News

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources said the country will hold large-scale environmental cleanup events on Sept. 19 as part of World Cleanup Day activities.

Scope

Volunteers, young people, residents, government officials and business employees will take part in cleanups of parks, public gardens, waterfronts and other recreational areas.

Locations

Cleanup events will be held across all regions of Kazakhstan. In Astana, for example, the campaign will be part of an environmental month running from Sept. 12 to Oct. 10. In the Turkestan region, cleanups will be combined with tree planting.

The ministry...

Tin One Mining, a subsidiary of Solidcore Resources plc, Kazakhstan’s major gold producer, plans to begin ore extraction at the Syrymbet tin deposit in the North Kazakhstan region in 2027, according to the Committee for Environmental Regulation and Control (CERC).

Production to begin in 2027

Under the revised plan, the company is expected to extract 1,100 tons of ore in 2027. Previously, production was scheduled to begin in 2028.

«Syrymbet is a complex polymetallic deposit. In addition to tin, a number of associated valuable components are present. Tin is the primary...

Scientists at McMaster University have discovered an unexpected property of the satiety hormone GDF15: It can shift immune cells in the liver into a protective state and slow the progression of cirrhosis. Notably, this effect does not depend on calorie restriction or fat loss.

The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, found that GDF15 can reduce liver inflammation and slow the progression of liver scarring independently of weight loss.

How GDF15 protects the liver

In experiments involving specially bred laboratory mice that develop metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in ways that mirror key features of human disease...

Kazakh officials have been reminded of guidelines governing their personal social media accounts. Civil servants are being urged to avoid displaying luxury goods or expensive vacations that could raise questions about the source of their income.

What officials can post

Civil servants in Kazakhstan have been advised to follow specific rules when using social media. Official accounts of government agencies and individual officials should be used exclusively to share work-related information.

Posts on an official’s personal account must also comply with legal requirements. Labeling an account as «personal» does not exempt a civil servant from these rules.

As advanced economies face shrinking native populations and demographic aging, foreign-born workers are increasingly powering economic growth, spurring investment, and lifting labor productivity, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

A powerful driver of productivity and investment

Analyzing net immigration across 38 OECD nations from 1990 to 2024, researchers found that migrant inflows from non-OECD countries significantly increased gross domestic product per worker over five- and 10-year horizons. While native population growth slowed sharply and turned negative in the 2020s without generating positive productivity effects, immigration supplied vital labor and stimulated substantial...

The European Chess Union (ECU) has announced that it «remains institutionally neutral» regarding the upcoming International Chess Federation (FIDE) presidential election. The statement followed social media posts claiming that the incumbent ECU president had joined the campaign team of Wadim Rosenstein, one of the candidates for FIDE president.

Conflicting claims and institutional stance

The ECU statement emphasizes that the organization has not decided to support any candidate in the upcoming election.

«The European Chess Union remains institutionally neutral and committed to serving all 54 member federations,» the ECU said in a statement.

Earlier...

Kazakhstan, China and Russia are working to hold trilateral consultations on the joint use of the Irtysh River, Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Alexander Kozlov said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette), Interfax reported.

Kozlov said the joint Russia-Kazakhstan working group is already drafting a plan for water management and water-energy use on the Irtysh. Experts have already drawn up a plan to enhance water and environmental safety, as well as develop energy infrastructure.

«The parties have already determined their respective areas of responsibility and prepared a schedule...

The draw for the Kazakhstan-Thailand Davis Cup tie, scheduled for Sept. 18 and 19, took place in Astana. The National Tennis Center Beeline Arena will host the event on hard court.

The Kazakhstan-Thailand tie on the road to World Group I will open on Friday with a match between Alexander Shevchenko and Maximus Jones, the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation reported. Then, Timofei Skatov will face Kasidit Samrej.

Saturday will open with doubles. Denis Yevseyev and Beibit Zhukayev will face Thanapet Chanta and Pruchya Isaro. If the first three matches do not determine a winner, Shevchenko will play...

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the U.S. praised Elena Rybakina’s performance this season after Rybakina won the 2026 U.S. Open title. She said that Rybakina fully deserved to become world No. 1.

Pegula suggested that the uncertainty over Rybakina’s participation in the tournament could have helped her psychologically.

«She’s had an amazing year. And the fact that she didn’t even know if she was going to play this tournament, it seems like that almost helped, relaxed her in a way, because she was — that’s what she said afterwards,» Pegula said

Freedom Telecom is one of the most ambitious projects in Kazakhstan’s telecommunications market. It is the country’s first operator to be built not from scratch, but on the foundation of Freedom Holding’s established financial ecosystem, which includes a bank, SuperApp and a media company. The holding has already invested more than $200 million in infrastructure to create the technological foundation for Freedom Telecom. But why is a financial holding company building telecommunications networks from scratch? Why does fear of radio-frequency radiation remain a major barrier to the development of communications infrastructure outside major cities? And when will a new mobile...

Kazakhstan-based Shin-Line, Central Asia’s largest ice cream producer, plans to launch a joint venture with South Korean logistics giant Lotte Global Logistics worth 1 billion tenge (about $2.2 million), expected to deliver goods to online and chain stores.

Shin-Line and Lotte Global Logistics signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 15 in Seoul. The joint venture will be called Shin-Line Lotte Global Logistics. Lotte Global Logistics will own a 51% stake and Shin-Line will own 49%. The initial investment is valued at around 1 billion tenge.

The company will operate as a 3PL provider, offering businesses a full range of...

Almaty-based photographer Dmitry Dotsenko captured a rare and striking image of the Progress MS-35 spacecraft against the backdrop of Almaty’s landmark Kok-Tobe TV Tower.

The shot is particularly remarkable given that Almaty is about 1,000 kilometers from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the spacecraft’s launch site. The Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft launched from Baikonur on Sept. 16, 2026.

Catching the right moment

With the right launch timing — after sunset — clear weather and a carefully chosen vantage point, however, it is possible to catch a glimpse of a spacecraft in...

A proposal in Kazakhstan would allow digital asset owners to resolve tax liabilities arising from past transactions by disclosing their assets and transferring them in full from foreign or other unregulated platforms to licensed Kazakhstani digital asset service providers. The proposal is included in amendments to the Tax Code.

Tax relief for digital asset owners

Under the proposal, if an individual transfers all of their digital assets from unlicensed platforms to licensed digital asset service providers by Dec. 31, 2028, any outstanding taxes associated with those assets would not be treated as tax debt.

The...

Fear of a cancer diagnosis and belief in medical myths often prevent people from seeking treatment in time. Kazakh oncologist Yerlan Kabdolov shared his professional perspective on the importance of early cancer detection.

Early detection improves survival

According to Kabdolov, chronic gastritis that remains untreated for years can increase the risk of stomach cancer.

«The survival rate for stage 1 stomach cancer is 90%. At stage 3, it is 30%. At stage 4, it is less than 10%. The stage is the deciding factor,» he said.

Kabdolov said patients often...

The global shift toward remote work is undergoing a major reversal as employers around the world mandate a return to physical offices. A recent ranking by World Population Review highlights how corporate policies, regional cultures and employee resistance are reshaping the modern workplace.

Read also: Why Kazakhstan’s major bank rejects remote work.

While some regions are aggressively filling office buildings, others are negotiating flexible hybrid compromises. For professionals planning career moves, proximity to major urban business hubs is becoming a critical factor for long-term career advancement.

Corporate mandates and...

More than half of Kazakhstani men believe providing financial support for their children is more important than being directly involved in their upbringing. At the same time, 60.4% of men surveyed said they do not have enough time to spend raising their children.

The findings come from a study by the Institute of Fatherhood and were announced by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information, according to Kazinform.

Financial support prioritized over involvement

Kairat Kambarov, chairman of the Committee on Youth and Family Affairs, presented the findings at a «Youth and Family Day» roundtable held last...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense plans to conduct underwater surveys and explosive ordnance disposal operations in the country’s sector of the Caspian Sea to clear planned routes for subsea oil pipelines for the Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar project. The plans are outlined in the rationale for proposed amendments to Kazakhstan’s Tax Code, published on the Open Legal Acts portal.

Military to clear pipeline routes

The operations will focus on Area No. 200 in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea, where the planned subsea oil pipeline routes will pass.

Military personnel will conduct the mine-clearing operations. To facilitate...

Kazakhstan-based Shin-Line, Central Asia’s largest ice cream producer, plans to launch ice cream production using South Korean technology. In addition, the company plans to establish a food industry cluster modeled on South Korea’s Jeonbuk State.

Shin-Line reported on the agreements reached during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to South Korea. In particular, the company signed a trilateral memorandum with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Sungwon Machinery Co., a manufacturer of equipment for ice cream and dairy production.

Shin-Line and Sungwon Machinery Co. plan to launch a joint project to produce South Korean-style ice cream using advanced technologies. The companies plan...

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of war crimes committed during the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict, Euronews reported.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers established under Kosovo law and staffed by international judges in The Hague found Thaçi guilty of murder, torture, cruel treatment and illegal detention during and shortly after Kosovo’s war for independence against Serbia.

The 58-year-old Kosovo politician, who served as prime minister and later president, was tried alongside three other senior former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) — Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. The...

Kazakhstani nationals are expected to become the first in Central Asia and the South Caucasus to be able to visit Israel visa-free. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the details.

Israel’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Yoav Bistritsky told journalists at a meeting in Astana that such an arrangement was already in place and that Israel was ready for the change. The process is expected to begin after Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi visits Israel to sign the relevant documents.

«There is no exact date yet, but we expect this to happen in early 2027,» Bistritsky...

Kazakhstan’s national team is guaranteed to remain in at least League C after the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League. UEFA has changed the promotion and relegation system because the tournament will be reduced from four leagues to three starting with the 2028-29 season.

For Kazakhstan, the key change is the abolition of League D. Under the transition system approved by UEFA, all teams finishing third or fourth in the four League C groups in the current edition will remain in the division for the 2028-29 season.

Previous regulations provided for a different system. The two lowest-ranked fourth-placed...

Applications from Kazakhstani nationals for legal employment in South Korea will open in 2028. Until then, a specialized Employment Permit System (EPS) center will be established in Kazakhstan, a testing system will be introduced and pre-departure training will be provided to candidates.

During President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to South Korea, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population and South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor signed a memorandum on sending and hiring workers under the EPS.

The two countries’ government agencies will formalize employment through a direct employment contract.

Program conditions

Under the EPS, Kazakhstanis will...

Kazakhstan’s world No. 1 Elena Rybakina topped the 2026 women’s prize money rankings. She earned $10.88 million. Including men, she ranked third, according to Sportico.

With $10.88 million in tournament prize money, Rybakina trails behind Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who won $14.71 million, and Italy’s Jannik Sinner, with $11.58 million.

Among women, Rybakina took first place. Her closest competitor, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, earned $8.07 million, $2.81 million less than Rybakina, followed by Czechia’s Linda Nosková with $7.49 million.

The ranking takes into account only prize money earned from...

Plans are underway to tokenize the Iconic Tower complex, valued at up to $50 million, and the Birlik logistics center, valued at up to $10 million, in the new city of Alatau, Kazakhstan’s flagship urban development project, by the end of 2026. The initiative aims to turn ownership rights in these future projects into digital assets that can be offered to investors.

During a recent government meeting on the development of digital assets, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said one of the objectives outlined in the presidential decree on developing the digital asset industry is to launch...