Diplomatic sources claim Uzbek president Islam Karimov has died following a stroke

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Diplomatic sources have said Uzbekistan’s president Islam Karimov has died following a stroke, though Uzbek officials have only said he is in a critical condition.

The latest development follows widespread speculation about the 78-year-old leader’s health.

Earlier this week Karimov’s daughter is reported to have said her father had suffered a brain hemorrhage.

Questions remain over the now almost certain power transition. Karimov has led Uzbekistan since 1989, cultivating no apparent successor.