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The airline ticket booking service Aviata has rebranded as Freedom Travel, according to a statement on the company’s website.

All core features familiar to users — ticket search, personal accounts and 24/7 customer support — will remain unchanged. Passenger data, booking history, purchased tickets and boarding passes will also be retained.

The Aviata.kz website will continue to operate but will automatically redirect users to the new address. Users will not need to reinstall the mobile app; the update will occur automatically.

In April 2023, Aviata became part of Freedom Holding Corp., enabling the service to integrate with the holding company’s...

AITAS Group, a Kazakhstani agricultural holding established in 1996, plans to build a new sausage factory in Shymkent. The plant, called AMP-Yuzhnyi, will be the largest such facility in Central Asia, according to the company. AITAS has already signed a memorandum of intent with the administration of Shymkent.

The factory will be located in the Bozaryk industrial zone. Once commissioned, it will have the capacity to produce up to 50,000 tons of products per year. Overall, the holding plans to invest about $36.1 million in the project.

«This is a very ambitious project with no peers...

Since July 2024, Kazakhstan’s Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (UAPF) has acquired about 140,500 shares of Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC), while the country’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna purchased nearly 1.35 million shares in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, according to data from the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).

As no new shares were issued, the changes reflect a redistribution of ownership stakes.

The exact value of the acquired shares cannot be precisely calculated. However, based on market prices during Q1 2025, Samruk-Kazyna likely spent between $3.8 million and $4 million to increase its stake from 85% to 85.49%.

The...

Almaty doctors have successfully conducted a complex surgery on a newborn boy. According to the Almaty Department of Public Health, the boy was diagnosed with a rare condition: a giant cystic lymphangioma on his neck.

The baby was born on March 23 via Cesarean section in Almaty, suffering from respiratory and heart failure. Due to his critical condition, he was immediately admitted to the Center for Children’s Emergency Care and placed on a ventilator.

Health officials noted that they were aware of the 12-centimeter mass before the baby was born, thanks to ultrasonography.

At first, doctors drained more than...

Kyrgyzstan will boost the volume of water shared with Kazakhstan to 600 million cubic meters through the Talas River and 180 million cubic meters through the Shu River during the irrigation period, as reported by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan.

These numbers followed bilateral negotiations between Kyrgyz and Kazakh officials, as the inflow of irrigation water is critical for agriculture in the Zhambyl region.

Kyrgyzstan has already supplied 45 million cubic meters of water and will continue to do so until it meets the agreed-upon numbers.

Last year, Kyrgyzstan even surpassed the agreed volume of water...

Milad Karimi captured gold in the floor exercise at the 2025 FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Cairo, Egypt. According to Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee, Karimi also secured first place in the overall World Cup standings for this discipline.

In the finals on April 27, Karimi earned 14.133 points from the judges. Bulgaria’s Eddie Penev finished second with 13.966 points, while Ukraine’s Nazar Chepurnyi took third with 13.866 points. Kazakhstan’s 18-year-old Altynkhan Temirbek also competed in the floor exercise but failed to qualify for the final, placing 17th out of 18 participants in the preliminary round.

In the pommel...

China Xinxing Corporation, a Chinese company actively involved in several infrastructural projects in the East Kazakhstan region, has been fined $1.9 million after state inspectors identified multiple violations of the national environmental legislation.

The inspection was initiated by the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, whose inspectors found that the Chinese construction firm used an asphalt mixing plant and a crushing plant without necessary permits.

Authorities accused the company of breaching ecological rules and imposed a fine based on Article 328, Part 1 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In March, the court supported this decision and ruled...

Starting June 1, Kazakhstan will introduce a women-only carriage on train No. 614/613, which runs between Uralsk and Mangystau, according to the press office of Passenger Transportation JSC, a subsidiary of the national railway operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ).

With this addition, routes offering women-only passenger cars will rise to 12 across Kazakhstan.

Currently, women-only carriages are available on the following routes:

Only female...

Over the past decade, the number of casinos operating in Kazakhstan has dropped by more than threefold, sparking concern among officials over job losses, shrinking budget revenues and declining tourism. Meanwhile, gambling operators say a growing tax burden is «strangling» the industry. Kursiv.media looks into why Qonaev never became the «Las Vegas of Central Asia» as it aspired to be.

The decline in the number of casinos has been sharp. In 2013, 22 casinos were licensed to operate in Kazakhstan. By 2017, that number had fallen to 13. In early 2021, only nine remained. As of 2025, just six casinos...

According to Kazakh Invest, a state-owned agency responsible for promoting foreign investment, Sinitech Industries from Croatia wants to build a dry milk production plant in Kazakhstan. The project is set to be implemented within the Koyandy industrial zone near Astana.

The plant is expected to be launched by the end of the year, reaching its full capacity in 2027. Once the new production facility is operational, it will create 53 permanent jobs, while its products will be exported across the Eurasian Economic Union, to EU member states, China, the UAE, Turkey and Africa.

Investors also intend to equip the...

The government of Russia is set to oblige its airlines to reimburse passengers up to 200% of the ticket value in the event of overbooking, as reported by the Izvestiya newspaper.

Notably, the Ministry of Transport has proposed legalizing overbooking in Russia to grant airlines official permission to remove any passenger from a flight, but only with their consent.

If a passenger has a layover, the reimbursement they would receive may vary from 25% to 200% of the ticket value. The final amount will depend on the length of the delay — the longer the wait, the higher the compensation...

Kazakhstan’s State Property and Privatization Committee, part of the Ministry of Finance, has no plans to sell its 40% stake in Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), the agency confirmed in a statement to Kursiv.media.

«The government of Kazakhstan, represented by the State Property and Privatization Committee, which owns 40% of the company, does not consider selling the ERG shares held by the state,» the committee said.

On April 21, Reuters reported that U.S. businessman James Cameron had expressed interest in acquiring ERG for $5 billion. Cameron allegedly sent a letter to ERG’s board of directors proposing...

In March, the volume of net purchases of dollars in Kazakhstan declined to 73.9 billion tenge ($145.2 million). This is the lowest figure since April 2023 ($141.2 million), according to data from the National Bank.

In January and February, this indicator stood at 120.4 billion ($232 million) and 175 billion ($338 million), respectively. This means the volume of net purchases of dollars by Kazakhstanis dropped by 57.8%, or $192 million, month-on-month. The last time this indicator dipped below the 100 billion tenge ($192 million) mark was in July 2024.

The demand for the dollar has been decreasing against the backdrop...

Kazakhstan will participate in the construction of the Turgundi-Herat-Kandahar-Spin Boldak railway in Afghanistan. The two countries signed a corresponding protocol of intent during Kazakhstan’s Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin‘s visit to Kabul, as reported by a Kazakh government press service.

Under the arrangement, the two sides are expected to sign an agreement on cooperation in the field of transport and logistics. Once the document is secured, it will kick off the construction of the Turgundi-Herat railway, along with the necessary infrastructure and a logistics center in Herat.

Kazakhstan has big hopes for this project, as it could significantly expand...

Kazakhstan’s open defiance of OPEC+ production cut commitments is raising questions about whether the country may exit the alliance, potentially triggering a painful price war at a time of global market volatility, according to the Reuters news agency.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov told Reuters on Wednesday, April 23, that the country would prioritize national interests over those of OPEC+ when setting oil production levels. That stance suggests Kazakhstan may not comply with agreed-upon production cuts established by the coalition of major oil producers.

Reuters reported that this shift could be a prelude to Kazakhstan’s departure from the alliance...

Speaking at a session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the country’s peaceful and friendly relations with its neighbors, particularly highlighting ties with China, according to the presidential press office.

Tokayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s strategic alliance with Russia, calling it the country’s «main strategic partner and ally,» and pointed to the deep historical ties with China.

«The Chinese people have never harmed the Kazakh people and will not do so in the future,» he said.

The president also spoke warmly about Kazakhstan’s other neighboring nations.

«The...

Uzbek authorities have recovered $95 million from Gulnara Karimova’s assets. Previously, the daughter of the late president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov illegally transferred these funds to Switzerland, as reported by Daryo.uz, citing Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Otabek Fozilkarimov.

All in all, the Swiss government had agreed to return $131 million within the first tranche, of which $87 million has already been received by Uzbekistan and allocated to the healthcare and education sectors on an equal basis ($43.5 million for each).

Furthermore, Uzbekistan plans to recover an additional $108 million from Belgium, as negotiations between the two countries on...

Kazakhstan’s renewable energy sector is facing a relative decline in its contribution to the national power mix. In the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, renewable energy sources (RES) generated 1.96 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, accounting for 5.93% of the country’s total electricity output. That’s down from 6.43% in 2024, according to the Ministry of Energy.

In Q1 2025, the installed capacity of renewable energy facilities reached 3,082.12 megawatts (MW), broken down as follows:

Between January and March 2025, wind farms produced...

The Ministry of Labor is going to amend the Labor Code, introducing the concept of workplace harassment. The initiative, designed to make work conditions for Kazakhstanis safer, is already available for public consideration in the form of a draft document.

According to the agency, up to 30% of employees face workplace harassment one way or another. Even though Kazakhstan hasn’t ratified the Violence and Harassment Convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the country must take all necessary actions to protect workers from violence and harassment, the ministry said.

In order to prevent workplace harassment, authorities suggest obliging employers to...

A new plant designed to produce refrigerators has been commissioned in the Turkestan region, as reported by the region’s administration. The €60 million project was implemented by Zhasyl Suyk Kazakhstan, a subsidiary of the Ukrainian UBC Group. The new plant is now expected to manufacture up to 140,000 fridges per year.

The plant was built on the territory of the Small Industrial Park in the Sauran district. The same location was designated for the production of agricultural drones. The $5 million project, with a capacity of 600 drones per month, is going to be implemented by a big Chinese company.

Speaking at the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reaffirmed the right of citizens to choose their language of communication, warning that any attempt to impose a different one will be met with legal consequences.

He noted that about 80% of high school graduates now take university entrance exams (National Unified Testing) in Kazakh, and more than 70% of first-graders are starting their education in the Kazakh language.

«No one in Kazakhstan has the right to dictate what language people should use in personal communication or public speech,» Tokayev said. «Any provocative actions...

Kazakhstan, which has frequently exceeded its oil production quotas under the OPEC+ agreement, will independently set its output levels in the future, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said in a recent interview with Reuters.

Akkenzhenov emphasized that the ministry will fully support increased production at the country’s largest oil field Tengiz, operated by Tengizchevroil.

«We will act in accordance with national interests. As we work to boost output at TCO (Tengizchevroil), we will support it in every possible way,» he said.

While Kazakhstan remains committed to meeting its OPEC+ obligations, Akkenzhenov said the country cannot afford...

Kazakhstan’s Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) has released new details on three active anti-monopoly investigations involving Kazakhtelecom, the nation’s largest telecommunications operator, and its subsidiary Kcell.

Earlier coverage by Kursiv.media, citing a report from Kazakhtelecom, noted that two investigations into the company had been reopened as of early 2025. A third investigation has been ongoing since December 2023.

The APDC said the first case focuses on Kcell and Mobile-Telecom Service (MTS), a former Kazakhtelecom subsidiary sold to Qatar’s Power International Holding for $1.1 billion in January 2025. Both operators are accused of setting monopolistically high prices...

A new tobacco manufacturing plant has been launched in the Kokozek village of the Almaty region, as reported by the region administration’s press service.

The plant was launched by the South Korean company KT&G, which has invested $134.9 million in the project, one of the largest manufacturing sites in the region. Once it reaches its full production capacity, it will be able to export its products to CIS markets and more broadly to many countries across Eurasia.

The government anticipates the plant will annually generate $48.2 million in tax revenue. Currently, the new tobacco factory provides jobs for 130 people...