Kazakhstan set to hold early poll
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev dissolves parliament and calls snap elections for August.

Kazakh HIV medics found guilty
A judge finds 21 medical workers guilty of infecting children with HIV in the south of Kazakhstan.

Uzbekistan rejects EU criticism
Uzbekistan criticises the EU's decision to maintain sanctions because of its poor human rights record.

Turkmen leader restores pensions
Pensions have been restored to 100,000 elderly citizens in Turkmenistan - reversing a year old decision.

Kyrgyzstan leader 'was poisoned'
Doctors confirm claims of the prime minister of Kyrgyzstan that he was poisoned this month.

Tajikistan in $1bn hydropower bid
Tajikistan has announced a $1bn plan to become one of the world's leading hydropower producers.

Confession frees Uzbek activist
A court in Uzbekistan suspends the seven-year jail sentence given last week to an Uzbek rights worker.

Change afoot in ex-Soviet lands
Elections have become a catalyst for political change across the countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union, according to the BBC's Ian MacWilliam.

Outlook bleak in wake of Andijan
A year after the bloodshed in Uzbekistan, the government has launched a fierce crackdown, and people are fearful, Ian MacWilliam says.

Almaty apples get new life
Kazakhstan's famous apples are back on the menu thanks to the regeneration of the ancient orchards around Almaty.

China's grip on Xinjiang Muslims
China's repression of Muslims in Xinjiang sparks fears of a radicalisation by those wanting freedom to pray.

People power in Kyrgyzstan
The Kyrgyz leader agrees to curb his powers under pressure from protesters, but can the nation's weak democracy survive, asks Natalia Antelava.

Turkmen healthcare's grim truth
The Assignment series begins with an undercover report in Central Asia's most secretive and repressive state.

Central Asia: At-a-glance
A clickable guide to political tensions in Central Asia.

How the Andijan killings unfolded
Accounts of what happened before, during and after the violence in the Uzbek city of Andijan, which reportedly left hundreds dead on 13 May.

Analysis: Uzbekistan's 'Islamists'
The controversial trial of a group of Islamic businessmen in Uzbekistan is at the root of the current protests.

China crackdown on separatists
China is stepping up its efforts to convince the outside world that there is a direct link between its own fight against Muslim separatists and the worldwide war on terrorism - but many remain unconvinced.

Uighurs behind bars in China
Dozens of Chinese Uighurs remain behind bars as political prisoners.

Central Asia's water worries
Delegates meet in Dushanbe amid fears of the possibility of flooding from a huge mountain lake.

Central Asia's deadly cargo
Central Asia, a key corridor for heroin trafficked from Afghanistan to Europe, now has its own drugs problem.