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☆ US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US has acquired 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported. The US purchased 81 of the aged warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post. AdvertisementDerived from the MiG-23, the MiG-27 was a ground-attack aircraft and saw action in conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War. Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan following its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, Mikoyan, Antony Blinken, Kassym, Olivier Douliery, Vladimir Solovyov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Business, US, Ukrainian Telegram, UA, Mikoyan MiG, Soviet, Airforce Technology, Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian Defense Ministry Kazakhstan, Ak, AP, AFP Locations: Kazakhstan, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Afghan, Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, Astana, Western, China, Afghanistan, Iran

☆ US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally for less than $20,000 each, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US has acquired 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported. The motive behind the US purchase remains undisclosed, said the Post, fueling speculation about potential use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service. Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan next following its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: —, Kassym, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Olivier Douliery, Vladimir Solovyov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Business, Mikoyan MiG, Soviet, Airforce Technology, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Russia, Foreign, Ak, AP, AFP Locations: Kazakhstan, Kyiv, Ukraine, Soviet, Afghan, Soviet Union, Russia, Moscow, Germany, Astana, Russian, Western, China, Afghanistan, Iran

☆ Pope Francis says Africa’s criticism of same-sex blessing a “special case”
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Pope Francis has addressed criticism over his consent to priests to bless same-sex couples, saying the pushback from African bishops was “a special case” influenced by culture. African Catholic bishops said in a letter the pope’s endorsement “caused a shockwave” on the continent and “has sown misconceptions and unrest in the minds of many”, including pastors. Kazakhstani bishops Tomash Peta and Athanasius Schneider jointly described blessings for same-sex unions as a contradiction to the age-long practice and doctrine of the Catholic Church. “To bless couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples is a serious abuse of the most Holy name of God,” said the preachers who head the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in the country’s capital Astana. French Archbishop Hervé Giraud said last month he could bless a gay couple as he believed such a blessing was not an acceptance of a same-sex union.

Persons: Pope Francis, “, Francis, ”, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Tomash Peta, Athanasius Schneider, of Saint Mary, Hervé Giraud, ” Giraud Organizations: CNN, Italian, Stampa, Catholic Church, of, “, Catholic, La Croix Locations: Africa, Madagascar, Uganda, Asia, of Saint, Astana, Europe, France, Austria, Germany, Sens

☆ Russian e-commerce firm Ozon's ADS delisted from Nasdaq
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A woman picks up an order at the pick-up point of the Ozon online retailer in Moscow, Russia March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - Russian e-commerce firm Ozon said on Thursday its American depositary shares (ADS) had been delisted from Nasdaq, bringing its near-three year association with the U.S. exchange to a close. Ozon, one of Russia's top e-commerce companies, raised nearly $1 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) in late 2020, a debut that sparked a mini-IPO boom for Russian firms. But trading in Ozon's securities on Nasdaq was suspended soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, as were listings of Russian companies on the London Stock Exchange. "The company’s decision to proceed with the deregistration is aimed at reducing the complexity and costs of reporting following the delisting of the ADSs from Nasdaq," Ozon said in a statement.

Persons: Evgenia, Ozon, Ozon's ADSs, Alexander Marrow, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Nasdaq, London Stock Exchange, U.S . Exchange, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Kazakhstan's Astana International Exchange, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine

☆ War in Ukraine Loosens Russia’s Grip on Its Own Backyard
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, visiting Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday for talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo: Press Service of the President of Kazakhstan/ReutersWhen domestic turmoil engulfed Kazakhstan in January last year, Russian airborne troops quickly swooped in to help restore order. Moscow’s sway in much of the former Soviet Union—areas that Russians refer to as “near-abroad”—seemed to be at its peak. The invasion of Ukraine, launched the following month, bared the stark limits of Russian power in what Moscow considered its own backyard. Spooked by the bloodshed in Ukraine and by the international sanctions imposed on Russia, its neighbors and allies now are busy diversifying their relationships, hedging against Moscow by deepening ties with China and the West.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Kassym, Tokayev, ” — Organizations: Press Service, Reuters, Soviet Locations: Astana, Kazakhstan, Russian, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, China

☆ Russia fumes at the West's charm offensive in its backyard, saying it's 'luring' its friends away
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One top official in Moscow was fuming as he claimed the West was "luring" its "neighbours, friends, and allies" away from Russia. Moscow's disdainThe French leader's comments are likely to have enraged Moscow, which is already watching Western efforts to court Central Asia with suspicion and disdain. "Look at how Western powers are wooing Central Asia," Lavrov told the BelTA news agency, in comments published by Russia's Foreign Ministry. "They have created numerous formats such as 'Central Asia plus' involving the United States, the EU, and Japan ... On top of the Central Asia plus EU format, the Germans have created their own format. China's roleThere's certainly a tussle for influence that's taking place in Central Asia, with China also "courting" the region to a certain extent.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kassym, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, we've, Ed Jones, There's, Joe Biden, Jim Watson, Alexander Titov, Russia's, Xi Jinping, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Organizations: Getty, Ukraine, Kazakh, CNBC, Russian, Central, Russia's Foreign Ministry, EU, Commonwealth of Independent States, Central Asia's, West, General, Afp, Georgia —, Queen's University of Belfast, U.S, Analysts, of, Forum, International Cooperation, Xinhua News Agency Locations: 13,2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Moscow, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Soviet, Astana, France, Uzbekistan, United States, Japan, Turkmenistan, Russian, London, Europe, China, Central, Ukraine, Central Asian, Tajikistan, New York City, Belarus, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Beijing, People's, of Turkmenistan

☆ Kazakhstan welcomes France's Macron under Moscow's disapproving gaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan November 1, 2023. Press service of the President of Kazakhstan/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. At a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Macron complimented Astana for refusing to side with Moscow on Ukraine and said the two countries planned to sign significant business deals. In addition to oil, Kazakhstan is a major exporter of uranium, and France's Orano already operates a joint venture with its state nuclear firm Kazatomprom. "We can call your visit historic, very important," Tokayev told Macron.

Persons: Kassym, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Sergei Lavrov, France's, Tokayev, Tamara Vaal, Olzhas, Jason Neely Organizations: Press, Rights ASTANA, Kazakh, Astana, United Nations, Soviet Central, Foreign, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Astana, Kazakhstan, Handout, Central Asia, Ukraine, China, Europe, Russia, Moscow, Uzbekistan, Western, France

☆ Russian e-commerce firm Ozon notifies Nasdaq of delisting intention
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the pick-up point of the Ozon online retailer in Moscow, Russia March 16, 2020. But trading in Ozon's securities on Nasdaq was suspended soon after Russia despatched troops to Ukraine in February 2022, as were listings of Russian companies on the London Stock Exchange. "We have no reason to believe that trading of Ozon's ADSs on Nasdaq will resume. This step is aimed at reducing costs associated with providing reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's standards." Ozon said it planned to file for voluntary delisting by Oct. 30, and that the delisting would not affect its operations.

Persons: Evgenia, Ozon, Ozon's ADSs, Olga Popova, Alexander Marrow, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Nasdaq, London Stock Exchange, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Kazakhstan's Astana International Exchange, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Ukraine

☆ Palestinian President Abbas condemns violence against civilians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned violence against civilians on Thursday in the wake of the devastating attack by Hamas gunmen on Israel and the relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israeli jets that followed. "We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morals, religion and international law," the official Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted Abbas as saying. Earlier, Israeli settlers in the West Bank killed two Palestinians when they opened fire on a funeral procession. A 37-year-old woman was also killed when she was shot by security forces near Ramallah, the main city in the West bank, according to Palestinian health services.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Abbas, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Antony Blinken, Abbas, Wafa, Blinken, Israel, Fatah, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Sputnik, U.S, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, RAMALLAH, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, East Jerusalem, Al Aqsa, Jerusalem, Old City, Palestinian, Ramallah, West

☆ Governments repatriate citizens from Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

REUTERS/Pilar Olivares Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Governments around the world have arranged repatriation flights from Tel Aviv in reaction to the conflict in Israel. AUSTRALIAAustralia organised two special flights on Friday and Sunday to bring back citizens from Israel, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday. CANADACanada plans to operate evacuation flights for Canadians stranded in Israel, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday. ITALYItaly arranged for seven flights between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Italian foreign ministry said late on Tuesday, as part of efforts to repatriate about 900 Italian citizens from Israel. On Wednesday, Portugal had repatriated 152 Portuguese citizens directly from Israel, plus 14 citizens from other European countries.

Persons: Roseli Pereira, Pilar Olivares, Anthony Albanese, Alexander De Croo, Melanie Joly, Jan Lipavsky, Lipavsky, Elina Valtonen, Catherine Colonna, Annalena Baerbock, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Andrzej Duda, Mariusz Blaszczak, Margarita Robles, Tobias Billstrom, Srettha Thavisin, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Alessandro Parodi, Tristan Chabba, Joao Manuel Mauricio, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Rio de, REUTERS, Argentinian, AUSTRALIA Australia, Spanish Air Force, Foreign, CANADA Canada, Centre for Israel, Jewish Affairs, Boeing, Foreign Ministry, European Union, Aviation, CZECH REPUBLIC Czech, Wednesday, Reuters, French Foreign, France, Condor, German Foreign Ministry, Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel . KAZAKHSTAN Air Astana, Astana Times, Norwegian Air, Sunday . Defence, Ben Gurion, SOUTH, Incheon Airport, Korean, Acting, Airbus, SWISS, THAILAND, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Airline KLM, Facebook, Romania, UNITED, UNITED STATES, U.S . State Department, . Delta Air Lines, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, Brazil, Tel Aviv, ARGENTINA, Rome, Argentina, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA Austria, Hörsching, Upper Austria, Cyprus, BELGIUM Belgium, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, Brasilia, Embassy of Brazil, CHILE, Athens, Madrid, COLOMBIA, CYPRUS, Cypriot, CZECH REPUBLIC, Czech, Oman, Prague, DENMARK, Danish, FINLAND Finland, FRANCE France, Israel's Tel Aviv, Paris, GERMANY German, Jordanian, Aqaba, ICELAND, Germany, Keflavík, Iceland, Icelandic, ITALY Italy, Almaty, MEXICO, Oslo, POLAND Poland, Polish, Poland, Ben, Ben Gurion Airport, PORTUGAL, Portuguese, Lisbon, Portugal, SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KS, SPAIN Spain, Spain, Torrejon, SWEDEN, Swedish, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Zurich, Bern, NETHERLANDS, Netherlands, UKRAINE Ukrainian, Gaza, Europe, U.S, Gdansk

☆ ATP roundup: Sebastian Korda reaches Astana final
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

5 seed Sebastian Korda rallied to reach the Astana Open final and will battle No. Korda outlasted Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic 6-7 (8), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) in 2 hours and 49 minutes during Monday's first semifinal. Korda (18 aces) and Medjedovic (16) both held serve throughout the match, with the American finishing with a 122-112 edge in total points won. Standing in the way of Korda's second ATP title is Mannarino, a three-time tour winner who converted all four of his break points and breezed to a 6-4, 6-2 win against Austria's Sebastian Ofner on Monday. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain advanced to the semifinals in Beijing with a 6-4, 6-2 win against seventh-seeded Casper Ruud of Denmark.

Persons: Sebastian Korda, Adrian Mannarino of, Korda, Serbia's Hamad, Monday's, Austria's Sebastian Ofner, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud of Denmark, Alcaraz, Italy, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Zverev, Chile's Nicolas Jarry Organizations: Astana, ., Russia, Thomson Locations: Adrian Mannarino of France, Kazakhstan, Spain, Beijing, Germany

☆ ATP Roundup: Daniil Medvedev advances to quarters in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - ATP 500 - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 29, 2023. With the victory, Medvedev won his 40th hard-court match of the season, which leads the tour. When Medvedev meets Ugo Humbert of France in the quarterfinals, it will be Medvedev's 13th quarters match in 18 tournaments this year. Humbert upset another Russian, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Also advancing Saturday was Nicolas Jarry of Chile, who defeated Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Persons: Daniil Medvedev, Tommy Paul of, Florence, Australian Alex de Minaur, Medvedev, de Minaur, Ugo Humbert of France, Humbert, Andrey Rublev, Nicolas Jarry of, Matteo Arnaldi, Alexander Zverev of, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Dominic Thiem, Marcos, Thiem, Austrian Sebastian Ofner, Ofner, Alexander Bublik, Tallon Griekspoor, Japan's Sho Shimabukuro, Griekspoor, Sebastian Korda, Nuno Borges Organizations: China, National Tennis Center, U.S, REUTERS, Astana, Marcos Giron, Austrian, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Russia, Australian, Nicolas Jarry of Chile, Alexander Zverev of Germany, Spain, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Portugal

☆ ATP roundup: No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas ousted in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 30, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece hits to Dominic Stricker of Switzerland on day three of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-4, 6-4. 6 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy, defeated a pair of Brits, Cameron Norrie and Daniel Evans, respectively, to advance to the second round. Astana OpenJurij Rodionov of Austria defeated second-seeded Sebastian Baez of Argentina 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals in Kazakhstan. Also advancing were Czech Jiri Lehecka, Sebastian Korda and Adrian Mannarino of France, seeded fourth through sixth, respectively.

Persons: Stefanos, Dominic Stricker of, USTA Billie Jean King, Danielle Parhizkaran, Nicolas Jarry of, Carlos Alcaraz, Yannick Hanfmann, Daniil Medvedev, Russia, Tommy Paul, Holger Rune of Denmark, Canada's Felix Auger, Casper Ruud of, Lennard Struff, Andrey Rublev, Italy, Cameron Norrie, Daniel Evans, Alexander Zverev, Argentina's Diego Schwartzman, Jurij Rodionov, Austria, Sebastian Baez, Rodionov, Czech Jiri Lehecka, Sebastian Korda, Adrian Mannarino of Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, China, Jurij, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Greece, Dominic Stricker of Switzerland, Beijing, Nicolas Jarry of Chile, Germany, Casper Ruud of Norway, Russia, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Czech, Adrian Mannarino of France

In remarks ahead of their talks, Putin told Erdogan that Russia is “open to negotiations” on the grain deal. Shifting power balanceErdogan and Putin last met face-to-face in October on the sidelines of an Asia summit in the Kazakh capital Astana. Ahead of his re-election, Erdogan hailed his “special” relationship with Putin as Western states pressured Ankara to join sanctions against Moscow. “(Erdogan) has not really gotten in the direction of trying to please Putin,” Ulgen told CNN. The reconfigured power balance between the two leaders could yet yield positive results with the efforts to revive the Black Sea grain deal, experts say.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Erdogan, Monday’s, ” Putin, ”, Sinan Ulgen, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, “, ” Erdogan, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Asli Aydintasbas, ” Aydintasbas, ” Ulgen, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ulgen, Turkey’s, “ Putin, ” “ Erdogan Organizations: CNN, TASS, Astana, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Brookings Institution, “ Locations: Russia’s, Sochi, Moscow, Black, Russia, Turkey, Qatar, Russian, Turkish, Asia, Kazakh, Ukraine, Ankara, Istanbul, Washington , DC, United States, ”, Finland, Sweden, East

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Friday to discuss grain ahead of the Erdogan meeting. "It turned out that it is more difficult to do this than to build new corridors, new ground routes," said Shoigu, who attended the signing ceremony for the Black Sea deal in Istanbul in 2022. Turkey's foreign minister said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday that reviving the deal was important for the world. U.S. wheat prices rose on Friday, though Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia saw no sign that it would receive the guarantees needed to revive the grain deal. Lavrov said he had discussed Putin's initiative to supply up to 1 million tonnes of Russian grain to Turkey at reduced prices for subsequent processing at Turkish plants and shipping to countries most in need.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Putin, Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, Dmitry Peskov, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, it's, Russia's, António Guterres, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey, Conor Humphries, Alison Williams Organizations: Sputnik, Erdogan, UN, United Nations, United, Kremlin, Turkish, Russian, Central African, Initiative, Qatar, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Sochi Turkey, Russia, MOSCOW, Black, Sochi, Ankara, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, Moscow, Istanbul, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, EU, Odesa

☆ Turkey's Erdogan to visit Russia 'soon' to discuss grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsISTANBUL, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will visit Russia soon to discuss the collapsed United Nations deal that had allowed Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain, a spokesperson for Turkey's ruling AK Party said on Monday. Ankara is seeking to persuade Russia to return to the agreement, under which Odesa's seaports shipped tens of millions of tons of grain. Omer Celik, the AK Party spokesperson, said Erdogan would visit Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi "soon" but did not specify whether he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. "After this visit there may be developments and new stages may be reached regarding" the grain deal, he told reporters.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Moscow, Omer Celik, Erdogan, Putin, Ali Kucukgocmen, Jonathan Spicer, Conor Humphries Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, United Nations, AK, UN, AK Party, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Rights ISTANBUL, Russia, Turkey, Ankara, Sochi, India

☆ North Korea is finally reopening after Covid. And it still requires a one-week quarantine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Irene Nasser | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —North Korea has announced it will allow its citizens living abroad to return home in an easing of its coronavirus-era border controls. Recent moves by North Korea, which closed its borders in early 2020 in response to the pandemic, have signaled that the country is reopening, but Pyongyang will still require even returning citizens to quarantine on arrival. “Those who return will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week,” it said in the announcement. The news comes after a North Korean flight from Pyongyang arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, in what was the first known international commercial flight to leave North Korea since January 2020. Flights between North Korea and Russia are also set to resume, with four flights between Pyongyang and Vladivostok this month.

Organizations: CNN, Epidemic, North Korean Taekwondo, 22nd, North Locations: Korea, China, North Korea, Pyongyang, Korean, Beijing, Russia, Vladivostok, Kazakhstan’s, Astana, North Korean

☆ Russia's military ties with Iran will withstand geopolitical pressure -RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS \File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 26 (Reuters) - Russia's military cooperation with Iran will not succumb to geopolitical pressure, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, following reports that Washington has asked Teheran to stop selling drones to Moscow. "There are no changes, and cooperation with Iran will continue," Ryabkov said, according to a report on Saturday from Russian state news agency RIA. Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said in the past they were sent before Russia's February 2022 invasion in Ukraine. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. A White House official said in June that Iran had transferred several hundred drones to Russia since August 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Savostyanov, Sergei Ryabkov, Washington, Ryabkov, Lidia Kelly, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Sputnik, Financial Times, Iranian, White, Thomson Locations: Astana, Tehran, Iran, Russian, Teheran, Moscow, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Warsaw

☆ Russian e-commerce firm Ozon loses latest appeal against Nasdaq delisting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ozon, one of Russia's top e-commerce companies, raised nearly $1 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) in late 2020, a debut that sparked a mini-IPO boom for Russian firms. Trading in Ozon's securities on Nasdaq was suspended soon after Russia despatched troops to Ukraine in February 2022, as were Russian company listings on the London Stock Exchange. "Our ADSs will not be delisted from Nasdaq until all available review and appeal procedures and periods available under the Nasdaq listing rules have expired," Ozon said in a statement. In late July, Ozon's ADSs began trading on Kazakhstan's Astana International Exchange (AIX), a move that it said could increase liquidity, especially for international investors to trade its securities. Russian recruiter Headhunter's securities have already been delisted from Nasdaq, but payments provider Qiwi (QIWI.O) and tech giant Yandex (YNDX.O) were thrown a lifeline to remain on Nasdaq, provided they divest entirely of their Russian assets.

Persons: Ozon, Ozon's ADSs, Olga Popova, Alexander Marrow, Mark Potter Organizations: Nasdaq, Trading, London Stock Exchange, Kazakhstan's Astana International Exchange, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, London

☆ Russia targets neighbour Kazakhstan with army recruitment ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Filipp Lebedev | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic bordering Russia, is home to over 3 million ethnic Russians and has traditionally been one of Russia's closest allies. Clearly targeting Kazakhs, ads seen by Reuters feature Russian and Kazakh flags and the slogan "Shoulder to shoulder". The ads lead to a website that offers potential recruits a chance to join the Russian army in the Sakhalin region in Russia's Far East. Joining military conflicts abroad for pay is illegal under Kazakh law. In Kyrgyzstan, a local man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May for joining Russian proxy forces in Ukraine's Luhansk region.

Persons: Russia's, Wagner, Mariya Gordeyeva, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian, Astana, Moscow, Reuters, Human Capital Development Agency of, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Information, Social Development, Soviet Central, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Soviet, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakh, Russian, Sakhalin, Russia's Far, Lysychansk, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine's Luhansk, Moscow, Bishkek

☆ Lopez provisionally suspended for potential anti-doping rule violation -UCI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 25 (Reuters) - Colombian rider Miguel Angel Lopez has been provisionally suspended for a potential anti-doping rule violation, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Tuesday. Lopez, currently of Colombian Team Medellin-EPM, has been notified of a potential violation for use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks prior to the Giro d'Italia in 2022, the UCI said in a statement. The material includes evidence obtained from Spanish law enforcement authorities and the Spanish Anti-Doping Organisation (CELAD) during an investigation into Marcos Maynar. He recently won the Colombian National Time Trial Championships. Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Miguel Angel Lopez, Lopez, Marcos Maynar, Qazaqstan, Anita Kobylinska, Toby Davis Organizations: International Cycling Union, UCI, Colombian Team Medellin, International Testing Agency, Doping, Astana, Tour de France, Tour de Suisse, Volta, Colombian, Thomson Locations: Colombian, Spanish, Espana, Catalunya, Gdansk

☆ Tour leader Vingegaard welcomes scepticism about performances
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Julien Pretot | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SAINT GERVAIS, France, July 16 (Reuters) - Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar have made such a huge impression in the Tour de France that, in a sport that was marred by doping scandals, doubts about their performances have arisen but Denmark's defending champion welcomes the scepticism. On Sunday, Pogacar and Vingegaard clocked 18:27 on the final climb, beating four-time Tour winner Chris Froome's record by 42 seconds. "So yes, I fully understand the questions we're getting about it (our performances)," said Vingegaard. In 2006, Floyd Landis became the first Tour winner to fail a drugs test during the race after testing positive for the male sex hormone testosterone. The Kazakh’s Astana team left the Tour and sacked Vinokourov, who denied any wrongdoing, and Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was then fired by his Rabobank team during the race for lying about his whereabouts in training.

Persons: SAINT GERVAIS, Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej, France's Guillaume Martin, Dane, Carlos Rodriguez, Vingegaard, Chris Froome's, Marco Pantani, Joux, it's, Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich, Giro, Ivan Basso, Floyd Landis, Alexandre Vinokourov, Vinokourov, Michael Rasmussen, Julien Pretot, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tour de, Slovenian, Cycling, Kazakh’s Astana, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: France, Slovenian, Puerto

☆ Flights leaving Moscow sell out as Wagner troops descend, and unconfirmed reports say Putin might have left the capital for St. Petersburg
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Flights from Moscow have sold out amid reports Wagner troops are marching on the city, per Der Spiegel. There have been unconfirmed reports that Vladimir Putin has fled from the capital to St. Petersberg. Flights from Moscow to Tbilisi, Georgia, Astana, Kazakhstan, and Istanbul, Turkey, are now no longer available, a Der Spiegel reporter confirmed. Several other private flights from Russia were also tracked on the Flightradar24 platform, Der Spiegel said. Putin has condemned the mutiny, which he has described as a "betrayal," and has vowed that Russia will defend itself.

Persons: Wagner, Der Spiegel, Vladimir Putin, —, Petersberg, Dmitry Peskov, Denis Manturov, Putin Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Moscow's Vnukovo Locations: Moscow, Russia, St, Petersberg, Ukraine, Tbilisi , Georgia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Istanbul, Turkey, Flightradar24, Moscow's, Russian

Summary Kazakhstan plans selective mining tax increasesWants to raise VAT rates, cut fuel subsidiesWill borrow to finance China-EU shipping route bypassing RussiaASTANA, June 9 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan plans to raise taxes on mining companies and cut fuel subsidies to balance its budget, while borrowing to develop the shipping route between China and Europe bypassing Russia, Economy Minister Alibek Kuantyrov told Reuters. Kazakhstan has already hiked the mineral extraction tax rate for exchange-traded metals by 50% and other solid minerals by 30% this year, but Kuantyrov said there was room for further increases in the new tax code the cabinet is drafting. "Our minerals extraction tax rates are among the lowest in the world," he said in an interview. The government also wants to raise the VAT rate for most sectors from the current 12%, while cutting it for "socially important" ones such as food staples and medicines. The government wants to tax banks more heavily and will continue cutting car fuel subsidies, a move announced earlier this year.

Persons: Alibek Kuantyrov, Kassym, Jomart Tokayev, Kuantyrov, Mariya Gordeyeva, Tamara Vaal, Olzhas Auyezov, Toby Chopra, Kim Coghill Organizations: EU, Russia ASTANA, Reuters, RUSSIA Kazakhstan, European Bank for Reconstruction, European, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, China, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Caucasus, Moscow, Central Asia

☆ China’s Ding Liren Wins Dramatic World Chess Championship, Replacing Magnus Carlsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Joshua Robinson | Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ding Liren beat Ian Nepomniachtchi at the chess world championship. Photo: VLADISLAV VODNEV/REUTERSAfter three weeks and 18 contests, the chess world championship came down to the final minute of the tiebreaker on Sunday as China’s Ding Liren defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi in a wild conclusion in Astana, Kazakhstan. The pair played a speed-chess tiebreaker on Sunday to break a deadlock in their competition to replace Magnus Carlsen, who announced last year that he wouldn’t defend the crown he had won on five successive occasions. Ding, 30, had less than 60 seconds remaining on the clock as he pounced all over Nepomniachtchi in the fourth game of the tiebreaker, despite playing with the disadvantage of the black pieces.

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