Stories about Kazakhstan from February, 2008
Kazakhstan: The State Will Continue to Rise
KZBlog reports that Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Massimov assured the cabinet of ministers that work to renegotiate contracts with foreign investors will continue and that abrogations will be made on new contracts.
Kazakhstan: Political Parallels
Marat posts an interesting view on the Kazakhstani politicians and their clones in the Russian Federation, drawing the parallels by the political nature and status of the personalities.
Kazakhstan: Govt Threatens to Delicense Arcelor Mittal
Zhanna Zhukova reports that after series of tragedies, when dozens of miners were killed in blasts on the coal mines of Arcelor Mittal’s Kazakh subsidiary, the government took a firm stance and warned of the possible cancellation of the license.
Kazakhstan: Park in Almaty
Kamneed is posting picturesque photos of the central park in Almaty, a city called Southern capital of Kazakhstan. The shots shows us how this small piece of calmness in the heart of noisy city is looking this winter.
Kazakhstan: Clinton's Kazakh Affair Is Spinning
Zhanna Zhukova provides an update on the scandal around ex-president of the United States Bill Clinton, his friend Frank Guistra (a Canadian financier & businessman) and Kazakhstan, where Guistra got a lucrative contract in uranium production after a visit to Almaty together with Clinton.
Kazakhstan: State of the Nation
The main event in the country’s politics never passes by the bloggers’ attention. This week it was the time of presidential State of the Nation address. All TV stations and state-controlled newspapers provided its aggressively propagandistic coverage, that bloggers were unhappy with [ru]. As megakhuimyak jokes, “our president does not...
Kazakhstan: Repeated Inter-Ethnic Violence?
Lena B-va reports on the strange incident of an alleged inter-ethnic fight in Kazakhstan between Turks and Kazakhs – the case had been covered by the Turkish press, but omitted in the Kazakhstani media.
Kazakhstan: More State Control in Economy
KZBlog reports that one week after the president's Address to the Nation, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan announced that this year the government will investigate all existing contracts with foreigners in extractive sector to void contracts with companies that have violated the terms.
Kazakhstan: Series of Road Photos Continued
Mikhail posts new picture from his numerous road adventures, featuring the astonishingly miserable, middle-age-like road in the Western Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan: Opposition Offers Help to the Ruling Party in Fighting Corruption
Zhanna Zhukova tells that the leading opposition party of Kazakhstan offers its recommendations on what the ruling party Nur Otan shall do first of all to implement its newly declared counter-corruption campaign.
Central Asia: Which Candidate is Good for the Region?
KZBlog ponders on which candidate for the post of the United States president may be better for the development of Central Asia and says that John McCain co-sponsored Freedom Support Act, Barak Obama is widely believed to be more of an internationalist and perceived to have sympathy for Muslim countries.
Europe: BarCamp Baltics
Daily EM reports on BarCamp Baltics.
Kazakhstan: Gaisha Madanova – Winter Photos of Almaty
Daniel presents Gaisha Madanova, the photographer, capturing the streets of Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, this winter taking photos that are poetic and meditative.
Kazakhstan: Viva Astana!
Adam Kesher reveals the plan of the authorities concerning celebrations and festivities dedicated to the 10-year anniversary of the Kazakhstan’s capital city Astana against the background of economic difficulties experienced by the country.
Kazakhstan: Famed DJ Killed in Almaty
Lena B-va reports the shocking story of brutal murder of the Almaty’s popular DJ and one of the most charismatic representatives of clubbing culture of the Kazakhstan’s southern capital.
Kazkahstan: Social News Portal Review
Adam Kesher reviews the blogosphere's novelties in Kazakhstan and takes a look at the social news portal about Kazakhstan, launched by non-Kazakhs.
Kazkahstan: Nostalgia-type Photos
Daniel posts pictures by Malik Abyshev, who is using a Soviet made Zenit 35mm film camera to take wonderful photos of the Kazakhstan's largest city of Almaty this winter. His current series resembles a faded memory.
Kazakhstan: Elites Getting Younger and Bleaker
Reshuffling of elites and higher officials in Kazakhstan is rarely a consequence of open political debates. Quiet resignations and appointments in the conditions of shady politics provide a fertile soil for commenters and observers to ponder on the reasons that are underneath this or that shuffle. However, there is a...
Kazakhstan: Ethnic Tensions and Underestimated Identity
Kazakhstan is a country that often boasts with inter-ethnic and religious tolerance – in tsar epoch it accepted many labor migrants from Ukraine and Russia. In J. Stalin's times it was a destination for deported nations and political prisoners. In late Soviet period thousands of industrial and agricultural professionals came...
Kazakhstan: Clinton's Shady Affair with Kazakh Uranium
Yuri reports on how the scandal around ex-president Bill Clinton, his friend, a Canadian billionaire businessman, and Kazakh uranium deposits evolves, and reviews the interview of Senator Hillary Clinton’s interview to Fox Channel.
Kazakhstan: New head of administration
Adam Kesher writes about reshuffling in the state apparatus in Kazakhstan, resulting in the appointment of a young technocrat economist to the powerful position of the head of the presidential administration.