News

South Korea’s low-cost carrier Eastar Jet has launched direct flights from Busan to Almaty. The inaugural flight departed the second-largest city in South Korea at 6:55 p.m. local time.

The route will operate once a week on Tuesdays. The journey from Busan to Almaty takes seven hours and 50 minutes, while the return trip is about 2.5 hours shorter. The return flight is scheduled to depart Almaty today at 11:45 p.m. local time.

One-way fares start at $268. Notably, tickets are currently available only for July 15 and 22, with no dates beyond these currently open for booking. The standard...

According to Tural Aliyev, an analyst at Freedom Finance Global, in the face of trade uncertainty and muted forecasts for the S&P 500, investors are better off putting their money into «old and reliable stocks.»

Aliyev notes that Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025 has once again made trade policy a key lever influencing financial markets.

Despite the S&P 500 reaching historic highs, the market remains in a fragile balance, highlighting the importance of investment strategies focused on companies that serve as defensive assets.

According to Aliyev, such companies typically offer stable cash flows, moderate valuations...

Kazakhstan will not pursue a hardline revision of production sharing agreements (PSAs) with foreign investors operating the country’s largest oil fields — Tengiz, Karachaganak and Kashagan — according to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.

In January 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev directed the cabinet to accelerate negotiations on extending PSAs under new, more favorable terms for Kazakhstan. The terms of existing contracts have not been made public.

 «As for the terms under which major oil projects are developed — the terms of PSAs — there is an opinion that the country’s interests have been...

The Union of the Turkic Ski Resorts held an international summit at the Shahdag Tourist Center in Azerbaijan from July 11 to 14.

During the event, the union welcomed new members, including Kazakhstan’s Oi Qaragai, Turkey’s Erciyes and Ejder 3200, and Azerbaijan’s Tufandag. From now on, these resorts are equal members of the union along with Shymbulak (Kazakhstan), Shahdag (Azerbaijan), Uludag (Turkey) and Amirsoy (Uzbekistan).

Among the key decisions made during the summit was the introduction of a single loyalty program card, allowing tourists to access discounts and benefits across all union resorts.

«What’s the benefit...

Kazakh businessman Aidyn Rakhimbayev has gifted Oura Rings — smart health and sleep-monitoring devices worth $400 each — to 150 key executive managers of his construction giant BI Group, as well as to friends, relatives and even former classmates.

In a social media post, Rakhimbayev called the gadget his «most valuable thing in terms of efficiency.»

«IImagine, the ring can detect even diseases – before the first symptoms. And yes, Oura gives recommendations and motivations to improve on a daily basis,» he wrote.

According to Rakhimbayev, the device — developed by Finnish engineers...

The recently opened fraud trial of Kazakh entrepreneur Perizat Kairat in Astana has unexpectedly spotlighted the boxing gloves of Gennadiy «GGG» Golovkin, purchased by one of Kairat’s victims.

At issue is a 2021 charity auction organized by Kairat, where Moldir Suyunshali, head of MM Group Development, bought Golovkin’s gloves for 10 million tenge (about $23,500). Kairat’s lawyers expressed surprise at the high price paid for the auction lot, from which their client received the proceeds.

Gloves take center stage

The defense focused heavily on the gloves during cross-examination, implying their value had been artificially inflated.

Kazakhstan’s state-controlled uranium producer Kazatomprom plans to export uranium concentrate to Slovakia, with potential future expansion to include deliveries of uranium dioxide (UO₂), the company’s press service reported.

Kazatomprom has signed a memorandum of understanding with Slovakia’s largest electricity producer, Slovenské Elektrárne a.s. (SEAS), outlining the possibility of Kazakh uranium supplies. This marks the first official agreement signed between the companies.

«By signing this memorandum, we are taking an important step toward strengthening cooperation with our European partners. Nuclear energy plays a key role in ensuring a sustainable energy supply in Slovakia. We believe this...

The European Union (EU) has announced the allocation of €1.5 million to support independent media in Armenia, amid ongoing political challenges in the country, including a recent attempted coup, according to Deutsche Welle.

The announcement followed a meeting in Brussels on July 14 between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

According to the EU, the funding is intended to strengthen Armenia’s information security in light of growing risks from hybrid threats, foreign interference and destabilization efforts.

EU leaders also reaffirmed their readiness to assist Armenia in the...

Kazakhstan’s fortune tellers, psychics, astrologers and numerologists officially declared more than 2.9 billion tenge (about $6 million) in earnings for 2024, according to the Finprom analytical portal. Surprisingly, nearly half of that income came not from individuals, but from organizations.

Psychics’ revenue

Data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics shows that practitioners categorized as «astrologers, fortune tellers and spiritualists» earned roughly $5.7 million last year. Psychics declared another $481,000. Notably, almost half of this revenue, around $2.9 million, came from legal entities, suggesting that corporate clients play a significant role in the esoteric services market. These figures represent...

According to estimates from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction, given current extraction volumes, the country has enough gold to mine for the next 30 years, while iron ore reserves could last an estimated 957 years.

«Kazakhstan maintains its position as a country with immense reserves of natural resources. The latest data indicate that, with current production levels, years of reserves of key natural resources are as follows: gold — 30 years, copper — 38 years, lead — 156 years, iron ore — 957 years and coal — 350 years,» a statement said.

According...

The government of Kazakhstan has abandoned its earlier plan to merge the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) and the Astana International Exchange (AIX) under the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). According to Timur Suleimenov, chair of the National Bank, the decision is part of a broader reform of the AIFC that the authorities are preparing to implement.

Suleimenov noted that changing the tax regime within the AIFC is not on the table, as numerous Kazakhstani and foreign companies have joined the center in recent years specifically to benefit from tax incentives. This concern even led Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin to...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education has proposed easing citizenship requirements by lowering the minimum score needed on the Kazakh language test, according to a draft order published on the government’s Legalacts.egov.kz portal.

New requirements

Under the proposed changes, foreigners seeking to obtain or restore Kazakhstani citizenship would need to score at least 15 points on the Kazakh language exam, down from the previous 36 points. The minimum score on the basics of the Constitution would increase to 20 points from 9, while the minimum score for knowledge of Kazakhstan’s history would remain at 15 points.

The new...

The Kazakhstani cabinet has decided to lift a 10% export duty on gallium, as reported by Primeminister.kz. The move comes as Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) plans to engage in the metal’s export and production.

A government statement said that the decision was made during a meeting of the interdepartmental commission on foreign trade policy and international economic cooperation chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.

«It was decided to abolish the 10% export duty on gallium,» a statement said.

The cabinet noted that this measure is aimed at stimulating gallium...

A detailing center in Tashkent sparked public outrage after showcasing a car modification where live fish were sealed under a plastic cover on the car’s hood. The video, shared on Threads by digital marketer @nicafournier, quickly went viral. Social media users are now demanding legal action, calling the act cruel and unethical.

«This is legalized mockery. Shut down the detailing service and jail the ‘experts’!» wrote...

Kazakhstan may invest a portion of its gold and foreign currency reserves, along with assets from its National Fund, in crypto assets, according to National Bank Chairman Timur Suleimenov.

Alternative portfolio

«We have an alternative portfolio of gold and foreign currency reserves and an alternative portfolio of the National Fund. In these portfolios, we pursue aggressive strategies to maximize investment returns,» Suleimenov said during a recent press conference. «We’ve studied the experience of the Norwegian fund, the U.S. approach and practices of Middle Eastern funds. Some of them have investments either directly in crypto...

Despite the global shift toward green energy, Kazakhstan is actively exploring the potential of 15 sedimentary basins. According to the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, citing KazMunayGas (KMG) CEO Askhat Khasenov — who spoke at the Oil Summit in Tatarstan — the total resources of these basins are estimated at 76 billion tons of oil equivalent.

«Geologists, experts and researchers have developed a comprehensive atlas of Kazakhstan’s 15 sedimentary oil and gas basins. We are currently working on only five of them, yet the potential already appears significant, amounting to an estimated 76 billion tons of oil equivalent...

Kazakhstani UFC star Shavkat Rakhmonov posted a photo of himself with his new car — a Mercedes-AMG G 63 — on Instagram.

«If you don’t make such a gift to yourself, no one will take care of you,» Rakhmonov wrote in the caption.

According to the official Mercedes-Benz dealer in Kazakhstan, the price for a new vehicle starts at $275,673. On Kolesa.kz, a popular online platform for buying and selling cars in the country, prices range between $325,447 and $409,671, depending on the equipment package.

The 30-year-old Rakhmonov fights in the welterweight division...

Malaysia Airlines has launched a campaign selling flight tickets from Delhi starting at $200. This means that until the campaign ends on July 21, anyone can travel from Almaty to Sydney for less than $500.

Travelers can also fly cheaply from Delhi to Tokyo, Bali, Auckland and Kuala Lumpur. The booking period runs until May 31, 2026.

How to fly to Australia for cheap

Passengers can get to the capital of India from Almaty on direct Air Astana flights, with prices starting at $149. At the same time, promotional ticket prices on Malaysia Airlines from Delhi to Sydney start at...

Have you ever wondered where your hometown or region got its name, and what stories are hidden behind the names of capitals and major cities? A recent project from Kazakhstan highlights how data-driven methods, combined with modern visualization techniques, can shed light on these onomastic mysteries.

Kazakh city names

Nurasyl Abdrazakuly, a Kazakh data scientist with a passion for transforming raw data into meaningful insights and compelling visuals, has created a map that translates the literal meanings of city names across Kazakhstan into English.

Nurasyl’s visual map reveals that many Kazakh city names are rooted in natural landscapes and...

Another festival is on its way to Astana — the Qazaqstan Coffee Festival, a major thematic event for coffee lovers. Kursiv LifeStyle reveals the details.

The festival will take place from July 19 to 20. Guests of the event will be presented with a market featuring coffee and sweet treats, the finals of the barista championship, masterclasses by experts from Kazakhstan and Europe, as well as summer DJ sets on a terrace with a city view.

The Almaty edition of the Qazaqstan Coffee Festival, originally scheduled for May 17 to 18, was effectively disrupted due to extreme heat on the...

Alatau City Bank, formerly known as Jusan Bank, reported that Forbes Kazakhstan-listed billionaire Vyacheslav Kim finalized the deal to acquire a 100% stake in the financial organization.

«The acquisition of Alatau City Bank is extremely important for me, and I plan to create on its basis a fundamentally new financial institution for the Kazakhstani market. I thank the bank’s management for the outstanding work carried out over the past two years. I am confident that we will achieve continued success if we preserve all the best practices in place and focus on accelerated technological development...

Comic book conventions — events that bring together fans of comics and the culture around them — rose to global popularity largely thanks to San Diego Comic-Con, which has been held annually since 1970. Over time, the concept evolved beyond comic books to embrace a wide range of pop culture, including movies, TV shows, video games and cosplay. Kazakhstan is no exception. Comic Con Astana was first held in 2019. After a three-year hiatus, the event returned in 2023, 2024 and now in 2025, constantly expanding and becoming a truly international event with prominent guests and partners.

This year’s...

Kazakhstan-based Akashi Data Center and China Mobile have signed a memorandum of understanding. The signing ceremony took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Digital Economy Forum in Tianjin, China, on July 11.

The document covers cooperation in the development of intelligent infrastructure for data centers, the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and the construction of a computing power network in Kazakhstan.

«This cooperation marks China Mobile’s first project in Kazakhstan, underscoring the growing importance of the region in the global digital economy,» Akashi Data Center representatives said.

The two parties will focus on the implementation...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree establishing a new council to oversee the country’s National Fund, a sovereign wealth fund financed by oil revenues. Tokayev will serve as chair.

The decree nullifies a 2004 order that designated former President Nursultan Nazarbayev as chair of the council.

Regular members of the new council include the prime minister, the speakers of both chambers of parliament, the head of the presidential administration, the chairman of the National Bank, the first deputy prime minister, the chair of the Supreme Audit Chamber, and the ministers of finance and economy.

The council...