New Iran President on First Foreign Trip

BBC: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has made his first foreign trip since taking office.

He joined leaders from Russia, China and Central Asian states in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek. Watch BBC video » | Friday, September 13, 2013

Dark Ages Redux? Bubonic Plague Death Sparks Fears in Asia

The Central Asian country of Kazakhstan has toughened border controls at the crossings with its southern neighbour Kyrgyzstan. But it's not about politics, or economic sanctions, or a military build-up, it's the Black Death.

Related »

Boy Dies of Plague in Kyrgyzstan

BBC: A 15-year-old herder has died in Kyrgyzstan of bubonic plague - the first case in the country in 30 years - officials say.

The teenager appears to have been bitten by an infected flea.

The authorities have sought to calm fears of an epidemic and have quarantined more than 100 people.

Bubonic plague, known as the Black Death when it killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe during the Middle Ages, is now rare.

The teenager, named as Temir Issakunov, came from a mountain village in the north-east of the country, close to the border with Kazakhstan.

"We suspect that the patient was infected with the plague through the bite of a flea," health ministry official Tolo Isakov said.

He said teams had been sent to the area to get rid of rodents, which host the fleas that can carry the deadly bacterium. » | Monday, August 26, 2013