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Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE have agreed to jointly develop a railway route connecting Kazakhstan with Pakistan’s seaports via Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. The parties formalized their intention to advance the Central Asia–South Asia (CASA) project by signing a memorandum aimed at expanding opportunities for international transport, trade, logistics and investment cooperation.

Under the memorandum, signed by the transport ministries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the parties will conduct the necessary technical and economic studies for the project. These will include analytical assessments and feasibility studies on developing railway infrastructure and associated facilities.

Kazakhstan...

Uzbekistan is seeking to toughen punishment for sexual crimes against children. A corresponding draft law is now before the Legislative Chamber (Oliy Majlis).

Tougher penalties for sexual violence against children

One of the bill’s key provisions concerns sexual violence against children under 14. The proposal calls for lengthy prison sentences or life imprisonment for rape and other sexual offenses involving minors.

The bill would also abolish the statute of limitations for crimes against the sexual integrity of children. People convicted of sexual offenses against children would remain liable regardless of how many years have passed...

A post has gone viral on Threads, with users sharing details about unusual professions and niche specializations.

The thread was started by Anuar Shaimergenov, who introduced himself as a kinetic sculptor. He explained that he works exclusively with mechanical moving installations, sculptures, tables and other objects.

The post has garnered nearly 610,000 views. In the comments, people began sharing professions that many others had likely never heard of.

Kazakhstani company Integra Construction KZ has completed the third section of the Khaf-Herat railway in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Trade and Integration reported. Businessman Shakhmurat Mutalip is the company’s sole ultimate owner.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan previously announced the signing of a contract between the Afghanistan Railway Authority and Integra Construction to resume construction of a 43-kilometer section of the railway from Rozanak station to Rabattarian station.

The section is part of the 191-kilometer Khaf-Herat railway line, which connects Iran and Afghanistan and is intended to give Afghanistan access to the port of...

The 2 tenge-per-kilowatt-hour tax ($0.0045) on electricity consumed by cryptocurrency mining farms should be abolished, according to Daniyar Mubarakov, president of the Blockchain and Crypto Mining Association.

«With an electricity surplus expected following the commissioning of new generating capacity in Kazakhstan, we propose reclassifying miners as standard wholesale consumers and replacing the current quota-based allocation framework. The tax rate also needs to be reconsidered — specifically, the 2 tenge-per-kWh fee for electricity supplied through the unified power grid and the 1 tenge-per-kWh fee for electricity from autonomous generation sources,» he said at a recent government meeting.

Renowned British designer John Galliano has presented his first collection for Zara. Vogue has published a preview of the new campaign. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at how the fashion designer — known for his work with Parisian fashion houses including Givenchy and Christian Dior — has reimagined mass-market garments.

Read also: Couture for the masses: John Galliano to design exclusive Zara collections

The collection is titled “Re{form} Zara Authored by the Couturier John Galliano.” Galliano used existing Zara pieces as a starting point, altering their cuts, proportions and details.

For...

When discussing women’s emancipation under capitalist and socialist systems, one might recall the storylines of the female protagonists in the American film “Mona Lisa Smile” and the Soviet film “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.” While Julia Roberts’ character uses her art history classes to show young women that they do not have to conform to stereotypes that define women primarily as wives and mothers, the heroine of the iconic, Oscar-winning Soviet film overcomes life’s hardships and raises a daughter on her own. She works at a factory and eventually rises to become its director, maintains...

Men worldwide face a higher risk of cancer, including cancers not linked to biological sex. A study published in JAMA Oncology suggests that genetics alone cannot explain this disparity. After analyzing data from nearly 600,000 patients, researchers concluded that lifestyle factors account for much of the difference in cancer rates between men and women.

Researchers compare data from China and the UK

To identify the reasons behind the higher incidence of cancer among men, scientists conducted a statistical analysis using medical data from nearly 600,000 people in two countries with markedly different cultures and lifestyles...

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said rejoining the European Union could be one of several options for the U.K.’s long-term relationship with the bloc, bringing EU membership back into political discussion, the BBC reported.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Burnham said the government should examine a range of options, from maintaining the current post-Brexit arrangements to closer economic integration and potentially going «all the way.»

Burnham stressed that the government had not settled on a particular course, saying it would have to assess the advantages and disadvantages of each option as well as what is politically achievable.

Kazakhstan is home to 44 people over 100 years old who receive pensions. The oldest woman is 106, the Government for Citizens State Corporation reported ahead of the International Day of Older Persons.

A 106-year-old Kazakhstani woman lives in Shymkent, while the oldest man, a 104-year-old World War II veteran, lives in Almaty. He is also a scientist and professor with a doctorate in biological sciences.

More than 2.4 million people in Kazakhstan receive pensions, and 64% are women.

The Government for Citizens State Corporation released the data ahead of the International Day of Older Persons, observed on Oct...

Criminal proceedings against Viktor Khrapunov and members of his family have been definitively closed in Switzerland following 15 years of investigation and litigation, the former Almaty mayor announced on Facebook.

On June 23, 2026, the Criminal Chamber of Appeal and Revision of the Geneva Court of Justice rejected Almaty’s challenge to the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s decision to close the criminal proceedings. The city did not appeal the ruling, which subsequently became final, according to Khrapunov.

«As a result of this decision, we are now fully acquitted as a matter of law. The criminal case is...

Kim Namjoon, professionally known as RM and leader of K-pop powerhouse BTS, is set to put his art collection on display in a collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), marking the first museum exhibition featuring works from his personal collection.

According to the museum, the exhibition, titled «RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me,» will feature nearly 200 works from the collections of RM and SFMOMA, including nearly 150 works from RM’s personal collection. The works on display will span Korean art from the...

Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Elena Rybakina following her victory at the 2026 U.S. Open and her rise to the No. 1 spot in the WTA world rankings.

Tokayev congratulated Rybakina on her achievement, describing it as historic for Kazakhstani sports. The U.S. Open title marked Rybakina’s third Grand Slam victory.

«Following your victories, our children are showing interest in tennis; many of them are signing up for training programs, aspiring to become champions themselves. You set a positive example for our children, and that is a very good thing to see. It is...

Content creator from Aktau Azamat Sarsenbayev shared footage of flamingos returning to the Mangystau region. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the details.

«By around late October to mid-November, Lake Karakol will turn pink with thousands upon thousands of flamingos,» he wrote in a post.

Users in the comments sections admired the birds.

Lake...

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan will host a Shakira concert. The singer will perform at Bishkek Arena as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at ticket prices.

The show is scheduled for Oct. 18, 2026. Ticket sales will begin on Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. Bishkek time. GovTicket, the Kyrgyz state ticketing operator, serves as the official ticket seller.

Ticket prices will depend on the category, starting at $137:

The stage will...

Kazakhstan is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to meteorologists at Kazhydromet, the national weather monitoring service.

Data from the World Meteorological Organization show that 2006-2025 was the warmest 20-year period on record.

However, the rate of warming varies around the world, with some regions experiencing more rapid temperature increases than others. Between 1976 and 2025, the average annual air temperature in Kazakhstan increased by 0.40 degrees Celsius per decade.

Read also: How Central Asians beat the heat long before air conditioning.

That...

Kazakhstan rose from 81st to 73rd place in the 2026 WIPO Global Innovation Index, marking its best result in the past 10 years, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization reported.

The World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) ranking covers 139 economies, with Kazakhstan climbing eight places from last year.

The country ranked first among Central Asian countries and second among the 11 economies of Central and Southern Asia. Among 35 upper middle-income countries, Kazakhstan ranked 17th.

The most significant improvement was recorded in innovation outputs, with Kazakhstan rising from 84th...

A resident of Karaganda, central Kazakhstan, was fined 484,400 tenge (about $1,100) for spreading false information about another woman. In the presence of others, she claimed that the woman had «given birth to a child not by her husband.» The woman subsequently defended her reputation in court.

The court established that the incident occurred on June 12, when the defendant shared details of the victim’s private life with third parties. The court found the information to be knowingly false and damaging to the victim’s honor and dignity.

Read also: Retiree turns neighbor...

Kazakhstanis expect cryptocurrencies to become part of their everyday financial lives, including for paying for goods and services, within the next three to five years. That is according to a 2026 survey of 1,930 users conducted by Binance Kazakhstan.

The study found that 32.8% of participants cited paying for goods and services as a current or potential use case for cryptocurrency. By comparison, 60.2% cited investment, 58.5% earning additional income, 48.8% long-term savings and 42.6% trading.

Thus, while cryptocurrency remains primarily an investment tool for users, it is increasingly being considered for everyday financial transactions. Some...

The protagonist of the iconic 1979 Soviet comedy “Autumn Marathon” — a translator and lecturer named Buzykin — displays a rare moment of emotional boldness and resolve when confronting a wayward student who is begging for a passing grade. He tells the student that he will make no concessions, especially when it comes to future translators, because translation is a profession that carries great responsibility:

«The Translators’ Charter, Comrade Lifanov, states that translation in the modern world should foster better mutual understanding among peoples, whereas your incoherent babbling would only drive them apart.»

In light of the recent tragedy that claimed the lives of 14 servicemen in the Caspian Sea, military experts shared their views with Kursiv.media on what a modern army should look like and what reforms are needed in Kazakhstan’s defense sector.

Amangeldy Kurmetuly points out that Kazakhstan is not alone in struggling to keep pace with changes in warfare over the past five years. Most post-Soviet states — and, indeed, many countries around the world — face similar challenges.

We still rely heavily on towed artillery

«We immediately saw...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Rhenus Group Chairman of the Management Board Tobias Bartz. They discussed developing cooperation in transport and logistics, as well as joint infrastructure projects.

Kazakhstan aims to become the major continental logistics hub

Tokayev emphasized that the company has helped strengthen Kazakhstan’s transport connectivity over the years. The president highlighted Kazakhstan’s goal of becoming one of the continent’s major logistics hubs.

The Middle Corridor

The parties specifically discussed developing the Middle Corridor. Tokayev proposed jointly developing a competitive route with modern ports, terminals, railways and...

China’s Geely Auto Group and Kyrgyz authorities are set to establish a working group to explore the prospects of launching a joint venture and developing service infrastructure, 24.kg reported.

Geely interested in Kyrgyzstan

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev visited Geely Auto Group’s headquarters in Hangzhou during his working trip to China. The Kyrgyz delegation was briefed on the company’s operations, technical capabilities and potential.

The parties reaffirmed their interest in cooperation. Possible areas include building a joint plant and developing service infrastructure. To examine...

Kazakhstan is prepared to extend the agreement governing the development of the Tengiz oil field beyond 2033, but on new terms. The government has already presented investors with stringent financial and operational conditions.

The Kazakhstani government aims to secure a one-time payment of $10 billion and increase the state’s stake in the project from 20% to 35%, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

Negotiations over a potential extension of the existing contract with the project operator, Tengizchevroil (TCO), are currently in their early stages. U.S. oil major Chevron is TCO’s largest shareholder, with a 50% stake. ExxonMobil holds 25%, Kazakhstan’s national...