Kyrgyz MPs vote to close US air base

Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday to close the last remaining US air base in Central Asia, which serves as a transit point for US troops fighting in nearby Afghanistan.

The planned closure of the Manas air base poses a challenge to new US President Barack Obama who plans to send more troops to Afghanistan to boost efforts to defeat Taliban insurgents.

It also comes at a time of heightened rivalry between Moscow and Washington for control of Central Asia, a vast former Soviet region still seen by Russia as part of its sphere of interest.