Uzbekistan goes to the polls

Uzbeks went to the polls today in a tightly controlled presidential vote that is widely expected to extend the rule of one of the most autocratic and anti-Western leaders in strategic Central Asia.

President Islam Karimov, a former Communist boss, is running for a new term in office against three little-known challengers who publicly say they support his policies and are seen by critics of the regime as puppets meant to create the illusion of a free contest.