Author: Russell Bradley Francis

Peaceful coexistence is the only option in an era of globalization and intermingling religions and cultures, said Kazakh Minister of Information and Social Development, Darkhan Kydyrali, at the forum World Governments: An Incubator for Tolerance, a side event of the Annual Investment Meeting held in Abu Dhabi on May 8-10, reported the ministry’s press service on May 10. The forum was initiated to consider the role of tolerance and coexistence in achieving sustainable economic growth and to find solutions to discrimination and intolerance. According to Kydyrali, the values of tolerance, human brotherhood, and peace are vital in countering the challenges…

Until early 2022, Myrzakhmetov helped run the lobby together with the billionaire son-in-law of the former president. The anti-corruption service in Kazakhstan has detained the former head of a business lobby group close to one of the former president’s billionaire sons-in-law on suspicion of soliciting a bribe reportedly worth almost $30 million. The Anti-Corruption Service said in a statement on May 11 that Ablai Myrzakhmetov was seeking the payment in return for helping a relative of the bribe-giver avoid criminal prosecution. It is unclear in what capacity Myrzakhmetov might have been able to offer this assistance. He is not known to hold…

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportedly plans to stop tracking the spread of Covid-19 on the community level across the country, signalling what could be the federal government’s readiness to reconsider priorities in its approach to the pandemic despite the World Health Organization’s declaration that it is still ongoing. Instead of using its colour-coded Covid-19 tracking system that focuses on the spread of the virus by counties, the CDC will pivot its tracking focus mostly to hospitalisation rates, CNN first reported on Friday. “We’re not going to lose complete surveillance, but we will lose that hyperlocal sensitivity to it perhaps,” a source familiar…

Two Canadian evacuation flights made it safely out of Khartoum late Friday after two earlier airlifts to extract Canadians from the war zone were cancelled, said Global Affairs Canada and Defence Minister Anita Anand. In a tweet, Anand said the Canadian military will remain “ready to conduct flights for as long as conditions allow.” One of Canada’s planned evacuation flights to Sudan ran into mechanical problems early Friday in the nearby country of Djibouti and had to be scrubbed. A second Canadian flight, involving a C-130J Hercules transport, was cancelled after a Turkish relief plane was fired on by one of the…

Kenes Rakishev. An entrepreneur, philanthropist, former special envoy for Kazakhstan, head of the Kazakh boxing federation, a family man, and most importantly, a man of success. The backstory of Kenes Rakishev and his philanthropies is a complex one, with multiple factors and numerous actors involved. The 40-something Kazakh is an interesting study of human success. Ultra boyishly shy, he is the poster boy of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s “New Kazakhstan” vision for the future and better Kazakhstan. He received his education in the UK, fortunately married into the Kazakhstan elite clan and positioned quietly in the affairs of the state. Kenes’…

The United States is set in such a way as to prevent the Ukrainian authorities from thinking about peace negotiations with Russia. This was announced on Saturday, March 25, by the press secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov, on the air of the NTV channel. “We see that they are literally maniacally determined not to allow the Ukrainians to even think about the hypothetical possibility of entering the peaceful settlement track,” Peskov said. In this regard, Peskov noted, the special military operation will continue, since Russia can achieve its goals only in this way. Earlier, the Financial Times,…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reportedly sought to clear up his description of the Russia-Ukraine war as a “territorial dispute”, in the wake of a backlash from fellow Republicans. The widely tipped 2024 White House contender said in a TV interview his remarks had been “mischaracterised”. He also struck a tougher tone on Vladimir Putin, calling the Russian president a “war criminal”. Recent opinion polls suggest Mr Trump has been gaining over Mr DeSantis. The former president has been launching a sustained attack in recent weeks against his onetime political protege. Mr DeSantis has kept tight-lipped on his rumoured plans…

The chances of survival decrease, hardly any survivors are recovered. Two weeks after the earthquake, Turkey ended rescue operations in nine out of eleven regions. In Syria, aid continues to arrive only slowly. Almost two weeks after the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey, many rescue operations are coming to an end. The search work in nine of the eleven affected provinces in Turkey has ended, said the Turkish civil protection Afad. Search and rescue teams in Turkey had apparently not found any survivors in the previous 24 hours. The search for survivors is only continuing in around 40 buildings in the provinces of…

Rory McIlroy is lurking just four shots off the lead after carding a “slow and pedestrian” one-under 70 in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. The Holywood star can wrest back the world number one ranking from Scottie Scheffler with a win and while he’s yet to find his A game, he still looks like a major threat. As Shane Lowry returned to form and carded a second successive 69 to share 12th place on four under, and Séamus Power birdied two of his last three holes for a 70 that left him two shots inside the projected cut line in 33rd…

The transformation of the broadcaster is progressing: the aim is to attract older television viewers who are still interested in linear television. US network The CW announced that it will air the upcoming 2023 season of the LIV Golf League as part of the network’s previously announced multi-year exclusive broadcasting agreement with the golf league. LIV Golf’s first official season will air on both CW and Nexstar-operated stations in key markets such as Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Tampa and Hartford. “The CW Network is preparing to launch the first live sports broadcast in its history, and we are thrilled to bring…