Moscow - Two Russian cosmonauts have taken the torch for the Sochi Winter Olympics on a spacewalk as part of the Olympic torch relay. This is the first time any Olympic torch has been on a spacewalk.

The Expedition 36 crew members, comprising two Russian Cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut returned safely to Earth on Wednesday after 166 days in space, on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

A 15-year-old boy has died in Kyrgyzstan of the bubonic plague. Officials say it is the first case in the country in 30 years.

The Philippine national basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas, has earned a semi-final slot in the ongoing FIBA Asia Championship games after beating Kazakhstan by 30 points in their quarterfinal game at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines.

Mouans-sartoux - A Kazakh oligarch who went on the lam after being accused of embezzling $6 billion from his former bank has been arrested in France.

Almaty - A gas tanker exploded in the center of Almaty, Kazakhstan, causing an eight-story building to catch fire and massive damage to cars in the area.

Astana - Despite artificial turf and five hours time difference, Germany easily defeated Kazakistan. Goals by Schweinsteiger and Goetze, two minutes apart in the first half and another by Thomas Mueller before full time, Germany won its fourth of five group games.

Astana - The Bundesliga is taking a break this weekend to make way for World Cup 2014 qualification. Germany will face Kazakhstan in two matches, the first one on March 22 in Kazakhstan, the other in Germany on March 26. Germany is the favorite of experts.

After a delay of 1 day due to bad weather, a Soyuz capsule has now safely landed in northeast Kazakhstan, bringing home 2 Russian cosmonauts and 1 American astronaut from their 5 month stint on the ISS. The next trip is planned to arrive in record time.

Chelyabinsk - Witnesses in Russia's Urals region panicked when a series of explosions and bright flashes hit the sky. Initial reports said a meteorite may have been blown to pieces by a missile, but this is not the case. More than 1,000 people have been injured.

The Russian Soyuz TMA07 spaceship took off on Wednesday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This time the craft is carrying a musical crew of three astronauts to the ISS.

NASA has released a photo of the plasma trail left by the Soyuz TMA-05M re-entry module as it entered Earth's atmosphere on Monday.

Three members of the the Expedition 33 crew returned to earth on Monday after spending 127 days in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight titleholder Wladimir Klitschko retained his titles Saturday against unbeaten Polish challenger Mariusz Wach in Germany.

Seoul - In addition to picking up with food with it, an elephant is also using his trunk to pick up human vocabulary. The 22-year old elephant is named Koshik. Scientists believe Koshik may have started imitating human speech out of loneliness.

An enterprising Muslim activist hopes to persuade the local Kazakh mayor to turn on the town's central heating system by offering the bribe of a balloon bedecked sheep sporting pink ribbons.

In early October 2011, then Prime Minister Putin revealed Russia’s intention to create Eurasian Union, a new inter-governmental economic and political organization, based on the European Union (EU) integration model.

A Soyuz-FG booster vehicle, with a transfer orbit stage Fregat, was launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan yesterday.

Police in the Kazakh city have launched an investigation into a suspected arson attack which has gutted the Syrian consulate there.

With a truly international team on board, the Soyuz spacecraft has taken off this morning, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazahkstan.