(SRI) - The 2010 budget for the development of the Kashagan field in Kazakhstan could be cut to $7.4 billion from an earlier plan of $10.4 billion, Kazakh state oil and gas company KazMunaiGas (KMG) proposed last week.
Das Mittelalter scheint noch nicht überwunden zu sein: Anno 2004 wird eine junge Frau und Mutter namens Anastasiya Novikova von Wien nach Beirut gebracht und in ein als Folterkammer umgebautes Zimmer gesperrt.

Wien - Kasachstans Außenminister Kanat Saudabajew hat sich nach Informationen des Standard in Wien mit Rakhat Alijew, dem Erzfeind der Regierung, getroffen.
Almaty. January 14. Interfax-Kazakhstan – Kazakh opposition party Azat (Freedom) requested the OSCE member-states to discuss with Astana the issue of putting opposition representatives on the list of Astana official delegation in the Organization.
VIENNA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - New OSCE head Kazakhstan said on Thursday it would refocus Europe's main security and rights watchdog on tackling terrorism and development issues and brushed off criticism of its own record on rights and democracy.
No country in the Caucasus or Central Asia saw its ranking rise in this year's Freedom in the World report, released January 12 by the democratization organization Freedom House.
With attacks against journalists around the world on the rise, it is no surprise that Central Asian journalism is becoming ever more dangerous.