19.03.2025, 18:11 616

Almaty’s Medeu Skating Rink to close for two-year-long renovation

Almaty’s Medeu Skating Rink to close for two-year-long renovation
Images | Depositphotos
Almaty’s Medeu Skating Rink will close its doors when two-year renovations begin in late March, ending the 2025 season, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.

The world’s highest outdoor skating rink has been offering skating in evening hours starting from March 11 in the face of warmer weather, said the local authorities.

According to Almaty’s construction department, plans for the renovation were first announced following the signing of the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contract in 2025. The total estimated cost is to be revealed after the state expert appraisal is completed. The renovation is expected to take two years from 2025 to 2027.

The renovations include building flights of stairs for hiking routes around the skating rink, improving the southern slope along the Pravyi Yessentay River as well as the adjacent territory. An alley and promenade along the western part of the rink will be added. The two entry and exit elevators on the southeastern and southwestern parts of the rink for low-mobile visitors are set to be installed.

The rink’s refrigeration system, cooling system, technological plate with complete replacement of pipes, engineering system, communications and electrical equipment to improve energy efficiency will be upgraded.

Renovations also eye shift to gas heat, space heating system upgrade and seat heating.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

relevant news

14.03.2025, 12:28 30071

First microchip ‘designed in Kazakhstan’ paves the way for innovation

A team of researchers from Nazarbayev University have made a significant step in advancing Kazakhstan’s semiconductor industry by developing and testing the country's first microprocessor, Kazinform News Agency reports.

It took the team of scientists three months to design and test the microprocessor. As Assistant Professor of the NU School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nursultan Kabylkas, explained, "It took us three months to develop and test the final processor. We had already worked with simpler prototypes, so the adaptation process was quick. The most time-consuming stage was fabrication, but our role in this was minimal-this process was carried out in production, so we were essentially waiting for the finished chip."

The newly developed microprocessor is designed for use in automated devices, such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), where reliability and predictability are more important than high performance.

Our team is made up of talented, motivated young professionals. These are mostly NU students and graduates working in our labs," Nursultan said.


According to the developers, the first chip labeled "Designed in Kazakhstan" lays the foundation for building a technological ecosystem, advancing scientific research, and integrating the country into the global semiconductor industry.

Now, the research team plans to focus on creating EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools for designing and testing microchips.

Earlier, Kazinform reported that Kazakhstan is in the process of obtaining the export license for Nvidia chips.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

13.03.2025, 18:54 32981

Kazakhstan’s SCAT to launch direct flights from Shymkent to Seoul

Kazakhstan’s SCAT airline is boosting its flight network with the launch of flights en route Shymkent-Seoul starting from May, Kazinform News Agency reports.

The Transport Ministry’s press service said in a statement that Kazakhstan’s SCAT plans to open a new route to South Korea starting from May 29. Flights will be operated twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays from Shymkent to Seoul, increasing total flights between Kazakhstan and South Korea from eight to 10 a week.

The expanded services will offer further promotion of trade and economic, business and tourist contacts between the two nations, reads the statement.

As earlier reported, SCAT air carrier of Kazakhstan plans to launch a new route from Shymkent to Munich, Germany, on May 27.

It was also reported that India’s IndiGo would launch direct flights from Astana to New Delhi.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

12.03.2025, 19:20 36341

New endangered species featured in Kazakhstan's Red Book

According to Roman Yashchenko, the senior researcher at the Institute of Zoology of Kazakhstan and the chief editor of the Red Book, Kazakhstan has made notable strides in boosting the populations of several endangered animal species in recent decades, Kazinform News Agency reports.

To date, there are 227 species listed as rare and endangered in Kazakhstan. However, based on scientific research, we have proposed revising this list and reducing it to 217 species, which reflects positive changes in the populations of certain species," said Roman Yashchenko during a press briefing of the Regional Communications Service.


Special focus is placed on conserving the snow leopard, one of Almaty’s symbols. Around 70% of its habitat in Kazakhstan is protected within nature reserves. To monitor and study these animals, scientists use camera traps and satellite telemetry. So far, 11 snow leopards have been fitted with satellite collars, allowing better tracking of their migrations and behavior.

Thanks to systematic measures, the population of snow leopards in Kazakhstan has increased from a critically low number of 80-100 individuals in the 1990s to approximately 160-180 individuals nowadays," emphasized Roman Yashchenko.


In 2024, two major projects focused on restoring the tiger and Przewalski’s horse entered their active phase. These species once roamed Kazakhstan but were completely wiped out.

Marina Chirikova, the deputy director of the Institute of Zoology, reported that 21 animal species had been removed from the Red Book as a result of their populations’ stabilization, including 19 invertebrates and two vertebrates. These species are no longer at risk of extinction. However, 11 new species have been added to the list, including three insects, two birds, and one mammal.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

12.03.2025, 08:49 44171

Quake jolts south of Kazakhstan

Quake jolts south of Kazakhstan
Images | Depositphotos
The network of seismic stations of the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry recorded an earthquake on March 12 at 06:15 a.m. Astana time, Kazinform News Agency reports.

The quake was centered in Uzbekistan 684 km southwest of Almaty, 16 km away from Abai village in Turkistan region.

The magnitude 3.0 earthquake was felt in Abai village and Saryagash town in Saryagash district.

No casualties or damages were reported.

It was earlier reported that a quake was felt in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region on March 11.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

11.03.2025, 13:58 43911

Kazakhstan to register homegrown cancer drug by yearend

Kazakhstan’s homegrown drug against cancer is presently on Phase 2 clinical trials, Kazakh Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek told the Government meeting today in Astana, Kazinform News Agency reports.

Phase 1 clinical trials were completed last year. The number of patients involved in trials has expanded. Last year we tested the drug only for colon cancer treatment. Presently, it is tested to treat all cancers, Sayasat Nurbek said.

He highlighted that the drug will be registered by the end of the year.

The Minister added the ongoing trial yielded good and steady results. Tests showed the new drug treatment worked well. Tumor growth reduced by 30% on average last year, and those cancer patients who took the drug entered remission.

He noted a press conference will be held at the close of the year to present the results of the trials.

As earlier reported, the Kazakh anti-cancer drug has successfully completed the initial stages of testing.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

10.03.2025, 14:47 48456

Weather conditions cause flight delays at Astana Airport

Weather conditions cause flight delays at Astana Airport
Due to worsening weather conditions, several flights at the Astana International Airport have been delayed, Kazinform News Agency cites the airport's press service.

As of today, 6 out of 84 scheduled departures have been delayed due to the late arrival of aircraft caused by adverse weather conditions. Of the 86 scheduled arrivals, 8 flights have been delayed. The airport continues to operate in routine mode. To ensure flight safety, continuous cleaning of the apron and runway is being conducted. A total of 23 units of specialized equipment are being used to maintain the smooth functioning of the airport," the statement said.


Passengers can check flight status and potential schedule changes through:

  • The airline;
  • The official airport website: www.nn-airport.kz;
  • The 24-hour call center: 8 (7172) 702-999.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

03.03.2025, 12:43 79961

New flight route to be launched from Almaty to Vietnam

A new direct flight from Almaty to the Vietnamese city of Da Nang is set to be launched by the Kazakh airline Air Astana on June 4 this year, Kazinform News Agency cites the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.

Flights will be operated twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) using Airbus A321LR aircraft. As a result, the total number of flights between Kazakhstan and Vietnam will increase from 32 to 34 per week.

It is expected that the new air connection will contribute to further development of trade, economic, business, and tourism cooperation between the two countries.

As reported earlier, Qazaq Air is set to launch a new flight from Astana to Samarkand with a convenient transit stop in Turkistan starting May 1.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

03.03.2025, 11:40 80081

Kazakhstani airlines to add more flights amid holiday demand

Kazakhstani airlines to add more flights amid holiday demand
Kazakhstan’s airlines are to add 120 more domestic and international flights to their schedule to meet demand ahead of the Nauryz holiday from 16 to 30 March, 2025, Kazinform News Agency has learnt from the Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan.

According to the Civil Aviation Committee, the country’s top air carrier Air Astana is set to increase the number of its domestic and international flights by 55.

The company is also to unveil new routes en route Almaty - Nha Trang, Astana - Nha Trang, Almaty - Guangzhou in March, Almaty-Mumbai in April, Atyrau-Tbilisi in May and Astana-Frankfurt in June, informed the Committee.

FlyArystan is to run 33 more flights and will launch flights from Karaganda to Istanbul twice a week starting on June 4 this year.

SCAT airlines is expanding its domestic network by an additional 32 flights as well as will add new flights from Shymkent to Cairo, Xi’an and Budapest in May.

Qazaq Air is set to commence biweekly flights en route Astana-Samarkand starting from May 1 this year as well as mulls increasing domestic flights amid holiday demand.

Earlier it was reported that the Lufthansa Group had announced that it would resume flights to Kazakhstan’s Astana and Almaty after a hiatus of around five weeks.
 

This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.


Found an error in the text?

Select the error and press Ctrl + Enter at the same time.

ИНТЕРНЕТ ТЕЛЕВИДЕНИЕ

 

KAZAKHSTAN TODAY LIVE

Most viewed