Children’s Special Education Centre Opens in Kostanai Region

ASTANA – A new centre for children with special educational needs has opened in the Kostanai region. Comprehensive professional assistance by specialists, including a therapist, psychologist, speech...


Aitys: Gem of Kazakh Spoken Literary Tradition, Platform for Human Rights

ASTANA – Kazakh literary tradition has historically been rich in spoken literature expressed through a variety of genres, among them songs, proverbs, tales and epics. Aitys, one...


Experts Say Qazkom too Big to Fail

ASTANA – Experts consider the situation with Qazkom shows the complex situation in the Kazakh financial field, but predict the bank is stable and too important a...


Kazakhstan’s Largest Tuberculosis Treatment Centre Opens in Astana

ASTANA – A new, state-of-the-art tuberculosis treatment centre opened Dec. 29 in Astana. The centre is the largest in the country and is designed for up to...


Central Asian Break-Dancers Defy Gravity at 2016 ‘Dance to Be Free’ Festival

ASTANA – Second annual street dance competition brought together nearly 300 participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Russia in the Kazakh capital in December. The dance...


Kazakhstan Participates in First UNSC Meeting, Appoints New UN Representative

ASTANA – Kazakhstan attended its first meeting Jan. 3 as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and on Jan. 4 appointed former Kazakh Ambassador to...


Dombra Cover of Metallica Song Strikes Chord with Kazakh Public

ASTANA – Twenty-nine-year-old Almaty resident Gleb Ponomaryov recently released a dombra cover and video of Metallica’s “Battery,” which has sparked a great interest among internet users gaining...


Astana Pro Team Presents Roster for 2017

ASTANA – The Astana Pro Team’s new roster was presented last month in the capital. This time, the format changed slightly and along with a traditional press...


Book by Bolashak Alumnus Presented at Cambridge

ASTANA – Kanat Auyesbay is the first Kazakh journalist trained through the Bolashak programme. His book, “Looking West. A Kazakh’s view of Great Britain,” was published recently...


Kazakh Catholics Celebrate Christmas, Rejoice in Rediscovered Freedoms

ASTANA – Roman Catholics in the capital attended Christmas Mass Dec. 24-25 in the city’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. “According to a Catholic tradition, on...


Kazakhstan Flag Raised at UN Security Council as Country Assumes Membership

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s flag was raised in a special ceremony in front of the hall of the UN Security Council in New York on Dec. 31, 2016,...


MEGA Silk Way to Officially Open in 2017, Will be ‘City Within a City’

ASTANA – MEGA Silk Way, the capital’s new shopping and entertainment centre located at the EXPO 2017 site, was launched in December. The official opening is planned...


Kazakh President Introduces New Foreign Minister, Sets Priorities for 2017

ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev introduced Dec. 30 newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Kairat Abdrakhmanov to the senior staff of the ministry. The head...


Nutcracker – Astana Opera’s Must-See during Holiday Season

ASTANA – Legendary choreographer Yuri Grigorovich is back at the Astana Opera. “The Nutcracker” is the maestro’s third ballet staged at the theatre, along with immensely popular...


Fitch Ratings Upgrades Kazakhtelecom to ‘BB+’ with Stable Outlook

ASTANA – International agency Fitch Ratings has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) for Kazakhtelecom, the country’s largest telecommunications company, from ‘BB’ to ‘BB+,’ according to...


Kazakhstan to Seek Unity, Diplomatic Solutions during Tenure on UNSC

The last 12 months will rank among the most turbulent of recent times. We have seen major political shocks driven by widespread public anger and frustration at...


After Ups and Downs of 2016, Kazakhstan Ready and Optimistic for 2017

The year 2016 will go down as one of the most unpredictable and volatile years in recent history. The election of Donald Trump –  which few anticipated...


Construction, Education, Energy Are Areas Attracting Foreigners to Kazakhstan

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s continued efforts to attract foreign investment have spurred an influx of foreign talent and professionals from various fields. Certain factors did influence the outflow...


Head of Astana’s Orthodox Church Wishes All a Merry Christmas

ASTANA – Senior churchman of the Russian Orthodox Church Father Dmitry from Astana discussed the difference between the Orthodox and Catholic Christmas and the meaning and importance...


Kazakh Writer’s “Kirpichi 2.0” to Be Adapted by Kazakhfilm

ASTANA – The Kazakhfilm studio will make a full-length feature based on “Kirpichi 2.0” (Building Blocks 2.0”), a book by Kazakh writer Daniyar Sugralinov. The story revolves...


Kazakh President Appoints New Foreign Minister, Minister of National Economy

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev appointed on Dec. 28 Kairat Abdrakhmanov the country’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Timur Suleimenov the new Minister of National...


Kazakh Farmers Collect Nearly 24 Million Tonnes of Grain

ASTANA – The gross grain harvest in Kazakhstan this year was 23.7 million tonnes, almost 4 million tonnes more than last year’s yield. Kazakh farmers have also...


‘Worthy Citizen of Kazakhstan’ Winners Receive Apartments from Bi Group

ASTANA – Citizens of Kazakhstan chose not one, but two of their countrymen to win the “Worthy Citizen of Kazakhstan” award in transparent online voting held from...


S&P Global Ratings Confirms Tengri Bank’s “B+/B” Rating

On Dec. 22, the S&P Global Ratings confirmed the “B+/B” long-term and short-term credit ratings of the Joint Stock Company Tengri Bank. The outlook of the changes...


FDI in Kazakhstan Grows 4.7 Percent in 2016

ASTANA – Foreign direct investment in the country increased 4.7 percent to 6 trillion tenge (US$18.12 billion) in the first 11 months of 2016, according to Kazakh...


EBRD to Provide $4.53 Million for Ust-Kamenogorsk Airport Modernisation

ASTANA – The Eurasian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is set to allocate 1.5 billion tenge (US$4.53 million) for the modernisation of Ust-Kamenogorsk airport, according to...


ATOM Project Ambassador: Kazakhstan Can Call for Nuclear Weapon-Free Future for Mankind

ASTANA – Thinking of New Year’s resolutions, everyone sets goals to become better, faster, larger and one-year wiser. The ATOM Project’s Honorary Ambassador Karipbek Kuyukov is no...


Kazakh Painter in Romania Teaches Culture, Traditions and Customs

ASTANA – Not many people are lucky enough to find their calling on time and love and succeed in what they do best while also being far...


Kasietty Zhol Public Foundation: Inspiring Mission to Help Kids

ASTANA – The Kasietty Zhol (Sacred Path) Public Foundation was established in 2009 to provide charitable assistance to children from underprivileged families, orphanages and children’s homes. Director...


Kazakh Programmers Develop Game to Test Users’ Knowledge of Countries

Kazakh programmers recently created an intellectual quiz mobile application “Smart Country.” The application is for all ages and offers the opportunity to play against people from all...