Kazakhstan has ‘zero tolerance’ policy on torture, officials tell European parliamentarians
ALMATY – Kazakh officials briefed European parliamentarians, representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media April 16 on the country’s effort to prevent domestic torture and protect citizens’ human rights, Almaty Internal Affairs Department reported. Senior representatives of the Kazakh ministries of internal affairs and foreign affairs, as well as Prosecutor General’s Office and National…
Kazakh Majilis approves foreign currency regulation bill
ASTANA – The Kazakh Majilis, the lower house of the nation’s Parliament, recently ratified the draft bill intended to strengthen foreign currency operations prone to withdrawing capital from the country. In presenting the bill to the Majilis deputies, Kazakh National Bank Chair Daniyar Akishev noted it identifies a list of capital outflow-related operations. “This includes…
Tatishev’s family publishes statement praising justice in Tokmadi case
ASTANA – The family of Yerzhan Tatishev, the chair of BTA Bank killed in 2004 by Muratkhan Tokmadi, published a statement in Forbes.kz April 5 thanking all those involved in the case for finally bringing it to justice. “Yerzhan lives in our hearts. Today, when the verdict entered into force and the criminals pleaded guilty,…
Foreign currency mortgages to be converted to tenge, older mortgages to receive payment support
ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan updated March 27 the nation’s mortgage loan refinancing programme to convert foreign currency mortgage loans to tenge and help ease the debt burden on mortgage loans issued between 2004 2009. “Amendments and additions to the programme consist of two blocks. The first one is meant to implement the…
Kazakh President briefed on Astana’s development progress, 20th anniversary preparations
ASTANA – As Astana prepares for its 20th anniversary, President Nursultan Nazarbayev was briefed on the progress of Astana infrastructure improvements and the development of amenities for the public during an April 3 visit to Astanagenplan, the scientific and research institute that is developing the general plan for the capital. The President was also briefed…
SCAT Airlines receives IOSA security certificate
ASTANA – SCAT Airlines has become a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the company’s press service announced March 24. The association represents the interests of the air transport industry in such areas as flight safety, flight operations, tariff policy, maintenance, aviation security and the development of international standards in conjunction with the…
Kazakh athletes with visual impairments to bike to Paris
ASTANA – Kazakh athletes with visual impairments plan to bike this year from Astana to Paris. The tour aims to highlight the problems of accessibility and popularise sports among those with disabilities. “We want to draw attention to the problems of sports accessibility for people with disabilities. Also, in our opinion, the exchange of experiences…
High water remains across Kazakhstan, as government continues to take preventive measures
ASTANA – Rescuers evacuated 97 people March 28 from Polkovnichiy Island in Semei in eastern Kazakhstan affected by heavy rainfall and intensive snow melting. Six others refused evacuation. The natural phenomenon has wreaked havoc across Kazakhstan since early March and high water still remains across Kazakhstan. Kazhydromet national weather service reported floods are expected in…
Kazakhstan completes establishment of diplomatic relations with all Latin American countries
ASTANA – Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations with Barbados March 27 during the ceremony of the exchange of documents in Ottawa. Barbados is 184th state globally and the last state of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region to establish diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan, according to the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.…
BurabaiLand year-round amusement park to be launched in summer
ASTANA – The BurabaiLand amusement park will open at the beginning of summer in the Shchuchinsk-Burabai resort zone north of Astana. The Kazakh Lapland winter court is under reconstruction to function further as BurabaiLand. The new park will be open for all four seasons, instead of just the winter period, said head of the Marketing…
Prime Minister announces launch of steel bloom production plant during South Kazakhstan visit
ASTANA – The Shymkent Temir steel bloom production plant will launch production in South Kazakhstan in April, announced Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev during his March 28 trip to the region. Nearly 4.85 billion tenge (US$15 million) of investments were attracted to the project, which will create 150 jobs.. The design capacity of the enterprise is…
Astana Opera concert to celebrate work of Russian composer Rachmaninoff
ASTANA – The Spring Waters concert dedicated to the 145th birthday of Russian pianist, composer and conductor of late Romantic period Sergei Rachmaninoff will take place at 7 p.m. April 4 at the Astana Opera Chamber Hall. According to the Astana Opera press service, laureate of international competitions Aizada Kaponova (soprano), Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan…
Kazakhstan’s population tops 18 million
ASTANA – The Kazakh population recently topped 18 million, according to figures released by the Ministry of National Economy statistics committee. February data shows the number of residents increased 240,600 or 1.3 percent in 2017 over 2016, reaching approximately 18,177,700 people. Of those, 57.4 percent or 10,439,600, live in urban areas with 42.6 percent or…
Kazakh movie producer Timur Bekmambetov to shoot film using AI
ASTANA – Kazakh producer Timur Bekmambetov plans to make a film titled “Lost and Returned World” about Soviet lieutenant Lev Zasecky, who had to learn to perceive the world again after a severe war injury. The movie will be produced with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). “This is a story based on true events…
Kazakh IT services volume grew 14 percent in 2017
ASTANA – Last year the volume of IT services in Kazakhstan grew 14 percent, at the same time a sharp increase in demand for IT services did not lead to specialists’ wages rising, reported energyprom.kz. In 2017, the volume of computer programming services, as well as consulting and other similar services in the sector, amounted…
Russia to introduce special registration rules for Kazakh citizens during World Cup 2018
ASTANA – Russia will be hosting World Cup 2018 and the Kazakh Embassy there will introduce special registration rules for Kazakh citizens in a number of cities beginning May 25. “The special rules for the registration of foreign citizens will be put into effect in Ekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saransk, Sochi,…
NASA astronauts plant trees at Baikonur before expedition
ASTANA – Cosmonauts and astronauts heading into space for the first time from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome traditionally plant a tree on Cosmonauts Alley, the avenue in Moscow leading to the Russian Cosmonautics and Conquerors of Space museums. The International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 55-56 crew aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft followed the custom before their…
Switzerland conducts investigation against former Almaty mayor and family
ASTANA – The Geneva Prosecutor’s Office is conducting its own investigation against Viktor Khrapunov, his wife Leila Khrapunova and stepson Ilyas Khrapunov, Zakon.kz reports. The criminal case is now at the stage of pre-trial investigation. “Yes, indeed, the Geneva Canton Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting its own investigation against the members of the Khrapunov family…
Ancient Saraishyk to be revived in Atyrau region
ASTANA – A historical and cultural museum of Saraishyk, displaying artefacts from this ancient city of the Great Silk Road, will be constructed near Atyrau city, said Atyrau region Akim (Governor) Nurlan Nogayev. He outlined the plans during a recent meeting with the locals. “The museum will increase entry and domestic tourism by drawing people’s…
New York real estate baron to return assets to Kazakh BTA Bank
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s BTA Bank will receive assets and money worth $38.3 million after reaching an amicable agreement with Joseph Chetrit, an American developer and former partner of fugitive oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov. “During a trial initiated in 2015 by BTA Bank JSC and Almaty Akimat [mayor’s office] against Mukhtar Ablyazov, Viktor Khrapunov, Ilyas Khrapunov, and…
Tokmadi sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for murdering former BTA Bank chair
ASTANA – Muratkhan Tokmadi was sentenced March 16 to 10 1/2 years in a maximum-security prison for murdering the chair of the BTA Bank Yerzhan Tatishev during a hunt in 2004. It is the second verdict in the case that had been previously qualified as manslaughter by negligence. The verdict was announced by the Zhambyl…
Kazakh film producer presents “Unfriended: Dark Web” at South by Southwest Film Festival
ASTANA – Kazakh producer Timur Bekmambetov and Blumhouse Productions CEO Jason Blum presented a horror film titled “Unfriended: Dark Web” at the March 9-18 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Texas. “We all should have our doubts about the personal weaknesses we’ve exposed through our social media accounts,” said a SXSW Film Review. The…
Fugitive banker Ablyazov’s movement banned in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Kazakhstan Prosecutor General’s Office announced March 13 that Astana’s Yessil District Court has determined the so called “Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan” (DCK) unregistered movement as extremist and, hence, its activity illegal. The movement, led by fugitive banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, is said to have systematically spread the idea of seizing power and incited…
Kazakhstan signs Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
ASTANA – On the day of the 26th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s accession to the United Nations – March 2, an official ceremony for signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by Kazakhstan took place at the UN Headquarters. Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Kairat Umarov signed the agreement. Kazakhstan had…
Astana launches pilot project to provide fee-based school buses for first time
ASTANA – Astana recently moved closer to providing for the first time transportation for its schoolchildren with the March 5 launching of the Mektep (School) Bus pilot programme. The pilot project involves schools No. 17 on Kabanbai Batyr Avenue and No. 66 on Turkestan Street and, like other school bus programmes around the world, would…
