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According to the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, there are 3.6 billion people in the world who remain offline. The organization’s experts met online to discuss how to push for action to extend internet access and boost capacity to fight COVID-19.

Agenda for action

The emergency virtual meeting of the Broadband Commission attracted the attention of over 100 representatives from around the world including stakeholders from international organizations, the tech sector, civil society and academia.

«UN advisory body sets out an Agenda for Action to ensure that the networks the whole world is now relying on are robust...

According to the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, the country took this obligation as followed to the OPEC+ decision.

On April 12 members of the OPEC+ built a consensus on a collective cut in oil production. Under this decision, all OPEC members and non-members must reduce their output by 9.7 million barrels per day. This agreement is the largest in oil production history. Kazakhstan, in turn, has supported this initiative and voluntary cut daily oil output by 390,000 barrels.

The cut in oil production was forced by low oil prices and a recession in the international economy. Because...

The Tengizchevroil oil company (TCO) temporarily closed its rotational camp in Tengiz, Atyrau Oblast (Region), for rotation workers from other Kazakhstani regions. This information was released by Interfax Kazakhstan cited to Rzabek Artygaliev, PR manager in the TCO.

«Except for the Atyrau region residents, no workers from other Kazakhstani regions can enter our rotational camp in Tengiz. Personnel who live in the Atyrau region might get permission to work if they have only been staying in the region for the last fourteen days and can pass through medical control before traveling to Tengiz,» Artygaliev said.

He also explained...

According to Uzautosanoat press service, an agreement was signed with Volkswagen Group Rus to produce light commercial Volkswagen cars.

This auto factory is expected to be built in the free economic zone in the Jizzakh region. The new plant will be built on site of the Jizzakh Auto Factory and will be able to produce 20,000 cars per year. Under the terms of the contract, the German giant will provide the new plant with all technologies, equipment, and personnel training needed. The full production cycle is projected to start at the end of this year to produce light commercial Volkswagen...

The Republic of Uzbekistan ratified the Statute of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.

According to its Ministry of Justice, Uzbekistan officially became a member of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) on March 4, 2020. With Uzbekistan and the Dominican Republic also joining, the HCCH now has 85 members.

The website of the Republic’s senate says that «Uzbekistan’s membership in the Hague Conference will allow the country to participate in unification of the norms of international family and private law and to further develop the legal system of Uzbekistan with respect to the global standards.»

From...

As the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Atameken press service reports, one in ten companies in Kazakhstan struggle with hurdles when looking for staff.

«As the survey showed, in which 600,000 enterprises participated, the main problem is the lack of seasonal workers and mid-level specialists, 63,000 enterprises have a shortage of personnel,» states the chamber in its job market research.

Among the most sought-after specialists are tractor drivers, machine operators, drivers, waiters, sales representatives, welders, handymen, movers, cooks, tutors, bricklayers, and office managers. About 48,000 people are required for the positions of sellers, store supervisors, security...

Belarus is planning to alter its national emblem so as to align the imagery with «the peaceful purport» of the state, Interfax says.

«We’ve prepared a bill which adjusts the law on national symbols. This is due to questions arising over the imagery of the national emblem,» Belarussian Minister of Justice Oleg Slizhevsky said at a press conference in Minsk.

He said that the Presidential Heraldry Council re-evaluated the current symbols of state and concluded that the emblem design needs «to be perfected.» As an example, he cited the depiction of the star on the emblem, which has sharp edges...

According to the GSAdigital Telegram channel, popular Apple Pay payment service is now available in Uzbekistan through terminals of the Humo local payment system. 

As Shukhrat Kurbanov, director of the National Interbank Processing Center (Humo payment system emitter) told Kursiv in an interview, the service will be available only for cards that were issued in the countries where Apply Pay already works. There is no opportunity to connect Uzbek cards to the international payment system right now because Apple has not included Uzbekistan in the list of states where an application is officially supported.

«We have talked to Apple...

According to Kazakhstani Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov, American Tyson Foods Corp. might start building the first of three meat processing factories in April or May next year with $1.25 billion in investments.

«Tyson Foods plans to build here in Kazakhstan three factories in stages. Two plants will be beef processing factories and another one will process chicken. Construction of the beef processing factory will start next year.

The expected output of the new plant might amount to 2000 bovine per day. That’s 100 to120 thousand tons of meat per year if I am not wrong. The amount of investments...

As expected, more than five million passengers will have used the services of Air Astana and the low-cost Fly Arystan this year. This growth is more than 17% from 2018.

«This year was crucial for our company due to new company Fly Arystan launching its operations on May 1, 2019. From that time, the low-coster has shown good results and perspectives of growth. We believe that together these two companies might show much stronger results by offering people a choice when traveling domestic routes. For example, they can still choose full service with Air Astana or lower-cost options with...

Next season’s team will consist of 28 riders from eight countries. A major part of the Astana team are local athletes, eight in total, including leader Alexei Lutsenko. There are also six Spaniards, including Luis Leon Sanchez and the Isagirre brothers, four Colombian bicycle professionals headed by team captain Miguel Angel Lopez, two Danes led by Jacob Fuglsang, as well as legionnaires from Canada, Belgium, Eritrea, and Russia.

The bet is made on Miguel Angel Lopez and Jacob Fuglsang, who both have a strong chance to be among the main contenders for victory in the Grand Tours — super-day races...

The Kazakhstani telecom market is going through an interesting period. For the first time since the GSM operators appeared in the country in 1999, the industry is experiencing a serious change in the balance of power.
 
When state-owned Kazakhtelecom purchased the mobile operator Kcell, the transaction was accompanied by vivid public debates between operators, public organizations and observers discussing the appropriateness of that deal. However, the deal took place. Beeline, Kcell, and Tele2 are the current leading mobile operators, but there is no absolute leader on the market. At the same time, the deal means a completely new paradigm...

Announced on November 20, Chocofamily Holding has become full owner of the merged travel company of Aviata and Chocotravel. The holding previously owned a 53% share of the business.

The details of the deal haven’t been disclosed, but the parties have described it as being unique for Kazakhstan.

«This is a precedent-setting deal, to make a multimillion exit five to six years after the start,» Ramil Mukhoryapov, CEO of Chocofamily Holding, wrote on his Facebook page.

Aviata.kz and Chocotravel.com merged in February 2018. Both companies had been dominating the market of online ticket sales. By the time of...