Kazakhstan Records Major Gains in Public Health Indicators
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has ranked among the top ten countries worldwide in reducing mortality from noncommunicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe, the rate fell by 25% by 2025, reported 24.kz news agency on Dec.22. The Ministry of Health attributed the progress to expanded prevention programs, earlier diagnosis and improved…
Kazakhstan Launches State Debt Management Council
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has established a State Debt Management Council to improve coordination of public borrowing and develop the government securities market, the Ministry of Finance reported on Dec. 22. The consultative body was created jointly by the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of National Economy. The council will…
Kazakh Capital Rolls Out Transport and Infrastructure Upgrades
ASTANA – The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is expected to complete its testing phase and enter full operation within the next few months, Astana mayor (governor) Zhenis Kassymbek said at a briefing at the Central Communications Service on Dec. 22. The LRT has been operating in test mode since September. Kassymbek said all rail…
Kazakhstan Leverages Critical Minerals Diplomacy to Become No.2 Gallium Producer
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will become the world’s second-largest producer of gallium after Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) signed a long-term supply agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd. during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Japan, reported the ERG’s press service on Dec. 20. The project is one of ERG’s key initiatives focused on critical minerals.…
Kazakh Artist Transforms Ancient Embroidery into Modern Hair Art
ASTANA – Kazakh ornament has always been more than decoration. For centuries, the swirling motifs etched into leather, stitched onto felt, or woven into textiles carried the stories, beliefs, and identity of a nomadic people. Among the traditional crafts, keste, a type of ornamental embroidery, holds a special place as one of the most distinctive…
New Year’s Table to Cost Kazakh Families Around US$ 136
ASTANA – The cost of a standard festive grocery basket in Kazakhstan will amount to roughly 70,000 tenge (US$136) by the end of 2025. This is an increase of around 2,000 tenge (US$4) compared to last year, according to an analysis by the Ministry of Trade and Integration. The figures were announced during a government…
Astana Becomes Hub for OIC Food Security Dialogue
ASTANA – The Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) marked IOFS Day and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Food Security Day with a high-level roundtable on Dec.17 in Astana, where participants reaffirmed their commitment to addressing food insecurity through multilateral cooperation. Ambassador and IOFS Director General Berik Aryn thanked the Kazakh government and people…
Kazakhstan, Japan Move to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Dec. 18 at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation, reported the Akorda press service. Tokayev thanked Takaichi for the warm reception extended to the Kazakh delegation and described the visit as an important milestone in relations between the…
Tajikistan’s Population Surges to 10.7 Million
ASTANA – Tajikistan’s population increased by 26% over the past decade, reaching 10.7 million people, said Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in his annual address to parliament on Dec. 16, according to Kazinform news agency. Rahmon outlined the results of two short-term national programs implemented over the past 10 years as part of the country’s National…
Astana Opens Ertegi Fest With Citywide Lighting of Over 40 New Year’s Trees
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will light more than 40 New Year’s trees simultaneously across six districts on Dec. 19 as part of citywide celebrations held under the unified fairy-tale theme Ertegi Fest, reported the city’s akimat (administration) press service. Concert programs will begin at major locations at 5:30 p.m., followed by the official tree-lighting…
President Tokayev Meets Japan’s Emperor Naruhito During First Official Visit
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan on Dec. 18 during his first official visit to the country, reported the Akorda press service. During the meeting, Tokayev expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by the Japanese side and noted that Japan has long inspired the people of Kazakhstan with its…
Turkic Heritage Takes Spotlight on Global Cultural Stage
ASTANA – This Sunday, Dec. 15, marks World Turkic Language Family Day, a date established by UNESCO to celebrate and promote the Turkic language family spoken by more than 200 million people worldwide. The 43rd General Conference of UNESCO in Uzbekistan officially declared Dec. 15 as World Turkic Language Family Day to preserve, celebrate, and…
Kazakh Unity and Warrior Courage Define Survival in Dzungar Wars, Historian Says
ASTANA – The courage of Kazakh warriors, known as batyrs, and the people’s unity were decisive in ensuring the Kazakhs’ survival during the centuries-long Kazakh–Dzungar wars, a conflict that reshaped Central Asia’s geopolitical map and posed one of the greatest tests to Kazakh statehood, said Bereket Karibayev, professor at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and doctor…
Kazakhstan Expands New Wave of Inclusive Workspaces
ASTANA – Kazakhstan marked the International Day of People with Disabilities on Dec. 3, renewing attention to the everyday challenges families face in raising children with disabilities and to the growing demand for inclusive workplaces across the country. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, as of May 1, 2025, the country…
After Only Year in Sport, Kazakh Archer Claims World Cup Gold in South Korea
ASTANA – Ayash Kabdollayeva, a craft instructor from Glubokoye village in the East Kazakhstan Region, has become the world’s top female archer just a year after taking up the sport, capturing first place at the World Cup in Ulsan, South Korea. Competition in South Korea At the World Cup in Ulsan, South Korea, Kabdollayeva placed…
From Red Edits to Big Lessons: My Journey with Astana Times
Editor’s Note: To mark the 15th anniversary of The Astana Times, we are launching a special series of columns written by our newsroom. Over the days, members of our team reflect on their journeys, the stories that shaped them, and the evolution of The Astana Times. We began with a column by our editor-in-chief Zhanna…
Film Festival in Astana Promotes Art as Tool to Confront Gender-Based Violence
ASTANA – The No Violence Film Festival opened in Kazakhstan’s capital with a screening of “Bauyryna Salu,” marking the start of the global campaign titled 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which launches each year on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The event is organized by the…
Kazakhstan Marks 140th Anniversary of Mirzhakyp Dulatov, Voice That Awakened Nation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan celebrates the 140th anniversary of Mirzhakyp Dulatov on Nov. 25, an influential Kazakh poet, educator, and leader of the Alash movement. Born in 1885 in the windswept steppe of the Turgai Region, Dulatov’s childhood was marked by early loss. His mother died when he was two years old, while his father passed…
Rediscovered Video Celebrates Kazakh Dance Pioneer Shara Zhienkulova
ASTANA – A rare video of Kazakh dancer Shara Zhienkulova has been discovered in the Russian State Archive of Film and Photographic Documents in Krasnogorsk, Russia, as part of the Archive-2025 state program, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information’s press service on Nov. 13. The footage shows Zhienkulova dancing to the folk song…
Semiyarka Uncovers Lost Industrial Power of Kazakh Steppe
ASTANA – An international team of scientists from Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom has published new research on the Semiyarka monument, also known as the City of Seven Ravines, one of the largest known Bronze Age settlements in steppe Eurasia. The site sits on a cape above the Irtysh River in the Beskaragai district of…
Otandastar Forum Brings Home Kazakh Talent to Advance Science and Technology
ASTANA – The Otandastar Scholars Forum took place at Nazarbayev University in Astana on Nov. 21, bringing together Kazakh scientists who have built careers abroad to share expertise that could support the country’s scientific and technological goals. Organized by the Otandastar (compatriots) Foundation, the event gathered more than 40 scholars from overseas and nearly 100…
Faster than Stroke: Kazakh AI Tool Transforms Emergency Medicine
ASTANA – Kazakh medtech startup Cerebra.AI is pushing the boundaries of neuroradiology with software that can detect a stroke within minutes, according to Beksultan Shakimov, the company’s chief operating officer. In an interview with The Astana Times, Shakimov explained how medtech and artificial intelligence are reshaping modern healthcare. The company hopes its AI-driven tools will…
Kazakh Cinema Emerges as Key Driver of Creative Economy
ASTANA – Zhanerke Rakhman, a senior expert at the Center for Regional Studies and Quality of Life, highlighted the economic and cultural potential of Kazakhstan’s film industry. She described cinema not only as an art form but also as a valuable economic asset capable of attracting investment, creating jobs, and driving related industries. According to…
Persian Chronicles Reveal Forgotten Ties Between Iran and Kazakh Steppes
ASTANA – There have long been close connections, cultural exchanges, and mutual influences between the Iranian and Turkic worlds, known since ancient times as Iran and Turan, according to Galiya Kambarbekova, an orientalist and Iranian studies scholar at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. In an interview with Kazinform, Kambarbekova discussed what information about the Kazakh steppes…
EBRD Vice President Emphasizes Central Asia’s Drive for Energy Security and Regional Connectivity
ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has deepened its cooperation with Kazakhstan and its Central Asian neighbors through new investment initiatives aimed at enhancing regional energy independence, green transition, and trade connectivity. In an interview with The Astana Times, EBRD Vice President Matteo Patrone discussed the bank’s growing role in advancing…
