Massive arrests during anti-regime rallies on ex-President's birthday Scores of people were detained in authoritarian Kazakhstan's largest cities Saturday as the oil-rich state held festivities marking "Capital Day" - a holiday coinciding with 'Leader of the Nation' Nursultan Nazarbayev's birthday. Ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev shocked Kazakhs by retiring from the office he had held for nearly three decades in March paving the way for a loyalist to succeed him in a June vote marred by hundreds of detentions. IMAGES