Almaty - The Islamic State group on Friday claimed responsibility for a deadly attack against a Tajik border post this week, but Central Asia watchers cast doubt on the jihadists' claim as well as official Tajik statements on the incident.

Almaty - Police detained more than two dozen people on Saturday in Kazakhstan's main cities for participating in protests called by a banned opposition group where they criticised the government and Chinese expansion.

Almaty - An Emirati who made history as the first Arab to reach the International Space Station is set to return to Earth on Thursday following an eight-day mission that sparked euphoria in his homeland.

Baikonur - An Emirati has made history as the first Arab to reach the International Space Station, after blasting off from Kazakhstan.

Baikonur - A rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan on Wednesday with an Emirati on board who will be the first Arab on the International Space Station.

Almaty - Police detained dozens of protesters in Kazakhstan Saturday for rallying against Chinese economic expansion and former strongman president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is still a powerful force in the former Soviet nation.

Almaty - A rights activist in Kazakhstan who faced seven years imprisonment over his outspoken opposition to neighbouring China was unexpectedly freed Friday as public and international pressure over his case mounted.

Almaty - A rights activist in Kazakhstan who faced seven years imprisonment over his outspoken opposition to neighbouring China was unexpectedly freed Friday as public and international pressure over his case mounted.

Baikonur - US, Italian and Russian astronauts blasted into space Saturday, headed for the International Space Station, in a launch coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Baikonur - US, Italian and Russian astronauts blasted into space Saturday, headed for the International Space Station, in a launch coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Baikonur - US, Italian and Russian astronauts are set to blast off into space Saturday in a launch coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Almaty - Kazakh police on Tuesday detained a woman with cerebral palsy as she protested against the daughter of former strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev for calling people with disabilities "freaks", local media reported.

Dzhezkazgan - The first crew to blast off to the International Space Station following a launch accident that deepened doubts over Russia's space programme returned to earth safely on Tuesday.

Almaty - The first crew to blast off to the International Space Station following a launch accident that deepened doubts over Russia's space programme is set to return to earth Tuesday.

Astana - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the hand-picked successor to Kazakhstan's longtime ruler, was inaugurated as president Wednesday after winning an election marred by a police crackdown and slammed by foreign monitors for "voting irregularities".

Astana - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was inaugurated as only the second elected president in Kazakhstan's history Wednesday, after winning polls marred by a police crackdown and slammed by foreign monitors for "widespread voting irregularities.

Astana - The hand-picked successor of Kazakhstan's longtime ruler won a sweeping victory in presidential elections that monitors said Monday had shown "scant respect" for democracy.Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took 70.

Almaty - Kazakhstan on Sunday elected the hand-picked successor of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev with 70 percent of the vote, exit polls showed, as police arrested hundreds of opposition protesters.

Almaty - Kazakhs went to the polls Sunday to elect their first new leader in 30 years following the departure of ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev with his handpicked successor set for victory.

Almaty - In a country tightly run by one man for three decades, even small protests are a rarity.