Alisher Saipov, our colleague and prominent journalist from Kyrgyzstan, would be 27 on September 4, 2008. However, this brave and extremely talented young man did not live to see this day.On October 24 Alisher was shot down by a killer

This week Russiaв ™s top leaders were frequent guests in Central Asia, trying to gather support for its controversial policies in the Caucasus and demonstrate to the rest of the world that its positions in the lucrative Central Asian energy

The inscription just above a tunnel at the foot of the colossal Nurek hydropower dam in south central Tajikistan is succinct: "Water Is Life." The frigid, frothing Vakhsh River rushing under it adds a visual punctuation mark. In Tajikistan, the

As more international companies from Europe, US and Canada refuse to buy Uzbek cotton in boycott to forced child labour in cotton fields, Uzbek authorities, who have been fiercely denying children are being sent to the fields, seem now ready

Health condition of Kagan residents, who witnessed series of powerful blasts at the artillery depot on July 10, has been deteriorating, according to unverified reports. One of the Kagan residents, who preferred to stay anonymous, told Ferghana.ru that many in

In the uproar over Russia's fight with Georgia, China has stood out by its reticence, seeking to protect ties with Moscow while voicing concern about a territorial break-up that could set a precedent it fears. Western powers have warned Russia

Kyrgyz Department of Civil Aviation is responsible for August 24 air crash in the Bishkek airport, Kyrgyz deputy and owner of the Esen Air company, Begaly Nargozuyev, told Ferghana.ru. Itek Air Boeing 737 with 90 passengers on board crashed shortly

As capital Tashkent is getting prepared for 2200 anniversary celebrations next year, one of its historical sites, an ancient settlement of Minguruk, from which Tashkent developed several centuries ago, is now being temporarily closed. However, Tashkent residents are worried about

Kyrgyz Prime-Minister Igor Chudinov may face dismissal after his cabinet was reprimanded by the President in late July for allegedly poor performance, inability to curb inflation, rising food prices and energy crisis. In the interview with the Reporter-Bishkek newspaper Chudinov

The four biggest groups representing the US retail and clothing industry are calling on Uzbekistan to end the widespread use of child labour in the harvesting of the country's cotton crop, Financial Times reports. The coalition is urging President Islam

Kyrgyz human rights activists and some opposition figures support Georgiaв ™s decision to withdraw from the union of former Soviet states, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Human rights organization Citizens against Corruption headed by Tolekan Ismailova released a statement

Uzbek language TV channels in south Kyrgyzstan will be limited in air time from August 15 if they do not meet language requirement to produce more than half of their programs in the state Kyrgyz language, Mayorв ™s office in

While the international community focuses on the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, it is paying far too little attention to the storm brewing just beyond the country's northern borders, in Central Asia. That's a serious mistake. Instability in Afghanistan's neighborhood

Kyrgyzstan, current chairman of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and a host of the Russian and American military airbases, finds it hard to balance between superpowers that are becoming inimical to each other over the Georgia-Russia conflict. American airbase

Building a railroad that would connect China with Europe and Middle East through Central Asia, although theoretically perspective, looks unrealizable in the nearest future due to economical and political challenges. Only for Kyrgyzstan building its part on a very difficult

Central Asian states should stop focusing only on their own claims and positions over management of trans-border water resources and start negotiation process and be open to compromise, Vadim Sokolov, Deputy Director of Scientific and Information Centre at the Interstate

A court sentenced nine medics to jail for infecting 24 children with HIV through negligence and ordered to pay compensation to victimв ™s families. Convicted doctors and nurses, all from the same hospital in south Kyrgyzstan, will serve between three

One of the major recent libel cases against the Kyrgyz Justice for All monthly legal bulletin will be heard on August 7 in Jalalabad city court in southern Kyrgyzstan. Abdumomun Mamaraimov, the bulletin's editor-in-chief, emphasized that the article simply discussed

Kazakh farmers will have to slaughter most of their cattle, as continuously dry weather poses serious threat of losing the entire livestock, the July 31 meeting of the farmers in South Kazakhstan region concluded. The hot summer and lack of

In a backstreet of the old Silk Road city of Kashgar, Chinese authorities have been spray-painting signs on dusty mud brick walls to warn against what it says is a new enemy -- the Islamic Liberation Party.Better known as Hizb