IWPR

Iraq: Jan ‘09

Commentators say IWPR publication and radio show helped to bolster election coverage.

Hariri Prosecution May Threaten Syria-US Rapprochement

If tribunal finds Syria guilty of assassination, it could drive country closer to Iran, warns analyst.

Uzbek, Turkmen Leaders to Attend ECO Summit in Tehran

Battling Indoctrination in the Classroom

Teachers who want to broaden the minds of their students face an uphill struggle.

Regime Puts Squeeze on Private Media

They have grown in number in recent years – though don’t last long if they fall foul of the regime.

Women Play Growing Role in Opposition Ranks

But it seems there are still many obstacles to their engagement in politics.

Babushka Incorporated

Reporter Nurlan Abdaliev discovers how a group of older women in the Kyrgyz capital is turning traditional skills into money.

Textbook Shortage Serious Matter for Uzbek Minority

Children from the substantial Uzbek minority in southern Kyrgyzstan are given textbooks in their own language when they go to school. The trouble is, the books are from the wrong country.

Kyrgyz Grain Farmers Get Cold Feet

Farmers in the northern province of Issykkul are planning to grow a lot less grain this year than they did in 2006.

Turkmen, Uzbeks Edge Closer on Common Concerns

Troubled relations between Central Asia’s most authoritarian states will take time to repair.