View of the Ak Orda (White Horde) Presidential Palace in Kazakhstan's new capital Astana October 12, 2010. The Palace was built in 2004 of monolithic concrete as a five story building. The lining was completed using 20–40 cm thick Italian marble. Astana was designated as the future capital of newly-independent Kazakhstan in 1995, and the capital was officially moved from Almaty on December 10, 1997. The new name, Astana, was bestowed in 1998. The country has been ruled since 1989 by President Nursultan Nazarbayev. AFP PHOTO / JOHN MACDOUGALL (Photo credit should read JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)
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AFP JOHN MACDOUGALL