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Exactly 250 years ago, on July 4, 1776, as the Second Continental Congress adopted the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Ablai Khan was navigating a treacherous political landscape to preserve the sovereignty of the Kazakh Khanate between the rival Russian and Qing empires.

To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, Qalam revisited the journals of the first American travelers who ventured into the Great Steppe, leaving behind vivid — if sometimes biased — accounts of a world on the brink of profound transformation. These early narratives, ranging from the observations of commercial agents to the reports...

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States should seek to host another FIFA World Cup on its own rather than alongside Canada and Mexico, and suggested China could serve as a future co-host.

According to the Associated Press, Trump made the remarks during a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in New York ahead of the 2026 World Cup final.

“You should choose the United States of America again. This time, we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out. I was very nice to get them in,” Trump said.

Trump...

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has strengthened its European leadership team by appointing former Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to a senior position, CarNewsChina reported. Szijjártó announced the move on his Facebook page.

Hungary remains a key European hub

Szijjártó, 47, served in Hungary’s parliament for more than two decades and was the country’s minister of foreign affairs and trade from 2014 until May 2026. After leaving government, he joined the Chinese automaker.

The appointment underscores the close ties between Hungary and China’s automotive industry. Hungary has become BYD’s main European...

For the first time in history, all World Cup champions will receive individual rings from FIFA, according to the governing body’s official website. Replica rings will also be available for sale.

The initiative is based on a tradition in American professional sports leagues such as the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.

One side of the handcrafted ring is engraved with the World Cup trophy, while the other features the winning team’s emblem.

The winning team will receive 30 rings, while another 1,996 will be available for purchase as officially licensed 2026 FIFA World Cup merchandise. Each...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.

Hun Manet expressed Phnom Penh’s interest in strengthening ties with Kazakhstan and invited Tokayev to visit Cambodia at his convenience.

In response, Tokayev said Kazakhstan is ready to increase direct exports of grain, mineral fertilizers and other agricultural products to Cambodia. He also identified logistics, the textile and food industries, construction and tourism as promising areas for bilateral cooperation.

Tokayev also offered to share Kazakhstan’s GovTech expertise with Cambodia, noting that the country ranks among the top...

Raushan Kudaibergen, the younger sister of renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen, took part in his brother’s challenge. Kursiv LifeStyle shares where she filmed the video and how the artist reacted.

The entrepreneur supported Qudaibergen’s contest, in which fans are invited to film themselves dancing to Dimash’s new song “Aqerke” and upload the video to social media. The video with the most views will win, and its creator will appear in the singer’s next music video.

«I’m not taking part in the contest — I’m not a dancer — but it’s my duty...

American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is set to play his first major public concert in Kazakhstan. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at what is currently known about the event.

According to Kazakh blogger Beibit Alibekov, the show will take place at Central Stadium in Almaty on Aug. 14, 2026. The organizing company, First Media Group, promised to reveal the details later.

Ahead of elections to the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s new parliament, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has gathered experts in Almaty to discuss the country’s future. At the «Kurultai: the Foundation of a New Legislative Architecture» expert platform, panelists discussed the sweeping changes ahead for the country’s political system.

Remarks by Assem Bolatzhan, head of the Women in Tech Kazakhstan community, particularly resonated with the audience. She called for moving beyond a formal «quota report» and instead assessing the real political influence women hold within the new governing body.

Quotas...

Four venues from Almaty made it onto The World’s 50 Best Discovery, a guide highlighting restaurants, bars and hotels worth travelers’ attention worldwide. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at the venues that made the prestigious list.

Concept-driven restaurant and bar Cece, along with the bars Domashniy, Yellow Door and French 42, received recognition.

The World’s 50 Best Discovery is a guide by the creators of one of the world’s most renowned restaurant rankings, The World’s 50 Best, featuring venues recommended by industry experts, including chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders, critics and journalists.

For Arina Nikolskaya, who promotes Kazakhstani...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice says the country is not obligated to comply with an interim ruling issued by the U.N. Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) arbitration tribunal. As a result, shareholders in the Kashagan consortium could still be required to pay a 2.3 trillion tenge environmental fine, along with an enforcement fee equal to 10% of the amount if payment is not made on time.

The case stemmed from a 2022 fine imposed by Kazakh authorities over excessive sulfur storage at the field. Kashagan’s high-sulfur crude requires safe processing and removal...

Bryan Johnson, the American entrepreneur and biohacker behind the Blueprint longevity project, said he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis, a chronic condition in which the immune system attacks the stomach lining.

Johnson said the disease had been developing unnoticed for years. According to People, the only warning sign was persistently low iron levels that failed to improve despite a healthy diet and extensive vitamin supplementation. Doctors ultimately identified the condition after conducting a comprehensive evaluation, including a stomach biopsy.

Further testing confirmed that Johnson’s immune system was attacking his stomach cells, leading to the diagnosis...

Norway has reached the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time, thanks in large part to Erling Haaland, whose goals have helped propel the national team to a historic run. With his prolific scoring and global star power, the 25-year-old striker has cemented his place among football’s elite and emerged as this year’s “It Boy.”

Tatler Kazakhstan examines the cultural phenomenon surrounding the Norwegian football star.

Athletic roots

Haaland was born into a family of accomplished athletes. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was a professional footballer who not only inspired his son’s passion for the...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare has proposed new rules for purchasing medical equipment using budget funds and the Compulsory Medical Insurance System (CMIS). The key change would allow hospitals to purchase equipment directly from manufacturers through financial leasing. The draft regulation has been published on the Legalacts.egov.kz portal.

According to the agency’s explanatory note, purchasing medical equipment directly from manufacturers through financial leasing “will ensure that healthcare organizations receive the necessary equipment to meet three years’ worth of needs during the first year.”

Lower threshold for expert review

The proposed regulation would also lower the threshold for mandatory...

The Latin American fan clubs of renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen held the Dears for Venezuela campaign. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at how the funds raised to help earthquake victims were used.

Seven of Dimash’s fan clubs from Latin American countries, along with representatives of various K-pop communities, took part in the campaign.

Using the funds raised, volunteers in Venezuela purchased medicines, deodorant, toothpaste and other personal hygiene products, drinking water and nonperishable food. The supplies were distributed to hospitals and the families most affected by the earthquake.

Context

On June 24, Venezuela was...

Kazakhstan recorded its highest number of newly registered legal entities in nearly three years. In June alone, the justice authorities registered around 4,500 new companies, the highest monthly figure since November 2022, according to the Data Hub Telegram channel.

Compared with May 2026, the number of newly registered entities increased by 31%, while the year-on-year increase reached 44%, according to calculations based on data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics.

Companies with foreign ownership were behind much of the growth. Their number rose by 49% month-on-month and by 320% compared with June last year, reaching a...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has arrived in China on a working visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Speaking during a roundtable with representatives of leading Chinese companies, Tokayev thanked China’s leadership and described the strategic partnership between the two countries as comprehensive and enduring.

«Our bilateral ties have risen to an unprecedented level. Together, we have entered a new ‘golden thirty years’ of Kazakh-Chinese relations,» he stated.

According to Tokayev, the peoples of Kazakhstan and China are united by mutual trust, sincere friendship and a shared vision for the future. He added...

Greek company Desserta Hellas is considering establishing cheese and other dairy production facilities in Kazakhstan. The government is ready to support the project.

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov discussed the proposed production project with the company’s executives, Athanasios Platanias and Josef Braunshofer.

The talks focused on the prospects for implementing an investment project to establish cheese and dairy production in Kazakhstan. Desserta Hellas representatives reaffirmed their interest in establishing a production facility and long-term cooperation with Kazakh partners.

During the meeting, the sides also discussed the state of Kazakhstan’s dairy industry, the availability of raw...

Norway’s national football team striker Erling Haaland attended the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria show with his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at how the popular footballer is connected to the fashion world.

The couple attended the event in Sicily, where scenes from «The Godfather» were filmed. The athlete wore a Dolce & Gabbana look featuring cream-colored trousers and a brooch, while Johansen wore a semi-transparent dress with a plunging neckline embellished with teardrop-shaped beads.

Starting July 18, provisions will enter into force establishing the digital tenge as a digital form of the national currency and recognizing it as legal tender. The relevant provisions are set out in a law on issues concerning the regulation and development of the financial market, communications and bankruptcy.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan will have the exclusive authority to issue, put into circulation and redeem digital tenge. All digital tenge transactions will be processed through the National Bank’s digital tenge platform.

A digital account will be opened upon the customer’s application...

British singer PinkPantheress is set to make her feature film debut after joining the cast of a new, untitled project from filmmaking duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as the Daniels, the Oscar-winning directors of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

PinkPantheress has joined the cast of the upcoming Universal Pictures film, which remains shrouded in secrecy. The ensemble also includes Matt Damon, Sandra Oh, Charles Melton, Michael Gandolfini, and several other actors.

For the 25-year-old singer, whose real name is Victoria Walker, the project marks her first feature film role.

PinkPantheress rose...

The foundational identity of modern Kazakhstan is being rewritten to emphasize its deep roots in the medieval Ulus of Jochi, better known as the Golden Horde. Zhaksylyk Sabitov, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ulus of Jochi, detailed this historical continuity in a recent interview to Kazpravda, noting that the nation’s new Constitution now legally recognizes the traditions of the “Great Steppe” as the cornerstone of its independence. This legal shift asserts a direct lineage from nomadic empires and the Golden Horde to the modern Kazakh state.

A medieval...

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway operator and a subsidiary of Samruk-Kazyna, plans to list its common shares and global depositary receipts (GDRs) on the Astana International Exchange (AIX), the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), according to a document the company published following its June 29 shareholders’ meeting.

Charter updated for Hong Kong listing

At the meeting, Samruk-Kazyna approved a revised version of KTZ’s charter, replacing the previous version adopted on May 27, 2022.

According to the document, the updated charter incorporates the listing requirements of the HKEX. The company’s...

East Kaz Alloys plans to conduct geological exploration for chromium ore at the Saburkhan-3 site in the Zharma district of Kazakhstan’s Abai region.

“The site is located 160 kilometers southeast of the regional center, Semey, and 9 kilometers from the district center, the village of Kalbatau… The work will focus on chromium exploration within the Charsky ultramafic belt,” according to planning documents reviewed by Kursiv.media.

Exploration plan

The exploration area covers 49 blocks totaling 59.9 square kilometers. East Kaz Alloys received its exploration license on Nov. 4, 2022.

The company plans to excavate...

“Spider-Man” star Tom Holland revealed that he once decided to message Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland, but the striker ghosted him. The actor shared the funny story during an appearance on «The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.»

Holland said he saw the Norwegian forward at the Monaco Grand Prix in June and decided to «shoot his shot.»

«That is exactly the type of humbling experience that is important for actors. You know, you are like: ‘I’ll text him, I’ll take him to dinner.’ Not even a response,» Holland said.

The actor noted...