Documentaries, historical films about Kazakhstan to debut on major TV networks
ASTANA – Documentary films on Kazakhstan’s history and culture will premiere on Discovery, National Geographic and Viasat History TV channels June-July, reported Kazakh Vice Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova at a June 13 press conference in Astana. “To date, a series of documentary films was produced for presentation on major television networks with…
Canelo vs Golovkin rematch set for September 15
ASTANA – After a year of negotiating, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin recently agreed to a second fight in Las Vegas on September 15. “I’m happy to inform that we have a fight September 15,” promoter of a Mexican fighter Oscar de la Hoya announced the news in a tweet. The initial rematch…
Investigation finds health violations among EAEU dairy providers
ASTANA – A recent investigation by the Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare found 17 dairy producers from Russia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan had violated Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) standards. Chairman of Public Health Committee of Ministry of Health Zhandarbek Bekshin reported on the violations in the products of Russian Danone, which supplies the Kazakh market, at a…
Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office calls for respect for rule of law
ASTANA – The Prosecutor General’s Office issued a press release June 4 addressing provocative social media posts and videos by the so called Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK). The extremist organisation is banned in the country by a court decision. Using the posts, DCK head Mukhtar Ablyazov and his supporters are urging citizens to attend…
BTA Bank-related money laundering trial starts in Almaty
ASTANA – The trial involving Iskander Yerimbetov, who is accused of fraud and money laundering under Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, started June 14 in the Medeu District Court in Almaty. Yerimbetov, a former entrepreneur, is charged with concealing dubious assets in offshore jurisdictions through “dummy foreign citizens” using a company engaged in air transportation. His associates…
Kazakh civil servants to receive raise in 2019
ASTANA – Kazakh civil servants will receive higher salaries starting 2019, Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Fighting Corruption Chair Alik Shpekbayev announced recently. “Currently, we are testing a new labour remuneration system, which ensured the two-fold increase of salaries in a pilot organisation. Upon completion, we plan to complete the work next year and,…
Chinese company to build solar power plant in Karaganda region
ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Chinese company Risen Energy recently signed an agreement to build a solar power plant in the Karaganda region. The agreement was signed June 6 during the Foreign Investors’ Council in Astana. The agreement was endorsed by the Chairman of Risen Energy Lin Haifeng…
Second season of Men Qazaqpyn to premiere in September
ASTANA – “Men Qazaqpyn” (I am Kazakh), the nationwide singing contest, will return in September for its second season on Qazaqstan TV, reported the channel’s special projects department head Kuanysh Suleimenov. “The second season of ‘Men Qazaqpyn’ will go live on Qazaqstan TV channel in early September and the audience will get to see the…
Map of Kazakhstan sacred places to be completed by 2021
ASTANA – Nazarbayev University’s National Laboratory Astana will create and make available online a map of Kazakhstan’s sacred places by 2021. The project is part of Kazakhstan’s Ruhani Zhangyru programme. “The project will require three years. We gradually collect information about sacred places in Kazakhstan and convert it in electronic format, which will later be…
Government, financial institutions increase support for women entrepreneurs
ASTANA – Approximately 11,180 individuals, including 6,270 women, have applied to participate in the Nurly Zher housing construction programme since 2017, according to a report presented at the June 6 National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy meeting chaired by Secretary of State Gulshara Abdykalikova. She noted President Nursultan Nazarbayev pays attention to…
Antimonopoly committee considers Kazakhtelecom’s effort to acquire Kcell
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Antimonopoly Committee is reviewing Kazakhtelecom’s application to buy 75 percent of shares of Kcell mobile network operator. “If the agency approves the purchase, then around 67 percent of the market will be consolidated in the hands of one operator,” said Deputy Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin. Kcell is the market leader,…
Kazakhstan elected to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage committee
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has been elected to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). The vote was conducted at the seventh session of the UNESCO General Assembly, held June 4-6 in Paris, and national experts will participate on the committee for the next…
Kazakh-British Investment Forum slated for October in London
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the U.K. will hold the Kazakh-British Investment Forum in London in October, Kazakh Ambassador to the United Kingdom Erlan Idrissov announced recently. “The entire year we have been witnessing a growing interest to us from the British businesses. We are planning to organise a large investment forum October 2 in London,”…
Kazakh citizens can protect data access through egov.kz
ASTANA – Blocking personal data on egov.kz, the e-government website,will soon be available to Kazakh citizens, reported Government for Citizens State Corporation head Abylaikhan Ospanov at a Central Communications Service press conference. “In order to exclude the risk of unauthorised personal data transfer, we have developed a project according to which citizens will have full control…
Qazaqstan TV channel to launch MMA reality and competition show
ASTANA – The new sports and entertainment reality show Qazaqstan FIGHTER on the Qazaqstan television channel will give Kazakh mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters a chance to show their skills to a national audience. “FIGHTER is a new unique sports and entertainment reality show that aims to ensure that every young athlete has a chance…
Rukhani Zhangyru programme drives new projects in Kyzylorda region
ASTANA – Kyzylorda regional Akim (Governor) Krymbek Kusherbayev announced projects related to the Rukhani Zhangyru (Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity) programme during a recent press conference. This year, 81 projects were planned under the Tarbie Zhane Bilim (“Upbringing and Knowledge”), Atameken (“Fatherland”), Akparat Tolkyny (“Information Flow”) and Rukhani Zhangyru programmes and around 600 million tenge (US$1.9…
Government extends microfinancing opportunities for rural Kazakhs
ASTANA – Kazakh Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection Nurzhan Altayev held an open lecture at Nur Otan Party headquarters dedicated to the country’s nationwide mass entrepreneurship programme. Altayev reviewed the development of the programme, how to participate in it, how to get a microloan and how to open a new business. More than…
Pavlodar to spend $3 million to expand Irtysh River embankment
ASTANA – The expansion of the Irtysh River embankment in Pavlodar will cost more than a billion tenge (US$3 million), Pavlodar city Akim (Mayor) Nurzhan Ashimbetov said at a recent maslikhat (city council) session. “The project of the embankment from KazTransOil [building] to the railway bridge is ready. It turned out to be expensive, while…
Kazakhstan examines Singapore’s tourism success
ASTANA – In developing tourism in Astana, Kazakhstan is studying the experience of Singapore, said Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a recent meeting with the founder and Managing Director of Hotel Properties Ong Beng Sen in Astana. Hotel Properties is a Singapore-based corporation that owns hotels, resorts and shopping centres in 13 countries, including shares…
Foreigners visiting Kazakhstan must register certain mobile phones
ASTANA – Foreign citizens will have to register certain mobile devices while visiting Kazakhstan, Information and Communications Minister Dauren Abayev announced in a recent blog post. Abayev announced that persons must register mobile communication devices produced in the territory of Kazakhstan and imported to the territory of the country, including those operating in the country’s…
Astana is a financially self-sustaining city, says mayor
ASTANA – Speaking at the 11th Astana Economic Forum May 17, Astana Akim (Mayor) Asset Issekeshev said the capital city produces more revenue than it takes from the national budget. “One of the myths to dispel about Astana is that it lives at the expense of the state budget. Considering the total amount of investments,…
Bolashak programme expands list of international university options
ASTANA – Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science recently expanded its list of leading foreign educational institutions, foreign organisations for training and language schools recommended to the recipients of the Bolashak international scholarship for 2018. Prospective students can apply to leading North American, European and Asian research institutions and receive funding from the government. Harvard,…
Hazret Sultan Mosque presents updated website
ASTANA – The capital’s Hazret Sultan Mosque presented a new version of muslim.kz, the spiritual and educational portal, May 16, the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “Several sections, such as illustrated namaz (prayer) and Qur’an, were added to the new muslim.kz. Website visitors can also use a recently added section providing a…
‘Music is to cooking like coffee is to a Monday morning’ for Astana Marriot sous chef
Twenty-nine-year-old Andrey Volkov moved from Moscow to become the sous chef at the Astana Marriott Hotel alongside Executive Chef Heri Sudarmanto. The Astana Times recently interviewed Volkov about his journey as a chef and culinary experiences in Astana. Did you plan to dedicate your entire life to cooking? To be honest – no, I did…
Astana enters top three May Day CIS travel destinations
ASTANA – Minsk, Baku and Astana were the most popular Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) travel destinations for the May Day holidays, according to Russian booking service Tvil.ru. The cities were followed by Yerevan (Armenia), Almaty, Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Chisinau (Moldova), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) in the rating based on an April 29-May…
