Trafficking Link to Bishkek Murders
Investigators believe bizarre killings may have some connection with overseas prostitution racket.
21 Feb 05
Central Asia
Turkmenbashi Made President for Life
Niazov accepts yet another honour, but not everyone in Turkmenistan is celebrating.
21 Feb 05
Uzbekistan: Sex Trade on the Rise
Economic troubles are forcing an increasing number of Samarkand women into prostitution.
21 Feb 05
Tajikistan: Down and Out in Beshkent
Families from the depressed Pamir region who took up a government offer of homes and land elsewhere have faced a series of difficulties.
21 Feb 05
Kyrgyzstan: Embattled Akaev to Share Powers
The increasingly unpopular president has agreed to relinquish some of his authority to parliament, but his opponents are still calling for his resignation.
21 Feb 05
Tensions Mount on Kyrgyz-Uzbek Border
While Bishkek and Tashkent continue to downplay frictions, the increasing
21 Feb 05
Tashkent Lawyers Snub Legal Reforms
Uzbek lawyers fear a further loss of independence over plans to give the Ministry of Justice sole authority over their profession.
21 Feb 05
Tajik Officials Convicted of Torture
Nine officers are sent to prison for using violence to secure confessions, but corruption and poor training mean police criminality is still endemic.
21 Feb 05
Uzbekistan Faces AIDS Epidemic
The number of people contracting HIV has doubled in the past year, as the crumbling economy forces more young people into prostitution and drug use.
21 Feb 05
Typhoid Hits Tajik Capital
An intermittent power supply and crumbling sanitation facilities have led to the spread of a killer disease.
21 Feb 05
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