NEW YORK: Oil prices fell Monday as concerns about demand fears stoked by the rapid global rise in Omicron coronavirus infections overtook concerns about oil supply reduction from Kazakhstan. Brent crude fell 88 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at US$ 80.87 a barrel.... U.S. West Texas Intermediate( WTI) crude was down 67 cents, or 0.9%, at$ 78.23.In early trade, both contracts rose by about 50 cents." Oil prices are following the stock market lower on Omicron fears," said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst

OIL prices slipped for the third straight session on Wednesday as likely higher U.S. commercial inventories weighed, while weaker economic data from China and dimmed prospects of interest rate cuts stoked worries about global demand. Brent futures for June were down 21 cents, or 0.2%, to$ 89.81 a barrel at 0915 GMT, while U.S. crude futures for May were down 19 cents, or 0.2%, to$ 85.17 a barrel. Oil prices have softened so far this week as economic headwinds curb gains from geopolitical tension

Authorities said at least 18 members of the security forces had died, including two found decapitated.... But those moves failed to mollify crowds who accuse Nazarbayev's family and allies of amassing vast wealth while the nation of 19 million remained poor. Nazarbayev stepped aside from the presidency in 2019 as the last Soviet-era Communist Party boss still ruling a former Soviet state.... He has not been seen or heard from since the unrest began. The swift arrival of Russian troops demonstr

The global changes will affect the countries ofCentral Asia and Russia, inpart, bycontributing tothe expansion ofmutual trade and investment, writes Marsel Salikhov, President of the Institute for Energy and Finance Foundation, for theThirdCentral Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club. Asc

Russian paratroops are in Kazakhstan, providing support to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s authoritarian government after it was rocked by protests over a sharp rise in fuel prices.... A clampdown is under way, with Mr.... Health authorities say 160 people have been killed in the violence, more than 100 of which were in Kazakhstan’s largest city of Almaty....

But it has also shown how, with the exception of Ukraine, in the former Soviet republics that have tried to balance between East and West, “ boom, you get a crisis and they turn to Russia.” And once Russian troops arrive, they seldom, if ever, go home.... Putin then sent “ peacekeepers ” to stop a vicious war over disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan.... Putin’s longstanding goal of restoring Russian dominance over much of the former Soviet sphere is a matter of heated debate.In U

Growing population and capacity degradation in Central Asia exacerbate the problem of energy shortages in the broad sense of the word. Will the new sanctions against the management of the Rosatom State Corporation play out, will the CA countries be able to seize the chance to redirect gas flows, an