Tajik Capital Puts its Houses in Order
A new effort to enforce planning regulations seems designed to make Dushanbe a better place to live, but will the poor suffer more than the rich?
20 Nov 05
Central Asia
Kyrgyz Cannabis Boom as Tourist Trade Slumps
People living around Lake Issykkul say they have few options but to exploit the illegal narcotic growing on their doorstep.
20 Nov 05
Tajik Health Scare
The health ministry blames dysentery or food poisoning for an infectious disease that has claimed several lives, but a suspicious public fears it is something worse.
20 Nov 05
Kyrgyz Prosecutor Gets Tough
One by one, chief prosecutor Beknazarov is picking off those accused to abuses under the old regime.
20 Nov 05
Turkmenistan Divorces its Neighbours
It was no real surprise when the Turkmen leader said goodbye to the alliance of former Soviet states - the only question is what he’s hoping to get out of this public demarche.
20 Nov 05
Russia Offers Kyrgyzstan a Hand
Moscow’s proposal to bail out the ailing Kyrgyz economy is part of an assertive new approach in its former backyard.
20 Nov 05
Uzbekistan Gives Afghans No Reason to Stay
Cold-shouldered by the Uzbek authorities, the Afghan community that has been here for more than a decade is gradually moving on.
20 Nov 05
Turkmenistan: Niazov Playing Havoc Again
Music restriction is latest in a series of comical prohibitions.
20 Nov 05
Kyrgyz Angered by Uzbek “Terror Camp” Charges
It is not the first time Tashkent has lashed out at its neighbours, but accusing Kyrgyzstan of harbouring terrorists is a worrying escalation.
20 Nov 05
Kyrgyzstan Reels at Prosecutor's Fall
Prosecutor Azimbek Beknazarov was on a roll, charging former officials with corruption one after another. His sudden removal raises serious questions about the country’s future political direction.
20 Nov 05
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