Kyrgyzstan's President Roza Otunbayeva has been given the prestigious US state department Women of Courage award. Mrs Otunbayeva, Central Asia's first female leader, came to power last year after a popular uprising in Kyrgyzstan. The state department said she had played a major role in the country's efforts to shed authoritarian rule. But her award has also drawn criticism because last year's bloody clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks happened under her stewardship. More than 400 people were killed and thousands of homes destroyed – most of them belonged to ethnic Uzbeks.