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.

Astana - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is on track to become only the second elected president of ex-Soviet Kazakhstan since its independence, has always appeared to prize loyalty over political ambition.

Almaty - Kazakhs go to the polls on Sunday to elect their first new leader in 30 years, although ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev's influence will likely continue as his handpicked successor heads for all but certain victory.

Almaty - Three women who took part in an anti-government protest are under house arrest on suspicion of belonging to an extremist organisation, police said Sunday, a week ahead of elections in the authoritarian state.

Astana - A prominent opposition politician and journalist on Monday won his bid to challenge a trusted ally of strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan's presidential polls next month.

Astana - Police in Kazakhstan arrested dozens of protesters opposed to the country's regime on Wednesday, after rare demonstrations decrying upcoming elections that critics say will extend decades of authoritarian rule in the Central Asian nation.

Khorgos - Traders travel freely through the bustling Khorgos special economic zone that straddles the Kazakhstan-China border, but signs on the Chinese side bear a blunt warning -- no veils or long beards allowed.