New Kyrgyz PM approved

A new prime minister has been approved by parliament in Kyrgyzstan.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a regional governor from the north of the country, pledged on his election to continue democratic and market reforms.

He also promised to reduce bureaucracy and streamline government agencies.

Mr Bakiyev's election was criticised by the other contestant, the outgoing prime minister Armangeldy Muraliyev.

He dismissed Mr Bakiyev's election as a political game. In a break with previous practice, neither candidate had been officially endorsed by President Askar Akayev.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service