Google is taking on internet telephone companies like Skype by allowing users to call from its free web-based email service; Kazinform refers to BBC. For the moment only users in the US will be able to make calls from inside their Gmail account. Phoning anywhere in the US and Canada will be free until the end of the year, while calls to the UK, France, China and Germany will cost 2 cents a minute. Until now Google offered computer-to-computer voice and video chat services

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 Scientists say they've identified a sun-like star with as many as seven different planets, including one that might be the smallest ever found outside the solar system; Kazinform refers to China Daily. If confirmed, the planetary system around HD 10180, a star more than 100 light years distant, would be the richest ever discovered. One astronomer says it's part of a growing body of evidence that the universe is full of planets -- and that a bunch of them could be similar to our own

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The Egyptian government has announced its intention to continue decreasing electric output pending the end of a heat wave, which saw temperatures climb to 40 degrees Celsius, Kazinform refers to Arab News.  Government spokesman Magdi Radi announced that an "emergency plan" prepared by the government would ensure the addition of 550 megawatts to the national grid within two weeks, as well as 700 megawatts before the end of this year.     

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Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Serik Primbetov will hold a press conference at the Baku AYF Palace Hotel on August 30. The event is devoted to the 15

^th

anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Day against Nuclear Tests marked on August 29. Vesides, the diplomat will tell about the current status of Kazakh-Azerbaijani bilateral relations and activities planned by the sides.

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Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said on Tuesday he would continue to implement democratic reform. "I will not let the country to stray from the path of democratic reform for the benefit of a handful of irresponsible politicians," he said in a statement to mark the 19th anniversary of the country's independence. He promised to implement further economic and judicial reforms.

"I know it will take huge effort and numerous resources for us to become truly economically...

Next session of the Foreign Ministers Council of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan will be held in Dushanbe. Kazakh Secretary of State - Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev has made it public today after the first sitting of the Council. "Today's sitting of the Council provided new opportunities for further development and strengthening of the cooperation", he said. The Minister also noted that the two countries shared common ground and support on all political issues.

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The Kamchatka Territory becomes leader by Pacific salmon output in Russia's Far East, the region's fishing ministry told Itar-Tass on Tuesday; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass. Since June 139,600 tonnes of salmon (88 percent of the required volume) was caught. Despite difficult weather conditions the catch of humpback salmon, the peninsula's main fishing item this year, comprised 79,900 tonnes or 91 percent of the fishing limits.

"Taking int...

Turkey will strike four countries, including Russia, from its list of external security threats in a bid to revise the country's national security strategy, national media reported on Monday. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. The new national security strategy, the draft of which is to be considered at a National Security Council meeting in October, excludes Russia, Greece, Iran and Iraq from the so-called Red Book - a national security policy document - as "principal

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King of Saudi Arabia, Custody of the Two Holy Mosques Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz received a range of foreign ambassadors accredited to the country on the occasion of Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan. Kazakh Ambassador Kairat Lama Sharif was also invited to the event. The diplomat coveyed congratulations of the Kazakh President to the King of Saudi Arabia, the press service of the Kazakh Embassy reports.

Later in the day King Abdullah appointed Abdel Majid Hak

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On the threshold of the International Day against Nuclear Tests on August 26 Astana will host a conference organized by the Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs together with the UN Representation in Kazakhstan. MFA's official spokesman Askar Abdrakhmanov has made it public at a weekly briefing. As in known, in December last year the United Nations General Assembly declared August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The conference will focus o

...

Tajik Foreign Minister Khamrokhon Zarifi is expected to pay a visit to Astana on August 23-25. Official Representative of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Askar Abdrakhmanov has made it public today at a briefing. The first session of the Foreign Ministers' Council of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan is planned to be held within the visit. The issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres wil

...

 Russia and Armenia on Friday signed amendments to a 1995 bilateral treaty extending Russia's use of a military base near Armenia's border with Turkey through 2044; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. The document was signed by the countries' defense ministers as a result of negotiations between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. Medvedev is currently on a state visit to Armenia.

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said the term of the 19...

The Middle East Quartet has called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to resume direct talks starting next month with the aim of reaching a wide-ranging agreement within the next twelve months to end the region's long-running conflict; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass. The Russian Foreign Ministry posted the statement on Friday. The Quartet members - the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States - urged the sides to launch direct negotiations in

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"The consultations on stabilization of the situation in Kyrgyzstan between the CSTO member states will be continued", Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said at a press conference in Yerevan today. "The situation in Kyrgyzstan and measures that will be taken by the CSTO aimed at stabilizing it as well as rendering aid to the Kyrgyz people were the main issues at today's meeting", S.Sargsyan said.

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Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova was named the world's highest-paid female athlete by Forbes magazine. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. Sharapova pulled in $24.5 million over the past year, including $1 million earned from prize money and the rest derived from endorsements and appearance fees, Forbes said. Sharapova, 23, became an overnight tennis sensation at the age of 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004, and quickly showed her business acumen by signing lucrative contracts with global bra

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Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said fire-fighting cost the country 12 billion roubles, according to modest estimates.  Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass."The expenditure to extinguish fires, along with the funds to build new housing for fire victims, with additional attraction of resources would approximate 12 billion roubles," Shoigu told reporters. Kazinform cites Itar-Tass.

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 Issues concerning development of a package of draft energy agreements within formation of the Single Economic Space were discussed in the Ministry of Energy of Russia at a meeting of Russia's Minister Sergei Shmatko with Minister of Energy of Belarus Alexander Ozerets and Kazakh Minister of Oil and Gas Sauat Mynbayev.As the press service of the Russian Ministry informs, the meeting took place prior to a sitting of the Customs Union's Commission which was held August

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Brazil's Superior Labor Court (TST) Wednesday imposed a 2.85-million-dollar fine on Lima Araujo Farm, a company in northern Para province, for having employed 180 workers, including minors, in slave-like conditions. Kazinform refers to Xinhua. The ruling was made to discourage the practice in Brazil, which has persisted in some regions for decades, the court said. "This conviction serves as an example not only for the employer, but for all the cases involving such practice," Judge L

...

The situation in Kyrgyzstan and the region in general will dominate the agenda of the upcoming informal summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Armenia to be attended by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday, August 20. "It is believed that the heads of state will discuss the situation in Central Asia, measures that can be taken by the CSTO member states to help stabilise the situation in Kyrgyzstan, and ways to improve the CSTO's emergency response mechanis

...

Farmers and agricultural enterprises of Kazakhstan will supply fruit and vegetable production to the market of St. Petersburg.Residents of the city on Neva River will be able to buy fruits and vegetables at affordable prices in a new center of agro-trade "Ozerki" opened in St. Petersburg. Besides, products from Kabardino-Balkaria, Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan will be supplied to St. Petersburg as well.

The center has 160 pavilions...

Foreign trade turnover between Russia and Kazakhstan in the first half of 2010 made USD 7 bln 9 mln. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, Ukraine ranks the first in Russia's foreign trade turnover - USD 15 bln 9 mln; then comes Belarus - USD 12 bln 5 mln.

In whole, foreign trade turnover of Russia with the CIS countries made USD 41 bln in this period that is 42.5% more against the same period in 2009.

Russia's tot...

The Kazakh Embassy in Dushanbe organized a workshop on the basic principles of the Kazakh Constitution devoted to the 15^th anniversary of the Main Law of Kazakhstan. Outstanding public figures, representatives of the creative intelligentsia, mass media of Tajikistan, heads of national cultural centers, representatives of the "Tajikistan-Kazakhstan" Friendship Society and the Kazakh Diaspora in Tajikistan took part in the event, the pre

...

Australia should become a republic when Queen Elizabeth II dies, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said just days ahead of a general election.

Welsh-born Ms Gillard said the Queen's death would be an "appropriate point" for Australia to move away from having a British monarch as head of state.

Australians voted against beoming a republic in a 1999 referendum, but the issue continues to be divisive.

Ms Gillard's main opponent, Tony Abbott, is a staunch monarchist.
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NASA astronauts installed a spare cooling pump module on the International Space Station (ISS) during their third contingency spacewalk which lasted more than seven hours, NASA said on its website.

The spacewalk, conducted by Flight Engineers Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson lasted about an hour longer than expected. It took astronauts 7 hours, 20 minutes to install the 780-pound spare pump module.

"The module was successfully installed on the S1 Truss after Wheelock att...

Timur Bekturganov/ Organization of a special seminar for discussing state and prospects of  electronic voting in the OSCE member countries on September 16-17, 2010,  is one of the most important initiatives of Kazakhstan within the humanitarian dimension of the Organization.

As the press service of the OSCE reports, the event will bring together prominent representatives of the international expert council who will discuss the leading experience and existing standards of appl

...

South Korea and the United States on Monday started a two-week joint military drill in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS); Kazinform refers to China Daily.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, reportedly with an aim of maintaining security and the two countries' joint defense posture on the peninsula, will be carried out during the period from Monday to August 26, it said.



This year's UFG exercise is a

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Myanmar has found in the country the oldest woman, Daw Mya Kyi, aged 118, in Mandalay division, who is older than the world's record eldest, according to the Department of Social Welfare Monday.

Daw Mya Kyi, born in Htaine Kone village in the division in 1892, is four years older than the world's record oldest woman Eugenie Blanchard, a French born in 1896, who remains at the age of 114, the sources said.

She is now living in a monastery in Puak Chan Kone village and is enjoying go...

Organization of a special seminar for discussing state and prospects of electronic voting in the OSCE member countries on September 16-17, 2010, is one of the most important initiatives of Kazakhstan within the humanitarian dimension of the Organization.

As the press service of the OSCE reports, the event will bring together prominent representatives of the international expert council who will discuss the leading experience and existing standards of application of new technologies in v...

Russia will retain leading positions on the world grain market despite a ban on grain export until the end of the year, a first deputy prime minister said. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

"I would like to stress: the ban is temporary, so we have all grounds to retain, in the long term, the leading positions on the international grain market," Viktor Zubkov told government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

The government imposed a ban on the export of grain from August 15 to Dece...

Economic growth in Japan weakened significantly in the last financial quarter, official figures show.

Economic growth in Japan weakened significantly in the last financial quarter, official figures show.

Between April and June this year gross domestic product - the sum of the nation's goods and services - grew 0.1%, much lower than expected.

Analysts said the country's export-led recovery appeared to be faltering as the value of the yen appreciates.

Japan's close riva...