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Renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen has released a new original song, “Yazgı” — the artist’s first composition in Turkish. He announced the release on social media, thanking fans around the world for their longstanding support.

«We were taught from childhood that an artist must win the love of their audience. But no one told me that sometimes that audience is on the other side of the world. That’s why my new original song in Turkish, ‘Yazgı’ is being released today,» Qudaibergen wrote in a social media post.

He also thanked the fans who have stood...

Kazakhstan’s first licensed cryptocurrency exchange, Pax Finance, has announced its integration with the mobile app of Alatau City Bank, which is owned by the country’s richest businessman, Vyacheslav Kim. The integration allows the bank’s clients to fund their Pax Finance accounts directly from their bank cards through the banking app.

Read also: Visualizing Kazakhstan’s dollar billionaires: Who joined the global elite?

According to the company, users will no longer need to visit third-party websites or manually enter their payment details. Account funding will take place through an...

To avoid creating the impression that only bloggers and journalists face criminal prosecution in Kazakhstan, more corrupt officials should be jailed, according to Daniyar Ashimbayev, a Kazakh political analyst.

Ashimbayev argued that Kazakhstan has concluded that extensive media coverage of anti-corruption efforts harms the country’s image. As a result, corruption investigations and prosecutions are no longer receiving the same level of public attention, he said.

“To prevent the public from getting the false impression that only bloggers and journalists are being jailed, corrupt officials need to be jailed more often...

Many people believe exercising on an empty stomach is the fastest way to lose weight. But skipping a pre-workout meal may not help you burn more fat — and it could leave you with less energy and increase the risk of muscle loss.

That’s according to Lera Logunova, a fitness trainer who addressed the topic on her Telegram channel.

Does fasted exercise burn more fat?

“Should you eat before a workout? This is one of the questions I’m asked most often,” Logunova said.

Many people avoid eating before exercise because they believe...

In late July, Kazakhstan issued its first official missionary documents to an imam and his deputies, marking a significant shift in the legal regulation of religious discourse in the Central Asian nation. The certificates, awarded to religious scholar Imam Nurlan Baizhigituly and his assistants, officially authorize them to preach and engage in missionary work under current legislation that requires specific state-issued credentials for spreading religious teachings.

While some nations have established strict state-sanctioned monopolies and mandatory licensing for preachers, others rely on secular hate-speech laws or provide near-total constitutional protection for religious expression.

Certification as a...

Paris Saint-Germain announced the opening of a PSG Academy in Kazakhstan. The football training center will open in Astana in September 2026 and is expected to welcome around 300 young footballers in its inaugural season. Kazakhstan will become the 24th country to join the Parisian club’s international network of academies.

Training sessions will be held at the indoor Air Arena sports complex, which features a FIFA-compliant football pitch. The facility will allow year-round training regardless of weather conditions.

Who can join the academy

The program is open to boys and girls aged 6 to...

Kazakhstan’s total public and publicly guaranteed debt reached 40.9 trillion tenge (approximately $86 billion) as of July 1, 2026. During the second quarter, the total increased by 1.84 trillion tenge, or 4.7%.

Public and publicly guaranteed debt stood at 39.1 trillion tenge as of April 1, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Public debt drives the increase

Public debt continued to account for the largest share of the country’s liabilities. During the quarter, it increased from 36.8 trillion tenge to 38.5 trillion tenge, a gain of about 1.65 trillion tenge, or 4.5%.

Central government debt posted the largest increase...

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have begun implementing administrative and technical measures to exchange land plots as part of the demarcation of their shared state border, Kyrgyz National News Agency Kabar reported.

What is changing and where

A meeting of the two countries’ joint working commission was held in Kyrgyzstan’s Kadamjay district. Experts and government representatives began resolving property, administrative and legal issues.

As part of the border demarcation process, the villages of Chongara and Tash-Tobo, formerly administered as part of Uzbekistan’s Fergana region, were transferred to Kyrgyzstan. The majority of the villages’ residents are ethnic Kyrgyz.

Kazakhstani JET Group, one of the country’s largest scooter-sharing operators, is increasingly shifting its focus to Latin America. Brazil accounted for 92.3% of the company’s total revenue in the first quarter of 2026. At the same time, the company issued two-year green bonds denominated in UAE dirhams totaling 10 million dirhams (about $7.2 million) under a bond program of up to 50 million dirhams ($13.6 million), which remains in effect until 2036.

Economist and Finmentor.kz Telegram channel author Arman Batayev noted this development.

According to JET Group’s first-quarter 2026 financial results, cited by the economist, the...

Actor and stunt performer Jackie Chan has arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, for filming. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at where in Azerbaijan the filming will take place.

Those visiting the capital’s main landmarks may catch a glimpse of Asian Hawk. These include Icherisheher (the Old City), Highland Park, the Baku Funicular, the Green Theatre and Fountain Square. Jackie Chan is expected to film in Baku for about 10 days, Kazinform reported.

Filming has already taken place in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau and Almaty regions, as well as in the city of Almaty. Jackie Chan is likely to return to Kazakhstan...

A sequel to the blockbuster film “Barbie” is in jeopardy as Warner Bros. has yet to reach new agreements with stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as director Greta Gerwig, according to The Sun.

The report says the negotiations have stalled over financial terms. Robbie, Gosling and Gerwig are seeking higher salaries and a share of the sequel’s box office revenue. Gosling is reportedly willing to return as Ken for $20 million.

Negotiations have been further complicated because the cast and director did not sign sequel options following the release of the original film...

A female Amur tiger named Umit was released into the wild in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve, becoming the first tiger to return to Kazakhstan’s natural habitat since tigers disappeared from the country more than 70 years ago. Freedom Holding Corp. sponsored the animal’s transport. Kursiv LifeStyle explains why the event is considered the beginning of the revival of Kazakhstan’s tiger population.

According to the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the female Amur tiger was released on July 31. Before the release, she had spent several months in a special enclosure...

U.K.-based Ferro-Alloy Resources, which is developing the Balasausqandiq vanadium deposit in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda region, has submitted applications for funding from U.S. government agencies and has begun exploring the extraction of the rare earth element yttrium as a potential byproduct. The company disclosed the plans in a strategic update published on the Astana International Exchange (AIX).

U.S. funding and strategic partnerships

The company said it is in discussions with several U.S. government agencies interested in securing supplies of critical minerals. Ferro-Alloy Resources has submitted initial applications for grant funding, as well as preferential debt financing and...

State-guaranteed deposits at Kazakhstani banks undergoing resolution with support from shareholders and, where applicable, the government will remain fully protected, according to Dauren Salimbayev, deputy chairman of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM).

Salimbayev outlined the country’s proposed framework for resolving insolvent banks during a briefing on the new bank resolution mechanism.

“One of the key priorities of the new model is ensuring the continuity of customer service, even during a bank resolution,” he said. “Regardless of the resolution tool used — whether the transfer of assets and liabilities, the creation...

Following a lawsuit filed by a local resident, the Ust-Kamenogorsk mayor’s office in eastern Kazakhstan has agreed to adopt regulations governing public notification during man-made emergencies.

The resident sued the city mayor, alleging unlawful inaction and seeking to require authorities to ensure timely public notification in the event of industrial accidents.

The environmental conditions in Ust-Kamenogorsk have long been a source of concern for local residents. «Anyone who has been to Ust-Kamenogorsk knows the air there isn’t clean — you can taste metal,» Kazakh analyst Rassul Rysmambetov said.

During the proceedings, the parties reached...

Millennials and Generation Z are now the two most influential consumer groups, reshaping the global economy with their spending habits and financial priorities.

Understanding how each generation approaches money can help you improve your own finances — whether that means overcoming the guilt of impulse spending or finding a healthier balance between saving and enjoying life.

Who are Millennials and Gen Z?

Millennials (Generation Y) were born between 1981 and 1996. They grew up during globalization and witnessed the rise of the internet. Comfortable with technology and focused on self-expression, many also value financial stability...

Gaziz Abishev, a Kazakh political analyst, said closer cooperation among Central Asian countries strengthens the region’s ability to withstand external pressure and “gaslighting” from major powers and multinational corporations.

Abishev pointed to the recent consultative meeting in the Central Asia-Azerbaijan format, hosted by Kyrgyzstan, saying such gatherings allow participating countries to exchange views, discuss shared interests and build mutual trust.

Although Kazakhstan pursues an independent foreign policy, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supports further development of the CA5 + Azerbaijan format.

“As a middle power, Kazakhstan has extensive diplomatic expertise in its relations with major global...

Kazatomprom (KAP), a Samruk-Kazyna subsidiary, reported sales of 6,083 tons of uranium oxide (U3O8) in January-June, down 13% year-on-year, according to the company’s second-quarter results. The reported sales include only final external sales by Kazatomprom and TH Kazakatom AG (THK), excluding intercompany transactions.

Meanwhile, in the second quarter of 2026, the company reported sales of 4,548 tons of uranium, up 3% year-on-year.

Uranium production totaled 7,054 tons in the first half of the year, up 10% year-on-year. The average realized price for Kazatomprom’s transactions increased by 13% year-on-year, while the average spot price at the end of June stood at...

Satyress has unveiled the Threehalves robot, a 2-meter-tall, centaur-inspired machine with four legs, a goat’s head and interchangeable tool modules in place of arms. The company says the robot is designed to carry out dangerous tasks in hazardous environments instead of humans.

According to the developers, Threehalves is intended for operations where there is a risk of death or serious injury, including firefighting, search-and-rescue missions, disaster response following structural collapses, and work in extreme heat, extreme cold or complete darkness. The robot can be operated remotely with a joystick.

Instead of conventional arms, the robot uses interchangeable tool...

China and Kazakhstan are expanding cooperation in the financial sector. Representatives of Kazakhstan’s National Bank, Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) and National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan held a series of meetings with representatives of the People’s Bank of China, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), the China Banking Association and the country’s major commercial banks.

Binur Zhalenov, deputy governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, outlined the results of the negotiations.

One of the key outcomes was the signing of a new three-year bilateral currency swap...

In July 2026, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector by Freedom Holding Corp. fell to 47, marking the sharpest deterioration in business conditions since March 2022. The key factors behind the production downturn were a shortage of new orders, working capital problems and logistics disruptions.

In July, the PMI fell from June’s 48.5, confirming the sector’s negative trend recorded every month throughout 2026.

The decline in new orders was the sharpest since November 2023. Due to a lack of financing for new projects, manufacturers have been forced to cut production volumes for seven consecutive months. Because of...

Kazakhstani airlines are preparing to introduce onboard satellite internet. The first aircraft equipped with internet access could enter service by the end of 2026.

The government had previously announced plans to equip aircraft with satellite internet. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was named as the first aircraft to receive the technology.

According to Freedom Cloud CEO Temirlan Zinalabdin, the development of onboard internet had long been hindered by the high cost of equipment and the limitations of satellite communications. The emergence of low-orbit satellite constellations, which provide higher connection speeds and lower latency, changed the situation.

He said that major international...

Filming of “Armour of God: Ultimatum” has concluded in Aktau. Salem Entertainment shared behind-the-scenes footage.

The company said that the film was shot on water, on land and from the air.

«A heartfelt thank you to the people of Aktau for your hospitality, warm welcome and incredible support throughout our production,» the company said.

Residents of Aktau shared footage on social...

In the opening six months of 2026, retail deposit volumes in Kazakh banks exceeded 30 trillion tenge, equivalent to nearly $64 billion, for the first time on record. Against that backdrop, the Kazakhstan Deposit Insurance Fund (KDIF) increased its special reserve by 10% to 1.73 trillion tenge.

The KDIF reported that household deposits at banks participating in the deposit guarantee system grew 7% during the first six months of the year. Most of the increase came from deposits denominated in the national currency, which rose 9.5%. Foreign currency deposits, meanwhile, declined 3.4%.

Term deposits drive growth

The...