News

Kursiv Research continues its series of macro market reviews for Central Asia and the Caucasus. This installment focuses on Armenia, one of the region’s fastest-growing economies. The key conclusion of this country review: after a period of rapid growth in 2022-2024, Armenia’s economy achieved a soft landing in 2025.

According to the World Bank, Armenia’s economy grew by 5.2% in 2025. That pace is well below the average of 8.9% recorded in 2022-2024. Among Commonwealth of Independent States countries, only Kyrgyzstan — like Armenia, a member of the five-nation Eurasian Economic Union (EEU...

Kazakh superstar singer Dimash Qudaibergen has introduced the participants of his new international project, «Voice Beyond Horizon,» on social media.

The participants are young artists from different countries, including Kazakhstan. Dimash noted that he aims to showcase new names and give talented performers a chance to go international.

According to available materials, both beginner vocalists and artists with professional stage experience are taking part in the event...

Different migration waves from Central Asia have shaped distinct settlement patterns across the U.S., with each country forming its own regional hubs rather than a single, uniform diaspora. That’s according to an analysis by Nurasyl Abdrazakuly, a Kazakh data scientist and frequent contributor to our infographics.

Below is a visualization by Nurasyl mapping people who moved from Central Asia to the U.S. on a permanent basis.

The map shows which Central Asian nationality has the highest absolute number of residents in each U.S. state, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Breakdown by number of...

Elena Rybakina (world No. 5) defeated American Jessica Pegula (No. 6), but not without difficulties, 6‑3, 7‑6 (9‑7) in the semifinals at the Australian Open 2026. Kazakhstan’s top-ranked player is back in the Melbourne major final after three years and will face the same opponent she met in the 2023 final — world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

From the first rallies, Rybakina took the lead and confidently won the set with 6-3, securing a break in the second game.

However, consistency is not one of the Kazakhstani’s strong sides. After breaking in the third game of the second set...

Portugal is building Europe’s first warship designed specifically to operate unmanned systems, a project that could reshape how smaller navies conduct maritime operations, according to Euronews.

The vessel, named D João II, is being constructed by Dutch shipbuilder Damen at a shipyard in Galati, Romania, at a cost of €132 million, largely funded through EU recovery funds. Delivery is scheduled for the second half of this year.

This 107.6-meter ship is different from traditional aircraft carriers because it can deploy aerial, surface and underwater drones. Its mission can be changed within a week by swapping equipment on board...

Kairat Almaty goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov was ranked among the top three goalkeepers for the number of saves in the main round of the UEFA Champions League, according to the UEFA official website.

In six matches played, Anarbekov made 36 saves while conceding 13 goals. In this category, the Kazakh footballer shares the spot with Marseille’s Gerónimo Rulli, who also made 36 saves but played two more matches.

The goalkeeper with the most saves was Nikita Haikin of Bodø/Glimt, who made 49 saves in eight games, followed by Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois with 41 saves in seven...

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that their countries’ relationship is entering a new phase. During Starmer’s visit to China, both sides signaled plans for closer economic cooperation, according to Reuters.

Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit China in eight years. He met with Xi in Beijing for several hours to discuss trade, security, the war in Ukraine and human rights. Both leaders said they want to build a more stable, long-term relationship.

Starmer traveled to China with a large group of British business leaders. A planned $15 billion...

The governor of Kazakhstan’s Turkestan region, Nuralkhan Kusherov, held talks with a Chinese investor to discuss a proposed international-standard water park project in Turkestan, the governor’s office press service reported.

According to the presented plan, the total area of the entertainment complex will exceed 120,000 square meters and will include a water park area with water rides, camping hotels, a reception center and an event hall. The project aims to promote family recreation and tourism.

A key feature of the future water park will be its rides, which can be used year-round. A local body of...

Rare wild cats have been appearing more frequently in the mountains and canyons near Almaty, with videos of these encounters spreading rapidly on social media. Kursiv.media has compiled the most recent footage that has surprised and delighted users online.

On Jan. 29, residents of Almaty spotted a snow leopard while driving toward Big Almaty Lake. In a video sent to Kursiv.media, the predator is seen calmly descending a slope near the Ayusay Visitor Center, as if strolling through its territory.

Tourists also spotted a snow leopard in the same area a few days before. For such a cautious animal, daytime...

An independent developer’s experimental AI assistant, called Moltbot, is quickly drawing attention for its ability to automate complex digital tasks directly from a user’s computer, Wired reported.

The tool was built by software developer Peter Steinberger, who wanted an AI assistant that would store all user data locally rather than in the cloud. He first launched the tool in November as Clawdbot and changed its name to Moltbot earlier this month after receiving a request from Anthropic, which also uses the name «Claude» for its AI models.

According to Steinberger, Moltbot offers little that is technically new, but...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport said it is working on implementing a joint project with Afghanistan to build the Turgundi-Herat-Kandahar-Spin Boldak railway, which is set to ensure goods delivery from Central Asia to the ports of Pakistan.

The cabinet held a session with an interagency working group on developing cooperation with Afghanistan. Its task is to develop transport corridors and trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation with the country.

One of the key projects is the construction of the Turgundi-Herat-Kandahar-Spin Boldak railway through Afghan territory, which is set to connect a city on the Turkmenistani border with a...

Kazakhstan’s Aviation Administration has ordered all domestic airlines to avoid Iranian airspace until further notice. The decision was made due to the current situation in Iran and is intended to ensure flight safety, according to the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport.

Airlines rerouted on Middle East flights

The directive has been issued to Kazakh carriers Air Astana, FlyArystan and SCAT. Flights to destinations including Dubai, Sharm el-Sheikh, Jeddah, Doha and Medina are currently operating on alternative routes.

According to the ministry, aircraft are bypassing Iran through the airspace of Turkey, Iraq...

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Myrzabossynov said Kazakh athletes will wear uniforms from international sportswear brand Under Armour at the Olympic Games.

Contract details and athlete needs

Myrzabossynov said a contract with Under Armour was signed this year, emphasizing that high-quality sportswear is critical for athletes during competition. According to the minister, each athlete will receive a set of about 18 items, ranging from summer to winter gear, ensuring they have appropriate equipment for all seasons.

Discount and local production

The minister added that under the agreement, Under Armour will supply the...

Not long ago, Chinese cars raised various concerns, but today they are appearing on race circuits, including virtual ones, CarNewsChina reported. Notably, this isn’t a casual arcade title, but “Gran Turismo 7,” one of the world’s most respected racing simulators.

Why it matters

Gran Turismo isn’t just a video game but a cultural phenomenon. The series has been uniting automotive icons for decades, including Porsche, Ferrari, BMW and Mercedes-AMG. Now, this list features the first vehicle from a Chinese brand — the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra.

For a brand that, until recently, was associated with smartphones and...

Kaznet users are actively discussing a video released by Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry showing what authorities described as a «drug lab» discovered in a residential building in Almaty. The footage was published after police conducted a door-to-door raid in one of the city’s districts.

What police reported

According to police, officers found marijuana plants inside an apartment. Authorities said they opened a criminal case, launched an investigation and pledged to continue what they described as a tough fight against drug trafficking.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev criticized government officials for what he described as excessive use of artificial intelligence tools, including Grok and ChatGPT, in their official work. He made the remarks Tuesday while discussing digitalization and the activities of the Financial Monitoring Agency.

Concerns over growing dependence

Tokayev said he is concerned by what he sees as a growing tendency among both officials and the public to rely too heavily on AI technologies.

«I’ve noticed that people have begun to depend on artificial intelligence. They’ve even stopped...

Social media users are discussing an unexpected reason Russians are traveling to Kazakhstan: going to the movies. The conversation was sparked by a post on Threads in which a woman said she flew to Almaty specifically to see the film «Avatar.»

A viral post fuels debate

The post quickly went viral, drawing tens of thousands of views and a flood of comments. Users expressed surprise, debated the logic of such trips and discussed what some have dubbed «cinema tourism.»

«I’m flying to Kazakhstan to see ‘Avatar.’ Kazakhs really wanted...

Police in Astana have started using an unusual patrol officer in public places — a robot dog that can be encountered in malls and railway stations.

The robot is equipped with cameras and transmits live video to the police control center. It is designed to monitor the situation, help prevent violations and respond promptly to incidents.

«The technology is used for monitoring the situation, preventing law violations, and providing prompt responses. The deployment of modern digital solutions is being carried out as part of the president’s instructions and the phased digital transformation of internal affairs bodies...

The number of AI-based startups in Kazakhstan has been growing rapidly, while venture investment in the sector has increased from $14 million to $73 million. This shift makes protecting copyright in AI-generated content increasingly important. MP Yekaterina Smyshlyaeva, who helped draft Kazakhstan’s Artificial Intelligence Law, shared her views on the matter with Kursiv.media.

Prompts as intellectual property

According to the MP, prompts — queries submitted to neural networks — are protected by copyright law and may be recognized as copyrighted works.

If a dispute arises, it is resolved in court, where the author’s contribution is assessed. There is an international...

Freedom Holding Corp. has grown from a small brokerage into a $10 billion ecosystem spanning more than 20 business lines — from banking and insurance to telecommunications and ticketing. How does the company manage technology across more than 30 different subsidiaries? Why does it need a Group CTO, and how does that role differ from a traditional CTO?

In an interview with Kursiv.media, Freedom Holding Corp.’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Renat Tukanov shared his perspective on building effective collaboration between IT and the business, saving $8 million in a single year, why negotiation skills matter more than coding, even for...

Kazakhstan plans to host several large-scale concerts featuring international stars this year, Kazakh Tourism Chairman Talgat Gazizov said at a recent government meeting.

First event set for May

The first major music event with international performers is scheduled for May. Artists expected to appear include producer and musician Timbaland, singer Nicole Scherzinger and rapper Busta Rhymes, along with other well-known acts.

More shows planned

Gazizov said at least five large concert events are planned throughout the year. Additional details on dates and venues will be announced later.

Kazakhstan’s economy is showing signs of overheating amid accelerating growth, loose fiscal policy and active consumer lending, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF noted that after growing by approximately 5% in 2023 and 2024, the country’s economy has continued to accelerate — to 6.5% in 2025 — driven by increased oil production, the expansion of quasi-fiscal operations and rapid growth in consumer lending.

At the same time, inflation remains high and the current account deficit is widening. The IMF believes that global uncertainty and a possible decline in oil prices could pose additional...

On Jan. 28, the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea sentenced the country’s former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, to one year and eight months in prison on charges of receiving lavish gifts from the controversial religious group Unification Church in exchange for favors, Yonhap reported.

The ruling also included the forfeiture of roughly $9,000. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison term, but the court acquitted the former first lady of charges related to a stock-price manipulation scheme and violations of the Political Funds Act, including allegations that Kim and her...

ASML Holding NV plans to eliminate roughly 1,700 positions, primarily within its technology divisions, according to Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet, Bloomberg reported. The announcement came as the Dutch tech giant reported its 13th straight year of revenue growth.

Most of the job reductions will take place in the Netherlands, with a smaller number affecting operations in the U.S. Fouquet said the cuts will largely target management roles and will amount to about 4% of ASML’s total workforce.

ASML is the world’s sole provider of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines – massive, $250 million systems essential...