Medvedev Orders Kyrgyzstan to Protect Russians

Russia warned Kyrgyzstan yesterday that it needs to take steps to protect Russian citizens and property within its borders as turmoil continues. At least five people were killed as mobs of looters and land-grabbers targeted ethnic Russians and Turks in the Central Asian state yesterday, Bloomberg reports.

Kyrgyzstan's ousted leader denounced the interim government—recognized by both the US and Russia—from exile in Belarus. Kuranbek Bakiyev said he was still "the legitimate president of Kyrgyzstan," and his replacements are "a gang of impostors." The leader of neighboring Uzbekistan warned that the instability rocking Kyrgyzstan has the potential to "infect" other countries in the region. (More Kyrgyzstan stories.)