“U.S. Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Linked To Kazakh Family Feud", “Protesters In Astana Demand Release Of Jailed Ex-Prime Minister”, “Chaos in Ukraine Is Making Putin Stronger”,

rferl.org. “U.S. Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Linked To Kazakh Family Feud"- A U.S. federal judge has thrown out a defamation lawsuit brought by a close business associate of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev's former son-in-law, who was found dead in an Austrian jail cell last year.The lawsuit filed by Devincci Hourani was the latest skirmish in an ongoing family feud tied to Nazarbaev's relatives and allegations of extortion, money laundering, murder, nepotism, and millions of dollars in assets in the Central Asian nation.

rferl.org. “Protesters In Astana Demand Release Of Jailed Ex-Prime Minister"- More than a dozen protesters have blocked a major street in the Kazakh capital, Astana, demanding the immediate release of former Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov from prison. The protesters unfolded a large placard across the street that read, "We Demand Justice!" The protest also caused a traffic jam. Police dispersed the February 17 protest and detained the demonstrators. Akhmetov, 56, was sentenced in December to 10 years in prison on corruption charges.

bloomberg.com. “Chaos in Ukraine Is Making Putin Stronger"- Two years after Ukrainians shed blood on the streets of Kiev to crush a Kremlin-backed kleptocracy, the country of more than 40 million people is back on the brink of failed-state status. The government's long descent into chaos reached a new nadir this week, when amid reform delays and a cacophony of corruption claims President Petro Poroshenko sought Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's removal in parliament, only to be rejected by a majority that included two dozen members of his own bloc.