News

With midterm elections looming, the Republican Party is working to mobilize its supporters, promising a brighter future and touting economic relief. But what stood out most at the party’s gathering in Dallas this time was Vice President JD Vance’s speech, Reuters reported.

Addressing 20,000 members of the MAGA movement, Vance framed Republicans as the voice of common sense, leading many observers to view his remarks as more of a presidential nominating speech than a typical midterm rally.

The 42-year-old vice president fed off an energized crowd, some of whom broke into chants of «48, 48,» referring to the possibility...

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, who will officially become No. 1 on Monday, defeated American Coco Gauff (No. 4) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the 2026 U.S. Open semifinal.

The head-to-head score between 27-year-old Rybakina and 22-year-old Gauff was 1-1 before this semifinal, with both matches played on hard courts in Toronto. In 2022, the American won 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-3). In 2026, the Kazakhstani won 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. The match, which took place on Sept. 10 local time, also went the full three sets. Notably, Gauff again took the first set, continuing the pattern that...

Kazakh MP Askhat Aimagambetov has drawn attention to the results of the international PISA study, which, he said, reveal more about the country’s education system than average test scores alone.

According to Aimagambetov, family involvement in children’s education has declined noticeably in Kazakhstan. In 2022, 68% of schoolchildren said their parents asked them at least once a week what they were doing at school. By 2025, that figure had fallen to 54%.

The proportion of children who discussed school-related problems with their parents at least once a week also declined, from 61% to 45%. The trend...

Companies working on complex projects in Kazakhstan will be required to gradually replace foreign specialists with Kazakhstani personnel under the Improved Model Contract (IMC).

Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov announced the requirement at a recent cabinet meeting. However, his report did not clarify whether the changes cover Kazakhstan’s three largest oil and gas projects: Tengiz, Kashagan and Karachaganak.

The program calls for companies to establish a talent pool, train and educate local specialists, and give priority to Kazakh citizens when filling positions.

«For complex projects, there is an obligation to develop and coordinate...

Many parents become alarmed when their child begins lying frequently. But does lying in childhood predict criminal behavior later in life?

Researchers from McGill University, the University of Montréal and John Jay College of Criminal Justice studied children from ages 6 to 19 to examine how lying changes over the course of development. They concluded that lying is a normal part of childhood for most children. Most either lie less frequently as they grow older or lie only occasionally.

When does lying become a warning sign?

The study found that lying itself was not associated with later...

The choice to live without roommates or family is quietly reshaping the global social landscape. A recent ranking by World Population Review highlights how greater economic independence, longer life expectancy and urbanization are contributing to the rise of single-person households in cities around the world. While some cultures embrace the shift as a symbol of personal freedom, others are grappling with the social isolation that can accompany living alone.

The European model of autonomy

Northern European countries lead the trend, with welfare systems designed to support individual self-sufficiency. In Sweden, which has one of...

A Bishkek court has announced its final decision in the criminal case against former head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (GKNB) Kamchybek Tashiev and seven other defendants. Instead of the nine-year prison terms prosecutors requested, the court sentenced each defendant to four years, Kloop reported on Telegram.

Along with Tashiev, the defendants include former Prosecutor General Kurmankul Zulushev, former Speaker of Parliament Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, as well as Bekbolot Talgarbekov, Kursan Asanov, Kurmanbek Dyikanbaev, Aaly Karashev, and Emil Uzakbaev.

Although the main charge initially related to preparations for a violent seizure of power, the court dropped...

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Kazakhstan (ADCB) Chairman Farooq Al Marzooqi announced during a meeting with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov that the bank intends to triple financing for Kazakhstani projects over the next 18 months. The current figure stands at 2.5 trillion tenge (approximately $5.5 billion).

The parties discussed expanding ADCB Group’s participation in key initiatives in Kazakhstan. The development of the real economy and modernization of digital infrastructure were identified as priorities. The prime minister emphasized that involving ADCB Group in working with investors from the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries would help diversify...

Kazakhstani industrial company SP BKM signed an agreement with India-based International Tractors Limited to assemble and produce tractors. The agreement is worth $120 million.

During the Kazakhstan-India Business, Trade and Investment Forum, SP BKM and Indian agricultural machinery manufacturer International Tractors Limited reached an agreement to assemble and locally produce Sonalika and Solis tractors in Kazakhstan. The arrangement includes supplies, assembly, a gradual increase in local content, sales and service of tractors and other agricultural machinery.

SP BKM also signed an agreement with Indian defense startup Big Bang Boom Solutions Private Limited to cooperate on defense technologies, domestic security and...

China has marked the 50th anniversary of Mao Zedong’s death. The circumstances surrounding his passing and the farewell that followed have been recounted by renowned Sinologist Yuri Galenovich in his book “The Death of Mao Zedong.”

In this comprehensive study, Galenovich examines the decline and disastrous legacy of China’s paramount leader, whose 27-year rule ended with his death on Sept. 9, 1976. Mysticism surrounded his passing, as local rumors pointed to his security detail, Unit 8341, as an omen foretelling his 83 years of life and 41 years leading the Chinese Communist Party. In Chinese culture...

On Sept. 9, the Chess.com platform hosted a debate between candidates for president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess) President Timur Turlov, one of the leading candidates, presented his strategy to transform the organization, emphasizing large-scale financial investment, corporate transparency and technological development.

Investing in development

A key part of the Kazakhstani candidate’s election platform was the creation of a development fund to support national federations, reduce financial inequality and build infrastructure in developing countries.

«I expect this fund to exceed $6 million, covering the costs of hosting open tournaments and...

Construction has begun on a skyscraper that will become the tallest building in Central Asia once completed. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the project and what will be built around it.

The skyscraper has been named Dushanbe Tower, with construction expected to take five years. Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon and his son, Dushanbe Mayor Rustam Emomali, broke ground on the project.

The counterpiece of the complex will be a 340-meter-tall tower with 77 floors. According to the plans, Dushanbe Tower will surpass Abu Dhabi Plaza in Astana in height, which is currently considered the tallest building in...

Wadim Rosenstein, a German entrepreneur and one of the key rivals of Kazakhstan Chess Federation President Timur Turlov in the race for president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), left a presidential debate early. After delivering his opening remarks in the organization’s first candidate debate, Rosenstein lost his connection to the broadcast and did not return.

The debate took place Sept. 9 on the Chess.com platform and was broadcast on YouTube. All three candidates for FIDE president — Turlov, Rosenstein and Jan Henric Buettner, another German entrepreneur and co-founder of Freestyle Chess — were scheduled to participate. Grandmaster...

Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina has commented on reaching No. 1 in the WTA rankings after defeating Qinwen Zheng in the 2026 U.S. Open quarterfinal. She admitted to experiencing intense pressure during the match but said she doesn’t want to attach much importance to her new status for now.

Rybakina beat the 2024 Olympic champion 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in three sets in 2 hours and 14 minutes. The victory allowed the 27-year-old tennis player to reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time and secure the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings. She will...

National Bank of Kazakhstan Governor Timur Suleimenov expressed hope that inflation will decline significantly by the end of September or October, allowing the National Bank to cut its base rate more aggressively than previously anticipated. The recently reduced base rate stands at 16.25%.

«As long as inflation remains high and monetary aggregates grow faster than nominal GDP rather than real GDP, it is clear that we need to maintain moderately tight conditions. I very much hope that inflation data for September and October will give us grounds to move a little further...

Extreme heat could be far more damaging to global rice production than previously thought, according to a study by German scientists who analyzed hundreds of field experiments. The study was conducted by scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Existing agricultural models may significantly underestimate the effects of high temperatures on rice yields. The researchers analyzed 214 field experiments in which temperatures were artificially increased and compared the results with projections from seven agricultural models. They found that an average temperature increase of just...

Renowned Kazakh collector Azat Akimbek has showcased a rare and valuable manuscript from his collection — a Torah scroll dating to the late 18th century and believed to have been produced by the Jewish community of Bukhara. Jewish communities have existed in Central Asia for centuries, with significant migration to the region taking place between the ninth and 13th centuries.

The sacred scroll is 17.5 meters long and is written on deer parchment. The text is arranged in columns.

@azat.akimbek A Torah scroll from the...

Donald Trump Jr., whose business interests are tied to a company involved in tungsten mining in Kazakhstan, recently teamed up with Kazakh travel blogger Dastan Mukhamedrakhim for a trip to Mongolia.

Dastan, who is known on Instagram as bydastan.kz, and Trump Jr. got lost while traveling through the mountains of Mongolia, according to the blogger.

«An incident too unbelievable for Hollywood actually happened in real life,» Dastan said of the experience.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice has denied reports that the collection of a 2.3 trillion tenge (about $5 billion) environmental fine from NCOC, the operator of the Kashagan oil field, in favor of the state has been terminated.

«NCOC has currently appealed the actions of the state bailiff. Therefore, the Atyrau Region Specialized Inter-District Administrative Court has requested the enforcement proceedings,» the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry noted that, under subparagraph 13 of Article 42 of Kazakhstan’s Law «On Enforcement Proceedings and the Status of Enforcement Agents,» enforcement proceedings are...

Traveling across the Caspian Sea between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan may become more convenient. Kazakhstan has proposed resuming passenger ferry service on the Kuryk-Baku-Kuryk route. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at what is known about the possible return of the service.

Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel said the Azerbaijani side supported the proposal. The two countries’ transport authorities are discussing its implementation.

The Kuryk-Baku-Kuryk passenger service operated until 2020, when it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic, around 1,500 passengers used the route annually. Kazakhstan now expects interest in ferry travel to grow.

Meanwhile...

The Russian government is considering building the Trans-Altai Railway, which would connect Russia and China through their roughly 55-kilometer border in the Altai Mountains between Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

According to Russian newspaper Kommersant, the project is being considered in response to President Vladimir Putin’s July instruction to examine the creation of a new transport corridor.

The proposed railway is intended to provide an alternative to southern maritime routes between Asia and Europe and compete with the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), which connects China and Europe while bypassing Russia.

In 2025, the TITR carried 4.12 million tons of cargo...

Doctors in Almaty have performed a complex surgery on a man who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after falling from a height of more than five meters, Almaty.tv reported.

The doctors reconstructed the man’s frontal bone using a 3D-printed implant.

Assylbek Masygapov from Ekibastuz was injured on the job. The fall left him with an extensive skull defect, leaving his brain with almost no protection from bone tissue.

In May, doctors implanted a custom-made frontal bone implant. The surgery lasted about six hours.

Neurosurgeon Chingiz Shashkin told reporters that the case was difficult because of...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has added Kazakhstan-based Tour Invest LLC to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List over its links to Iranian airline Mahan Air.

The Almaty-based company was designated under U.S. counterterrorism sanctions authorities and is identified by OFAC as linked to Mahan Air. Its entry on the SDN List also carries a «secondary sanctions risk» notation.

What does Tour Invest do, and who owns it?

Almaty-based Tour Invest has operated as a small business since 2014. The company has fewer than five employees and has paid...

Starting Oct. 20, SCAT Airlines will operate flights from Shymkent to Singapore.

The flights will operate twice a week via Sanya, China, Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport reported.

To Singapore via China

The route will use the fifth freedom of the air, allowing SCAT to carry passengers not only between Kazakhstan and Singapore but also between China and Singapore.

This means passengers can fly from Shymkent to Sanya and continue on to Singapore.

New route for business and tourism

The committee said the expansion of the international route network aims to improve Kazakhstan’s transport...