The Times Of Central Asia | Eurasian Publication & News Online

A new road bypassing the Osinovsky Pass in eastern Kazakhstan opened to traffic on October 30, offering motorists an alternative to a route frequently subject to winter travel restrictions. The bypass's centerpiece is a 175-meter bridge across the Pikhtovka River, rising up to 45 meters above a gorge. The construction...

Critical Minerals

Kazakhstan’s Carbon Black: Finding Value in Mining By-Products

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red...

Extremism

Kazakhstan Detains Ten Over Alleged Plot to Change Constitutional Order

Defense Agreements

Russia–Azerbaijan Military Cooperation Expands Amid Baku–Ankara Tensions

Energy Security

Interview with Umud Shokri: Can Kazakhstan Reduce Its Dependence on Russian Oil Export Routes?

Kazakhstan sent more than four-fifths of its oil exports in 2025 through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which crosses Russia to the Black Sea. Repeated disruptions have exposed the risks of relying so heavily on a single route. While alternative shipments across the Caspian Sea are growing, volumes remain small....

Russia's War in Ukraine

Tajik Prisoners in Russia Say They Face Pressure to Fight in Ukraine

Kazakh Cinema

Kazakh–Korean Action Film KESU Sets Sights on South Korean Cinemas

New NATO Base Rumours, Organised OTS Opposition, and the Future of Kazakh-Turkish Ties

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Dastan
Short Stories from the Region

Dastan: Turkmenistan Takes to the Desert in Rally Cars

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Opinions

Opinion: A Deeper Understanding of Transshipment

Daniel A. Witt

Opinion: Why Agriculture Cannot Afford to Overlook Women Farmers

Viorel Gutu

Opinion: I Spent 15 Years in Government. Here Is What the State Can Learn Next

Zhandos Sabit

Opinion: Central Asia Is More Than Minerals

Eric Rudenshiold & S. Frederick Starr

Opinion: Weaponizing Faith – The Cold War Roots of Central Asia’s Security Dilemma

Zabikhulla Saipov

From Lenin to Kenesary: What Kazakhstan’s Renamed Streets Say About Power

Issatay Minuarov

Opinion: Why Central Asia Cannot Afford to Abandon the Iranian Route

Timur Serikuly

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan Show What Diplomacy Can Deliver as Vast Rail Project with China Advances

Javier M. Piedra

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

Mathieu Lemoine

Opinion: Kazakhstan’s Demining Expertise Could Provide Boost to Afghanistan

Timur Serikuly

Opinion: Uzbekistan Census – When the Village Reappears in the City

Zamirbek Minbaev

Opinion: The Specter Is Back – A Kazakh Warning to America

Askar Alimzhanov

Business & Economy

Household Spending

Food Spending in Kazakhstan Tops Half of Consumer Budgets

Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest economy, ranks among the ten countries with the highest shares of consumer spending devoted to food in an international comparison. National figures show that food purchases continue to consume more than half of household consumer budgets despite rising cash incomes. According to international statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), residents of Kazakhstan spent approximately 42% of their consumer budgets on food in 2025. The USDA measure covers food and nonalcoholic beverages purchased for consumption at home, excluding restaurant meals, alcohol, and tobacco. Higher shares were recorded in Nigeria, Myanmar, and Laos, as well...

Road Infrastructure

Osinovsky Pass Bypass Opens in Kazakhstan After Years of Delays

Nuclear Energy

Two Locations Considered for Kazakhstan’s Third Nuclear Power Plant

Energy Security

Interview with Umud Shokri: Can Kazakhstan Reduce Its Dependence on Russian Oil Export Routes?

Transshipment

Opinion: A Deeper Understanding of Transshipment

Alatau City

Kazakhstan Signs Alatau City Agreements With $1.3 Billion Investment Potential

Kazakhstan has signed nine agreements with international partners in London to support the development of Alatau City in Almaty Region. The government estimates their combined investment potential at $1.3 billion. The agreements cover infrastructure construction and the development of education and healthcare. The agreements were signed at the Alatau City Investment Roundtable, which launched Kazakhstan’s European investment tour. The delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev. Representatives of more than 70 companies, banks, and investment funds attended the meeting, including JPMorgan Chase, BP, AstraZeneca, and Brookfield Asset Management. Plans under consideration include opening educational institutions in Alatau City...

Investment Funds

Kazakhstan and China Discuss $200 Million Fund for Middle Corridor

Kazakhstan and China are discussing a joint investment fund with a preliminary target of up to $200 million to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the Kazakh government said on November 2. The route, also known as the Middle Corridor, connects China and Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. It combines rail and maritime transport, offering shippers an alternative to overland routes through Russia. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin discussed the fund with Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an on the sidelines of the second Tianshan Forum for Central Asia Economic Cooperation...

Critical Minerals

Kazakhstan’s Carbon Black: Finding Value in Mining By-Products

London-listed Ferro-Alloy Resources (FAR) is developing a large vanadium deposit in Kazakhstan, as The Times of Central Asia reported in July, and operates a smaller concentrate-processing plant that recovers vanadium, molybdenum and nickel from purchased concentrates. The project could supply growing markets for vanadium and other critical materials. Beyond its core business, FAR has found additional value in by-products already present in the ore. These include its proprietary Carbon Black Substitute (CBS), a rubber-reinforcing filler that the company says is commercially viable, as well as uranium and rare earth minerals, which are not yet in the project economics and could...

Mobile Payments

Google Pay Uzbekistan Launch Enabled by Data Reforms, Executive Says

Google Pay’s launch in Uzbekistan follows changes to the country’s personal data protection rules, which have made it easier for international technology companies to enter the market, according to a senior Google executive. Doron Avni, Google’s vice president for government affairs and public policy for emerging markets, said in a LinkedIn post that replacing strict rules on storing data locally with a more flexible approach had enabled the launch. Under legislation signed on March 26, most categories of personal data can now be stored and processed abroad under certain conditions. However, biometric and genetic data, as well as data belonging...

Local Politics

Rogun Hydropower Plant

Rogun Hydropower Plant Accident Sparks Conflicting Injury Reports

A water tank ruptured in a construction tunnel at Tajikistan’s Rogun Hydropower Plant on October 21, sending water rushing toward workers below. While the authorities maintain no one was injured, witnesses have reported that more than five workers were hurt. The accident occurred inside the plant’s tunnel system, Asia-Plus reported, citing Tajikistan’s industrial safety regulator. An upper tank used to collect water ruptured, damaging a second drainage tank below it. Water from both tanks then flowed into the lower section of the tunnel, where workers from the Chinese subcontracting company Sinohydro were carrying out construction work. The regulator said none...

Republic Day

Kazakhstan Marks Republic Day as World Leaders Send Congratulations

Military Training

Kazakhstan Military Training Overhauled with New Drone Forces Planned

Language Politics

Rubio’s Remarks Reignite Debate on Russian Language in Uzbekistan

Delivery Couriers

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

State of the Nation

Tokayev Unveils $14 Billion Construction Plan in Kazakhstan State of the Nation Address

Kazakhstan plans to spend 6.5 trillion tenge (about $14.3 billion) from its National Fund on infrastructure projects by 2029 and eliminate its electricity shortage in the same period, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced in his annual State of the Nation Address on October 28. The president also outlined plans to accelerate nuclear power plant construction, expand transport routes between China and Europe, and establish a separate court for investors in the new city of Alatau. $14 Billion for Infrastructure Tokayev proposed declaring 2027 a year of large-scale construction and launching a nationwide program covering roads, airports, railway stations, and public facilities....

Public Service

Opinion: I Spent 15 Years in Government. Here Is What the State Can Learn Next

Zhandos Sabit spent more than 15 years in Kazakhstan’s public service, including the Ministry of National Economy, a regional akimat, and the Prosecutor General’s Office. He now works in the private sector. In March 2014, I went to a meeting in Astana on the development of the machine-building industry. It was held at the then Ministry of Industry and New Technologies. Officials from central and local bodies came, along with the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs and several business owners. I was there as a representative of a state body. When the entrepreneurs began to talk about problems in the industry...

Children’s Health

International Network Launched to Support Childhood Cancer Care in Uzbekistan

An international network to support children with serious and life-threatening illnesses, including cancer, was announced in Samarkand on October 21. The new initiative will bring together first ladies and spouses of heads of state. The network's establishment was announced by Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, executive vice president of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the United States and director of St. Jude Global, which works to improve childhood cancer care worldwide. Uzbekistan's First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva was named chair for a two-year term. Participants in the initiative intend to share expertise and help expand children's access to diagnosis, treatment, and quality medical...

LRT

Almaty Builds New Tram Line as Residents Question Costs and Delays

Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city with a population of more than two million, is laying tram tracks again, more than a decade after shutting down its old network. The authorities aim to open the first 18.3-kilometer light rail transit (LRT) line in December 2027. The city has allocated 61.4 billion tenge (approximately $136 million) for construction in 2026, but the authorities have yet to disclose the project's total cost. As construction closes streets and disrupts traffic, some residents are questioning why the city dismantled its old tram system only to build a new one. The Project The new line will run...

International Affairs

Oil Exports

Kazakhstan Resumes Oil Exports Through Russian Pipeline After Drone Attack

Kazakhstan resumed oil shipments through the Atyrau-Samara pipeline on November 3, a day after a drone attack on a Russian transit hub forced pumping to stop. The disruption again exposed the vulnerability of Kazakh exports to attacks on infrastructure beyond the country’s borders. The attack targeted facilities at the Samara Production and Dispatch Centre in Russia. Oil transportation stopped at 6:09 a.m. Astana time on November 2. “As of November 3, 2026, oil transportation through the Atyrau-Samara trunk pipeline is operating normally,” Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry spokesperson Assel Serikpayeva said. Pumping resumed after a technical inspection. The ministry reported no injuries....

Joint Investment Projects

Uzbekistan’s Mirziyoyev Proposes 100 Joint Projects for Turkic States

Organization of Turkic States (OTS)

Uzbek Diplomat Mirvokhid Azimov Appointed Secretary General of Organization of Turkic States

Border Demarcation

Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Border Fencing Complete in Batken, Demarcation Continues

OTS summit

OTS Summit in Ankara: Türkiye Looks to Strengthen Its Position as Central Asia Competes for Transit Routes

Defense Agreements

Russia–Azerbaijan Military Cooperation Expands Amid Baku–Ankara Tensions

Russia and Azerbaijan have signed a program to build and modernize facilities for repairing armored vehicles used by the Azerbaijani military. The agreement was announced on November 1, two days after the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit in Ankara, which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not attend amid growing tensions with Turkey. "An entire program has been signed that provides for the modernization and construction of facilities to repair armored vehicles in service with the Azerbaijani army," Dmitry Shugayev, director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told Zvezda television. Shugayev also mentioned the possibility of future deliveries of...

Trade Routes

Iranian Foreign Minister to Visit Turkmenistan, Seeking Closer Ties

Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi is leading a diplomatic and economic delegation on a visit to Turkmenistan this week, according to Iranian state media. Araghchi will travel to Ashgabat on Monday for talks with Turkmen officials on “areas of mutual interest,” reported the Islamic Republic News Agency, or IRNA. The report didn’t specify the areas, but Iran has been working to develop its relationships in Central Asia as it faces pressure because of conflict in the Middle East, Western sanctions, and disruption to its trade routes. On October 26, Araghchi and Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov spoke by phone about “continuing...

Organization of Turkic States (OTS)

Tokayev Proposes Russian Role in OTS as Aliyev Skips Ankara Summit

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed inviting Russia to cooperate with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) or granting it observer status. He made the proposal on October 30 at the summit in Ankara, where Türkiye assumed the organization's rotating chairmanship from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not attend, despite a personal invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The participants adopted the Ankara Declaration and appointed Uzbekistan's Mirvokhid Azimov as the new OTS secretary-general. Azerbaijan was represented by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Has Russia Expressed Interest in the OTS? Tokayev proposed two options for Russia's participation: cooperation through...

Water Management

Water Projects in Tajikistan: Japan Learns from a Troubled Grant

Residents of Moskva in Tajikistan’s Khatlon region reported receiving water for an average of just 10.9 hours a day in a 2017 survey, nearly four years after a Japanese-funded supply system was completed in June 2013. An external evaluation commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) gave the project a D rating, the lowest possible. Japan is now financing a new water supply system in Abdurahmoni Jomi district, also in the Khatlon region. The two projects illustrate how its approach to water supply assistance has developed, particularly in metering, utility management, and infrastructure maintenance. A Project That Met Its...

Life & Culture

News Consumption

Telegram Leads News Consumption in Uzbekistan, but Television Remains Most Trusted

Telegram channels are Uzbekistan’s most widely used news source, but television remains the most trusted, a national survey has found. The study, presented by the Mass Media Foundation in Tashkent on November 2, found that 51.6% of respondents used Telegram channels for news. Television followed at 44.6%, while 41.6% used social media. Trust followed a different pattern. Television was the most trusted source for 44.3% of respondents, compared with 11.3% for Telegram channels and 7.4% for news websites. The findings also show demand for more reliable reporting and greater attention to everyday problems. Some 41.3% of respondents said they lacked...

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Out Now

Public Apology

Sacha Baron Cohen Apologizes to Kazakhstan After Reviving Borat

Glass Bridges

Kyrgyzstan Plans Ala-Archa Glass Bridge That Could Set World Record

Children's Rights

Too Young to Be Responsible: When Children Raise Children in Uzbekistan

Museum Conservation

Central Asian Museum Experts Visit U.S. to Study Heritage Preservation

A group of museum workers and other cultural heritage specialists from Central Asia are currently in the United States to study preservation practices and exchange experiences with counterparts at the Getty Museum and other American institutions. Experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are participating in the tour, which began on October 17 and will end on November 7, according to Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Culture. It said the goal is to learn more about cultural heritage preservation, the planning and designing of exhibitions, and how to ensure the safety of museum facilities. The trip is occurring under the auspices...

Asian Film Festival

Central Asian Cinema Showcased at Asian Film Festival Barcelona

A young Kazakh couple who fake a terminal illness to raise money online are at the center of Sicko, one of several Central Asian films screened at this year's Asian Film Festival Barcelona. The festival, which concluded on November 1, also featured the award-winning Kyrgyz drama Kurak and other productions from across the region. Organized by the Spanish cultural institution Casa Asia, the festival ran from October 22 to November 1. Its program included more than 100 films from 25 countries across Asia and the Pacific. Although India was the main focus, organizers also highlighted Central Asian cinema, with productions...

Kazakh Cinema

Kazakh–Korean Action Film KESU Sets Sights on South Korean Cinemas

A Kazakh former special forces officer and a South Korean taekwondo champion find themselves on the same side when their shared mentor disappears. Their search takes them from Kazakhstan to Seoul, where they become entangled in a dangerous conflict rooted in their teacher's past. This is the story of KESU, a Kazakhstan–South Korea action film directed by Daulet Zhumabayev that opened in Kazakhstan on October 15. The film topped the country's box office during its opening weekend, earning approximately 77 million tenge ($160,000), according to Forbes Kazakhstan. The film was commissioned by the Kazakhstan Taekwondo Federation, whose president, Kudret Shamiyev,...

Book Donations

Kazakh Books Donated to Nobel Library in Stockholm

Fifteen books by 14 Kazakh writers have been donated to the Swedish Academy’s Nobel Library in Stockholm. Some of the books were published in English, German, Spanish, and Turkish. [caption id="attachment_59599" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Duisenali Alimakyn[/caption] The books were delivered by Kazakh poet and journalist Duisenali Alimakyn, who traveled to Stockholm at the invitation of the Swedish Academy to conduct research in its library and archives. Librarian Lars Ljungdahl accepted the publications. [caption id="attachment_59598" align="aligncenter" width="1220"] Librarian Lars Ljungdahl[/caption] Founded in 1901, the Nobel Library belongs to the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature. Its collection of approximately...

Justice

Extremism

Kazakhstan Detains Ten Over Alleged Plot to Change Constitutional Order

Kazakhstan's security service has detained ten people in the western city of Atyrau over an alleged plan to change the constitutional order by force. Investigators also say the suspects operated three underground educational centers for children and teenagers. The National Security Committee (KNB) announced on November 2 that the arrests took place on October 30. The operation was coordinated with the prosecutor's office, and all ten suspects were detained simultaneously. Investigators suspect the detainees of creating, leading, or participating in an extremist group. The allegations also include promoting terrorism and inciting religious discord. According to the KNB, the group sought...

School Violence

School Bullying in Kazakhstan: Prosecutors Propose New Deputies to Protect Students from Violence

Sexual Violence

Kazakh Women Share Stories of Sexual Violence Under #IAmJaneDoe Hashtag

Child Protection Laws

Uzbekistan Introduces Life Imprisonment for Rape of Children Under 14

Victim Compensation

Most Compensation for Uzbekistan’s Dok-1 Max Victims Remains Unpaid

Russia's War in Ukraine

Tajik Prisoners in Russia Say They Face Pressure to Fight in Ukraine

Tajik citizens imprisoned in the Russian city of Volgograd say they are being put under pressure to sign military contracts and fight in Ukraine, allegations which the Russian prison authorities have rejected. The prisoners are asking Tajikistan to facilitate their transfer home. Two inmates contacted Radio Ozodi, the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, on October 29. They said about 150 prisoners from Central Asia were facing pressure, including approximately 60 Tajik citizens. The outlet said it knew the men's identities but had withheld them for their safety. The men said that despite difficulties, they had obtained a mobile...

Oil Arbitration

Kashagan Arbitration: Tribunal Rejects $12 Billion in Kazakhstan’s Claims

An international arbitration tribunal has rejected approximately $12 billion in claims brought by Kazakhstan against investors in the Kashagan oil field, Bloomberg reported on October 22. Citing sources familiar with the confidential proceedings, the report said the claims concerned field development costs incurred between 2011 and 2015 and were filed after the applicable deadline. Claims concerning another $8 billion in disputed costs have been allowed to proceed. Kazakhstan had sought to exclude approximately $20 billion from the costs investors are entitled to recover through oil production. The arbitrators did not examine whether the expenses covered by the rejected claims were...

Harassment Laws

Sexual Harassment in Kazakhstan: Why Are Such Cases Difficult to Track?

A woman who said she was sexually harassed on a bus in Astana decided against going to the police because she feared she would be unable to prove what had happened. Instead, she confronted the man and photographed him. "It wasn't an accidental touch because the bus was crowded. He was groping me," she wrote on Threads. Police identified the 46-year-old man after discovering her post. A court sentenced him to ten days of administrative detention for indecent behavior on public transport. On October 13, a court in the capital had imposed the same penalty on an inDrive driver who...

Drug Smuggling

Russian Rapper Navai Detained at Kazakhstan Border on Suspicion of Drug Smuggling

Russian rapper Navai Bakirov, known professionally as Navai, was detained on October 13 while entering Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan. A Kazakh court has since ordered him held in custody as police investigate suspected drug smuggling and unlawful possession of narcotics. Police in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region said officers and border guards discovered and seized a narcotic substance during a search of his vehicle at the Korday checkpoint. They have not identified the substance or disclosed the quantity seized. Navai had performed in Bishkek the previous day as part of a Central Asian concert tour. His concert scheduled for October 14 in Astana...

Environment

Tiger Reintroduction

Kazakhstan Tiger Reintroduction: Second Amur Tiger Released into the Wild

Kazakhstan has released a second Amur tiger into the wild as part of a program to restore the big cats to Central Asia. The male, named Amur, was freed in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in southeastern Kazakhstan on October 31. The first tiger, a female named Umit, was released on July 31. According to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, she is already hunting independently and exploring her new territory. Both animals are being tracked using satellite collars. Tigers disappeared from the wild in Kazakhstan by the middle of the 20th century. Hunting contributed to their local extinction,...

Pasture Management

Kyrgyzstan Pasture Restoration Plan Includes 7,200 Kilometers of Road Repairs

Cotton Harvest

Uzbekistan Cotton Harvest Reaches 4.63 Million Tons as Water Losses Persist

Nature protection

New $8 Million Central Asia Conservation Program to Protect Rare Wildlife

Water Shortages

Uzbekistan Rejects Claims That the Amu Darya Is Drying Up

Nature Reserve

Kazakhstan Tree Planting Drive Faces Wildfires and Low Survival Rates

In late October, as firefighters battled forest fires in three regions of Kazakhstan, authorities announced a 300 million tenge (approximately $660,000) project, funded by state-owned Samruk-Kazyna, to restore pine forests in the Semey Ormany nature reserve in the country's east. The project involves planting three million pine seedlings across 762 hectares. Three years earlier, a wildfire swept through approximately 60,000 hectares of the reserve. Fourteen forestry workers died, while authorities also counted a local tractor driver who went to help fight the blaze as a 15th victim. Experts estimate that the wider ecosystem could take at least 70 years to...

National Parks

Kyrgyzstan Plans to Expand Protected Natural Areas

Kyrgyzstan plans to expand its protected natural areas under a draft strategy for 2026–2035. The expansion would bring additional high-altitude glaciers, rocky mountain areas, and state forest lands under protection. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision released the document for public consultation on October 26. An accompanying explanatory note proposes increasing protected land from 11.8% of the country’s territory to 20% by 2030 and 30% by 2035. However, another section of the strategy sets 2030 as the deadline for reaching 30%, leaving the intended timetable unclear. Kyrgyzstan’s protected natural areas currently cover approximately 2.36 million hectares. The...

Snow Leopard Conservation

Kyrgyzstan Opens Snow Leopard Research and Rehabilitation Center

A research and rehabilitation center for snow leopards, named Ak Ilbirs, opened on October 23 in Kyrgyzstan. The facility, located in the village of Ananyevo on the shores of Issyk-Kul, will study snow leopard behavior and support efforts to increase the animals' numbers. The opening coincided with International Snow Leopard Day. Russia's Republic of Tatarstan helped establish the center; its leader, Rustam Minnikhanov, attended the ceremony alongside Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev. Snow leopards inhabit mountainous regions across 12 Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the species as vulnerable, with their numbers threatened...

Air Pollution

Air Pollution in Central Asia: Why Winter Smog Persists in Almaty, Bishkek, and Tashkent

Almaty is investing 325.9 billion tenge (about $720 million) in converting a coal-fired power plant to natural gas, but the plant will continue burning coal for several more years. Bishkek is restricting certain types of coal while maintaining supplies of permitted fuel for winter. Tashkent reported lower pollution over much of the year, though early October brought a sharp increase in harmful particles. Across these three Central Asian cities, winter smog remains a problem as the heating season begins. According to World Bank estimates, concentrations of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, in major Central Asian cities frequently exceed World...

Kazakhstan Resumes Oil Exports Through Russian Pipeline After Drone Attack

Latest

Features

Features

New NATO Base Rumours, Organised OTS Opposition, and the Future of Kazakh-Turkish Ties

Latest

Dastan: Turkmenistan Takes to the Desert in Rally Cars

New NATO Base Rumours, Organised OTS Opposition, and the Future of Kazakh-Turkish Ties

Dastan: Turkmenistan Takes to the Desert in Rally Cars

Opinions

Opinions

Daniel A. Witt

Viorel Gutu

Zhandos Sabit

Eric Rudenshiold & S. Frederick Starr

Zabikhulla Saipov

Issatay Minuarov

Timur Serikuly

Javier M. Piedra

Mathieu Lemoine

Timur Serikuly

Zamirbek Minbaev

Askar Alimzhanov

Business & Economy

Business & Economy

Food Spending in Kazakhstan Tops Half of Consumer Budgets

Kazakhstan Signs Alatau City Agreements With $1.3 Billion Investment Potential

Kazakhstan and China Discuss $200 Million Fund for Middle Corridor

Kazakhstan’s Carbon Black: Finding Value in Mining By-Products

Google Pay Uzbekistan Launch Enabled by Data Reforms, Executive Says

Local Politics

Local Politics

Rogun Hydropower Plant Accident Sparks Conflicting Injury Reports

Tokayev Unveils $14 Billion Construction Plan in Kazakhstan State of the Nation Address

Opinion: I Spent 15 Years in Government. Here Is What the State Can Learn Next

International Network Launched to Support Childhood Cancer Care in Uzbekistan

Almaty Builds New Tram Line as Residents Question Costs and Delays

International Affairs

International Affairs

Kazakhstan Resumes Oil Exports Through Russian Pipeline After Drone Attack

Russia–Azerbaijan Military Cooperation Expands Amid Baku–Ankara Tensions

Iranian Foreign Minister to Visit Turkmenistan, Seeking Closer Ties

Tokayev Proposes Russian Role in OTS as Aliyev Skips Ankara Summit

Water Projects in Tajikistan: Japan Learns from a Troubled Grant

Life & Culture

Life & Culture

Telegram Leads News Consumption in Uzbekistan, but Television Remains Most Trusted

Central Asian Museum Experts Visit U.S. to Study Heritage Preservation

Central Asian Cinema Showcased at Asian Film Festival Barcelona

Kazakh–Korean Action Film KESU Sets Sights on South Korean Cinemas

Kazakh Books Donated to Nobel Library in Stockholm

Justice

Justice

Kazakhstan Detains Ten Over Alleged Plot to Change Constitutional Order