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☆ 'Let Us Be a Lesson', Say Kazakhs Wary of Return to Nuclear Testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Many nuclear proliferation experts believe resuming testing by either nuclear superpower more than 30 years after the last test is unlikely soon. "I remember I was about five years old," said Baglan Gabullin, a resident of Kaynar, another village that lived under the shadow of nuclear testing. Gabullin, speaking near a small monument to victims of nuclear tests erected in Kaynar, also said losses were common. While villages such as Kaynar and Saryzhal were exposed to direct radiation, steppe winds carried nuclear fallout across an area the size of Italy. "Underground testing can also have severe consequences," said Alicia Sanders-Zakre of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

Persons: Mariya Gordeyeva SARYZHAL, Vladimir Putin, Serikbay Ybyrai, Baglan Gabullin, Gulsum Mukanova, Mukanova, Alicia Sanders, Olzhas, Gloria Dickie, Olzhas Auyezov, Mike Collett, White, Timothy Heritage Organizations: Reuters, International, Nuclear Locations: Kazakhstan, Russia, United States, Soviet, Semey, Kazakh, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Saryzhal, Kaynar, Italy, Soviet Union, Novaya Zemlya, Russia's, Almaty, London

☆ 'Let us be a lesson', say Kazakhs wary of return to nuclear testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Mariya Gordeyeva | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Many nuclear proliferation experts believe resuming testing by either nuclear superpower more than 30 years after the last test is unlikely soon. "I remember I was about five years old," said Baglan Gabullin, a resident of Kaynar, another village that lived under the shadow of nuclear testing. [1/5]A view shows a model of a nuclear test at the museum of the Semipalatinsk Test Site, one of the main locations for nuclear testing in the Soviet Union, in the town of Kurchatov in the Abai Region, Kazakhstan November 7, 2023. Gabullin, speaking near a small monument to victims of nuclear tests erected in Kaynar, also said losses were common. While villages such as Kaynar and Saryzhal were exposed to direct radiation, steppe winds carried nuclear fallout across an area the size of Italy.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Serikbay Ybyrai, Baglan Gabullin, Pavel Mikheyev, Gulsum Mukanova, Mukanova, Alicia Sanders, Olzhas, Gloria Dickie, Olzhas Auyezov, Mike Collett, White Organizations: Soviet, REUTERS, International, Nuclear, Reuters, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, SARYZHAL, Russia, United States, Soviet, Semey, Kazakh, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Saryzhal, Kaynar, Soviet Union, Kurchatov, Abai Region, Italy, Novaya Zemlya, Russia's, Almaty, London

☆ Russian Agricultural Bank files lawsuit against JP Morgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A J.P. Morgan logo is seen in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 21 (Reuters) - State-owned Russian Agricultural Bank has filed a lawsuit against JP Morgan (JPM.N) in a Moscow court, court files showed on Tuesday. Russian Agricultural Bank, the main financial intermediary for Russian food and fertiliser exports, has been hit by Western sanctions and disconnected from the SWIFT international payment system. While trying to salvage a deal that allowed grains to be safely exported from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, the United Nations earlier this year arranged for JP Morgan to operate a special payments link with the Russian bank. Russian banks have also filed dozens of lawsuits against Western financial intermediaries over funds frozen due to sanctions.

Persons: Morgan, Stephanie Keith, JP Morgan, Elena Fabrichnaya, Olzhas Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, United Nations, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Moscow, Russian

☆ Russia loads missile with nuclear-capable glide vehicle into launch silo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Russia's rocket forces loaded an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with the nuclear-capable "Avangard" hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in southern Russia, according to a defence ministry TV channel broadcast on Thursday. President Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to U.S. development of a new generation of weapons and a U.S. missile defence system that it could penetrate. Russia installed its first Avangard-equipped missile in 2019 at the same Orenburg facility. But the United States, Russia and China are developing a range of new weapons systems, including hypersonic ones. Russia says the post-Cold War dominance of the United States is crumbling and that Washington has for years sown chaos across the planet while ignoring the interests of other powers.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Guy Faulconbridge, Olzhas, Gerry Doyle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Zvezda, U.S, Washington, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, U.S, Orenburg, Kazakhstan, United States, China, autocracies, Moscow, Almaty

☆ 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

☆ Russia's Shoigu accuses West of seeking to expand Ukraine war to Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the West wants to expand the conflict in the Ukraine to the Asia-Pacific region, Russian state media reported, citing comments made at a Beijing defence forum on Monday. Shoigu said NATO countries were promoting an arms race in the region, increasing their military presence and the frequency and scale of military drills there. U.S. forces will use information exchanges with Tokyo and Seoul on missile launches to deter Russia and China, Shoigu said. "We are only seeking to restore parity with the United States, who have not ratified this treaty," Russia's RIA news agency quoted Shoigu as saying. Shoigu said that Moscow was ready for talks on the post-conflict settlement of the Ukraine crisis on further 'co-existence' with the West, but that Western countries needed to stop seeking Russia's strategic defeat.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Lidia Kelly, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Olzhas, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Defence, Xiangshan, NATO, Russia's TASS, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, United Nations Security, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, U.S, Tokyo, Seoul, Russia, China, United States, Moscow, Sydney, Almaty

☆ Death toll rises to 45 in ArcelorMittal Kazakh coal mine fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Relatives of miners gather at the Kostenko coal mine operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau during a power outage, as a rescue operation continues following a mine fire, in Karaganda, Kazakhstan October 28, 2023. On Saturday, operator ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the local unit of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal, said 206 of 252 people at the Kostenko mine had been evacuated after what appeared to be a methane blast. Gennady Silinsky, a senior emergency services official, on Sunday confirmed the death toll and continuing operation in Karaganda, a major coal mining centre, to Kazakhstan's Khabar-24 television. "Work is going on round the clock in shifts in two areas of operations," Murat Katpanov, another emergency official, told Khabar-24. Earlier statements said rescue operations in the two areas - 4 km (2.5 miles) apart - were hampered by power cuts and wrecked equipment.

Persons: ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Stringer, ArcelorMittal, Gennady Silinsky, Kazakhstan's, Murat Katpanov, Khabar, Mariya Gordeyeva, Andrew Osborn, Alexander Smith, Ron Popeski, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ArcelorMittal, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Rights ALMATY, Luxembourg

☆ Death toll rises to 42 in ArcelorMittal Kazakh mine fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Relatives of miners gather at the Kostenko coal mine operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau during a power outage, as a rescue operation continues following a mine fire, in Karaganda, Kazakhstan October 28, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsALMATY, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The death toll from a fire at a mine owned by ArcelorMittal in Kazakhstan rose to 42 people on Sunday as a search for four miners continued, the Ministry for Emergency Situations said. "The search operation is hampered by the presence of destroyed mining equipment, as well as rubble in some places", the ministry said in a statement. On Saturday, operator ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the local unit of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal (MT.LU) , said 206 of 252 people at the Kostenko mine had been evacuated after what appeared to be a methane blast. The Ministry for Emergency Situations said it was still monitoring the gas situation at the mine.

Persons: ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Stringer, ArcelorMittal, Mariya Gordeyeva, Andrew Osborn, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ArcelorMittal, Ministry, Emergency Situations, Emergency, Thomson Locations: Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Rights ALMATY, Luxembourg

☆ At least 28 dead, 18 missing after ArcelorMittal mine fire in Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] An ambulance drives out of the Kostenko coal mine operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau as rescue operation continues following a mine fire, in Karaganda, Kazakhstan October 28, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Suspected methane blast, company saysSome 206 of 252 people evacuatedPresident declares Oct 29 national day of mourningGovernment, company say working to nationalise the firmALMATY, Oct 28 (Reuters) - At least 28 people have died and 18 remain missing after a mine fire in Kazakhstan, the Ministry for Emergency Situations said on Saturday. Operator ArcelorMittal Temirtau (MT.LU), the local unit of the Luxembourg-based steelmaker, said 206 of 252 people at the Kostenko mine had been evacuated after what appeared to be a methane blast. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who expressed condolences to the victims' families and declared a national day of mourning on Oct. 29, ordered his cabinet to stop investment cooperation with ArcelorMittal Temirtau. "ArcelorMittal is committed to completing this transaction as soon as possible in order to minimise disruption to the greatest extent possible."

Persons: ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Stringer, ArcelorMittal, Kassym, Tokayev, Roman Sklyar, Olzhas, William Mallard, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry, Emergency, Kazakh, Thomson Locations: Karaganda, Kazakhstan, ALMATY, Luxembourg, Republic of Kazakhstan

☆ At least 21 dead, more missing after ArcelorMittal mine fire in Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ALMATY, Oct 28 (Reuters) - At least 21 people have died in a mine fire in Kazakhstan, ArcelorMittal Temirtau (MT.LU), the local unit of the Luxembourg-based steelmaker which operates the mine, said on Saturday. Of the 252 people at the Kostenko mine, 208 had been evacuated, with 18 seeking medical help, the company said in a statement. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who expressed condolences to victims' families, ordered his cabinet to stop investment cooperation with ArcelorMittal Temirtau. The government said in a statement that it was finalising a deal to nationalise the company, which operates the country's biggest steel mill. Last month First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar told reporters that Kazakhstan was in talks with potential investors who could take over the mill.

Persons: ArcelorMittal, Kassym, Tokayev, ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Roman Sklyar, Olzhas, William Mallard, Jason Neely Organizations: Thomson Locations: ALMATY, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg

☆ Russia's Putin visits Kyrgyzstan in first foreign trip since ICC arrest warrant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, which was established to prosecute war crimes. At a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Putin underscored Russia's importance as the biggest investor in the Kyrgyz economy and said the two sides would further develop cooperation. "Our country is the main supplier of oil products to Kyrgyzstan, we fully supply Kyrgyz consumers with gasoline (petrol) and diesel," Putin told a briefing. Putin cited fast growth in Russian-Kyrgyz trade, which some in the West suspect is partly due to Kyrgyz intermediaries facilitating sanctions-busting by Russian businesses. The United States imposed sanctions on four Kyrgyz companies in July for re-exporting electronics components and other technology to Russia.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Russia's, Sadyr Japarov, Japarov, Marlis Myrzakul, Olzhas, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Criminal Court, ICC, Kremlin, Forum, Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Kyrgyzstan, BISHKEK, Central Asian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Bishkek, Kyrgyz, Central Asia, Russian, China, Beijing, Soviet, Soviet Union, Armenia, United States, Kyrgyzstan's

☆ Uzbekistan says contaminated Indian cough syrup was on market due to bribery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Three of the defendants (an Indian and two Uzbekistan nationals) are executives of Quramax Medical, a company that sold medicines produced by India’s Marion Biotech, in Uzbekistan. Pratar, who spoke in court, denied the charges but admitted to handing over the sum to officials through an intermediary as a "token of appreciation". Officials have not said why 45 deaths had remained unreported since last year. State prosecutors also said on Wednesday that Quramax had imported Marion Biotech medicines at an inflated price via two Singapore-based intermediary companies, which prompted tax evasion charges. Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Singh Raghvendra Pratar, Saidkarim Akilov, Quramax, Mukhammadsharif, Olzhas Auyezov, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Quramax, India's Marion Biotech, Central, India’s Marion Biotech, Marion Biotech, Thomson Locations: Uzbekistan, Tashkent, TASHKENT, India, Singapore

☆ Turkmenistan rebukes Russia over 'gas union' comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A 3D printed natural gas pipeline is placed in front of displayed Turkmenistan flag in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoASHGABAT, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan warned Russia on Saturday against trying to extend its influence over the Central Asia-China natural gas supply chain after Moscow said more countries could join its "gas union" with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan all pump gas to China via a pipeline crossing the three countries; the lion's share of gas comes from Turkmenistan as the two other countries have faced strong growth in domestic gas demand. Russia, trying to open up new Asian markets for its gas after Western sanctions, said last year it was forging a gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that would streamline shipping and exporting gas to them and to third parties. Russia's foreign ministry said this week the gas union could be expanded as other countries were interested in joining it; it did not name any.

Persons: Dado, Marat Gurt, Olzhas, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Central, Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Turkmenistan, ASHGABAT, Russia, Central Asia, China, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ashgabat

☆ 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

☆ Turkmen airline suspends Moscow flights over safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man checks the debris next to a damaged office building in the Moscow City following a reported Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, Russia, August 1, 2023. REUTERS/Evgenia NovozheninaASHGABAT, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan's flagship airline has suspended flights to Moscow, it said on Wednesday, citing safety concerns after Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital. "Due to the situation in the Moscow air zone, and based on a risk assessment in order to ensure flight safety, all Turkmenistan Airlines flights on the Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat route will be suspended," the airline said in a statement. Turkmenistan Airlines said it would now fly instead to Kazan, which is more than 700 km (440 miles) east of Moscow. The drone attacks prompted Vnukovo, one of Moscow's airports, to close briefly but it later resumed full operations.

Persons: Vnukovo, Marat Gurt, Olzhas, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Turkmenistan Airlines, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukrainian, Russia, Evgenia, ASHGABAT, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Kazan, Ukraine

☆ Uzbek leader holds early election to extend rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TASHKENT, July 9 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev holds an early election on Sunday to extend his rule for another seven years, just months after changing the constitution to lift term limits that would have required him to step aside in 2026. Foreign trade has been opened, foreign exchange controls have been lifted, and the political system has been liberalised somewhat. Like other states in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is trying to minimise collateral damage from Western sanctions imposed against its traditional trading partner Russia over the war in Ukraine. Politically, Tashkent has maintained neutrality, calling for peace in Ukraine and pledging to abide by Western sanctions while maintaining normal ties with Moscow. Officially running against Mirziyoyev are three candidates representing the Ecological Party, People’s Democratic Party and the Social-Democratic party of Adolat (Justice).

Persons: Shavkat Mirziyoyev, autocrat Islam Karimov, Mukhammadsharif, Olzhas Organizations: Mirziyoyev, Ecological Party, People’s Democratic Party, Social, Democratic, Thomson Locations: TASHKENT, Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan, Soviet, Central Asia, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Tashkent, Moscow, West

☆ Russia rejects bank compromise as Black Sea grain expiry looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With 13 days remaining until expiry of the deal that has allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite Russia's invasion, Moscow said there had been no progress on any of its key demands, including the banking issue. She also rejected a U.N. attempt to create an alternative payment channel between Rosselkhozbank and U.S. bank JP Morgan (JPM.N). Russia says the severing of the bank's access to SWIFT is one of the obstacles facing its own exports of food and fertiliser, and that it cannot keep renewing the Black Sea deal unless those issues are addressed. The United Nations says the deal has so far allowed the export of more than 32 million metric tons of food from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports to 45 countries on three continents. Its foreign ministry said the Black Sea initiative had delivered Ukrainian grain to "well-fed" countries but failed to help those that needed it most in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, JP Morgan, SWIFT, Zakharova, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan, David Goodman Organizations: Financial Times, European Union, Foreign Ministry, SWIFT, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Rosselkhozbank, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia

☆ Turkmenistan opens futuristic city dedicated to leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People attend the opening ceremony for the new city of Arkadag, dedicated to the country's former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in Arkadag, Turkmenistan June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Marat GurtARKADAG, Turkmenistan, June 29 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan opened a new, futuristic "smart" city on Thursday dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Only electric vehicles are allowed in the city, which features monuments dedicated to a horse of the Turkmen Akhal Teke breed and to Berdymukhamedov himself, and was built close to his native village in southern Turkmenistan. His son, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, 41, oversaw the opening ceremony attended by foreign officials. He passed the leadership to his son but retains many powers as the chairman of the People's Council.

Persons: Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Marat Gurt ARKADAG, Berdymukhamedov, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Tayyip Erdogan, Marat Gurt, Olzhas Auyezov, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, People's Council, Thomson Locations: Arkadag, Turkmenistan, Mecca

The company, Marion Biotech, bought the ingredient — propylene glycol (PG) — from trader Maya Chemtech India, as reported by Reuters. "Marion bought commercial-grade propylene glycol," said a second source, an investigator, who declined to be named while the inquiry is ongoing. International standards allow only trace amounts of EG and DEG in pharmaceutical-grade propylene glycol. The toxins were found in cough syrups exported to Gambia by the other Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals. India made it mandatory for companies to have their cough syrups tested before export from June.

Persons: Marion, Deepak Sharma, Max, Vijay Kumar, Tuhin Bhattacharya, Mool Singh, Atul Rawat, Jaya Jain, Sachin Jain, Rohan Gupta, syrups, Maiden, Saurabh Sharma, Krishna, Jennifer Rigby, Olzhas, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, Marion Biotech, Indian, EG, World Health Organization, Authorities, . Police, Marion, Court, Maya, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, WHO, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Uzbekistan, India, Delhi, Marion, Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, Gambia, Indonesia, London, Almaty

June 26 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared for the first time since a deal was struck on Saturday to end what the authorities had called an armed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group aimed at ousting him. In a video released on Monday morning by the Russian Defence Ministry, Shoigu was shown flying in a plane with a colleague and hearing reports at a command post run by Russia's Zapad (West) military grouping. There was no sound on the video and it was not immediately clear where or when the visit had taken place. [1/5]Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visits the advanced control post of Russian troops involved in Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unknown location, in this picture released June 26, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERSGerasimov has not been seen since in public, and there was no word from the Kremlin about any new personnel changes when it described the deal which had ended the mutiny.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Wagner, Shoigu, Russia's Zapad, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, REUTERS Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Andrew Osborn, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Russian Defence, Russian Defence Ministry, Russia's Zvezda Defence Ministry TV Channel, General Staff, REUTERS, Kremlin, Zvezda, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Belarus

[1/3] A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula, following what Russian-appointed officials say was a Ukrainian missile attack, in this picture released June 22, 2023. Russian-installed leader of the Kherson region... Read moreJune 22 (Reuters) - Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday. The so-called "gate to Crimea", known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine. It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic."

Persons: Read, Vladimir Saldo, Saldo, Sergey Aksyonov, Tom Hogue, Simon Cameron, Moore, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Russian, Moscow, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine's Kherson, Ukrainian, Kherson, Crimea, Moscow, Ukraine, Kyiv

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

☆ Build a stadium, FIFA's Infantino urges Kyrgyzstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BISHKEK, May 6 (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged Kyrgyzstan on Friday to build a national football stadium to host international games and address the lack of infrastructure. The former Soviet republic has no modern stadiums built to international standards that can host FIFA-level matches, and its national team's FIFA ranking has fluctuated between positions 201 and 75, currently standing at 96th. "I spoke to the (Kyrgyz) president (Sadyr Japarov) about the national stadium of football," Infantino said. The men's football team qualified two times in a row for the Asian cup. Reporting by Marlis Myrzakul Uulu Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uzbek leader wins referendum on extending powers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TASHKENT, May 1 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan has passed a package of constitutional amendments in a referendum, preliminary data showed on Monday, which will allow President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to run for two more seven-year terms when his current one ends in 2026. The reform, passed with 90.21% of Sunday's vote, resets Mirziyoyev's term count, while promising the Central Asian nation's citizens greater social and legal protections. Mirziyoyev, 65, has opened up the former Soviet republic's economy, greatly improved ties with the West, and curbed the powers of security services whose dominance had in previous decades turned the country of 35 million into a police state. Although Tashkent's Western partners are unlikely to approve of the extension of presidential powers, Uzbekistan risks little given the West is seeking support from ex-Soviet nations in its efforts to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine. Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov, Writing by Olzhas Auyezov, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Uzbeks vote on allowing president to extend time in power
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TASHKENT, April 30 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan votes on constitutional amendments on Sunday that promise its citizens greater social protection in exchange for resetting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's term count to zero, which could allow him to stay in power until 2040. And while Tashkent's Western partners are unlikely to approve of the attempt to extend presidential powers, Uzbekistan risks little given the West is seeking support from all ex-Soviet nations in its efforts to isolate Russia. The reform also extends the presidential term to seven years from five, which could in theory allow Mirziyoyev to remain in charge of the country of 35 million people until 2040. At the same time, the package of amendments proclaims Uzbekistan a "social state" with increased welfare obligations and allows non-farming land ownership. Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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