Latest news in Kazakhstan? September 18th, 2026

Sports & Asian Games

• Kazakh modern pentathletes Tikhon Varekhin and Temirlan Abdraimov advanced to the men’s individual modern pentathlon final at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, joining women’s qualifiers Ayana Kazbekova, Yuliana Petrova, and Diana Chshedrova.

  Qazinform

Diplomacy & International Relations

• Kazakhstan formally acceded to the UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies.

  qazinform.com

• A new municipal sister-city partnership was proposed between Kazakhstan and the Belgian city of Visé to boost cultural and regional ties.

  www.trend.az

• Following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent state visit to Seoul, follow-up bilateral economic frameworks are being drafted to implement $19 billion in joint agreements focused on critical minerals, energy, and AI infrastructure.

  The Astana Times

Finance & Technology

• Astana and Almaty recorded improved positions in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) rankings, following the conclusion of Astana Finance Days.

  qazinform.com

• The National Bank advanced its 65-measure digital asset rollout, which includes a $60 million pilot to tokenize logistics and real estate assets in Alatau City.

  The Astana Times

• Astana wrapped up hosting the inaugural Astana AI Film Festival (AAIFF), which drew over 8,000 entries globally and distributed a $1 million competitive prize pool.

  Anadolu Ajansı

Local Incidents

• A moderate magnitude 4.3 earthquake occurred along the Kazakhstan–Xinjiang border region in the early afternoon, with no immediate casualties reported.

  Volcano Discovery