Hundreds of thousands have fled the ethnic rioting that broke out in Kyrgyzstan this weekend. The riots, that have claimed the lives of more than 200 Uzbeks, are said to be linked to the recent coup of president Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Most ethnic Uzbeks support the interim government, while many Kyrgyz support the ousted president.

Kyrgyzstan is a primarily Islamic country, but has adopted many trappings of Western society, from Playboy magazine translated into Cyrillic and strip clubs to alcohol clearly displayed in common grocery stores and supermarkets. They could be considered progressive—even though it is still legal there to kidnap a potential bride and stuff her into a getaway taxi.

In not-so-progressive news, today marks World Blood Donor Day, with the World Health Organization focusing on young donors for their 2010 campaign, “New Blood for the World.” But, none of that new blood is going to come from homosexual men.

After a two-day review, a federal committee decided nine to six to make no immediate changes to the current blood donation ban imposed on gay men that prohibits them from donating blood at any point in their lifetime—after a single sex act. Heterosexual men and woman, however, are only barred from donating for one year if they’ve slept with a partner who has tested positive for HIV.