Kazakhstan in the News

I'll interrupt my story of northern travels to link some recent news
articles featuring Kazakhstan. I think it's important that readers get
a perspective of some things going on in the country. I myself have
trouble following the news, and a survey from my English Speaking club
(introduce yourself and say one news story you know from the last week
in which 50% of the people said they knew no news) shows that the
local youth of Taraz may have a similar problem. So here is what's
happening in Kstan:

Typing Kazakhstan into Google News today resulted in some of the
following links:

Major Oil Companies Likely To Accept Kazakh Tax Changes - Analysts
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100204-715587.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
Oil is a big part of the Kazakhstani economy, and the government often
tries to find the best ways to balance foriegn direct investment with
taxes and social development policies.

http://www.blackseagrain.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=26813&Itemid=107
China tries to lease Kazakhstani land
So this explains the article Mark's host mom showed me in Russian
saying China was trying to buy Kazakhstan. Sadly, I don't know the
result of this proposal.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/KL19Ag01.html
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav020410.shtml
So a quick search turned up more info. That was actually really
interesting. I would love beshbarmark with perking duck.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sports/32316/kazakhstan-edge-thailand-in-fed-cup
Kazakhstan edge Thailand in Fed Cup
I don't know much about Kazakh tennis other than the fact that the new
courts here are always locked and the price is supposedly really
expensive (according to the security guard, since I couldn't get
inside to the actual front desk.)

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Kazakhstan_To_Diversify_Satellite_Suppliers_In_Future_999.html
Kazakhstan To Diversify Satellite Suppliers In Future
My friend Ken actually knows people who work on Kazakhstan satellites
because there is some research center near his village.

http://www.isria.com/pages/4_February_2010_63.php
http://harpers.org/archive/2010/02/hbc-90006477
Kazakhstan's foreign minister is in Washington this week talking to
Congress about human rights. Kazakhstan is the char of the OSCE this
year, so it is given the added responsibility of advancing and
protecting rights through out Europe.

http://www.rferl.org/content/NGO_Says_14_Websites_Being_Blocked_In_Kazakhstan/1941642.html
Oh, so that explains why I'm having to update my blog from my email
these days. Blogger is now blocked in Kazakhstan. So the international
education blogs I want to follow, the health and environment blog that
Asela is supposed to add to, and the blogs of my friends (such as
PCVs, CSs, and others) are inaccessible.

That's more news than from America, right? Pretty much, I heard that
Obama announced a new TabletPC that doesn't play Flash. But maybe I
just didn't hear it right in Russian.