Uzbekistan confirms president’s death

Government officials in Uzbekistan have denied for days rumors about the death of their longtime leader, President Islam Karimov. This morning, a Russian news agency reported an official confirmation, retracting it about an hour later. This afternoon, Russian outlets again reported an official confirmation of Karimov’s death. Despite the confusion, leaders of other countries, who have been invited, say Uzbekistan plans to hold a funeral service for Karimov on Saturday. Karimov has held power through his authoritarian government since 1989, following the breakup of the former Soviet Union. Despite his tightly held control, Karimov does not appear to have made plans for his eventual absence, leaving no ready successor. The potential power vacuum raises questions about the country’s future. Uzbekistan is officially a democracy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.