There has been heavy fighting in Turkmenistan between Islamist militants and security forces in the capital, Ashgabat, unconfirmed reports say.
Residents told news agencies that at least 20 police officers had died in gun battles on Friday night, and that police were now patrolling the area.
Check this part out:
Turkmenistan's media did not report on the alleged fighting. (Well, it was alleged - BD)
Information is strictly controlled in the oil-rich former Soviet Republic, which is effectively a one-party state.
The country is overwhelmingly Muslim but correspondents say Islamist violence is virtually unheard of, as the government has stamped out opposition.
Here's the BBC country profile of Turkmenistan, which possesses the world's fifth largest natural gas reserves.
Here's an excerpt of a CTV.ca feature I wrote on memorable moments in world politics for 2007:
Saddam Hussein got 100 per cent
In most republics, a presidential candidate wins a landslide victory when he or she captures 60 per cent of the vote.
So hats off to Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who won the support of more than 89 per cent of voters in Turkmenistan's presidential elections back in January.
The high level could be partly explained by the fact that no opposition candidates were allowed to run.
U.S. and Russian diplomats attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new leader of the energy-rich Central Asian republic.
Berdymukhamedov is following in the footsteps of Saparmursat Niyazov. The former president died in December 2006 and left a legacy as one of the world's most eccentric leaders.
