A quick round up of stories that have made the news over the last few days from Kyrgyzstan, so, in no particular order:

• President Kurmanbek Bakiev has spoken out against providing former presidents with immunity from prosecution and paying for thier upkeep, according to a report from RIA Novosti. There has also been debate over the last few days about whether deputies should have immunity and accommodation provided, as reported in the Vecherka.
• Scandal continues to surround the Akaevs and their associates in various ways. First off it looks like efforts are once again underway to pursuade Russia to extradite Aidar Akaev for trial, and then, to add to the family’s woes, their lawyer, Maksim Maksimovich, was apparently attacked over the weekend but was not seriously injured.
• Condoleezza Rice’s flying visit to the republic continues to generate print inches. US-based The Pentagram has a suitably patriotic article on Rice expressing her thanks to troops at the Ganci base for their support in “helping to safeguard fledgling democracies” - no doubt she meant Afghanistan first and foremost, in line with the official US version of why they’re in the region… PINR has a more open and full evaluation of Rice’s efforts to reassert the US’s position in the region. Meanwhile the thought-provoking site World War 4 Report has a brief post on the agreement between the Kyrgyzstani government and the US on further use of the Ganci airbase, pointing out that details of payment still need to be agreed.
• Kuwait News Agency reports that Uzbekistan closed its border with Kyrgyzstan in the Kara Suu region over the weekend in order to avoid the spread of an outbreak of anthrax. Radio reports today say that the border has been reopened and checkpoints are worknig as usual. Meanwhile efforts are underway to control the outbreak, including the vaccination of domestic animals in the affected regions.
• On a cultural note (excuse the pun), RFE/RL reports on the holding of a traditional music workshop on the shores of Issyk Kul last August to try and revive ancient oral music traditions amongst the Central Asian peoples. Well worth a read.
• KazInform notes that the Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO, Valery Semerikov, visited Bishkek yesterday to discuss Kyrgyz participation in the Organisation.

Over and out from Bishkek for today.