Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has suggested establishing a free trade zone involving Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; all bordering the Caspian Sea and oil-rich. Source: rt.com

A new Kazakh airline Air Kazakhstan that is due to start making domestic flights in Kazakhstan this year has been renamed to Kazakh Air. Source: en.tengrinews.kz

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services cut its credit ratings on Kazakhstan and Bahrain closer to junk territory, pointing to the sharp fall in oil prices. Source: blogs.wsj.com

#Almaty #Kazakhstan A very special and moving concert w/ the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra… From the Bolshoi Concert Hall of the Kazakh State… Source: http://www.facebook.com

The merchant checklist for taking on global commerce in many ways might appear never-ending. There are multiple languages, currencies, payment methods, Source: http://www.pymnts.com

For retailers, brand retention and building a loyal customer base is important, especially as online shopping has made the retail space more competitive. Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Messaging app company Line is looking to shore up its strength in payments by grabbing Japanese start-up WebPay in an undisclosed acquisition deal. Line Pay Source: http://www.pymnts.com

After four months of predictions, Apple Pay is actually hitting the stratosphere. Literally. Starting next week, passengers on some JetBlue Airways flights Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Taco Bell’s new mobile app is cooking, posting sales at 20 percent higher than in-store orders. The company, a division of Yum! Brands, engaged in heavy Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Smartphones’ share of online retail sales jumped 50 percent in 2014, and mobile continues to top retailers’ marketing priority lists, according to a new report Source: http://www.pymnts.com