The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international press rights group, says China and Egypt were the world's worst jailers of journalists in 2015, while the number of journalists imprisoned around the world "declined modestly from record levels recorded in the past three years."
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on December 12 called on Russia and Turkey to compromise and overcome the crisis in their relations.
Two wanted extremists suspected in the killing of a police officer have been shot dead by security troops in the Kyrgyz capital.
In the wake of the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey, Turkic-speaking countries that are also formerly part of the Soviet Union face some serious challenges in balancing ties between Moscow and Ankara.
The Manas epic has been at the heart of Kyrgyz culture for centuries. It has returned to its birthplace to be performed again after winning recognition by UNESCO. (RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)
Kyrgyzstan's capital is home to just one animal shelter, where workers do all they can to help injured and homeless dogs. Kyrgyz authorities are taking brutal measures to keep their numbers in check. (Jibek Begalieva, RFE/RL's Current Time TV) Warning: disturbing images.
A Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher and office director in Bishkek who was banned this week from reentering the country has described the move as "interference" into the the global rights watchdog's activities.
Residents of Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk-Kul region say that dozens of their relatives and neighbors -- including one large extended family -- have left home and moved to Syria. They've received no clear explanation about what lured them to the war-torn country or exactly what they are doing there.
The city of Karakol lies near the eastern end of Kyrgyzstan's immense lake and premier tourist site, Issyk-Kul. Heading east across Kyrgyzstan, it is the last city (population 67,000) before the Chinese border some 150 kilometers away.
The sixth plenary session of the Turkic States' Parliamentary Assembly (TurkPA) has started in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
Young Kyrgyz dancers performed in central Bishkek on December 1 to mark World AIDS Day, as activists called for greater awareness and prevention efforts regarding HIV/AIDS. (RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)
Tajikistan has extradited two Kyrgyz nationals to Kyrgyzstan, where they face charges of recruiting for the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria and Iraq.
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