Uzbekistan

Uzbek Leaders Tight-Lipped Ahead of Election

Islam Exerts Growing Influence on Kyrgyz Politics

Some analysts fear that populist measures to promote Islamic values could run out of control in the long run.

Protesters Rise up Against Inflation

Kabardino-Balkaria Leader Offers Way Out in Land Dispute

President proposes a major rethink on laws that ethnic Balkars say will deprive them of their lands.

Smugglers' Paradise on Kazak-Uzbek Border

Local officials are accused of taking kickbacks in return for turning a blind eye to wholesale smuggling.

Major Civil Unrest Not Imminent

New Penalties for Tajik Teachers Slammed

Educationalists say harsh sanctions for teachers who leave the profession early will not solve staff shortages in Tajik schools.

Kyrgyz Schools in Language Row

Education ministry backtracks as Uzbek minority representatives voice angered at moves to cut schooling in their language.

Afghan Media Wars

Ethnic and regional rivalries are rife in Afghanistan’s fledgling press, threatening the country’s fragile unity.

Uzbekistan Seeking Investment for Cotton Industry