Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly Reaches Australian Open Junior Quarterfinals
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Zangar Nurlanuly advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open Junior Tennis Championships on Jan. 28.

In the quarterfinals, Zangar Nurlanuly will meet Hong Kong’s Kai Thompson on Jan. 30. Photo credit: KTF

The world No. 12 junior faced Russia’s top under-18 player, Savva Rybkin (ranked 13 in ITF Juniors), in…
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Tokayev Calls for AI-Driven Financial Oversight to Combat Fraud
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has urged the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) to rapidly adopt artificial intelligence and digital tools to counter financial crime, warning that technological lag could pose serious risks to Kazakhstan’s economic and national security during a Jan. 28 meeting.

Photo credit: Akorda

Tokayev noted that the agency, established five years…
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Kazakhstan and Germany Set Sights on Next Phase of Economic Ties
ASTANA — Kazakhstan is consistently focused on further strengthening its partnership with Germany across the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and views Germany as one of its key strategic partners in the European Union, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin said during a Jan. 28 meeting with Dominik…
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EDB: Multilateral Development Banks Need Each Other, Central Asia Shows Why
ASTANA — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) report on Cooperation of Multilateral Development Banks in Developing Countries: New Opportunities lands squarely in the middle of a growing global contradiction: developing economies face an unprecedented demand for financing, yet multilateral development banks (MDBs) remain structurally constrained in how much and how effectively they can deliver…
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ERG Plans Record $1 Billion Investment in Kazakhstan in 2026
ASTANA — Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has announced a record investment of over $1 billion in the country for 2026, the largest in the group’s history, according to ERG’s press release on Jan. 26. The announcement was made by Shukhrat Ibragimov, ERG’s CEO and chairman of the board, during a site visit to the…
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Kazakh AI Startup Automates Driver Hiring for US Trucking Industry
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Call2action.ai, a participant of the Astana Hub international innovation cluster, has added more than 30 transportation companies as clients in the U.S. in three months. These include both commercial clients and pilot projects that are transitioning to paid models. The combined fleets of companies using the platform now exceed 2,000 trucks.…
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Development Bank of Kazakhstan on Strategic Priorities and Financing
ASTANA – The Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) is one of the country’s key institutions that finances large-scale projects in non-resource sectors. As DBK marks its 25th anniversary this year, Botagoz Abisheva, deputy chairwoman of the DBK’s management board, spoke to The Astana Times, explaining how that role is evolving, and the bank’s key…
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Kazakhstan to Test High-Tech Driverless Taxis in Major Cities
ASTANA — Driverless taxis will be tested in Astana and Almaty, according to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.

Photo credit: Shutterstock.

The ministry noted that two memorandums on pilot projects for driverless taxis were previously signed with the Transport Ministry, the Astana Akimat (administration), and operators inDrive and Yandex Qazaqstan.…
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President Tokayev Meets Kazakh IT Entrepreneurs to Discuss AI and Venture Development
ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with Kazakh IT entrepreneurs Erzat Dulat, technical director of the startup Higgsfield AI, and Murat Abdrakhmanov, founder of the venture platform MA7 Ventures, on Jan. 28.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the introduction of artificial intelligence in the economy, public administration, and the social sphere.…
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Kazakhstan Proposes Constitutional Reform Affecting 84% of Basic Law
ALMATY – A sweeping package of constitutional amendments affecting 77 articles, which amounts to 84% of Kazakhstan’s Constitution, was presented to members of the Constitutional Reform commission on Jan. 28, marking an extensive legal transformation.

According to Nurmukhanov, the proposed new version of the Constitution will include a preamble, 11 sections and 104 articles.…
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Arsenal Edges Kairat 3:2 as Kazakh Side Finishes Champions League Clash with Pride
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s FC Kairat Almaty delivered a spirited performance but fell just short in a dramatic 3:2 defeat to Arsenal in their final match of the UEFA Champions League league stage on Jan. 28 in London.

Urazbakhtin thanked the fans for their support, noting that even in the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium, the team…
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IMF Warns of Economic Overheating in Kazakhstan, Urges Tighter Policies and Reforms
ASTANA — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cautioned that Kazakhstan’s strong economic growth is showing clear signs of overheating, calling for tighter and better-coordinated macroeconomic policies, continued monetary restraint, and accelerated structural reforms to ensure sustainable growth.

Photo credit: AFP

The IMF Executive Board completed its Article IV Consultation with Kazakhstan. Under this…
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Public Trust in Kazakhstan’s Judiciary Climbs to 63% as Tokayev Reviews 2025 Results
ALMATY – According to the Supreme Court Chairman Aslambek Mergaliyev, 98.8% of court rulings were not overturned by higher judicial instances in 2025, while public trust in the judiciary rose to 63.2%, up from 55.2% in 2023.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Supreme Court Chairman Aslambek Mergaliyev. Photo credit: Akorda.

The data was revealed…
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CPC Pipeline Consortium Operates at Full Capacity, Says Energy Minister
ALMATY – The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is operating at full capacity, loading two tankers per day, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov announced during a Jan. 28 briefing at the Mazhilis (Parliament’s lower chamber).

Photo credit: cpc.ru

“On Sunday, we restarted unit No. 3, which had been under repair. Due to severe winter weather in…
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Kazakhstan Launches Interagency Group to Boost Afghan Trade, Education and Infrastructure Ties
ALMATY – The Kazakh government held the first meeting of the interagency working group on development of cooperation with Afghanistan on Jan. 28 under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.

According to Zhumangarin, the government aims to develop transport corridors, enhancing trade and economic ties. Photo credit:…
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Kazakhstan Launches New Investment Drive as PM Demands Faster Project Delivery
ALMATY – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a Jan. 28 meeting, discussing the launch of a new investment cycle to increase the volume of high-quality investments.

Bektenov stressed that all state bodies have been tasked with boosting the inflow of quality investments and ensuring the implementation of breakthrough, high value-added projects. Photo credit: Prime…
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From AI to Human Capital: Qazaqstan NEXT 2026 Highlights Global Trends
ASTANA — AI and digital trust, energy, creative economy, education and innovation, and the future of work and human capital were on the plate at the Qazaqstan NEXT 2026 forum on Jan. 29. The policymakers, business leaders and experts debated on trends and their impact on Kazakhstan’s economic growth, investment climate and competitiveness.

Photo…
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Air Astana to Launch Regular Flights to Shanghai
ALMATY – Starting March 29, Air Astana will begin operating regular flights on the Almaty–Shanghai route. Flights will be scheduled three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

With the addition of this new route, the total number of weekly flights between Kazakhstan and China will increase from 81 to 84, reported the…
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Kazakhstan Adopts Long-Term Strategy to Protect Children’s Rights
ASTANA – The government has approved the Children of Kazakhstan program on Jan. 27, aimed at consolidating and systematizing existing mechanisms to protect children’s rights across key sectors.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

The five-year program was developed by the Ministry of Education, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, and relevant ministries. It aims to improve the…
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Kazakhstan Expects No Annual Losses from Tengiz Downtime, Says Energy Minister
ALMATY – Kazakhstan does not expect to incur losses on an annual basis despite the recent production halt at the Tengiz oil field, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said while commenting on the consequences of the incident during a Jan. 28 briefing.

First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar also held talks with Managing Director of…
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