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Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education has received a complaint from a citizen, Assel Taukhan, who raised concerns about the inclusion of majors such as Islamic studies, theology and hadith studies in the registry of technical and vocational professions.

Taukhan argues that classifying these disciplines, offered at colleges (vocational schools) and madrassas, as technical education contradicts Kazakhstan’s constitution and its law on secular education. She believes the religious nature of these subjects is incompatible with technical education and says she is prepared to file a lawsuit if her demands are not met.

The issue has drawn significant attention. Asset Mukhanbetov, head of...

PepsiCo has decided to double its investment in the construction of a Lay’s chips plant in the Almaty region, according to a statement from the press service of Kazakhstan’s government. The announcement follows Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s meeting with David Manzini, president of Russia and the CIS at PepsiCo, which is building its largest plant in Central Asia.

In June 2024, PepsiCo announced its initial plan to allocate $160 million to the project. Now, the company intends to nearly double this investment to increase potato processing capacity threefold — from 70,000 to 210,000 tons — yielding approximately 70,000 tons of...

Amid an incident involving accusations against a music teacher of an inappropriate relationship with a minor in the Almaty region, reporters raised the issue of the necessity of introducing sex education in Kazakhstan. During a government briefing, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Education Gani Beisembayev addressed the issue, stating that such education is a matter of parental responsibility rather than part of the school curriculum.

Commenting on the incident, the minister described it as blatant and unacceptable.

«Our response was immediate. As you know, we have an algorithm designed to protect children’s rights and provide for their safety...

A subsidiary of Mangystau Power B.V., responsible for the construction of a hybrid power station in the town of Zhanaozen, Mangystau region, will build a substation and a power line to deliver electricity from the new 247-megawatt hybrid station to the national grid. This additional infrastructure means the overall project will be completed later than initially planned. KazMunayGas (KMG) had previously announced that the power station would be fully operational by the end of 2025. However, no reason for the delay has been disclosed.

The construction of the hybrid power station is scheduled to begin this year and is now...

A delegation from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy recently visited the U.S., where Vice Minister Sungat Yessimkhanov held talks with U.S.-based companies Tesla and Peak Energy.

During the visit, Kazakh officials toured Tesla production facilities and expressed interest in the company’s energy storage systems. Discussions focused on the potential for joint projects and the supply of Tesla equipment to Kazakhstan.

«The delegation from Kazakhstan reviewed the production process for energy storage equipment and held talks on the potential supply of such systems for domestic use, as well as opportunities for joint projects,» the ministry said in a...

In the first quarter of 2025, Tajikistan’s banking sector experienced strong growth, with assets increasing by 38% year-on-year and the loan portfolio expanding by 22%. This growth was broad-based, spanning nearly all banking activities and market participants. New entrants are also joining the competitive landscape, adding momentum to the sector’s expansion. Despite high penetration of digital solutions, Tajik banks have yet to establish full digital ecosystems, a challenge the market is expected to address in the medium term.

Monetary policy and the financial sector

Assets

Loans

Deposits

Return on equity

Monetary policy and the...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed into law the ratification of an agreement with the U.S., granting the American government a 49-year leasehold allotment in Almaty, according to the press service of Akorda, the official residence and workplace of the president of Kazakhstan.

This site, located in one of the most prestigious parts of the city, covers an area of 70,500 square meters and will house the U.S. consular office. The U.S. must pay Kazakhstan a lease fee of $25.3 million for the site.

Currently, the allotment — located within the block bounded by Zhamakayev and...

Authorities in Beijing have proposed that Moscow expand its oil supply going to China through Kazakhstan by 2.5 million tons per year, as reported by the Interfax news agency, citing Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak.

«This is a proposal by the Chinese side, and we are ready to deliver this new supply once all necessary technical issues are resolved,» Novak said.

He also noted that before any firm decision, preliminary work in the sphere of expanding pipeline capacity should be completed, and this «work is already underway.»

In early May, the Russian government...

Kazakhstani courts have been granting fewer requests for preventive detention, despite an overall increase in such applications, according to Chair of the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court Nazgul Rakhmetullina, who shared her findings on Facebook.

The expert noted that recent years have seen a solid upward trend in applications for preventive detention. For instance, in 2024, the number of such applications increased by 5.6% year-on-year (YoY), whereas in Q1 2025, the figure rose by another 5% YoY.

Rakhmetullina emphasized that this increase is directly linked to the recent criminalization of domestic violence, as well as an...

The output at Kashagan, the largest oil field in Kazakhstan’s part of the Caspian Sea, is going to reach 17.8 million tons this year, as reported by KazMunayGas (KMG, a subsidiary of Samruk Kazyna). The company controls a 16.88% stake in the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), which is the sole operator of the offshore oil field until 2041. Last year, the consortium reported 17.4 million tons in oil output.

«Over the past four months, 6.12 million tons have been produced at Kashagan, KMG share included. The production plan for 2025 is 17.8 million tons,» the...

Azerbaijani singer and businessman Emin Agalarov plans to develop a resort zone on the Caspian coastline in Mangystau, Kazakhstan. The project aligns with Azerbaijan’s Sea Breeze Resort and will feature beaches, residential developments and recreational areas. A corresponding memorandum of cooperation between the resort and Kazakh Tourism has already been signed.

Kenderli and Warm Beach in Aktau are among the potential locations for the project’s development. Agalarov plans to inspect the sites soon.

Overview of Azerbaijan’s Sea Breeze Resort

Agalarov is the CEO of Agalarov Development, a company responsible for the construction of the Sea Breeze Resort in Baku, the...

Freedom Telecom, a subsidiary of Freedom Holding, has acquired 100% of shares in the private company Astel Group for $22.4 million, according to a company statement.

Astel Group is the parent company of satellite operator Astel, founded in 1993. The company has established itself as a reliable player in the telecommunications market, offering services ranging from traditional infrastructure to modern digital solutions and satellite systems.

«This deal is a strategic move for us. It will solidify our position in the industry and open up new opportunities for innovation. We believe this merger has the potential to...

MP Marat Bashimov has proposed introducing the practice of extended confiscation in Kazakhstan, submitting the initiative to the Prosecutor General’s Office. If approved, the measure would allow authorities to confiscate any property linked to corrupt officials, even if it is registered under the names of their relatives, associates or close companions.

This means that the government will be able to seize assets whose origin cannot be explained by their owner, regardless of who is listed as the registered holder of the property.

The key point of the investigation is to prove that the suspect is the one who controls the...

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, a new supercomputer — the most powerful in Central Asia — has arrived in the country. The device will be installed in the ministry’s Tier 3 data center.

The supercomputer is equipped with advanced NVIDIA H200 graphics processors, designed to handle tasks related to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing. It has a capacity of approximately 2 exaflops, a performance measure indicating the ability to perform at least two quintillion floating-point operations per second.

According to the ministry, the supercomputer’s resources will be publicly accessible. Startups requiring computing power for training neural networks...

According to Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry, entrepreneurs from the Dominican Republic have expressed interest in exploring rare earth deposits and participating in energy projects in Kazakhstan.   

«At a meeting organized by the Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in this country [the Dominican Republic] Tomás González together with a number of his colleagues, representatives of local businesses expressed a desire to establish trade and economic cooperation with Kazakhstan and expressed interest in projects proposed in various areas, including the development of rare earth metals, energy, agriculture and others,» the agency said in a statement...

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) has extended the review period for an application to purchase a controlling stake in Jusan Bank, submitted by Vyacheslav Kim, a co-founder of Kazakhstan’s fintech giant Kaspi.kz, the regulator stated in response to a Kursiv.media inquiry. The initial 50-business-day period stipulated by law expired in April.

According to the ARDFM, it is entitled to extend the review period for a term not exceeding two months, citing the need to «determine factual circumstances of significance for the application review.»

The regulator also noted that the results of the application review...

A female Kazakhstani tourist has died in Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian city on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. The incident occurred in the departure area of the local airport when a billboard fell on passengers awaiting the start of their boarding to a SCAT flight to Astana, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

As a result, one Kazakhstani citizen died on the spot.

According to the press service of the SCAT airline, two more citizens of Kazakhstan have been admitted to the hospital with injuries, and two others are staying at the hotel after...

Kazatomprom, a Kazakhstani producer of uranium, held talks with Romania’s state-owned SN Nuclearelectrica S.A. in a bid to expand its supply of natural uranium for the needs of the Romanian nuclear industry under a 10-year contract. Moreover, the Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMP), a Kazatomprom subsidiary, may begin processing Romanian beryllium, the company said in a statement on its website.

Kazatomprom expects that the contract will strengthen the long-term partnership between the two countries and ensure a reliable supply of raw materials for Romania’s existing and planned nuclear power plants.

The parties also discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in the beryllium...

Kazakhstan’s National Guard, the country’s internal security force, is introducing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify psychological issues among its servicemen. A recent meeting at the high command headquarters showcased an AI-driven system for adaptive psychological testing.

Kairat Umbetov, deputy commander-in-chief of the National Guard, emphasized that modern technology is opening up new possibilities for mental health care in Kazakhstan. He noted that the AI system would enable early detection of emotional distress, helping to prevent its escalation.

«We aim to create an effective early warning system, ensuring that every serviceman can receive timely help and...

The Barys Arena in Astana has brought together the world’s top 16 Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams to battle for a $1.25 million prize pool. The first day of playoffs, held in front of a live audience, united fans from around the globe to cheer for their favorites. Kursiv.media reported from the heart of the esports arena.

The entrance to Barys Arena was crowded with fans eager to watch their favorite teams in action.

Sergey from Moscow traveled to Astana with his girlfriend specifically to watch the tournament.

«I’ve been following esports for a long time. I...

Recently, Threads, the social network created by Instagram’s parent company Meta, has been gaining remarkable popularity in Kazakhstan. Kursiv LifeStyle explores the phenomenon behind this Twitter alternative, now known as X, created by Mark Zuckerberg.

Officially launched in July 2023, Threads quickly became a global sensation. Debuting in 100 countries, including Kazakhstan, it set records as the fastest-growing social network, surpassing 100 million users faster than ChatGPT.

Although Kazakhstan is not among the top 10 countries for the number of Threads users, many have observed that Kazakhstanis appear to have taken over feeds worldwide, especially within the Commonwealth of Independent...

Analysts at Halyk Finance reported that real wage growth was lagging behind the gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Q1 2025. Thus, real wages rose by only 1.2% compared to a 6% growth of GDP year-on-year. This is lower than in Q1 2024, when the growth in real terms reached 2.1%.

In their survey, experts pointed to a disproportion in income growth across various economic sectors. For example, telecommunications reported 20% growth in annual terms, while agriculture accounted for only 7.2%. Growth in trade reached 5.9%; in real estate, the figure stood at 4.8%, and in the industrial sector, at...

According to Gaziz Abishev, a Kazakhstani political scientist, relatively small, ideologically charged groups are outperforming the majority of Kazakhstanis. Regular citizens, who prioritize their families, jobs, and universal human values, are at risk of becoming targets as the rifts within society grow.

Abishev believes that social space in Kazakhstan is shaped by four active ideological groups: national patriots, religious fanatics, Eurasians nostalgic for the «good old times» and pro-Western ultra-liberals. Despite being small, all these groups are cohesive; they act within already mobilized networks and are always ready to defend their views, often by attacking others.

The U.S. has granted permanent exemptions for oilfield services linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) and Tengizchevroil (TCO), according to the Interfax news agency.

On May 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a general license authorizing all transactions related to the CPC and TCO projects. The previous license with similar provisions is set to expire on June 28, 2025.

In January, the U.S. banned its companies from providing oil production services in Russia, including both exports and re-exports. These restrictions on American companies operating in Russia took effect on Feb...