Page 71 – The Times Of Central Asia

24 Oct 2025

Cultural Heritage, Central Asia, Home, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Home

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina Qualifies for WTA Finals with Japan Win

October 24, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has secured the last available spot in the WTA Tour Finals after a win over Victoria Mboko in Tokyo.

Rybakina defeated the Canadian 6-3, 7-6 (4) with big serves and powerful groundstrokes on Friday, reaching the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open and qualifying for the elite yearend event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eight singles players as well as doubles teams will compete in the November 1-8 WTA finals.

Russia-born Rybakina, 26, has won two tournaments this season and will appear in the WTA finals for the third year in a row. She was Wimbledon champion in 2022.

“She has such easy power and she moves well. The serve is a killer. She has all the shots and she’s proven she can win on any surface,” Martina Navratilova, who won the tour championships eight times, said in comments posted on the WTA website.

“If I were her, I’d work on the slice more, just to change things up. Mix in more drop shots off both wings so she can knife the ball and keep opponents guessing. It’s hard to tell sometimes what she’s thinking on court — she has a serious game face — but with the way she’s been playing in Asia, you can’t count her out. She’s playing as well as she has all season.”

Rybakina, ranked seventh in the world, now has a 2-1 record against 19-year-old Mboko. She beat the Canadian in the round of 16 in Washington, D.C. in July but lost to her in a third-set tiebreaker in the Montreal semifinals in August.

“She was serving so well that it was very difficult,” Rybakina said in an on-court interview after the Tokyo match. The Kazakhstani player saved a set point in the tight second set.

The other players who have qualified for the WTA finals are world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini. Gauff won the event last year.

24 Oct 2025

Environment, Uzbekistan Environment, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s Green Energy Output Hits 9 Billion kWh in 2025

October 24, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

Uzbekistan’s solar and wind power plants generated a record 9 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Energy on October 22.

The milestone reflects the country’s growing commitment to renewable energy and aligns with the strategic goals outlined by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his addresses to the 78th and 80th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. Uzbekistan aims to adapt its economy to climate change, achieve carbon neutrality, and expand the share of renewables in its energy mix.

The country currently operates 12 solar photovoltaic plants and five wind farms with a combined capacity of 4,682 megawatts. These facilities have saved approximately 2.73 billion cubic meters of natural gas and prevented the emission of nearly 4 million tons of pollutants.

As of October 22, total electricity generation from hydro, solar, and wind sources reached 14.52 billion kWh for the year. Renewable energy now accounts for about 23% of Uzbekistan’s total electricity output.

Officials estimate that the 9 billion kWh produced by solar and wind facilities alone could meet ten months of electricity demand for 7.5 million households or provide a full year’s supply for 6 million homes. The figure highlights the country’s accelerating transition toward a more sustainable energy future.

24 Oct 2025

Home, Central Asia, Tajikistan Life & Culture, Life & Culture, Tajikistan, Tajikistan Home

Dinosaur Skull Fragment Unearthed in Tajikistan Could Signal Discovery of New Species

October 24, 2025
By Vagit Ismailov

Paleontologists from St. Petersburg State University have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved fragment of a duck-billed dinosaur skull in Tajikistan, a rare and potentially groundbreaking find for the region.

According to scientists, the skull fragment is in near-perfect condition, allowing for precise classification. Experts believe the discovery could lead to the identification of a previously unknown genus of dinosaurs. Russian researchers are now conducting a comparative analysis, examining the specimen alongside collections from other countries.

The dinosaur belongs to the hadrosaur family, a group known for their distinctive elongated, duck-like snouts. These herbivorous reptiles lived during the late Cretaceous period. Researchers say the find may offer new insights into the evolutionary history of dinosaurs in Central Asia.

Tajikistan is emerging as a key site for the study of the Cretaceous era. In a previous discovery near the village of Kansai in the Sughd region, paleontologists unearthed dinosaur remains estimated to be around 85 million years old. The area, often described as a “chronicle of the ancient world,” has yielded fossils not only of dinosaurs but also of turtles, crocodiles, amphibians, and ancient fish.

Kansai has long been on the scientific map. In the 1960s and 1980s, expeditions led by the renowned Soviet paleontologist Anatoly Rozhdestvensky explored the region extensively. His team identified several new species, including therizinosaurs. One of the most notable finds from that era was a nearly complete femur of a therizinosaur.

Many of these rare specimens are now housed in the History and Local Lore Museum of the Sogdian Region, which attracts visitors with its collection of prehistoric fossils and other ancient artifacts.

Among the museum’s standout items is the jawbone of a southern elephant, estimated to be 2.5 million years old. It was discovered on the shore of the Kayrakkum Reservoir in 2013. According to museum director Mansur Boimatov, similar remains were first uncovered in 1978. At that time, local artisans created a bas-relief of the elephant, which was later installed in the Khujand Museum.

24 Oct 2025

Justice, Kazakhstan Justice, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan to Integrate AI into Lawmaking Process

October 24, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan’s government is preparing to introduce an artificial intelligence–powered assistant to support the development of regulatory legal acts. The intelligent system will analyze international legal practices, monitor developments, and verify that draft laws comply with the Constitution, Vice Minister of Justice Bekbolat Moldabekov announced at a recent briefing.

The initiative builds on a broader digitalization agenda already underway at the Ministry of Justice. For instance, an automated legal advisor operates around the clock on the adilet.zan.kz portal, helping to reduce the workload of legal personnel and providing the public with free access to legal information.

Since August 2023, the ministry has also operated the Digital Bailiff program, which automatically initiates and processes enforcement proceedings without human intervention. The system has already saved citizens more than $4 million by eliminating fees of up to 25% that were previously charged by private bailiffs.

“The next step will be the introduction of a smart assistant that will provide expert support during the drafting of laws,” Moldabekov said. “It will become a full-fledged participant in the rulemaking process, improving the quality, coherence, and legal stability of legislation.”

The Digital Bailiff system is expected to be upgraded with AI algorithms to track case progress, notify citizens, and assist with complaints related to enforcement actions. For bailiffs, an intelligent assistant has been launched to monitor deadlines, ensure procedural compliance, and identify errors or inaction.

Digital transformation efforts also extend to notarial services. As part of the Digital Notary program, more than 520,000 online services have already been delivered.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia to appoint a neural network to the board of directors of the state sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna.

24 Oct 2025

Home, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan

In The Kitchen: A Reflection of Taste and Art, Savoring the Color of Flavor

October 24, 2025
By Ola Fiedorczuk

In the culinary world, all eyes have turned towards Almaty, as the city becomes the stage for In the Kitchen: Anniversary Edition, an international project uniting haute cuisine and contemporary art. This year’s edition centers on Austrian conceptual artist Norbert Brunner-Lienz, whose work explores how language and reflection shape perception, turning words and images into immersive experiences.

At Laureate Grand Café, his installation has become the heart of a three-night gastro-performance. Mirrored surfaces invite guests to see themselves within the art, blurring the line between viewer and participant. Each reflection reveals the unseen link between seeing and being seen, transforming perception into part of the artwork. Light and meaning shift with every glance.

Image: Ilyas Otan

Brunner, who lives and works between Vienna and New York, is personally presenting the project in Almaty, with guests having the opportunity to meet him, learn about his creative philosophy, and experience how his art connects the visual, linguistic, and culinary worlds.

The gastronomic performance is led by Michelin-starred twin chefs Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon from The Chedi Andermatt in Switzerland. Inspired by the Japanese concept of ichi-go ichi-e, the art of treasuring each unrepeatable moment, their menu transforms dining into a multisensory journey. Completing the team is Yoshiko Sato, pastry chef at The Japanese (two MICHELIN stars), celebrated for desserts that balance technical mastery with grace and feeling.

Image: Ilyas Otan

Education plays a key role in this edition. Students from Almaty Technological University (ATU) will attend free masterclasses with the Michelin-starred chefs. Workshops are being held at both the Laureate Grand Café and ATU, giving young chefs direct access to the world of haute cuisine.

Among the special guests are Giliola Masseroni, owner of Gioielleria Maison “Giglio” in Cremona, Italy; Olga Daniele, founder of 365 ART in Switzerland; and Ainur Akhmetova, founder of Laureate Grand Café and co-founder of In the Kitchen.

Olga Daniele imagined In the Kitchen as a dialogue between art and gastronomy, where creative thought is served alongside taste and texture. In collaboration with Ainur Akhmetova, she brings this vision to Kazakhstan, weaving together good food with art to create an experience that speaks to all the senses.

Image: Ilyas Otan

Their partnership rethinks how we encounter art and eating: not as separate disciplines, but as intertwined forms of expression that reveal how creation lives in every brush stroke, flavour, and idea. A forthcoming book of culinary art will capture this collaboration, inviting readers to engage with these themes further.

In the Kitchen: Anniversary Edition unfolds as a shared act of creation, where food becomes a language and creativity takes shape in the exchange between those who make and those who taste. The event will be held at the Laureate Grand Café, 85 Bogenbai Batyr St., Almaty, from October 23–25, 2025.

24 Oct 2025

Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

National Bank of Kyrgyzstan Reports Profit Surge in 2025

October 24, 2025
By Anton Chipegin

The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR), the country’s central bank, reported a net profit of 33.2 billion soms (about $380.7 million) for the first nine months of 2025, nearly 13 times higher than in the same period last year. The sharp increase was driven by gains from monetary gold transactions, the revaluation of foreign currency reserves, and overall asset appreciation.

According to the central bank, gold now accounts for around $5 billion of its total assets, a 2.5-fold rise from 2024. Gold holdings currently represent about half of the NBKR’s total assets. Officials attributed the growth to the bank’s risk-diversification strategy and higher global gold prices.

The NBKR also reported a rise in household investment in government securities, reflecting stronger public confidence in domestic financial instruments.

While the overall asset structure remains stable, several notable shifts have occurred. The volume of nonmonetary gold and bullion has declined to $1.1 billion, reflecting strong demand from the jewelry industry and increased gold exports. Gold continues to be a key contributor to Kyrgyzstan’s export portfolio.

The commercial banking sector is also expanding. The total loan portfolio reached $2 billion, up from $1.5 billion a year earlier.

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan’s GDP grew by 11.5% in January–July 2025, supported by strong investment in finance, manufacturing, and construction. Construction firms have been borrowing more from local banks, which are expanding lending to meet rising demand from businesses.