News

Havaş, a subsidiary of TAV Airports — the Turkish airport operator and majority owner of Almaty International Airport — continues to service flights at Antalya Airport for Ural Airlines, a Russian aiine sanctioned by the European Union, the Financial Times reported.

The EU added the airline to its sanctions list in June 2024. Subsequently, Brussels introduced a requirement for companies in the sector to ensure that their non-EU entities do not undermine sanctions imposed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Citing European Commission guidelines, the bloc said it could take legal action against non-compliant companies.

TAV Airports is partly...

French automaker Citroën has reimagined one of its most iconic models, unveiling the 2 CV Concept, a compact electric car inspired by the original, at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, according to a company press release.

Citroën said the concept was primarily designed as a small, futuristic car that combines minimalist design with practicality. It draws inspiration from the original 2 CV, unveiled at the 1948 Paris Motor Show. Initially designed as a practical, affordable car, it became an icon thanks to its versatility, earning a reputation as a reliable workhorse.

The new concept is...

A new island was recently discovered in the Caspian Sea off Kazakhstan’s coast. It wasn’t created by a volcano or an earthquake but by a dangerous trend: the sea is getting shallower. Scientists have little doubt that the body of water will continue to recede, putting the local ecosystem, shipping and coastal infrastructure at risk.

The new landmass was spotted near Kulaly Island during an aerial survey of the Caspian Sea. According to Daniyar Akimzhanov, an environmentalist who took part in the expedition, it’s not an isolated incident. Over the past five years, scientists have reported the emergence of...

A telemedicine center has been launched at the Mangystau Regional Multidisciplinary Hospital with the cooperation of South Korea, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare reported.

The project will enable online consultations with doctors in Kazakhstan and abroad, as well as AI-assisted disease diagnosis.

The center was opened as part of the international symposium AI-Powered Smart Telemedicine: Republic of Korea-Kazakhstan, held in Aktau. South Korean partners also handed over equipment for the telemedicine office.

What technologies will be used?

The new center is expected to be equipped with AI-powered systems for the early detection of various diseases.

The...

On Oct. 11, the number of taxi and delivery orders placed through inDrive in Kazakhstan nearly tripled amid a major outage affecting Yandex Go. To handle the surge in demand and curb rising fares, inDrive lowered its commission and stepped up efforts to recruit new drivers, according to Arsen Tomsky, inDrive’s founder and CEO.

Writing on Threads, Tomsky said demand surged on Sunday morning. Within just a few hours, users placed nearly three times as many orders as usual. Due to a shortage of available vehicles, fares rose noticeably in some areas.

In response, inDrive lowered its driver...

American rapper Soulja Boy has hinted that he could run for U.S. president in 2028. He posted the slogan «SOULJA BOY 2028» on Instagram and named the issues he would prioritize. It seems the artist has decided that his music career alone is no longer enough to make bold statements. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at what the rapper is up to and which of his counterparts have tried to get into the White House.

In his post, Soulja Boy described a potential presidential run as a «new chapter» in his career. He identified economic opportunity, criminal justice...

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was «clear» that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He is the first British prime minister to make such a claim publicly, the BBC reported.

Speaking to «The Rest Is Politics» podcast, Burnham said he had asked about possible Russian interference after taking office this summer and was told that it had occurred. He did not provide details about the nature or extent of the alleged interference.

Burnham also said the U.K. had not done enough to inform the public about attempts by foreign actors to disrupt political processes. He said...

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka and Russia’s Mirra Andreeva occupy the top three spots in the latest WTA rankings.

Despite early exits at the 2026 China Open, Rybakina and Sabalenka retained their first and second places, respectively. Rybakina lost her opening match, while Sabalenka was eliminated in the second round. Meanwhile, Andreeva climbed to a career-high world No. 3.

The 19-year-old Russian reached the final of the 2026 China Open, where she lost to Qinwen Zheng, 5-7, 4-6. Andreeva, who won the 2026 French Open, earned enough ranking points in Beijing to overtake Jessica Pegula

In January-July 2026, new passenger cars and other motor vehicles accounted for 3.2% of Kazakhstan’s total imports. Kursiv.media examined the countries from which Kazakhstan imported these vehicles.

Chinese vehicles dominate imports

During the seven-month period, 153,600 passenger cars were imported into Kazakhstan. The majority came from China, which supplied 120,100 vehicles, or approximately 78% of the total. In value terms, Chinese vehicle imports amounted to $489.1 million.

Millennials had barely moved past the word “niche” when social media was suddenly flooded with the concept of “aura” — something every teenager now seems to be chasing. Kursiv LifeStyle breaks down what “aura farming” is and how viral social media moments have helped fuel the trend.

What is aura farming?

“Aura farming” is the deliberate attempt to cultivate an image of oneself as confident, cool or simply attention-grabbing. “Aura” refers to a perceived measure of a person’s charisma, while “farming” implies the act of growing or harvesting something. In the language of younger generations, this means...

California-based startup Atoco has developed a system that extracts water directly from the air. The device can collect up to 300 liters per day, even at humidity levels as low as 13%, using only low-temperature heat to release the moisture. The company was founded by chemist Omar Yaghi, who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The technology relies on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), porous materials that act like sponges to capture water molecules from the air. Their internal surface area is enormous: the combined surface area of the pores in just one gram of the...

«Digger,» a new film starring Tom Cruise, is now showing in Kazakhstan. In it, the actor steps away from his familiar action-star persona. One of the year’s most anticipated releases, the film has received a mixed-to-negative response from Western critics. After failing to make the Venice Film Festival lineup despite speculation that it would screen there, it is now facing an uphill battle for awards recognition.

Cruise had previously been considered a potential contender for the Oscar for best actor. The film has also stumbled at the box office, raising concerns about its commercial performance for Warner...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev personally welcomed King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at Astana International Airport on Sunday as the royal couple arrived for a state visit scheduled to run through Oct. 14.

Kazakh Air Force fighter jets escorted the royal aircraft from the moment it entered the country’s airspace until it reached the capital’s airport.

A guard of honor and the presidential orchestra were on the tarmac for the ceremonial welcome.

The visit program includes a meeting of the Kazakhstan-Belgium Business Council and a forum bringing together university rectors from the two countries, along with other official events.

The International Judo Federation (IJF) flag has been officially handed over to Kazakhstan, which will host the next World Judo Championships.

The ceremony took place during the ongoing championships in Baku, with IJF Secretary General Lisa Allan presenting the flag to Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev, president of the Kazakhstan Judo Federation.

The 2027 World Judo Championships are scheduled for June 7-14 in Astana and will be an important stage in the qualification process for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Athletes will compete for ranking points that contribute to Olympic qualification.

Yessekeyev said hosting the tournament was a...

Forbes Kazakhstan has published its updated ranking of the 50 most influential businessmen in Kazakhstan. Vyacheslav Kim has overtaken Bulat Utemuratov for the No. 1 spot.

The ranking is based not only on business activity but also on public and philanthropic efforts of the country’s most prominent and active businessmen.

Read also: Visualizing Kazakhstan’s dollar billionaires: Who joined the global elite?

Vyacheslav Kim returns to No. 1

Vyacheslav Kim, co-owner of Kaspi.kz and owner of Alatau City Bank, has returned to the top of...

Bloomsbury Publishing will release two new books set in the «Harry Potter» universe in February 2027. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at who the new books will be dedicated to.

The two titles belong to the Pocket Potters series, which is aimed primarily at a younger audience. They center on three characters from the Harry Potter universe: Professor Minerva McGonagall and Weasley twins Fred and George.

«Pocket Potters: Fred and George» covers the Weasley twins’ time at Hogwarts, from their pranks and inventions to opening the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop in Diagon Alley. Helen Brady provides the illustrations.

The second book...

In a bid to reduce fuel consumption, many drivers resort to simple tricks, such as shifting into neutral while driving, overinflating their tires or following trucks closely. However, these methods offer minimal savings at best and can add costs or create safety risks. Andrey Kuzin, head of a Fit Service branch, commented on some common fuel-saving tricks.

Neutral gear doesn’t save fuel

In modern cars, the engine control unit can cut off the fuel supply almost completely when the car is in gear and the accelerator pedal is released. In neutral, the engine continues to idle and consume fuel.

The famous red-and-black jacket Michael Jackson wore in the «Thriller» music video will go up for auction as part of a sale, dedicated to the King of Pop. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at how much the iconic item could fetch.

Julien’s Auctions will hold the auction in Abu Dhabi from Dec. 7 to 9. Along with the jacket, the lots include shoes the artist wore in the «Thriller» music video, as well as a glove and loafers worn during the Motown 25 television special, which aired in 1983 and featured Jackson performing his iconic moonwalk for the...

Visitors from China spent an average of about 467,000 tenge (approximately $1,040) during trips to Kazakhstan, compared with about 161,000 tenge for visitors from Russia. A significant share of Chinese visitors’ spending went toward international transportation, according to data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics (BNS).

According to a sample survey of inbound visitors covering January-July 2026, the total expenditure of 763 visitors from China amounted to 356.3 million tenge. The average expenditure per person was around 467,000 tenge (approximately $1,040).

For comparison, 12,757 surveyed visitors from Russia spent 2.05 billion tenge in total. Spending per...

The Almaty Air Initiative foundation conducted an experiment in Almaty to demonstrate how air pollution can enter the human body.

Five volunteers participated in the experiment. They arrived at a laboratory in the morning, where researchers took initial blood samples. The participants then walked along busy streets within the area bounded by Satpayev, Zharokov, Abai and Rozybakiyev streets.

Two volunteers wore KN95 respirators during the walk, while the others went without masks. A sensor recorded PM2.5 concentrations of 10-15 micrograms per cubic meter during the walk.

Upon their return, researchers took additional blood samples and examined them...

Paris Fashion Week has concluded with the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2027 collection show, held inside the Louvre. The event drew a host of global celebrities, including Zendaya, Sophie Turner, Chloë Grace Moretz, Emma Stone, Lisa of Blackpink and Brigitte Macron, among others.

France’s first lady attracted particular attention. Macron is a regular guest at Louis Vuitton shows and has longstanding ties to the fashion house. She also shared a warm moment with the brand’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière.

Zendaya repeats a Louis Vuitton look

Zendaya was one of the most talked-about...

Tether, the issuer of USDT, the world’s most widely used stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, has signed an agreement with the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the administration of the city of Alatau, Kazakhstan’s new flagship megaproject. The parties have agreed to explore the possibility of launching a stablecoin pegged to the Kazakh tenge, according to a company statement.

The agreement calls for the parties to study international experience with stablecoin issuance and identify potential use cases in Kazakhstan. A key area of focus will be developing a concept and pilot project for a stablecoin pegged to...

Rachel Ojuromi, a 22-year-old Nigerian, became a Chanel model after spending months filming fashion videos on the streets of Lagos. She assembled outfits from secondhand finds and her own clothes, eventually recreating a specific Chanel look. Kursiv LifeStyle tells the story of how the internet helped her land a spot in one of the world’s most famous fashion shows.

From Lagos to the Chanel runway

The Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 show took place Oct. 5 at the Grand Palais during Paris Fashion Week. Creative Director Matthieu Blazy presented a new collection featuring...

Turlov Private Holding Ltd. (TPH), which consolidates businessman Timur Turlov’s private investments, will focus on developing its existing assets, CEO Olga Baskakova said. Key priorities include establishing an air cargo hub in Karaganda, building a $500 million data center in Astana and developing various industrial enterprises. Baskakova spoke about the group’s strategy at a press breakfast on Oct. 8.

Turlov’s private holding invests in sectors such as mining, transport, logistics, aviation, technology, media, education and sports. Its portfolio includes more than 60 companies. Unlike the publicly traded Freedom Holding Corp., TPH focuses primarily on long-term strategic investments, including capital-intensive projects.