Â鶹Éç

Available for over a year

The Uzbek government has confirmed the death of President Islam Karimov, six days after he was taken to hospital with a suspected brain haemorrhage. One of Asia's most authoritarian leaders, Mr Karimov, 78, died after 27 years in power. Rights groups say Mr Karimov repressed opposition to his rule but for supporters he represented stability. The West saw him as a key ally in the war on terror.