Residents complain that they have been told to foot the bill for sprucing up Bishkek for a major meeting of regional states.

Some 50 leftist and pro-Russian activists rallied today in front of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan calling for the closure of a U.S. military base at Manas airport outside the capital Bishkek, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev and Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiev held talks in Bishkek today aimed at improving bilateral ties, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

Some 30 human rights and youth activists rallied today in Bishkek to demand the release of detained opposition members, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. Among those detained following violence at recent rallies in Kyrgyzstan are opposition leaders Omurbek Subanaliev and Omurbek Abdyrakmanov. Also being held is Adilet Aitikeev, the head of the Kanjar opposition youth movement.

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan today rejected allegations that they are persecuting the country's political opposition, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz service reports. Speaking at a news conference in Bishkek today, State Secretary Adakhan Madumarov said Kyrgyzstan's political opposition is confusing the fight against criminality with "political persecution."

The United States protested a raid by security forces in Kyrgyzstan on a facility where opposition newspapers are printed. The police action in the capital Bishkek early Friday followed several days of protests against the government of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

The Kyrgyz government has banned any continuation of opposition rallies after clashes broke out between police and demonstrators last night in Bishkek, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

Thousands of antigovernment protesters gathered today in Kyrgyzstan's capital in the eighth day of demonstrations demanding sweeping political changes. But the list of demands grew on April 17, when a group of deputies indicated protesters would get nothing if the "disorder" in Bishkek continued.

As rallies demanding an early presidential election and constitutional reforms continued for a seventh day in the capital, Bishkek, opposition legislators said they support dissolving parliament, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

A concert organized by the opposition in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, has brought to an end a seventh day of rallies demanding an early presidential election and constitutional reforms, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

Kyrgyz protesters demanding President Kurmanbek Bakiev's resignation continued their peaceful rallies in the capital, Bishkek, today. The speaker of the parliament, Marat Sultanov, told reporters that Bakiev was due to meet a group of parliamentarians late in the afternoon. No details were immediately available of the nature of those talks.

Some 5,000 demonstrators have assembled in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, where an opposition rally demanding early presidential elections and constitutional reforms has entered its third day, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.