In Nur-Sultan, glitzy shopping malls and swanky hotels mirror Kazakhstan's vast natural resources. In the outskirts, villages with no running water and basic services tell a different story of poverty and inequality.
Vast natural resources have made a select few rich while millions of Kazaks struggle to make ends meet.
Leadership promises economic reforms – but does not stint on criticism of elite.
The career diplomat’s slow, hierarchical advancement has finally lead to real authority.
Experts predict further prosecutions and tightened censorship in the wake of unrest.
Arrests seen as a way for Kazak authorities to justify their claim that the clashes were sparked by external forces.
Country sees a clampdown on independent media and civil society as CSTO troops arrive and a weakened president scrambles to entrench his grip on power.
“Peacekeeping” forces from Russian-led military alliance arrive to help quell protests sparked by local anger at energy price rises.
The problem predates the pandemic, but coronavirus restrictions have exacerbated it.
Rights groups fear that a bill framed to safeguard children could limit free speech and intensify government control.
