auditorium in a town which was partially occupied by Russian forces until recently in Kherson Oblast on May 08, 2022 in Zagradivka, Ukraine. Most of the Kherson Oblast region fell to Russia shortly after the Feb. 24 invasion, as Russia sought to create an overland corridor from Crimea to separatist-held areas in the east. © John Moore/Getty Images

Collaboration, Theft and Corruption: How Russia Tried to Co-Opt Kherson

The occupying forces are appointing local sympathisers to run services and private enterprises in the southern region. But it’s not working out as planned.

15 Aug 22

Ayten Osmanova arranges a colourful hijab in her atelier in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. The designer started her fashion business to cater for the increasing number of liberal believers who, like her, sought a modest apparel with a modern, colourful twist. © Lamyia Adilgizi

Azerbaijani Women Embrace The Headscarf

Islam is on the rise in the oil-rich, secular South Caucasus country and the hijab is a way to make a statement.

26 Jul 22

A microdistrict with more than 10 three-story buildings is being built in the village of Ivanyan, close to next to the base of Russian peacekeepers. Construction is ongoing to house thousands who have been displaced from the territories that Azerbaijan's armed forces regained control of as a result of the 2020 war. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Nagorny Karabakh’s Fearful Calm

Residents of the South Caucasus region feel subject to political maneuvering beyond their control.

18 Jul 22

A sign warns against the danger of mines in the Black Sea. Russian forces have laid mines in the sea, while some parts of the seashore in Odesa were mined by Ukraine's Armed Forces to prevent Russian landing. © Micheal Shtekel

Deadly Mines Infest Odesa Coast

Explosive devices that can be triggered “by a strong wave” continue to endanger both civilian lives and shipping.

18 Jul 22

High migration and low birthrate are the key causes of Armenia's depopulation. For the first time since 1998, in the first quarter of 2022, the number of deaths registered exceeded the number of births by 609 people. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia Faces Demographic Risks

For the first time since 1998, deaths outnumber births, escalating the country’s demographic crisis.

13 Jul 22

Uzbekistan: Lack of Dialogue Behind Protests in Karakalpakstan

Experts warn that unresolved questions of national self-determination and social problems need to be treated sensitively.

12 Jul 22

A shelled apartment building in Mariupol, 16 March 2022.

Swimming Out of Besieged Mariupol

How one man swam to safety by diving into icy sea water to escape the Russian siege.

6 Jul 22

A Ukrainian soldier walks past a missile from the MLRS Uragan at the frontline positions near Izyum, the south of the Kharkiv region. May 23, 2022. © Anatoliy Stepanov

Ukraine: Life in Occupied Izyum

Communication is sketchy in the Russian-occupied city as former residents try to locate loved ones struggling to access fuel, food and water.

29 Jun 22

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