Young Vocalists Bring Home Gold
Ten-year-old Mukhammedali Zhugunussov won the professional vocalist award at the 2014 Paradise Holiday international competition held in late April. The best vocalists from 10 countries participated. Zhugunussov grew up in a creative environment. His mother is an actress who works for the Kalibek Kuanyshbayev Kazakh Drama Theatre, and his father is a producer. Zhugunussov started…
Kazakhstan to Chair CIS Council of Tourism in 2015
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will chair the Council of Tourism in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 2015, according to the press service of the Committee for Tourism Industry of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan. On March 14, an international economic forum, CIS and New Formats of Cooperation, was held in…
Six Children’s Taekwondo Sports Clubs to Open in Kazakhstan
Six free children’s taekwondo sports clubs are expected to open in Kazakhstan’s largest regions. The Taekwondo Federation of Kazakhstan management will provide children at the sports centres with equipment, trained instructors, medical professionals and sports infrastructure. The first of the six clubs has already opened in Astana. The club is called Mustafa – Astana in…
Spiderman Speaks Kazakh
The blockbuster film “Spiderman: High Voltage” in 3D will be released in Russian and Kazakh in Kazakhstan on April 24, tengrinews.kz recently reported. Dubbing of the film into Kazakh began in November 2013. Over the subsequent months, voice castings were conducted and material from the production studio was received and approved. Once approved, the dubbing…
Hosting ADB Annual Meeting Shows a New Level of Trust, Cooperation For Kazakhstan
ASTANA – On May 2-5, Astana will host the 47th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Tair Kuanyshev, senior expert of the Astana-based Economic Research Institute, spoke with The Astana Times about the importance of this event for Kazakhstan. Why does this meeting attract so much attention? The…
Online Conference Contributes to Overcoming Economic Crisis
ASTANA – The G-Global info-communication platform sponsored an online conference March 19 to allow Kazakh and international experts to discuss a draft plan to overcome the long-term impacts the global financial and economic crisis have had on UN Member States. The plan is based on democratic principles and seeks to develop measures to prevent financial…
Kazakh Movie Wins Grand Prix at French Festival
The Kazakh movie “Nagima” directed by Zhanna Issabayeva won the Grand Prix at the Deauville Asian Film Festival held March 5-9 in France. Chairperson of the jury was French film director Claire Denis. Actor and writer Rene Bonnel, actress and producer Roxane Mesquida and actor Samir Guesmi were also part of the jury. “Nagima” premiered…
Nation’s Boxers Win Four Countries-2014 Tournament
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national boxing team won the Four Countries-2014 boxing tournament, which ended here Feb. 20. In the tournament’s final round, Kazakh boxers defeated the Russian team with a landslide score of 7:3. The victories were won by Birzhan Zhakipov (49 kg), Kairat Yeraliyev (56 kg), Zakir Safiullin (60 kg), Sagadat Rakhmankulov (69 kg),…
Pavlodar Artist’s Paintings Exhibited in Astana
ASTANA – The work of painter Zhanetta Nauruzova, an artist from Aksu, in the Pavlodar region, is being showcased in the Has Sanat Gallery in an exhibition that will run from Feb. 18 to March 10. Nauruzova’s main themes are nature, usually spring and summer scenes, and representations of light play a large part in…
Eurasian Economic Integration Must Go through Thorough Consideration
The closer the date of signing of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) treaty determined by the three presidents of EEU member countries, the higher the degree of discussions in society, both about the need to create such a union and the principles of its creation, as well as what the union treaty should represent. Deputy…
$112 Million Needed for Construction of Kazakh Terminal in Lianyungang
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will need to spend more than $100 million to build a terminal in the Chinese port of Lianyungang, said a Jan. 16 report by the country’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. According to the project’s feasibility study, its estimated cost is $112 million. The Kazakhstan Temir Zholy report stated that on…
New Laws on Taxation and Social Benefits Come Into Effect
ASTANA – A number of new laws came into effect on Jan. 1, including laws raising taxes and increasing social benefits. Owners of expensive, high-engine-capacity vehicles will pay more in taxes in 2014. Cars with engine capacities of more than 3,000 cubic centimetres produced or imported into Kazakhstan after Dec. 31, 2013, will pay a…
13-year-old Kazakh Wins International Chess Tournament
Thirteen-year-old Zhansaya Abdumalik of Kazakhstan won the international CZECH TOUR series Brno Open 2013 chess tournament, which was held in the Czech Republic from Nov. 16 to Nov. 23 Abdumalik, currently the world’s vice-champion among girls up to the age of 20, racked up six victories and no defeats in the tournament to gain 7.5…
Idrissov Promotes European Ties on Visit to Budapest, Brussels and London
ASTANA – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Erlan Idrissov made a European tour visiting Hungary, attending EU-Central Asia meetings in Brussels and the United Kingdom, on Nov. 18-21. On Nov. 18 and 19, while visiting Hungary, Idrissov discussed bilateral cooperation in politics, trade, economics and culture, as well as preparations for the 2014 visit…
Astana Opera Singers Win in Italy
ASTANA – Singers from Astana Opera won in a number of categories at the international Arena di Verona competition in Verona, Italy, on Nov. 4-10. About 50 singers took part in the competition to win roles in the theatre’s upcoming productions. Tenor Medet Chotabayev and baritone Sundet Baigozhin took first place in their nominations and…
Alash Pride Tournament to Commemorate 22 Years of Independence
The Alash Pride fighting club will hold a mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament on Dec. 19 to commemorate Kazakhstan’s 22 years of independence. Renowned fighters from around the world will take part in the competition. According to Daniyar Kaskarulov, president of Alash Pride club, tournament audiences will see famous fighters from around the world fight…
Kazakh Film Finding Success Overseas
The Kazakh film “Myn Bala,” or “Warriors of the Steppe,” in its English translation, has been released in the U.S. to generally favourable reviews. Myn Bala’s $12 million budget was some of the most money ever spent on a film in Kazakhstan. The epic film by Akan Satayev is now available in North America via…
Astana Opera Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with World Theatres
ASTANA – Astana Opera, Kazakhstan’s national opera and ballet theatre, signed a memorandum of cooperation on Oct. 22 with the U.K.-based international opera association Opera Europa and representatives of eight theatres around the world. The eight theatres included in the memorandum are the South African Opera, the Shanghai Grand Theatre, Singapore’s Lyric Opera, Italy’s Public…
Spanish Guitar Maestro Performs at Eurasian National University
ASTANA – Gumilev Eurasian National University on Oct. 10 hosted an evening of Jose Manuel Cano, renowned Spanish guitar player and master of playing flamenco on guitar. The concert programme included “Early morning in Granada,” “Streams of Alhambra,” “Hostel in San Francisco” and “Sounds of Flamenco for the Concert.” “It was fantastic, so great to…
EU Project Expert Shares French Experience
ASTANA – Pierre Gevart, senior expert of the European Union sponsored project, “The Civil Service Reform and Modernisation of the Government of Kazakhstan,” trained civil servants and the teaching staff of the Public Administration Academy under the President of Kazakhstan, and the Regional Retraining and Skills Upgrading Centres for Civil Servants on Oct. 2-11. The…
Kazenergy Forum Opens with Theme of Energy Inclusiveness, Call for Investment
ASTANA – The eighth Kazenergy forum opened in Astana on Oct. 8 and will contain panels discussing issues of future energy, Eurasian perspectives, developing youth capabilities, the role of women in energy and more. Opening the forum, Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov of Kazakhstan read welcoming remarks by President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the participants of the…
Kazakhstan Athlete Wins World Youth Boxing Championship
Kazakhstan athletes won 16 medals at the Sept. 28 women’s youth and juniors world boxing championship held in Albena, Bulgaria. Youth boxer Gauhar Yermekbay became world champion in the weight category up to 69 kilogrammes. “Masterfully handling all her fights, she did not give her opponents a chance to win,” the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation announced.…
Spanish PM, Kazakhstan President Discuss Relations in Astana
ASTANA – Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy along with Kazakhstan Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov Sept. 30 opened the International Conference on the Green Bridge and EXPO 2017. After opening the conference, Rajoy was welcomed in an official ceremony at the Akorda where he and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed issues related to developing the Kazakhstan-Spanish…
In Paris, PM Akhmetov focuses on economy, EXPO 2017
Kazakhstan Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov met with International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) Secretary General Vicente Lossertales in Paris on Sept. 19. Akhmetov also met with French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Secretary General Angel Gurria. The meetings included discussions of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the OECD, as well as…
Caspian States Discuss Sea’s Legal Status
The thirty-third session of the ad hoc working group between the deputy foreign ministers of the Caspian states, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan held its two-day session in Baku on Sept. 12-13. The meeting was attended by delegations from the five Caspian countries and washeaded by Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kairat Sarybay, Deputy…
