Global Voices Online

Blogian comments on the killing of a teenager in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri after he reportedly insulted a local girl on Odnoklassniki, the Russian equivalent of Facebook. The blog says that the story is indicative of a culture of violence, relationships between men and women, and a failed police system in the country.

Recent Links also in Central Asia & Caucasus

Musafirbek says that the president of Uzbekistan officially thanked the cotton-growers for gathering the harvest of this strategic product for Uzbekistan. However, those who sweat away, collecting this cotton (including children) were not mentioned in the president’s address.

Alexander Visotzky writes about the opening of a monument in Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, where the authorities uncovered a 15-foot high bronze statue of incumbent president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Dafydd reports that the EU has lifted the arms embargo on Uzbekistan. Reasons given are abolishment of the death penalty and release of political prisoners.