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☆ Almaty, Kazakhstan: How a drab Soviet metropolis became Central Asia’s capital of cool
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Almaty, Kazakhstan CNN —Several cities around the globe have reinvented themselves in recent years, but none more successfully than Almaty. Since the collapse of the USSR, Kazakhstan’s largest city (population 2.2 million and growing) has evolved from a drab, run-of-the-mill Soviet metropolis into the urban star of Central Asia. “It’s an incredibly livable city,” says long-time American resident Dennis Keen, a historic preservation advocate and founder of Walking Almaty. Over and underground artThe Abilkhan Kasteev State Art Museum is filled with more than 20,000 works of art. Other good collections include the Ihlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments (in a Russian-style wooden mansion built in 1908) and the ethnographic artifacts of the Almaty Museum.

Persons: It’s, “, ”, Dennis Keen, ” Keen, “ It’s, Jama Nurkalieva, Charles O, Cecil, Alamy, Auyl, James Talalay, Lukas Bischoff, Keen, Roshcha Organizations: Kazakhstan CNN, Walking, Central, Cathedral, Astana, Tselinny Center of Contemporary, Dynamo, Prix Versailles, Park, Art, Louvre, Art Museum, Ihlas Museum, Folk, Almaty Museum, Eiffel, of Contemporary, Academy of Science, Turkish Airlines, Air Astana, Ritz, Carlton Locations: Almaty, Kazakhstan, USSR, Kazakhstan’s, Central Asia, Walking Almaty, “, Central Asian, China, Europe, Russian, Soviet Union, Shan, Lower Kolsai Lake, There’s, Soviet, Zholy, Almaty Metro, Almaly, Auezov, Istanbul, Beijing, Seoul , New Delhi, Bangkok, Arasan, Otrar, Lanzhou, Novotel, Darejani, Ascension

Karnal, India CNN —The sun blisters the arid ground in Karnal, a district in India’s northern Haryana state, where empty houses stand testament to an acute problem that’s driving some residents to take unimaginable risks. Ankit Chaudhary says he paid an agent to help him take the 'donkey route' into the US but lost his money. His account matched that of another smuggling agent CNN spoke to in Haryana. But even if Trump wins the November election, smugglers CNN spoke to in India predict an eventual revival of the “donkey” route. “In my opinion the donkey route will never completely stop,” said the first agent.

Persons: ”, Ankit Chaudhary, ” Chaudhary, Narendra Modi, “ Viskit, ” Modi, “, Bharat, Chaudhary, Rajeev Kumar, Malkeet, ” Kumar, Young, Muzaffar Chishti, ” Chishti, ” Ankush Malik, Malik, They’ve, Chishti, ‘, ’, Frederic J . Brown, CNN's Ivan Watson he's, Trump, we’re, ” Trump, Kamala Harris, Gary Coronado, ’ Kumar, Kumar Organizations: India CNN, USA, CNN, US, Pew, India’s Ministry of Labour, Employment, Panama City, International Labour Organization, Migration, Institute, Biden, YouTube, Customs, Border Protection, Justice Department, Biden Administration, Border Patrol, Migrants, Getty, White, Democratic, Trump, Immigrants, Border, Los Angeles Times, El Locations: Karnal, India, India’s, Haryana, United States, Latin America, Mexico, El Salvador, Mator, Kaithal, New Delhi, Dubai, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Istanbul, Panama, San Salvador, Guatemala, New York, Qatar, Amsterdam, Springs , California, AFP, San Diego, South Asia, September’s

☆ An Asian airline hopes launching one of the world's longest narrowbody routes will actually be a comfort upgrade for passengers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Air Astana is launching one of the world's longest narrowbody routes from Almaty to London. AdvertisementAir Astana is launching one of the world's longest narrowbody routes with the aim of increasing comfort for passengers. The Kazkhstani flag carrier announced last Wednesday that it will use an Airbus A321LR on its route from Almaty to London. Plus, Air Astana is a relatively small carrier, as it only has three widebody jets, all Boeing 767s. European budget airline Wizz Air earlier this month announced its first route utilizing the Airbus A321XLR on seven-hour flights.

Persons: —, that's, József Váradi Organizations: Air Astana, Airbus, Service, Boeing, British Airways, Wizz, Air, Kazakhstani Locations: Almaty, London, Aktau, Kazakhstan, Dallas, Fort Worth, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

☆ What is air turbulence and how it creates danger in the skies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Here’s how air turbulence can create problems for air travelers. In cases of light and moderate turbulence, passengers might feel a strain against their seatbelt, and unsecure items in the cabin may move around. In 2022, Williams, who co-authored the study, told CNN that he believed that severe turbulence “could double or triple in the coming decades.”He went on to attribute this to “clear air turbulence,” a type of turbulence that strikes suddenly is very difficult to avoid. Since it’s sometimes impossible to anticipate when an aircraft will encounter clear air turbulence, the only way to be 100% safe is to keep strapped in for the whole ride. The Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore, appears to encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar after crossing Southeast Asia’s Andaman Sea.

Persons: ” Paul Williams, Williams, “, ”, Mark Prosser, Turbli Organizations: CNN, Air, Singapore Airlines, University of Reading, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Airline, United Airlines, University, Reading, “, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, National Weather Service Locations: Tokyo, Honolulu, USA, London, Singapore, Myanmar, Santiago, Chile, Viru Viru, Bolivia, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Nashville , Tennessee, Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina

☆ He had strict instructions from the groom: ‘Stay away from the bridesmaid.’ Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —Ariff Hassan arrived at the wedding under strict instructions: “Stay away from the bridesmaid.”It was August 2018. “Listen,” said Ariff’s friend. But Ariff’s friend’s warning was ringing round his head. Because Liliya was – of course, inevitably – the bridesmaid Ariff had been warned to stay away from. Ariff Hassan and Liliya DauletaliyevaLiliya and Ariff Kazakhstan wedding celebration incorporated a number of Kazakh traditions.

Persons: CNN — Ariff Hassan, “, Ariff, They’d, “ I’d, ‘ I’ve, ”, Ariff’s, –, Liliya Dauletaliyeva, Lili, Liliya, ” Ariff, Ariff Hassan, She’d, she’d, fiancé, who’d, ” Liliya, He’d, “ I’m, ’, ’ ”, he’d “, ’ ” Ariff, ’ ” Liliya, – she’d, he’d, ‘, that’s, they’re, hadn’t, Ariff shrugged, – Ariff, he’s, you’ve, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Kazakhstan –, Kuala Lumpur –, CNN Travel, Facebook, Liliya, Malaysian, University of Oxford, Oxford Locations: Singapore, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Kazakhstan’s, Almaty, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Liliya, Kazakh, Astana, Iceland, Cappadocia, Turkey, Bangkok, London, ’, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

☆ Are these the most beautiful coffee shops in the world?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( David Tran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The Budapest Café is one of many eye-catching businesses featured in “Designing Coffee: New Coffee Places and Branding,” a coffee table book — no pun intended — that puts the world’s most photogenic, eccentric cafés and roasters on display. Its "bright, playful design and color palette transform a former dental office into a bustling and vibrant bakery café," Kingston writes in "Designing Coffee." In an increasingly competitive coffee industry, coffee shop owners are putting thoughts into how their spaces are designed. Across its ambience and menu, the Genovese Coffee House in Sydney offers Australian consumers an "espresso" ticket to Mediterranean café culture. Anson Smart/Genovese Coffee House/Courtesy gestaltenElsewhere, Genovese Coffee House (pictured above) in Sydney, Australia drew inspiration from Italian coffee culture.

Persons: James Morgan, they’re, Wes Anderson, Lani Kingston, Kingston, Mikhail Loskutov, Yuh Nguyen, Luca Rinaldi, Jamie Yelo, Urbain, Jin Weiqi, Marco Pinarelli, Julius, Damir Otegen, Karin Pasterer, Hernan Taboada, Carlos Artalejo, Xavier Alexander, Alexander, ”, “, ” Alexander, ” Kingston, David Dworkind, ” “, ’ ”, Fritz, K Kim, Angela Wijaya, Fritz Coffee, Ben Hamilton, Anson Smart, “ It’s Organizations: Budapest Cafe, CNN, Portland State University, Melrose, Rupertinum, Salzburg's Museum of Modern Art, Kingston, Fritz Coffee Company, Coffee House, Genovese Coffee, Coffee Locations: Budapest, Chengdu, China, Odessa, Ukraine, Hanoi, Vietnam, Milan, Italy, Taipei, Taiwan, Montréal, Canada, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Central Highlands, Kyiv, Ukraine's, Hong Kong, Forme, Beirut, Lebanon, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Salzburg, Austria, 220GRAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Caffettiera, Montreal, Asia, Seoul, South Korea, Belfast, Los Angeles, California, Sydney, Australia

☆ China earthquake: Powerful 7.1 quake strikes Xinjiang region near Kyrgyzstan border
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The quake struck Wushi county, also known as Uqturpan county, in Aksu prefecture near the Kyrgyzstan border shortly after 2 a.m. local time, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Strong tremors caused two houses to collapse and downed two major power lines near the epicenter, though electricity was quickly restored, according to Xinhua. The Xinjiang railway authority immediately sealed off routes in areas affected by the quake and suspended 27 trains, Xinhua reported. Nearly 200 rescue workers have been dispatched to the quake zone, and hundreds more are being assembled, Xinhua reported. The tremors were also felt across the border in Kyrgyzstan, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Persons: ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Xinhua, CCTV, China Earthquake Networks, United States Geological Survey, Reuters, Residents, United Nations Locations: Hong Kong, China’s, Xinjiang, Central, Aksu prefecture, Kyrgyzstan, Xinhua, Wushi, Kashgar, Hotan, Kazakhstan, Almaty, Uzbekistan, China, Beijing, Gansu, Qinghai

☆ '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

☆ 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

☆ 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 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Kazakh fintech Freedom Holding is being investigated by DOJ, SEC, documents show
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The SEC's Boston regional office has been probing Freedom for months, according to documents seen by CNBC and people familiar with the matter. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts is also making preliminary inquiries into Freedom, documents seen by CNBC show. Nearly 115,000 Freedom shares changed hands in the first half hour of trading, 1.25 times the stock's 10-day average. Turlov and Freedom are aware of the SEC probe, which has been going on for months, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. An SEC spokesperson told CNBC that it doesn't comment on the existence or nonexistence of an investigation.

Persons: that's, Timur Turlov, Turlov, Hindenburg, Citron Organizations: Nasdaq, Securities, Exchange, CNBC, Boston, Attorney's, Massachusetts, SEC, DOJ, Justice, Hindenburg, Citron Research, Las, Trump, Financial, Financial Industry, Authority, Freedom Locations: Almaty, Kazakhstan, Russian, U.S, Kazakh, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, New York, Las Vegas, New

☆ U.S. astronaut Rubio and two Russian cosmonauts land in Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A view shows the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft (L) carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who get prepared to leave the International Space Station and head for a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, September 27, 2023. "The crew have returned to earth after a year on the ISS," Russia's Roscosmos, Russia's space corporation, said after the landing on time at 1117 GMT. Rubio, who is 47 and on his first space voyage, travelled back to Earth with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, 48, and Dmitry Petelin, 40. That gave the two Russians and Rubio an unexpectedly extended mission of 371 days in orbit. On Sept. 11, Rubio surpassed the previous NASA record of 355 consecutive days in space set by now-retired U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei.

Persons: Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin, Frank Rubio, Konstantin, Rubio, he's, Prokopyev, Mark Vande Hei, Russia's Valeri Polyakov, Polyakov, Roscosmos, Guy Faulconbridge, Steve Gorman, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: NASA, Space Station, U.S, Space, Soyuz, Army, Blackhawk, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, ALMATY, Zhezqazghan, Moscow, Los Angeles, Miami, U.S, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq

☆ Chess-Carlsen and Niemann settle dispute over cheating claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Magnus Carlsen of Norway sits in front of a chess board during a game. Chess.com banned Niemann and later published a report saying he had likely cheated more than 100 times in online games. Niemann has admitted to cheating online when he was 12 and 16-years-old, but denied any wrongdoing while contesting over-the-board games. Weeks after the Sinquefield Cup, Carlsen refused to play in an online game against Niemann, opting instead to resign after just one move. "I am willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together."

Persons: Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Pavel Mikheyev, Norway's Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, Niemann, Carlsen, Chess.com, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus, Weeks, Hritika Sharma, Peter Rutherford Organizations: FIDE, REUTERS, Sinquefield, American, Thomson Locations: Almaty, Kazakhstan, U.S, St, Louis , Missouri, Hyderabad

CNN —An Iranian chess player, who competed in an international tournament without wearing a hijab, has been granted Spanish nationality, Spain’s Minister of Justice announced on Tuesday. Sara Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, competed in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in December 2022. Khadem was one of a number of sportswomen to appear at a sporting event without a hijab since anti-government protests erupted in September last year, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Spain’s Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop, said that there were “exceptional circumstances” in Khadem’s situation, announcing that the country’s Council of Ministers granted her “Spanish nationality through a naturalization letter.”The chess player met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in January, who said that he was “inspired” by Khadem. “How much I have learned today from a woman who inspires me, the Women’s Chess Grandmaster Sara Khadem,” Sánchez tweeted.

Persons: Sara Khadem, Khademalsharieh, Khadem, Mahsa, Pilar Llop, Pedro Sánchez, ” Sánchez, ” Organizations: CNN, Justice, FIDE, Reuters, country’s, Ministers, Spanish Locations: Iranian, Spanish, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Iran, Spain

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

☆ China-Central Asia Summit: Ukraine war weakens Russian influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Xi will present visiting Central Asian leaders with “a series of proposals” on the long-term development of ties and sign agreements, Chinese officials said this week. It is “of great interest to Central Asia nowadays to cooperate with China as one of its important alternative markets,” he added. However, Khitakhunov said, Central Asian leaders would be just as keen to have discussions about trade, investment and joint projects with Western players like the European Union. Central Asian countries have also seen and cracked down on popular protests and unrest in recent years. Like China, Central Asia leaders have typically avoided condemning Russia in forums like the UN, for example abstaining on major General Assembly resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops.

☆ MotoGP cancels inaugural Kazakhstan race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - MotoGP has cancelled its first race in Kazakhstan due to the circuit not being ready and will not replace it on what is now a 20-round calendar, the sport said on Wednesday. Kazakhstan last September agreed a five year deal for the Sokol International Racetrack outside Almaty to stage MotoGP races. The inaugural race had been scheduled for July 9 as the ninth round. MotoGP is keen to expand its presence in Asia, with India also set to debut in September with a race at the Buddh International circuit near New Delhi. It also takes away a possible 37 points from the championship, with each race weekend now a double scoring opportunity thanks to a sprint race on every Saturday as well as the main Sunday event.

☆ Kazakh PM Smailov set to keep job after election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ALMATY, March 30 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's ruling Amanat party nominated Alikhan Smailov, prime minister since January 2022, for the same position on Thursday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's office said, meaning he was certain to retain the job. Smailov, 50, and other cabinet members resigned automatically after the March 19 snap parliamentary election, and Tokayev now needs to appoint a new government. Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kazakh airline says business is booming as Russia loses traffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ALMATY, March 29 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's flagship airline, Air Astana, is speeding up its expansion plans to take advantage of a drop in air traffic via Russia and the reopening of China, chief executive Peter Foster told Reuters. Many global airlines stopped flights to Russia after it invaded Ukraine last year. The company plans to grow its fleet to 50 aircraft by the end of this year from the current 44 aircraft, Foster said, and is accelerating expansion plans for the coming years. "We see very big opportunities in China, as China has opened again, following COVID, India is doing well.., Pakistan is a growth market." "And that's been resolved, we have no problem with accessing spare parts,"Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, which owns a 51% stake in Air Astana, plans to list the company publicly next year.

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