ANKARA, 1 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - The political crisis following the ouster of Kyrgyz president Askar Akaev on 24 March continued to dominate the news in the region this week. The crisis deepened when the two parliaments - the outgoing and the incoming - claimed legitimacy over the weekend.Full report

ANKARA, 1 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - CONTENTS: AFGHANISTAN: Dam burst causes flooding in Ghazni AFGHANISTAN:...Full report

ANKARA, 25 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - Unrest over the past week in Kyrgyzstan, triggered by what the opposition claimed were flawed parliamentary elections, resulted in protesters taking over initially in the south at the beginning of the week, and then in the capital, Bishkek, on Thursday. Reports about the developments in the former Soviet republic dominated news from Central Asia, a region where rulers have clung to power since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Full report

ANKARA, 25 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - CONTENTS: KYRGYZSTAN: Looters ransack capital following protests Full report

ANKARA, 18 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - Kazakh state television announced on Monday that, according to current estimates, floods have inflicted damage worth more than US $ 4.6 million in the southern Kyzylorda Region, quoting regional governor, Ikram Adyrbekov. Over 80 houses and 6,835 ha of farmland have been flooded. The floods killed hundreds of livestock and destroyed hydro technical facilities and roads, but there was no loss of life or reported injuries. Power and telecommunications lines were also damaged.Full report

ANKARA, 18 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - CONTENTS: AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: Finding a solution for Afghans who wish to stay Full report

ANKARA, 11 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - Protests continued in southern Kyrgystan this week against what demonstrators said was a flawed parliamentary poll on 27 February. Thousands of opposition supporters demanded President Askar Akayev resign as they protested over alleged election violations, local media reported. The protests began a week ago after opposition candidates alleged widespread fraud in the polls. The vote was criticised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as falling short of democratic standards.Full report

ANKARA, 11 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - CONTENTS: AFGHANISTAN: Child kidnapping alarming in the south - rights activist Full report

ANKARA, 4 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - This week in Central Asia was dominated by reports of parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and reaction from observers and rights groups. While the election bodies of the two former Soviet republics said the polls were broadly free and fair, many international observers, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), criticised them, saying they fell short of international standards.Full report

ANKARA, 4 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - CONTENTS: AFGHANISTAN: Polio vaccination campaign gets under way Full report

CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap

CENTRAL ASIA: Focus on conflict prevention in Ferghana Valley

CENTRAL ASIA: Focus on security threat from radical Islamic groups

CENTRAL ASIA: Interview with Felix Corley, religious rights activist

CENTRAL ASIA: Interview with OSCE senior adviser on freedom of the media