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Kazakhstan–China Rail Freight Up 9.3% in Early 2026

By Dana Omirgazy in International on 20 April 2026

ASTANA – Rail freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China continued to grow in early 2026, with volumes rising 9.3% since the start of the year, supported by expanding infrastructure capacity. Kazakhstan’s freight exports increased by 17%, driven by higher shipments of iron ore, agricultural products, ferrous metals, and petroleum goods. The country’s …

Tencent Invests in Kaspi.kz with Mikheil Lomtadze and U.S. Investors

By Staff Report in Business on 20 April 2026

Antalya Diplomacy Forum Spotlights Growing Turkic Integration

By Assel Satubaldina in International on 19 April 2026

IOFS Director: Global Food System Fails on Access Despite Sufficient Supply

By Assel Satubaldina in Editor’s Picks,International on 19 April 2026

Bibisara Assaubayeva Climbs to No. 7 in FIDE World Rankings

By Dana Omirgazy in Sports on 20 April 2026

Progress Isn’t Perfect, And That’s What Makes It Human

By Ayana Birbayeva in Editor’s Picks,Opinions on 20 April 2026

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Tokayev’s Deals with Pakistan, Rybakina’s Australian Open Triumph, and more | Kazakhstan News Digest

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Editor's Picks

Progress Isn’t Perfect, And That’s What Makes It Human

BY Ayana Birbayeva

There is a certain expectation we carry when we think about technological progress. It is often imagined as a straight...

IOFS Director: Global Food System Fails on Access Despite Sufficient Supply

BY Assel Satubaldina

ANTALYA – The world produces enough food, but gaps in distribution, infrastructure and crisis response prevent it from reaching those...

How Kazakh Jeweler Modernizes Traditional Designs

BY Nagima Abuova

ASTANA — Damir Torebai, a 28-year-old jeweler from Aktau, a city in western Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea, is reinterpreting...

How Kazakhstan’s Writing System Evolved Through History

BY Aiman Nakispekova

ASTANA – Language is often described as the soul of a nation, but its script is the face the world...

Pages That Shaped Generations: Issabayev’s Graphic Legacy Opens in Almaty

BY Ayana Birbayeva

ALMATY – Books shape the mind, but they often mean more than just a source of knowledge. For many, they...

Kazakhstan Targets Major Oil Find with 20 Billion Ton Potential

BY Ayana Birbayeva

ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) is advancing exploration of a major hydrocarbon prospect on the...

Where Sport Meets Art: What’s On This Weekend in Astana and Almaty

BY Fatima Kemelova

ASTANA – A diverse lineup of events awaits this weekend, featuring concerts, unique sounds, and art exhibitions for everyone to...

Tokayev Calls Out Global Powers, Urges UN Reform at Antalya Diplomacy Forum

BY Assel Satubaldina

ANTALYA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for greater responsibility and pragmatism among global leaders and renewed efforts to reform the...

News Digest: Foreign Media on Kazakhstan’s Investment Push, Middle Corridor, and More

BY Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – The Astana Times has selected articles from global media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights...

Transport, Storage Sector Expands 12.8% in Q1, But Growth Loses Steam

BY Nagima Abuova

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s transport and storage sector grew by 12.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, though momentum slowed...

Kazakhstan, US Deepen Strategic Partnership Across Energy, Transport, Investment Sectors

BY Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and the United States (US) have strengthened their strategic partnership through high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., focused...

Astana Becomes Seoul’s Energy Backup as Hormuz Risks Rise

BY Dana Omirgazy

ASTANA – South Korea is turning to Kazakhstan and other suppliers while shifting to alternative transport routes to secure energy...

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Editor's Picks

Progress Isn’t Perfect, And That’s What Makes It Human

BY Ayana Birbayeva

There is a certain expectation we carry when we think about technological progress. It is often imagined as a straight...

IOFS Director: Global Food System Fails on Access Despite Sufficient Supply

BY Assel Satubaldina

ANTALYA – The world produces enough food, but gaps in distribution, infrastructure and crisis response prevent it from reaching those...

How Kazakh Jeweler Modernizes Traditional Designs

BY Nagima Abuova

ASTANA — Damir Torebai, a 28-year-old jeweler from Aktau, a city in western Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea, is reinterpreting...

How Kazakhstan’s Writing System Evolved Through History

BY Aiman Nakispekova

ASTANA – Language is often described as the soul of a nation, but its script is the face the world...

More stories

Opinions

Progress Isn’t Perfect, And That’s What Makes It Human

BY Ayana Birbayeva

There is a certain expectation we carry when we think about technological progress. It is often imagined as a straight...

From Tradition to Transformation: Rethinking Volunteering in Central Asia

BY Haoliang Xu, Toily Kurbanov

There is a word in Kazakhstan—Asar. It describes a simple but powerful idea: when someone is in need, the community...

Kazakhstan’s Day of Lovers Highlights Love, Tradition and Identity

BY Aiman Nakispekova

ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates the Day of Lovers on April 15, known as Kozy Korpesh – Bayan Sulu Day, in...

Kazakhstan Was Launchpad for First Human in Space, What Comes Next?

ASTANA – When Yuri Gagarin lifted off on April 12, 1961, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan became the starting point of...

My Summer Memories From Peak Komsomolsky

BY Aizhan Arshabayeva

This summer I was in the mountains of the Zailiysky Alatau on a multi-day trek to Komsomolsky Peak. The air...

Work Forward: AI for Everyone

BY Aigerim Omirzhankyzy

I walk into the office and think about my daily meetings, emails, and deadlines. All familiar. But something new makes...

The Next Investment Megatrend

BY Evgeny Vinokurov

The world associates investment booms with speculative bubbles. This is often true. Not to forget, however, that these waves are...

When Strait Shakes Region: How Western Asia Crisis is Rippling Across Asia-Pacific Region

BY Hamza Ali Malik, Rupa Chanda, Weimin Ren

A narrow stretch of water – the Strait of Hormuz – is sending shockwaves across the global economy. It is...

Silent Storm Over Our Heads: Why Space Junk Is Everyone’s Problem

Space debris isn’t just a hurdle for astronauts or a plot point for sci-fi movies—it is a looming threat to...

What We Lose When Boys Are Taught Not to Cry in Kazakhstan

BY Kalamkas Sagadiyeva

I still remember a boy who fell on the asphalt when I was in primary school. Before the teacher reached...

Fossil Fuels Are Driving Cost Crisis For Households, Businesses and Nations. Clean Energy is The Cure

BY Simon Stiell

War in the Middle East has exposed a brutal truth: fossil fuel dependency rips away countries’ sovereignty and security, putting...

Who is Kazakh Woman, and Who Gets to Decide?

There is a particular confidence with which societies talk about women, especially other people’s women. Labels come easily: traditional, obedient,...

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Opinions

Progress Isn’t Perfect, And That’s What Makes It Human

BY Ayana Birbayeva

There is a certain expectation we carry when we think about technological progress. It is often imagined as a straight...

From Tradition to Transformation: Rethinking Volunteering in Central Asia

BY Haoliang Xu, Toily Kurbanov

There is a word in Kazakhstan—Asar. It describes a simple but powerful idea: when someone is in need, the community...

Kazakhstan’s Day of Lovers Highlights Love, Tradition and Identity

BY Aiman Nakispekova

ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates the Day of Lovers on April 15, known as Kozy Korpesh – Bayan Sulu Day, in...

Kazakhstan Was Launchpad for First Human in Space, What Comes Next?

ASTANA – When Yuri Gagarin lifted off on April 12, 1961, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan became the starting point of...

More stories

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