Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has led the country since independence from the Soviet Union, has announced his resignation.
In a pre-recorded television address, he said the decision had “not been simple”.
Mr Nazarbayev, 78, has been largely unchallenged since he became leader of the oil-rich nation in 1990.
He has focused on economic reform while resisting moves to democratise the political system. -bbc
