Kazakhstan mourns 14 forestry workers killed in wildfire
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Flags were lowered across Kazakhstan on Monday as the country mourned 14 forestry workers killed in a wildfire in the eastern Abai region. Firefighters were still struggling to contain the blaze raging across 43,000 hectares (106,000 acres) of land in the Central Asian nation, the government said. An aerial view shows smoke from wildfires rising […]
Pope, opening Kazakh visit, blasts “senseless” Ukraine war
Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan AP Pope Francis begged for an end to Russia’s “senseless and tragic war” in Ukraine as he arrived Tuesday in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan to join faith leaders from around the world in praying for peace. Francis flew to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for […]
Kazakhstan puts unrest death toll at 225
Almaty, Kazakhstan Reuters The bodies of 225 people killed in unrest in Kazakhstan last week, including 19 members of the security forces, were delivered to morgues throughout the country, the prosecutor general’s office said on Saturday. The figure included civilians and armed “bandits” killed by security forces, Serik Shalabayev, the head of criminal prosecution at […]
Russian troops to quit Kazakhstan, says President, taking aim at the elite
Nur-Sultan, KazakhstanReuters Russian-led forces will begin withdrawing from Kazakhstan in two days’ time after stabilising the Central Asian nation following serious unrest, the President said on Tuesday, in a speech that took aim at wealthy associates of his predecessor. In a video call with parliament after putting down what he has called an attempted coup, […]
Kazakh President steps up purge of security agency after mass unrest; Pope calls for dialogue
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Kazakhstan’s President fired two more top security officials on Sunday after the worst unrest in three decades of post-Soviet independence and authorities said the situation was stabilising, with Russian-led troops guarding key facilities. The sacked officials were deputies to former intelligence chief Karim Massimov, who was arrested on suspicion of treason after violent […]
Ex-security chief arrested as Kazakhstan presses crackdown on unrest
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Kazakhstan’s former intelligence chief has been arrested on suspicion of treason, the state security agency said on Saturday, as the former Soviet republic cracks down on a wave of unrest and starts to assign blame. The detention of Karim Massimov was announced by the National Security Committee which he headed until he was […]
Kazakh President gives shoot-to-kill order to quell protests
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Security forces appeared to have reclaimed the streets of Kazakhstan’s main city on Friday after days of violence, and the Russian-backed President said he had ordered his troops to shoot to kill to put down a countrywide uprising. A day after Moscow sent paratroopers to help crush the insurrection, police were patrolling the […]
Fresh violence in Kazakhstan after Russia sends troops to put down uprising
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Fresh violence erupted in Kazakhstan’s main city on Thursday after Russia rushed in paratroopers to put down a countrywide uprising in one of Moscow’s closest former Soviet allies. Police in the main city Almaty said they had killed dozens of rioters overnight into the early hours of Thursday morning. The authorities said at […]
Kazakh President fails to quell protests, eight deaths reported
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters The President of ex-Soviet republic Kazakhstan appealed to a Russian-led security bloc for help on Thursday after failing to quell days of protests that have seen state buildings torched and eight security personnel reported dead. Initially angered by a fuel price rise, protesters have been storming buildings and chanting against President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s […]
Kazakhstan Government resigns after violent protests over fuel price
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the government’s resignation on Wednesday, his office said, after a fuel price increase in the oil-rich Central Asian country triggered protests in which nearly 100 police were injured. Police used tear gas and stun grenades late on Tuesday to drive hundreds of protesters out of the main square […]