‘Rigoletto’ to Premiere at Astana Opera This Week

ASTANA – Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto”, one of the most renowned works in the classical opera repertoire, will premiere at the country’s main theatrical venue, Astana Opera, on...


Kazakhstan Marks Decade of Foreign Media Awards Honoring Global Voices

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an award ceremony in Astana on Oct. 2 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Kazakhstan Through the Eyes...


Kazakhstan Unveils Region’s First AI-Powered Board Member with Voting Rights

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has introduced the Samruk-Kazyna Artificial Intelligence Neural Network (SKAI), the first AI-powered independent member of a Board of Directors in the region with voting...


Aktau Hosts Korkyt Ata Turkic Film Festival

ASTANA – The Korkyt Ata Turkic Film Festival officially opened in Aktau on Oct. 1, marking the city’s debut as host of this major cultural event. Mangystau...


Kazakhstan Launches First All-Female Space Isolation Experiment SANA-1

ASTANA – A unique research project, SANA-1, was launched at the National Space Center, marking Kazakhstan’s first experiment involving long-term crew isolation under conditions simulating space flight....


From Telegram’s AI Lab to Venture Mindset: Digital Bridge Opens with Bold Ideas in Astana

ASTANA – Telegram’s new AI lab in Astana, AI as a digital worker, and a call for a venture mindset set the tone as the Digital Bridge...


Tokayev Opens Digital Bridge 2025, Calls for Responsible AI and Global Cooperation

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened the Digital Bridge 2025 International tech forum on Oct. 2 stressing that artificial intelligence (AI) must serve humanity in a responsible...


Kazakhstan, Germany Extend Business Partnership Program Through 2028

ASTANA — Kazakhstan and Germany have signed a joint agreement extending the Partnering in Business with Germany program for 2026–2028. The signing, held on Sept. 30 in...


Kazakhstan Proposes Unified Information Map of Eurasia in Transport Sector

ASTANA – Kazakh Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev proposed creating a unified information map of Eurasia to strengthen international cooperation and information exchange in transport infrastructure. He made...


Kazakhstan’s Young Chess Players Top World Cadet Championship

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s national team topped the overall standings of the World Cadet Chess Championship (U8–U12) for the second consecutive year, winning three gold medals on home...


ADB Upgrades Kazakhstan’s Growth Forecast to 5.3% in 2025 Amid Strong Infrastructure Push

ALMATY – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has published its forecast for Kazakhstan’s economic growth on Sept. 30, projecting GDP to expand by 5.3% this year and...


Central Asia Emerges With Landmark US Trade Agreements

NEW-YORK — Leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed major trade agreements with the United States on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New...


I Met Netflix Co-Founder. Here’s What He Taught Me About Failure and Innovation

Can you imagine being a Netflix subscriber for almost 17 years back when it was just mail-order DVDs in Northern California where I lived in my 20s...


Almaty Region Chosen for Kazakhstan’s Second Nuclear Power Plant

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is preparing to build two nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the Almaty Region, Atomic Energy Agency Chair Almasadam Satkaliev announced on Oct. 1 during...


British Council Report Reveals Optimism, Cultural Pride Among Kazakhstan’s Youth

ASTANA —  Young people in Kazakhstan remain optimistic about their future while holding fast to family values and cultural traditions, according to a Next Generation Kazakhstan report...


President Tokayev Advocates Ethical AI and Workforce Renewal

ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the first meeting of the Council on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development on Oct. 1 in Astana, underscoring the transformative role of...


Kazakhstan Maintains Steady Position in Moody’s Rating as Reforms Strengthen Investor Confidence

ALMATY – Moody’s Investors Service international rating agency has affirmed Kazakhstan’s sovereign credit rating at Baa1 with a stable outlook, citing the country’s strong fiscal position and...


Kazakhstan to Expand Ties with Council of Europe as PACE Commends Reforms

ALMATY – Kazakhstan and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation and advancing democratic reforms in a joint...


Flags and Songs: Almaty Celebrates Despite Kairat’s 0:5 Defeat to Real Madrid

ALMATY – The spirit of football filled the streets of Almaty after the UEFA Champions League clash between Kairat and Real Madrid. Despite a heavy 0:5 defeat,...


KazAID Project in Türkiye: New School Set to Open by 2026

ALMATY – The Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) announced steady progress in the construction of a school in Nurdağı, Gaziantep province, launched on the initiative of...


Kazakhstan Eyes Role as Eurasian Crypto Destination, Says National Bank Official at WFC2025

ALMATY – Kazakhstan has all the potential to become a key crypto destination of Eurasia, said Binur Zhalenov, the chief digital officer at the National Bank of...


Kazakhstan Hosts WFC2025, Advances Ambition to Become Regional Financial Hub

ALMATY – For the first time, the World Forum of Central Securities Depositories (WFC 2025) convened in Kazakhstan, bringing together more than 200 participants from 80 countries...


Faith Leaders Unite in Kazakhstan for Dialogue and Peace

More than one hundred delegations from nearly 60 countries gathered in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on Sept. 17-18 to participate in the eighth Congress of Leaders...


Tokayev Meets UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with the UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs Mohammed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei on Sept. 30 to...


TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2025 Unites Global Logistics Leaders in Almaty

ALMATY – TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2025 is hosting more than 270 companies from 20 countries as the largest transport and logistics exhibition in Central Asia kicked off on...


Over 1,500 Kazakh Students Choose South Korea as New Rankings Highlight Internationalization

Editor’s note: This article is published as part of a partnership agreement between The Astana Times and The Korea Times. A special series seeks to provide readers...


Kazakhstan Welcomes Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan 

ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. Tokayev stated that Kazakhstan views this initiative...


Kazakhstan Launches Second Line of Dostyk-Moiynty Railway

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev inaugurated via video link the second line of the Dostyk-Moiynty railway on Sept. 30 during the seventh New Silk Way International Transport...


Kazakhstan Exporters Prepare for EU Carbon Border Rules at QazTrade Webinar

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s exporters discussed the impact of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) at a Sept. 25 webinar organized by QazTrade, the Ministry of...


Kazakhstan Unveils Alem Crypto Fund for Strategic Digital Asset Investments

ASTANA – A new Alem Crypto Fund has started operating in Kazakhstan for long-term investment in digital assets and building strategic reserves. It was established by the...