Central Asia

Turkmenistan Blocks Students Attending Foreign Universities

Modernised Turkmen-Uzbek Checkpoint to Ease Border Crossing

Teenage Girls Fill Labour Gap

School-age girls are out gathering the cotton harvest in parts of Tajikistan this autumn, and many have dropped out of education altogether.

Kyrgyzstan: Journalist Alisher Saipov's Murder Left Unsolved

Kyrgyzstan: Hijab Row as New School Year Begins

Headscarf dispute pits secular school system against demands to respect religious freedoms.

End of EU Sanctions Sinks Hope of Change in Uzbekistan

Unregistered Marriages Offer Little Protection

Many marriages in southern Kyrgyzstan are not legally registered, leaving spouses without recourse to the law if things go wrong.

Kyrgyz Reforms Leave President Stronger

Plan for leaner, tighter government seems as much about increasing president’s role as about turning economy round.

Doubts About Kyrgyz Political Reform Plan

Analysts are sceptical that new institutions will make for more democratic decision-making.

Kyrgyz Leader Edges Towards Reform

Economic realities may prod Kurmanbek Bakiev away from autocratic impulses towards reform.