Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov announced today that his government has written off nearly $4 million in debt owed by neighboring Afghanistan for electricity.

Turkmenistan's new president has said he will not rush to reform the system of government established by late leader Saparmurat Niyazov.

The United States and the European Union have called on Turkmenistan's new president to implement promised reforms.

The United States Thursday expressed cautious hope that this week's election in Turkmenistan will be a step toward democracy, even though the new president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, won with nearly 90 percent of the vote. A senior U.S. diplomat attended Wednesday's inauguration ceremonies in Ashgabat.

Internet cafes are opening in Turkmenistan today for the first time since a ban imposed by the country's late president, Saparmurat Niyazov.

Turkmenistan's Central Election Commission (CEC) has made official what few doubted: Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is Turkmenistan's next president.

Turkmenistan has a new leader. As expected, former Health Minister Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has become the second president in Turkmenistan's post-Soviet history.

Authorities in Turkmenistan are expected today to issue the results of an election to replace President Saparmurat Niyazov, who ruled this energy-rich Central Asian entity for more than two decades.

Election officials continue to count ballots from Sunday's presidential election in Turkmenistan. The contest was called to find a replacement for late President Saparmurat Niyazov, who died last December.

Turkmen election officials are expected to announce the winner of the February 11 presidential election tomorrow. Officials claim more than 98 percent of eligible voters turned out to cast ballots for one of the six candidates in the poll, though reports from Turkmenistan indicate a much lower turnout.

Authorities in Turkmenistan say more than 98 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the country's presidential election on February 11.

Turkmen elections officials are saying that more than 95 percent of eligible voters in the country cast ballots by 1700 local time (1300 Prague time) in today's presidential election. That was one hour before the polls closed.