The five Central Asian states have been rattled by Russian aggression in Ukraine. But while China is muscling in on this resource-rich region, Moscow, the former colonial power, is still an attractive ally. Source: http://www.thenational.ae

Against a background of economic and geopolitical storms, the decision to hold the election a year ahead of time raises the question whether Kazakhstan’s prized stability is in question. Source: http://www.diplomaticourier.com

Kazakhstan’s Central Elections Commission says incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbaev and two other others have been officially registered as candidates for the April 26 presidential election. Source: http://www.rferl.org

U.S. investors looking to make a bet on companies in Kazakhstan or Qatar are getting help from an exchange-traded funds industry that is increasingly adding single-country ETFs to their offerings Source: business.financialpost.com

British export credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF) has made available close to $2 billion to the government of Kazakhstan to fund the import of a wide range of British-made goods. Source: http://www.txfnews.com

Scientists are baffled by a mysterious illness that has sent hundreds of people into days-long slumbers Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

At least three Kazakh citizens and a prominent Kazakh-born opera singer are among the 150 people killed in the crash of a German passenger jet in the French Alps. Source: http://www.rferl.org

There’s a new social network and app in town. Find out about Twitter’s latest foray into video content and what it means to you. Source: http://www.sitesell.com

How do you redefine a brand after 25 years? American Dance Institute confronted this to give fresh new meaning to their brand. They found the Untold Story. Source: http://www.risingabovethenoise.com

In order for the model to work, however, businesses first need to develop a strong following on social media. “If you have 10,000 followers on Facebook or Instagram, hopefully you can convert 1 percent a week on sales,” he says.…