A Kazakhstani delegation is establishing a major presence at Burning Man. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the construction of a Kazakh aul of 11 yurts in the Nevada desert.
The Tengri Camp team first brought an authentic Kazakh yurt to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada in 2025. It became a place where festival attendees could learn about Kazakh culture, sample traditional food and chat with participants from Kazakhstan.
This year, the...
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a treaty on permanent good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
Xi arrived in Bishkek on Sunday for a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and to attend the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, which brings together China, Russia, Central Asian states and other members to discuss regional security, economic cooperation and international affairs.
The visit comes as China and Kyrgyzstan seek to expand economic and political ties. In an article published by Kyrgyz state media, Xi said bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges have grown...
World-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen visited children at an orphanage in Karaganda. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at how the meeting went.
According to the Asem Orphanage’s social media, Qudaibergen spoke with the center’s children, had tea with them and answered their questions.
The artist also listened to the children and offered advice. For the children, the visit gave them an opportunity to meet an artist known not only in Kazakhstan...
Members of the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s unicameral parliament, have approved Erlan Karin as vice president of the Republic of Kazakhstan. His candidacy, proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was supported by a majority vote.
«Over the past five to seven years, positive changes have taken place across all sectors of our country, and people can feel them. Thanks to your support and leadership, our country is undergoing major, historically significant reforms. I have been honored to serve the people in recent years. I want to thank you for your trust. Regardless of my position, I swear to honestly...
Artificial intelligence, LTE-R and new cybersecurity systems are set to be introduced across Kazakhstan’s railway network. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway operator, and Huawei have agreed to develop the sector’s digital infrastructure.
Yelzhas Otynshiyev, KTZ chairman of the management board, met with Leo Chen, Huawei’s senior vice president and president of enterprise sales. The parties reviewed the results of their cooperation and identified areas for further work.
One of the key projects will be the deployment of LTE-R, a specialized wireless communications network for rail transport. It is expected...
Throughout history, states have recognized that controlling language is essential for consolidating political power. From France’s 1635 establishment of the Académie française to regulate its tongue, to Greece’s century-long debate pitting vernacular Demotic against classicized Katharevousa, managing the written word has always been key to statecraft.
In 2025, the Russian government has officially introduced a new national dictionary, signaling a major effort to systematically regulate public discourse and align the Russian language with state ideology. In her analytical essay “On Russia’s New Official Dictionary and the Language of Authoritarianism,” writer Katherine Kelaidis examines how...
The 2026-27 UEFA Conference League draw took place in Monaco. Kairat Almaty was drawn in Pot 4 and will face Atalanta of Italy, Panathinaikos of Greece, Twente of the Netherlands, Universitatea Craiova of Romania, Mjällby of Sweden and Riga of Latvia.
Panathinaikos, Universitatea Craiova and Mjällby will travel to Kazakhstan, while Rafael Urazbakhtin’s side will face the other three clubs away.
Under the 2026-27 Conference League regulations, each of the 36 teams will play six matches in the main stage against different opponents, compared with eight in the Champions League.
The top eight clubs in the standings will advance directly...
The BBC has officially confirmed the return of the iconic motoring show «Top Gear» after a nearly four-year hiatus. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at who is rumored to host the show.
Ed Havard, the BBC’s director of entertainment, made the announcement this during a panel discussion at the Edinburgh TV Festival, The Guardian reported. The show was taken off the air after co-host Andrew Flintoff was involved in an accident on set in 2022. He overturned a three-wheeled vehicle and sustained serious facial injuries.
The new host has not yet been revealed. Havard was directly asked about...
An incident involving a FlyArystan aircraft occurred at Almaty International Airport. The aircraft caught fire during scheduled maintenance.
Air Astana Group officially confirmed the incident.
According to the carrier, the localized fire was extinguished as quickly as possible thanks to the prompt response of the airport’s emergency services. There were no passengers or crew members on board when the incident occurred.
«An Air Astana Group employee was injured and received medical treatment before being released from the hospital,» the company said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supported the government’s initiative to prohibit children under 16 from registering on social media. The president made the statement during the ceremonial opening of the first session of the Kurultai of the first convocation, Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament.
According to the president, the government should create not only a comfortable but also a safe environment for the younger generation.
«Overall, we have to create favorable conditions for a comfortable and, most importantly, safe environment for the younger generation. In this regard, the government has proposed legislation to legally prohibit children under...
According to Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, global developments have lost their consistency and logic, while geopolitical upheavals have become increasingly unpredictable and are unfolding at an accelerating pace. He also pointed to a profound crisis of trust among key global players that has effectively paralyzed international institutions.
The breakdown of the international system of checks and balances has primarily affected the United Nations, the president said.
«Countries, especially major powers, have essentially ceased to trust one another, which has had a detrimental effect...
Rockstar Games has released an official extended gameplay video for Grand Theft Auto VI. The video was initially available exclusively on Netflix before being released on the developer’s official YouTube channel. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at the new gameplay footage.
The story is set in the fictional U.S. state of Leonida, which is inspired by Florida. The region’s main city is Vice City, familiar to fans of the series from GTA: Vice City.
The main protagonists are Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, who commit crimes and become caught up in a dangerous situation. At the same time, their relationship...
Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen, best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in «Transformers,» has died at the age of 85. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime in the original «Transformers» animated series in the 1980s. He later returned to voice the Autobot leader in Michael Bay’s feature films and also portrayed the character in video games. For generations of «Transformers» fans, Cullen’s distinctive, deep voice was one of the character’s defining features.
Beyond «Transformers,» Cullen worked on...
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario as «Lake America» in its geographic naming system. The change applies to U.S. government usage and cannot require Canada, which also borders Lake Ontario and several other Great Lakes, to adopt the new name, the Associated Press reported.
Canadian leaders rejected the decision. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians would continue to call it Lake Ontario, pointing to the lake’s Indigenous history and noting that its name predates both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
The name Lake...
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry is searching for two Kazakhstani women who went missing on the Nepal-China border after a flash flood hit the area. According to preliminary information, both women were in the disaster zone.
«The search is underway for two nationals of Kazakhstan who presumably were in the disaster zone on the Nepal-China border,» the statement said.
As reported earlier, one of the Kazakhstani women was crossing the state border from Nepal into China as part of a tourist group. The whereabouts of the second woman, who...
A bright, white smile has long been associated with a well-groomed appearance. But is teeth whitening suitable for everyone? Dentist-therapist Aralbek Tasbulatov explains when the procedure may be appropriate and when it can cause harm.
According to Tasbulatov, teeth whitening, like any dental procedure, has specific indications and contraindications.
«One clear indication for teeth whitening is smoker’s teeth — when a person’s teeth have become heavily yellowed,» the dentist said.
The procedure may also be appropriate for patients with pigment spots on their teeth. Another condition is...
Actor and stuntman Jackie Chan sang Adele’s «Rolling in the Deep» during the filming of «Armour of God: Ultimatum.» Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at the musical instruments that accompanied his performance.
Maksat Kikimov, CEO of the Dala Stage film studio in Kaskelen, Almaty region, posted a video that appears to show footage from the film, with Chan wearing a traditional Kazakh coat, a shapan, and singing Adele’s «Rolling in the Deep.»
A Kazakhstani woman went missing after crossing the China-Nepal border as part of a tourist group. Her whereabouts are currently unknown, Kazakhstani diplomats said.
According to preliminary data, the woman crossed the border from Nepal into China as part of a tourist group .
«The whereabouts of our citizen are currently unknown. A search for the missing woman is underway. Kazakhstani diplomats continue to cooperate with local authorities,» Zhanbolat Ussenov, an official spokesman for Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry, told Kursiv.media.
Other circumstances of the incident, including exactly when the tourist group crossed the border and under...
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa used a Visa card to buy coffee at a Damascus café this week, highlighting the country’s return to international financial networks following its removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, Euronews reported.
Al-Sharaa made the card payment while accompanied by Central Bank Governor Mohammed Safwat Raslan. The government presented the transaction as a symbol of Syria’s renewed access to financial services after years of restrictions.
This followed the U.S. State Department’s removal of Syria from the terrorism list on Monday after a 45-day congressional review. The country had held the designation...
U.K.-registered Central Asia Metals Plc (CAML) earned $80.8 million in revenue from the Kounrad [Konyrat] copper operation in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region in the first half of 2026. The asset remains the group’s main source of revenue, accounting for more than half of the total, according to the Telegram channel Finmentor.kz, citing CAML’s financial statements.
Amid higher metal prices and increased production, CAML’s total revenue rose 46% to $145.5 million, while pre-tax profit more than tripled, rising 203% to $59.3 million.
From January through June, the Kounrad operation produced 6,304 tons of copper, while the average realized copper price rose...
Citizens of Kazakhstan and China will be able to use their respective countries’ driver’s licenses when traveling between the two countries. Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry has prepared a draft agreement on the mutual recognition and exchange of driver’s licenses between the two countries.
Under the draft regulation, citizens of Kazakhstan and China will have the right to use valid national driver’s licenses in the other country to drive passenger vehicles.
A key provision will allow drivers to exchange their licenses directly. Citizens of the two countries who are temporarily or permanently residing in the other country will be able to exchange...
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia agreed to significantly increase the number of regular flights between the two countries. The weekly flight limit has been raised from 28 to 70. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at which new routes may launch.
The two sides signed an air services agreement in Riyadh to facilitate the development of regular air connectivity and give carriers more opportunities to launch new flights.
In particular, airlines plan to launch a direct regular service between Astana and Riyadh. More routes between Kazakhstan and other Saudi cities are also expected.
As a result, air travel...
Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her vivid installations and infinity mirror rooms, has died at 97. She passed away at a hospital in Tokyo on Aug. 14, Yayoi Kusama Inc. reported.
The artist’s company reported her death on Aug. 27. Kusama dedicated her entire life to art, working in different forms, including painting, installations, literature and poetry. The artist continued to paint until shortly before her death.
Kusama is considered one of the world’s most recognizable modern artists. Her works are distinguished by a psychedelic palette, mirrored spaces and distinctive multicolored polka-dot patterns.
A few years ago, journalist and blogger Kirill Pavlov came up with an unusual way to track the value of the U.S. dollar against the Kazakh tenge: the «Shymkent Shashlik Index.»
He first discussed the idea in 2020. At the time, a single skewer of shashlik (kebab) in Shymkent cost about 420 to 450 tenge ($0.98-$1.05), while the dollar was trading at around 430 tenge.
Read also: Corruption at Kashagan: Who cooked shashlik?
According to Pavlov, the price of shashlik has remained close to $1 for many years. When...