Uprisings

Kyrgyzstan Protests Topple Gov't

At least 40 are dead.

At least 40 people have been killed in anti-government protests in Kyrgyzstan after thousands of protesters stormed a government building and took over state television. The main opposition leader, meanwhile, says that 100 people were killed when police opened fire on protesters, and used his new platform on state television to announce that he was negotiating with the president, who has since fled the capital. The violence broke out after elite police fired on a crowd that was protesting corruption and a recent hike in power prices. Kyrgyzstan is home to a U.S. air base that serves as a crucial transit point for the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and opposition leaders had previously demanded its closure.