Central Asia

Uzbeks Shed Few Tears for Outgoing Parliament

Lack of public awareness about what the legislature actually did is matched by pessimism about its replacement.

21 Feb 05

Uzbeks ask president to write off utility debts, saying they can’t afford to pay.

21 Feb 05

Efforts to improve Tajik government’s reputation have produced some tentative steps, but a lot more needs to be done.

21 Feb 05

Officials want to clamp down on mosques that feed militant Islam, but mullahs say they are being unjustly targeted.

21 Feb 05

Suspicions are growing that security forces could have used envoy’s family members as hostages to force him to return home after defection.

21 Feb 05

The authorities say children slave away in cotton fields for the good of the country.

21 Feb 05

Traders circumvent high Kazak tariffs by smuggling goods in bulk along a particularly porous stretch of border.

21 Feb 05

Voters will have little choice in the parliamentary ballot, and still less hope of affecting change in the repressive republic.

21 Feb 05

Opposition parties say charges against Democratic Party leader are politically inspired.

21 Feb 05

Officials hope that a dedicated response team will turn the republic’s majestic peaks into a magnet for climbers from across the world.

21 Feb 05

Support local journalists