Almaty Receives World Craft City Status, Showcases Global Artistry at ALA CRAFT 2025

ALMATY – When warmth and care are needed, people return to childhood memories – where a handwoven carpet guarded sleep, a wooden toy chased away dark spirits,...


Kazakhstan Boosts Film Ties with Turkic Nations at Korkyt Ata Festival

ASTANA – As part of the Korkyt Ata International Film Festival of the Turkic World in Aktau, the State Center for National Cinema Support of Kazakhstan strengthened...


OPEC+ Eight to Boost Oil Output by 137,000 Barrels per Day in November

ASTANA – Eight leading OPEC+ countries, Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have agreed to raise oil production by 137,000...


Kazakh PM Highlights AI and Technological Transformation at Digital Bridge 2025

ASTANA – Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov reiterated the nation’s commitment to achieving a new technological breakthrough during the plenary session of the Digital Bridge: Generative...


Almaty Museum Hosts Serbian Exhibition to Celebrate Women’s Role Across Centuries and Nations

ALMATY – Woman carries many missions in life – she nurtures, she inspires, she perseveres. Even in a world where some girls are denied opportunities, the stories...


Astana Leads Conversation on Peace and Faith

This September, Astana once again became the meeting point for faiths and cultures as it hosted the eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. What...


Scottish Bagpiper Marks Kazakhstan as 116th Country in Global Journey

ASTANA – Kazakhstan became the 116th country for Ross Jennings, a Scottish traveler and musician on a mission to play the bagpipes in every nation. Dressed in...


Kazakhstan Expands Wildlife Conservation Efforts: Growing Populations and Updated Red Book

ALMATY – Kazakhstan is strengthening its biodiversity conservation policies through new reintroduction projects, population monitoring of rare species, and updates to its Red Book of endangered animals....


Seven Startups Win at Astana Hub Battle During Digital Bridge 2025

ASTANA —  Seven startups from Central Eurasia secured $25,000 prizes each at the Astana Hub Battle, the region’s largest startup competition, held during the Digital Bridge 2025...


Ed Catmull at InMerge 2025: How Pixar Turned Impossible into Reality

BAKU — Imagine needing 100 supercomputers worth $10 million each just to make your movie. That was Pixar in the 1980s, a tiny team with a gigantic...


Kazakhstan’s Oldest Resident Turns 115 as Number of Centenarians Reaches 448

ALMATY – Kazakhstan counts 448 citizens aged 100 and over, with the oldest resident, a woman from the Ulytau Region, marking her 115th birthday, according to recent...


Kazakhstan Releases Ancient Manuscript of Historic National Epic

ALMATY – The National Center of Manuscripts and Rare Books has digitized and released a facsimile edition of the oldest surviving manuscript of the Kazakh epic “Edige...


Kazakhstan Showcases Traditional National Costumes at Fashion Show in Seoul

ALMATY – As part of the Central Asia-Korea Friendship Day, Seoul hosted a traditional fashion show that showcased the cultural diversity and Kazakh rich creative traditions on...


News Digest: Foreign Media on Mattarella’s Visit to Kazakhstan, AI, Nuclear Science Cities, and More

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights language shifts in Kazakhstan, President Mattarella’s visit,...


SCAT Airlines Launches Direct Flights Between Kazakhstan and Latvia in 2026

ALMATY – SCAT Airlines will launch a direct passenger route between Kazakhstan and Latvia in spring 2026. It was announced on Oct. 2 Kazakhstan-Latvia business forum on...


Air Astana Expands Flight Network for Autumn 2025

ALMATY – Air Astana has announced a major expansion of its route network for autumn with a mix of resumed services and increased frequencies to popular destinations...


UN Nuclear Ban Treaty Gets Majority of States on Board Following Kyrgyzstan’s Signing

ASTANA – The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons now has a majority of countries as either signatories or parties, reflecting the momentum in global...


Your October Guide to Arts and Culture in Astana and Almaty 

ASTANA – The Astana Times has curated a lineup of events promising a great weekend filled with captivating experiences. Whether you’re a music lover, history enthusiast, or...


Kazakhstan Showcases Investment and Energy Partnerships at Energy Week 2025

ALMATY – Astana hosts Kazakhstan Energy Week (KEW 2025) and the 16th Eurasian Forum KAZENERGY at the Palace of Independence on Oct. 2-4, establishing an international dialogue...


Aral Sea Collapse Offers Lessons for Climate, Water Security, Says US Scholar

ASTANA — Once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea, the Aral Sea has become a global symbol of ecological disaster, said Dr. Sarah Cameron, associate professor of history...


Kazakh, Hungarian Presidents Pledge to Expand Trade and Economic Partnership

ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Tamás Sulyok of Hungary reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade and economic cooperation during an official meeting on...


‘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...