Cuba has announced radical plans to lay off huge numbers of state employees, to help revive the communist country's struggling economy; Kazinform refers to BBC. The Cuban labour federation said more than a million workers would lose their jobs - half of them by March next year.

Those laid off will be encouraged to become self-employed or join new private enterprises, on which some of the current restrictions will be eased.

Analysts say it is biggest priv...

Nelson Mandela felt so betrayed by Tony Blair's decision to join the invasion of Iraq that he made a furious phone call to a UK minister to protest.

Labour MP Peter Hain, whose biography of the ex-South African president is published on Monday, said Mr Mandela was "breathing fire" down the line.

The former Welsh Secretary said Mr Mandela felt Mr Blair's good work was "blown out of the water" by the war.

Mr Hain said the criticisms were made formally, not ...

As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced 58 percent of voters favored a government- backed constitutional amendment package in Sunday's referendum, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) passed a national test over both the reforms and its popularity.

"Today is a democratic festival for us," Erdogan told a press conference and supporters in the Turkish city Istanbul, live TV pictures showed. "Our nation has supported for the constitutional reforms by...

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday celebrated the 62nd anniversary of its founding as the world's attention continues to focus on a major conference of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the first of its kind in 44 years; Kazinform refers to Xinhua. State broadcasters were airing patriotic songs throughout the day while the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper ran an editorial urging the country's civilians and servicemen to st

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Kirgizia begins election campaign on Friday with 29 political parties competing for 120 seats in parliament which will take over some presidential powers following two revolutions in the past five years that ousted national presidents; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass. The Central Election Commission said the campaign will end one day before the election scheduled for October 10.

President Roza Otunbayeva said "the people expect peaceful and open ele

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The American coach of the Russian basketball team praised the United States as worthy winners of their quarterfinal on Thursday at the FIBA Basketball World Championship in Turkey; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. David Blatt said after the 79-89 defeat that he had tendered his resignation to the Russian Basketball Federation.

Russia stayed with their opponents for the first two quarters and trailed 44-39 at halftime, but they managed just 17 points in the third...

Today Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev has received credentials from newly-appointed ambassadors of foreign countries to Kazakhstan. The credentials were received from ambassadors Rageh Saber al-Moussawi (Iraq), Zakir Gashimov (Azerbaijani), Muhammad Akhtar Tufail (Pakistan), Zhou Li (China), Lale Ulker (Turkey), Oleg Demin (Ukraine). President Nazarbayev congratulated them on the beginning of the diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan. "Your diplomat

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 Fidel Castro told a visiting American journalist that Cuba's economic model doesn't work, a rare comment on domestic affairs from a man who has conspicuously steered clear of local issues since stepping down four years ago; Kazinform refers to China Daily. The fact that things are not working efficiently on this cash-strapped Caribbean island is hardly news. Fidel's brother Raul, the country's president, has said the same thing repeatedly. But the blunt assessment by the father of Cuba'

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Google has sped up its internet search engine by launching a new product, Google Instant, that displays results as soon as users type in queries; Kazinform refers to BBC."This is search at the speed of thought. It represents a quantum leap in search," the company said. Previously Google's suggested search terms and did not reveal results until the "enter" key was hit or the "search" button was clicked.

Google Instant goes

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In connection with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of former Soviet partisan Vasily Kononov, Russian Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov suggested sending to Strasbourg symmetrical pleas against the Estonian and Latvian authorities regarding operations of "sonder-komandos" on the Nazi-occupied territories of the former USSR; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.

"No one can prevent the drawing up of symmet...

French President Nicolas Sarkozy refused Wednesday to retreat on pension reform, saying that it was "out of the question" to reduce the minimum retirement age below 62; Kazinform refers to Xinhua. According to a statement from the Elysee Palace following the weekly cabinet meeting, Sarkozy repeated his firmness on this issue to his ministers.

He laid out the difficulties burdening the present retirement system, saying France was "at a time when one pension out of 10 is ...

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gave a strong hint on Monday that he would run for president in 2012, a step that would almost certainly give him a second spell as Kremlin chief; Kazinform refers to China Daily. When asked if running for president in the 2012 election would damage Russia's political system, Putin cited Franklin Roosevelt who led the United States from 1933 until his death in office in April 1945, before a two-term limit was imposed.



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At least 25 new "air border crossing points" will be created in Russia before 2017, the Federal Border Services Agency said on Wednesday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. At least four of the planned facilities will be set up at military complexes, agency department chief Danil Vavilov said. The program will require 3 billion rubles (about $100 million), he said.

Funding for the program will come both from state and private-state partnerships.

At present Russia has a...

Russian Technologies State Corporation plans to buy 50 MS-21 short-range and mid-range airliners from United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and 50 Boeing airliners for the country's flagship carrier Aeroflot, Russian Technologies head Sergei Chemezov said on Tuesday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. "In the nearest future we will sign an agreement in Sochi to buy 50 MS-21 airliners from UAC and 50 airliners from Boeing. The size of the contract is being discussed now," Chemezov said.

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Valdai International Discussion Club that he and President Dmitry Medvedev were people from "one party" and pledged there would be no "shocks" at the 2012 presidential elections; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. Putin was quoted by Valdai Club member Alexander Rahr, a German political scientist, after the meeting.

Rahr said that at last year's meeting with the Valdai Club participants, Putin called hi...

The electronic system of the Moldavian Central Election Commission went dead. The commission cannot now to receive and process data from localities on progress of the voting at the referendum on a return to the nation-wide elections of president., said on Sunday secretary of the CEC secretary Yuri Ciokan, speaking with reporters; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.

According to the secretary, "the CEC will be guided only by data, received from...

Kazakh Ambassador Anarbek Karashev paid a courtesy visit to Foreign Minister of Slovak Republic Mikuláš Dzurinda in Bratislava, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs. The Kazakh Ambassador wished success to the head of the Slovak Foreign Ministry and invited him to take part in the Summit of the OSCE in Astana this year. Besides, the sides discussed the realization of the agreements that were reached during the visit of Slovak President Ivan Ga&scaron

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Fifteen years ago on August 30, 1995 at the initiative of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev as a result of the nationwide referendum the supreme national law was adopted. As is known, while drafting the Constitution the French model, providing for a strong president and a strong parliament, was taken as a basis.

According to the European experts, time has shown that model was most appropriate for Kazakhstan, since it allowed to ensure ...

Russia and the European Union are set to establish a joint defense and security working group, the chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, said on Friday. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. "We held a detailed, frank dialogue, and shared opinions on European security and outlined the steps to be taken, including the establishment of a joint working group that would help to plan joint actions thoroughly," Makarov said after talks with the chairman of the

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Mayor of Almaty, Chairman of Almaty branch of

Nur Otan

Akhmetzhan Yessimov received member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Secretary in CPC Central Committee Liu Yunshan. Our guest noted that Almaty impressed him with its beauty and dynamics. Members of the delegation said that they wanted more Chinese tourists to visit Kazakhstan, in particular Almaty. Besides, China supports business communities and representative...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will pay a visit to Kazakhstan on September 6-7, a presidential aide said Friday. Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. During the visit, Medvedev will hold talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to discuss their customs union with Belarus, other trade and economic issues, and nuclear cooperation as well as attend an interregional cooperation forum.

Twelve Russian regions border on seven Kazakh regions, ma

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India is to build the world's largest solar telescope in the India-controlled Kashmir's cold desert region of Ladakh at an estimated cost of 31 million U.S. dollars, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics said Thursday. Kazinform refers to Xinhua. "The solar telescope will help study the microscopic structure of the sun and derive specific observations that are speculative in nature," IIA Director Siraj Hasan told the Indo-Asian News Service.

Apart from IIA, the National Large...

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro will deliver his first public speech since 2006 on Friday, during a meeting with students of the Havana University; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. The speech, to begin at 15:30 Moscow time [11:30 GMT] would focus on "another war in the Middle East with unforeseeable consequences for the world," Cuba's Granma newspaper said.

It would be broadcast live by the country's leading radio and TV channels.

The Cuban leader, who has ra...

Russia has successfully put three Glonass-M navigation satellites into orbit early Thursday, said a spokesman for Russian Space Forces; Kazinform refers to Xinhua. A Proton-M carrier rocket blasted off from Kazakh Baikonur space center with three satellites atop at 04:53 a.m. Moscow time (0053 GMT), said Alexei Zolotukhin.

From 08:26 a.m. to 09:12 a.m. Moscow time (0426 to 0512 GMT) the DM upper stage of the rocket has put all three satellites into designated orbit.

The launch...

The Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser will call on Thursday at the port of Brest in France for a four-day official visit, a Russian Navy spokesman said; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. During the stay the commander of the French Navy and Russia's ambassador to France will visit the Russian warship, which will be also open to public on September 5.

After the visit on September 6 the Pyotr Veliky will take part in the joint military drills PASSEX with the French Navy....

Russia's Proton-M carrier rocket with three GLONASS satellites blasted off on Thursday early morning from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. Lt. Col. Alexei Zolotukhin, a spokesman for Russian Space Forces, said the rocket was launched at 4:53 Moscow time (0:53 GMT). Glonass - the Global Navigation Satellite System - is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilia

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Six Russian tourists trapped in East China's Zhejiang province over tropical storm Kompasu get necessary assistance and support, a consul of the Russian consulate-general in Shanghai, Sergei Paltov, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass. The diplomat said the Chinese authorities provide six Muscovites with food and accommodation. There is no threat to their health and security. The issue of visa prolongation for the Russians and new pl

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 Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will visit Kiev on September 14-15 to discuss possible gas supplies from Kazakhstan to Ukraine with his counterpart Viktor Yanukovych, the Kazakh ambassador to Ukraine said on Monday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti. The two leaders may sign an accord on the issue, but this will depend on existing Russian-Ukrainian agreements, Amangeldy Zhumabayev told reporters in Kiev. "New relations between Russia and Ukraine are being shaped, and this gives

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"I support the declaration of 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. I am glad this initiative came from free and independent Kazakhstan that has undertaken an obligation to ensure a better life for future generations", First President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel says in his statement on the occasion of the International Day against Nuclear Tests. "I know that Kazakhstan, as part of the former Soviet Union, had a negative experience with nuclear

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Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran has no intention to make nuclear bombs, local satellite Press TV reported on Monday. Mottaki said that the UN anti-Iran sanctions had demonstrated the West's logic of coercion, according to the report. "They (the Westerners) assert that Iran may have the intention to make nuclear weapons, and punished our nation based on the claims" of probability, Mottaki was quoted as saying.

"The Iranian nation does not need a...