- Thursday, 2 April, 2026
- Almaty 48 °F / 9 °C
- Astana 30 °F / -1 °C
Words, particularly names, can have a great power. As the title suggests, this newspaper is written, edited and printed in Astana. The name of this city, as...
Hockey’s two premier leagues, the Continental Hockey League (KHL) and the National Hockey League, conducted All-Star Games on Jan. 25. Forward Nigel Dawes and defender Mike Lundin...
Astana Arlans, the team representing Kazakhstan in the World Series of Boxing (WSB), continued its winning streak on Jan. 24 by beating Hussars of Poland. In the...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s third largest city, Shymkent, will seek an official recognition from the relevant UN body that it is 2,200 years old, according to the city...
Almaty submitted its candidature filesto the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Jan 6. “It is important for Almaty to...
DAVOS – Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov signed a memorandum of understanding between the Kazakh government and the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – A British journalist is hoping to rekindle interest in two early European travellers to Kazakhstan, retracing some of their 19th century journeys in the...
ASTANA – Among the most successful reforms the Kazakh government has implemented in the last decade, experts often name the establishment of an extensive network of Centres...
The House of Culture at the Kazakhstan Deaf Society made news at the recent international Singing Costa Brava competition in Spain. The small Spanish town of Lloret...
PAVLODAR –There is a wonderful place in the Pavlodar region where the name of each mountain or cliff, lake or pass is associated with olden times and...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan expresses “grave concern with the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, especially with the facts of shelling that led to the deaths of civilians,”...
ASTANA – The Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Jan. 20 as part of the Kedergisiz...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Italy have established a legal framework for mutual legal assistance and the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of their citizens. On...
ASTANA – Astana Opera ballet dancers received high praise from audience members and Italian dance officials after performing “Spartacus” Jan. 21 in Genoa in front of 2,500...
An official visit of a Kazakh delegation to Xi’an on Jan. 11-15 resulted in plans to build a wind power plant in the Zhambyl region and cooperation...
UST-KAMENOGORSK – The staff of the Ust-Kamenogorsk hydroelectric plant is conducting a large-scale modernisation of the plant’s main equipment and auxiliary systems, enabling it to significantly increase...
Kazakh Minister for Investment and Development Asset Issekeshev presented plans for more than 6 billion tenge (US$32.1 million) of road reconstruction and industry development in the West...
ASTANA – The Week of Kazakh Culture events kicked off Jan. 17 in Eskisehir Province, Turkey. Concert halls of Eskisehir, Ankara, Bolu and Istanbul hosted concerts of...
ASTANA – The 46th International Skating Union’s (ISU) World Sprint Skating Championship will be held at Astana’s Alau Ice Palace from Feb. 28 to March 1. “Most...
Almaty will be hosting the 2015 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Summit on Feb.23-24 dedicated to developments and opportunities arising across all aspects of the country’s oil and...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Astana’s newest gym bucks the city’s spa and health centre trends to focus tightly on exercise – and on the city’s underserved middle class....
ASTANA – Deputy Chairperson of the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) of Kazakhstan Dariga Nazarbayeva has announced plans to visit Germany in the near future, according to...
ASTANA – With Latvia taking over the Presidency of the EU Council in first half of 2015, Central Asia will become a priority, said Chair of the...
ASTANA – Deputy chairpersons of the Kazakh National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) Gulnar Kurbanbayeva and Nurzhan Altayev explained the key novelties of the law, amendments and additions...
An online English – Kazakh dictionary is now operating on the www.eng-kaz.kz platform and is free to use, according to a recent report provided by the Diplomatic...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – With the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) launching on the wave of a Russian recession and a tumbling rouble, some of Kazakhstan’s first actions within...
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev held a late night telephone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama on Jan. 21 at the initiative of the American side,...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) issued revised economic forecasts on Jan. 19, foreseeing a contraction in the Russian economy of 5...
ASTANA – A new series of postage stamps designed by orphans to be used by Kazakhstan’s postal service were unveiled on Jan. 14 during a ceremony at...
ASTANA – At a Jan. 15 meeting of Secretary of State of Kazakhstan Gulshara Abdykalikova with United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) Permanent Representative in Kazakhstan Stephen Tull...
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev directed Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund Board Chairman Umirzak Shukeyev to review the fund’s plans for 2015 and develop a special...
ASTANA – Drivers on Kazakhstan’s roadways began abiding by new regulations Jan. 7, with major differences from the previous laws adopted in 1997. The new laws, approved...
ALMATY – One of Kazakhstan’s oldest couples recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Sultan Zhienbayev and Nuraniya Adelshina registered their marriage on Jan. 17, 1945. Zhienbayev was...
Astana Dakar racing team driver Aidyn Rakhimbayev with his co-pilot Anton Nikolayev finished the world famous Dakar Rally 2015 in ninth position overall on Jan. 17 in...
If thoughts of soaring above traffic jams to be on time for a decisive business appointment used to be daydreams, now they are a reality. Astana Business...
As per the forecasts, Kazakhstan experienced a 4.3 percent gross domestic product (GDP) increase during 2014, according to the Chairman of the Statistics Committee of the Ministry...
The final agreement was recently reached between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on construction of the underwater section of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM), according to Azerbaijan Minister...
ASTANA – Professor and Rector of the Kazakh University of Arts and founder of Eurasian Symphony Orchestra Aiman Mussakhodzhayeva spoke about the orchestra’s plans for the 2015...
ASTANA – Akim (Mayor) of Astana Adilbek Dzhaksybekov identified the main vectors of the capital’s development at the first staff meeting in early January. The Nurly Zhol...
ASTANA – Secretary of State of Kazakhstan Gulshara Abdykalikova called for the international promotion of Kazakhstan’s model of interethnic tolerance last month at the expanded meeting of...
ASTANA – Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and his Venezuelan counterpart Delcy Rodriguez signed a memorandum on political consultations Jan. 16 during the latter’s first visit to...
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev assessed the state of the national economy and financial sector during a Jan. 15 meeting at the Akorda on the nation’s...
Any business or industry in a developed economy that ignored good waste management practices would soon find itself deep in trouble. Competitors who had reduced costs by...
ASTANA – The Kazakh-Spanish film “Los Olvidados de Karagandá” won an accolade in the Documentary Film Competition, receiving a diamond award of the California Film Awards 2014....
ASTANA – Presidents of Kazakhstan and Ukraine Nursultan Nazarbayev and Petro Poroshenko spoke on the phone on Jan. 15 to discuss current situation in Ukraine and a...
Barys Astana held a number of regular season matches in the Continental Hockey League championship on the New Year Eve and after the New Year. On Dec.25,...
The long-awaited Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the single market for goods, services and labour uniting Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, has taken effect, though dire conditions in...
ASTANA – The Central Communications Service (CCS) hosted a briefing on key trends in innovative and technical development in Kazakhstan on Jan. 9. The briefing was attended...
ASTANA – The 12th Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) summit will be held in Almaty on May 19-21, the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) announced. A memorandum...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan is home to more than 130 ethnic groups. Millions perished in the vicious repression led by then-Soviet strongman Joseph Stalin in the 1930s that...
ASTANA – Poland is seeking to expand cooperation with Kazakhstan in various fields, according to Jacek Kluczkowski, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland in Kazakhstan. In his...
ASTANA – Sabina Altynbekova, 18, is a member of Kazakhstan’s women’s junior national volleyball team. She hails from the West Kazakhstan city of Aktobe. She shot to...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Kazakhstan launched a new official tourism website, Kazakhstan.travel, in June, with information in English, Kazakh and Russian on the country’s culture, history and geography...
ASTANA – On Jan. 7, the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced the removal of 36 kilogrammes (approximately 80 pounds) of highly...
This season Kazakhstan enjoys surprisingly warm weather, perfect for engaging in winter sport activities, such as visiting a snow ski resort “Altaic Alps” in the eastern Kazakhstan....
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has sent $400,000 worth of aid to the southeastern regions of Ukraine weathering a humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the military conflict there,...
ASTANA – Eight Kazakhstan universities were included on the list of best universities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, according to British company QS Quacquarelli Symonds’ December...
Three crews in the car category and one crew in the truck category are representing Kazakhstan at the Jan. 4-17 Dakar Rally 2015 in South America. The...
ASTANA – Amid the ongoing pressure and sanctions between the West, Russia and Ukraine, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan said recently that he holds out hope for...
ASTANA – Remote electronic monitoring of convicts is underway in Kazakhstan, as the new criminal and penal codes adopted in early July went into effect Jan. 1....
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree on Dec. 26 introducing the new anti-corruption strategy for 2015-2025 initiated by the Nur Otan party in July of...
KARAGANDA REGION – The Kyzylarai mountain oasis and Shabanbai-bi Village in Central Kazakhstan were named among the world’s 100 most sustainable tourist destinations last year. “The oasis...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – Kazakhstan’s film industry is one of the mechanisms the young country is using to define its own image on the international stage. Through scholarships...
KYZYLORDA – The Passenger Transportation company launched on Dec. 29 a new high-speed passenger train that will cut the travel time between Astana and Kyzylorda by one...
PAVLODAR – The launching of a new greenhouse complex in Pavlodar that is forecast to produce 1,600 tonnes of tomatoes per year, along with other vegetables, is...
As Kazakhstan develops its medical competence, with advances in bariatric, cardiac and neurosurgery in the last few years, as well as laser eye surgery and general transplant...
Shakhtar Football Club Secondary Coach Berik Rakhimbekov completed a one-year internship in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil as part of the state-supported programme at the Olé Brazil Academy. The...
On the threshold of the Rio Olympics in 2016 and as athletes vied for slots at the World Series of Boxing (WSB), Astana Arlans Head Coach Marat...
The delegations from Almaty and Beijing, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games candidate cities, presented their three-volume bid books in Lausanne, Switzerland Jan. 6 for consideration by the...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s continued efforts to promote multi-directional foreign policy by introducing a visa-free regime in 2014 with 10 countries which are big investors in its economy...
ASTANA – Performances of “Spartacus” will highlight the first appearance by the Astana Opera ballet troupe at the Teatro Carlo Felice, the ancient theatre and principal opera...
ASTANA — Relatively mild winter temperatures this year in Astana have allowed city residents to enjoy the city’s outdoor ice skating facilities. “We wanted to enjoy every...
ASTANA – Many people claim that nowadays, chivalry is dead; such a statement may seem true anywhere besides at Historical Medieval Battles (HMB). At HMB, different fighting...
The treaty creating the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) took effect Jan. 1, 2015, with economic borders between Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia becoming significantly thinner. Kyrgyzstan is...
Many adults, especially parents, want to educate their children about politics, but most of them confuse learning politics with induction into a political agenda or belief. Yet...
ASTANA – Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov stressed the strategic importance of Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy as he summarised the outcomes of the nation’s foreign policy...
In his state-of-the-nation address, “Nurly Zhol: The Path to the Future,” President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that falling oil prices would lead to a decrease in budget revenues....
Performers and bands from Kazakhstan, India, Spain, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Egypt and other countries took part in the International Folk Music Festival in the Egyptian city of Faiyum...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Dec. 31 the acceptance by the country of the five former detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, citing...
ASTANA – Astana might be hosting a critical summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany to seek lasting solutions to the months-long conflict in...
ANKARA – Calling their countries strategic partners and brotherly nations, Kazakhstan’s and Turkey’s foreign ministers announced their intentions to further deepen bilateral political and economic ties, including...
ASTANA – The Government and the National Bank of Kazakhstan will seek to achieve real economic growth in the country of 4-5 percent next year, the two...
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev, summing up the results of the first five years of the industrialisation programme on Dec. 25, confirmed that new industries, import substitution...
It is a little over a year since Kazakhstan formally announced its candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2017-2018. And it has...
As the year 2014 drew to a close, we interviewed Askar Shakirov, Kazakhstan’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), to talk about achievements and challenges in this critical...
The Constitution of our country defines Kazakhstan as a democratic, secular, legal and social state. From the first days of independence the country’s leadership has paid great...
ASTANA – The year 2014 was full of memorable sports stories involving Kazakh athletes. The Astana Times has chosen a few to highlight for our year-end sports...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed to provide a five-year loan of 10 billion tenge (US$54.7 million) to Kazakhstan’s Bank CentreCredit...
Astana Embassies End 2014 with Concerts, Cultural Events, Receptions Belgian Embassy Organises Sax Concerts in Kazakh Capital As part of the bicentenary anniversary celebration of Adolphe Sax’s...
Kazakhstan is a country rich in oil and natural beauty. But to reach its aspirations under the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, it may be missing one vital resource...
ASTANA – “Zhusan,” a one-act ballet telling a story of the Great Steppe, premiered Dec. 10 and 11 on the stage of the Astana Opera. The performance...
A new book, “Kazakhstan, the Centre of Eurasia,” was presented during the recent Fair Più Libri Più Liberi (More books, more freedom), one of the major Italian...
The history of European migration and settlement was in the limelight at the international conference, “The Great Migrations: The Colonisation of Europe,” held at the initiative of...
To celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, the Dina Nurpeisova Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments from Atyrau held a major concert on Dec. 15 at UNESCO...
ASTANA – More than 400 representatives of government, nongovernmental and youth organisations, the Parliament of Kazakhstan, culture, sports and the Kazakhstan 2050 National Movement attended a recent...
The Football Federation of Kazakhstan presented Spaniard Carlos Martorell Bakes during a Dec. 20 press conference as the new coach of Kazakhstan’s youth football team (U-17). Bakes...
Almaty City Akim (Mayor) Akhmetzhan Yessimov said during a Dec. 19 Central Communications Service briefing that hosting the Winter Olympics in Almaty in 2020 would be profitable...
You are quite likely to be reading this with a fair share of your thoughts occupied with preparations for a Christmas dinner or a New Year’s party....
SHYMKENT – Rixos Khadisha Shymkent, the first ever five star hotel in South Kazakhstan, opened with great fanfare on Dec. 20. The grand opening of the hotel...
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Kiev on Dec. 22 for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko and other officials seeking to reinvigorate bilateral political and...
