Central Asia

Deep Water Perils in Kyrgyzstan

Tourists visiting Lake Issykkul, Kyrgyzstan’s main holiday destination, are on their own if they venture out into the water, and drownings are common.

Uzbek Activists Mark Four Years Since Andijan

TV Stations Struggle With Language Rules

Television stations in southern Kyrgyzstan are finding it hard to comply with rules requiring them to broadcast 50 per cent of their material in Kyrgyz.

Tajiks Switch On Energy-Saving Campaign

A campaign is under way to replace all normal light bulbs in Tajikistan with energy-saving ones by the end of this year.

War Memories From Another Age

Surviving veterans of the Second World War living in Tajikistan often find themselves living on the margins, in a society that has changed greatly since the end of the Soviet Union.

Mobile Phones on Wrong Side of Law

A month after legislation outlawing mobile phones in schools and universities came into force in Tajikistan, the ban is looking increasingly like using a hammer to crack a nut.

Kyrgyz NGOs Fear Tougher Legislation

But legislators backing new bill say too many non-profit groups behave like political parties.

Children Drop out of School to Work

Economic pressures are forcing school-age children to drop out of school to take jobs at places like the Dordoi wholesale market outside Bishkek.

Kindergarten Places in Short Supply

Pre-school facilities in Kyrgyzstan are overcrowded, with long waiting lists, Jyldyz Joroeva reports.

Uzbek Football Slow to Raise its Game