News

Kazakhstan’s oil shipments to China via the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline totaled 863,000 tons in the first eight months of the year, up 24% from the same period last year, according to KazTransOil (KTO), a subsidiary of KazMunayGas responsible for oil transportation. Meanwhile, oil shipments via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, another export route bypassing Russia, increased by 12%.

Despite serving as one of Kazakhstan’s oil export routes, the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline is primarily used to transport Russian oil through Kazakhstan to China. The annual transit volume currently stands at 10 million tons, with plans to increase it to 12.5 million tons.

Meanwhile, oil...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare has drafted measures to combat persistent marketing of unhealthy food. The proposed amendments would affect television and radio broadcasts, outdoor advertising and social media, where teenagers are particularly vulnerable to product promotions by content creators.

In particular, the focus is on fast food, sugary drinks and other foods high in sugar, salt and fat.

Legislators aim to reduce the influence of advertising on young people’s food preferences and promote healthy eating habits among children from an early age.

The exact measures and methods for promoting healthy habits were not disclosed.

However, the...

Kazakh Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova said private schools could lose their licenses for allowing students to wear hijabs.

During a recent government briefing, Suleimenova was asked how allowing hijabs at some private schools aligns with the Ministry of Education’s overall policy.

«We have a standardized school uniform. All our schools are therefore expected to adhere to the established framework. We recognize that these challenges do exist, and we are actively tackling them in close cooperation with the National Security Committee. Our broad-based commission works jointly with the akims, akimats [local governors and...

Astana will host a youth Counter-Strike 2 tournament featuring police officers among the participants. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the details.

The Astana Mayor’s Office said the tournament will bring together residents, media personalities and police officers from the Astana Police Department. The event is part of efforts to prevent drug-related offenses.

«Holding such events helps foster an open dialogue with young people and use modern approaches to engagement to help prevent drug-related offenses,» the Mayor’s Office said.

After a long flight, most people are eager to get home. But one Malaysian man has turned picking up his wife at the airport into a small celebration. For nearly six years, he has greeted her in a different funny costume each time — from a dinosaur and a frog to beloved cartoon and anime characters.

A woman named Amira shared photos of the unusual airport reunions on Threads. In the pictures, her husband greets her dressed as Rilakkuma, the popular Japanese character; No-Face from “Spirited Away”; a Tyrannosaurus rex; and even a giant...

As concerns grow over Russia’s potential use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, residents of the war-torn Donbas region are facing the threat with surprising indifference. Reporting for Novaya Gazeta Europe, correspondent Dmytro Durnev explains that local residents have already experienced the catastrophic destruction of conventional warfare and, in fact, have lived with the aftermath of an actual tactical nuclear explosion for 47 years.

Read also: Affordable Armageddon: A look inside Ukraine’s $4,000 nuclear shelters.

In 1979, the Soviet government detonated a 0.3-kiloton nuclear charge inside the...

A photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi with their spouses in front of the Giza pyramids during Xi’s recent state visit recalls a long-standing claim that China is home to the world’s oldest continuous civilization.

The idea that China has a 5,000-year history is a myth, argues Finnish journalist Mari Manninen in her book “33 Myths About China.” According to Manninen, China’s history has been selectively presented and reshaped to reinforce national pride and appeal to Western notion of the ancient Orient.

The claim that China...

Driven by the global artificial intelligence boom, Kazakhstan’s government is spearheading an ambitious initiative to build a competitive data center industry almost from scratch, leveraging the country’s cheap coal-fired power generation. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev designated 2026 as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, setting off a wave of sweeping legislative and infrastructure updates designed to attract high-tech foreign investments.

A regulatory shield and energy incentives

To signal its commitment to international investors, Kazakhstan recently enacted a comprehensive Digital Code, designating data centers as strategic state assets. This legislative shift replaces cumbersome construction permits...

Kazakhstan-based Shin-Line, Central Asia’s largest ice cream producer, plans to develop the Japanese ramen chain Ajisen Ramen in Kazakhstan.

According to the company’s press service, the ice cream producer has signed an agreement with Japan’s Shigemitsu Industry, which owns the brand. Under the agreement, the two companies will establish a joint venture to develop the Ajisen Ramen franchise in the region.

Once established, the new company will oversee franchising, production and product adaptation under the Ajisen Ramen brand. The franchise is expected to expand between 2027 and 2031, with plans to open up to 50 restaurants.

The first Ajisen Ramen...

Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina (World No. 2) has commented on the possibility of becoming the WTA world No. 1 for the first time in her career. After advancing to the 2026 U.S. Open quarterfinals, one more victory will be enough for Rybakina to move past Aryna Sabalenka and become world No. 1.

In the round of 16, Rybakina defeated four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka (World No. 13) 6-1, 6-4. Rybakina will face 2024 Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng of China (World No. 121). If Rybakina wins, she will advance to the...

Taemin, a member of K-pop boy band SHINee, is set to perform in Kazakhstan for the first time as part of his world tour. The concert will take place at Almaty Arena. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at what is known about the upcoming performance.

Almaty has been added as a new stop on the artist’s LiMiNaL world tour. Taemin’s solo concert is scheduled for Dec. 6. The ticket sale start date and prices have yet to be revealed. The artist announced the tour in an Instagram post.

A new report from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) shows that reading, math and science scores among 15-year-olds have fallen across most Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries over the past decade, Euronews reported.

Reading recorded the sharpest decline, falling 28 points since 2015. Math scores dropped 22 points, roughly equivalent to a year of lost learning, while science proved more resilient, posting the smallest decline.

Among EU nations, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Austria, Poland and Czechia were the only countries to score above the OECD average across all three subjects. Spain, Croatia...

Kazakhstan is considering exempting non-resident investors from tax on capital gains from the sale of quasi-public sector bonds in transactions conducted outside Kazakhstani stock exchanges. Foreign investors could potentially invest 1.4 trillion tenge (approximately $3 billion) in the debt of Kazakhstani companies.

During a meeting of the project office overseeing the implementation of the Tax Code, National Bank Deputy Governor Aliya Moldabekova put forward the proposal. Work is currently underway to expand foreign investors’ access to quasi-public sector bonds through the international depository infrastructure of Euroclear and Clearstream.

At the same time, there is a tax hurdle to developing this...

German actor Til Schweiger has joined the cast of «Armour of God: Ultimatum,» which is being filmed in Kazakhstan.

The actor is working on set in Almaty, Salem Entertainment said on social media.

Schweiger is known for his roles in «Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,» Quentin Tarantino’s «Inglourious Basterds» and Guy Ritchie’s «The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.» His filmography includes more than 80 credits.

Large-scale filming in...

Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina defeated Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the 2026 U.S. Open quarterfinals. She needs just one more win in New York to become the WTA world No. 1. Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik, who was playing doubles with China’s Shang Juncheng, withdrew from the tournament.

The first set lasted 21 minutes. Rybakina dominated with her powerful serve and groundstrokes, breaking Osaka in the fourth and sixth games to take the set 6-1. 

The second set proved more competitive, with both players holding serve through 3-3. Rybakina then secured a crucial break...

Vanillin, a common flavoring used in e-cigarette liquids, may disrupt the normal development of human embryonic cells, according to a laboratory study by scientists at the University of California, Riverside.

The study’s authors say the findings may also help explain a possible link between vaping and infertility and miscarriage. However, they emphasize that the results do not establish that vaping or vanillin causes these outcomes in humans.

Effects on embryonic stem cells

The scientists conducted a series of laboratory experiments using human embryonic stem cells, which share characteristics with cells found in 3-week-old human embryos.

China has approved the country’s first innovative Class 1 drug developed with the help of artificial intelligence, according to Westlake University. The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) granted conditional market approval for Mprosevir, an antiviral drug developed for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults.

It took three and a half years from the initial discovery of the drug candidate to the completion of clinical trials.

Mprosevir was jointly developed by Westlake University, Westlake Laboratory and Westlake Pharmaceuticals.

What is a Class 1 drug?

According to Xinhua, the Class 1 designation in China refers to...

The relentless drive for personal success is fueling a silent epidemic of physical and mental exhaustion across the globe. A recent ranking by World Population Review highlights how chronic fatigue has evolved from a personal complaint into a measurable international trend.

Modern society, as philosopher Byung-Chul Han argues, has shifted from traditional disciplinary institutions such as factories and prisons to achievement-oriented spaces such as office towers and fitness studios. In this «achievement society,» individuals increasingly become entrepreneurs of themselves, voluntarily exploiting themselves in the pursuit of ever-higher levels of productivity.

Wealthy nations often report...

The dramatic dispute over the medal standings at the 6th World Nomad Games ended with Kazakhstan being recognized as the overall winner. The organizing committee in Kyrgyzstan recounted the medals and acknowledged the Kazakh team as the tournament’s champion.

Askat Alagozov, press secretary to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, made an official statement on the matter.

«The only technical discrepancy arose during the medal count. Today, the organizing committee decided to count the medals of each of the three Kazakh athletes separately. After the recount, Kazakhstan took first place in the...

World No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka said she does not pay much attention to the scenarios in the race for the top spot in the WTA rankings. The Belarusian could lose the No. 1 ranking to Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina (World No. 2) at the end of the 2026 U.S. Open, while Rybakina would only need to reach the semifinals to overtake her.

After defeating American Taylor Townsend (World No. 96) 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 16, Sabalenka admitted that she is deliberately distancing herself from discussions about the rankings.

«I completely move away from...

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry commented on reports of possible talks between Russia and Ukraine holding in Astana. The ministry said that Kazakhstan’s position on the matter remains unchanged: the country is ready to provide a platform for the talks, but only at the request of Moscow and Kyiv.

«The Republic of Kazakhstan has consistently advocated a peaceful, political and diplomatic settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has repeatedly stated its readiness to provide the necessary conditions and a platform for talks if the parties express such an intention,» the ministry told RIA Novosti

Concerts by international stars have become a significant source of revenue for Kazakhstan’s tourism sector. Jennifer Lopez’s concert in Almaty alone attracted 7,000 international visitors from 35 countries and generated more than 5 billion tenge (roughly $9.2 million at the time) in direct tourism spending, while total turnover exceeded 10 billion tenge (roughly $18.5 million at the time). This is part of a broader trend: over two years, investment in Kazakhstan’s tourism sector exceeded 2.2 trillion tenge ($4.8 billion at the current exchange rate), according to the Prime Minister’s press service.

Foreign card transactions rise during concerts

According to...

Seven OPEC+ countries have agreed to maintain their September 2026 required oil production levels in October, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The decision was made during a virtual meeting on Sept. 6 to review global oil market conditions and the outlook.

The seven participating countries are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman. They previously announced additional voluntary production adjustments in April and November 2023.

Kazakhstan’s production

Kazakhstan is not a member of OPEC but participates in the OPEC+ production agreement alongside the listed countries. In September, Kazakhstan increased oil...

A woman in Nepal was rescued alive from the rubble of her home 10 days after her family, believing she had died in the devastating floods, began traditional mourning rites, Reuters reported.

Chandika Kumari Shrestha was found trapped in a small space inside her collapsed home in Betrawati, one of the areas severely affected by the disaster. Police said rescuers heard her calling for help and freed her during a 45-minute operation before taking her to a military hospital.

Shrestha is among several survivors found days after the flooding in central Nepal. Rescue teams continue searching collapsed buildings...