Russia-led troops complete withdrawal from Kazakhstan

A Russia-led military contingent completed its withdrawal from Kazakhstan as the country lifted a state of emergency yesterday after unprecedented unrest in the Central Asian state. The Russian defence ministry said that four military planes carrying its last remaining troops had departed from the capital Nur-Sultan and Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty. Ex-Soviet Kazakhstan has been roiled by clashes that followed peaceful protests over a New Year fuel price increase and which left at least 225 people dead, including 19 fatalities among servicemen.