News

Three years after legalizing cannabis, Thai authorities are set to restrict its sale, allowing marijuana purchases only with a doctor’s prescription. The decision comes amid a sharp rise in cannabis-related businesses and addiction rates since the drug was legalized. Authorities have also reported an uptick in tourists attempting to smuggle cannabis across borders, according to the New York Post.

Thailand made headlines in 2022 when it became the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis. However, the move came without the passage of specific laws to regulate its sale, production or consumption, opening the door to a booming...

The beach area of Alakol, a lake situated in a narrow valley that connects the southern uplands of Kazakhstan with the arid northwest of China, has been known since ancient times for its medicinal properties. It is set to follow in the footsteps of Turkey and Egypt. Authorities aim to transform the lake into a high-quality recreational zone, with plans to attract Chinese investors interested in building hotel complexes along the Alakol coast.

The news followed a meeting between Berik Uali, the governor of the Abay region, and the authors of the general plan for developing tourism at Lake Alakol...

A growing number of communities worldwide are choosing to go alcohol-free, reflecting a broader trend toward reduced alcohol consumption and the rise of the «sober curious» movement. From dry counties in the U.S. to temperance-driven towns in India and entire villages in Kazakhstan, communities are opting out of alcohol for a range of social, cultural and public health reasons.

Alcohol-free villages in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is leading an initiative called «Alcohol-Free Villages,» which bans the sale of alcohol in selected rural areas. The movement is expanding: as of mid-2025, 66 villages in...

If you’ve ever dreamed of receiving a letter from Hogwarts, riding the Hogwarts Express, or sipping butterbeer in a cozy magical coffee shop, these three locations in Kazakhstan might just make your dreams come true.

Hogwarts Express in Karaganda

In the heart of Karaganda, there’s a place that’s sure to take any Potter fan’s breath away — a charming children’s railway designed to resemble the iconic Hogwarts Express. Painted in the familiar deep red, the train cars evoke the magic of the books, and the station even features a Platform 9¾.

The railway runs through picturesque areas of the...

The construction cost of the first nuclear power plant (NPP) with a capacity of 2.4 gigawatts will be at least $14 billion, according to Almassadam Satkaliyev, head of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy (AAE). The statement followed the official bidding process to select a contractor for the project, during which Russia’s Rosatom was chosen as the leader of an international consortium to build the country’s first NPP.  

«The final cost will be specified based on the results of a technical and economic feasibility study. All we have now are indicative values provided by the vendors...

American superstar Jennifer Lopez will perform in Kazakhstan as part of her world tour in early August. Despite the initial frenzy during the first days of ticket sales, tickets are still available on the Freedom Ticketon website for both Almaty and Astana concerts.

According to the seating chart on the website, there are still vacant spots in the VIP and fan zones, the dance floor and lower sections for the Astana concert, scheduled for Aug. 1 at Astana Arena. Ticket prices range from approximately $173 to $346.
 
It’s worth noting that earlier reports claimed the Astana concert had sold...

During the 2025 Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, attended by leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and various experts, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a speech at the plenary session of the summit. As reported by Akorda, the official residence and workplace of Kazakhstan’s president, he spoke about economic cooperation and artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on modern life.

«Standing on the verge of a new stage of its development, the EEU is indeed one of the largest alliances in Eurasia, with a cumulative economic potential of $2.6 trillion...

A new case study titled «Freedom Holding: Building an Ecosystem as a Path to Scale» has been released at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Designed for MBA students, the case study reviews Freedom’s strategy, business model, management decisions, listing on NASDAQ, internal transformation, IT product launches and the development of its corporate ecosystem.

According to Timur Turlov, CEO and majority shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp., the FRHC business case at Stanford is vivid confirmation that ideas born outside global financial capitals can also be relevant on the international stage. It is entirely possible to build a successful and...

Developed countries not only intervene in the progress of specific economic sectors, but they also do so more actively than developing nations. Moreover, they tend to support established industries with strong export potential.

These conclusions are based on a recent study that measured industrial policy through the analysis of a large corpus of text-based data. The research was conducted by economist Réka Juhász of the University of British Columbia, along with Nathan Lane, Emily Oehlsen and Veronica Perez of Oxford University and Boston University. Kursiv Research has previously referenced their work when highlighting the shift in mainstream economic thought...

Sweden plans to attract labor migrants from Uzbekistan. The issue was discussed during a meeting between Behzod Musaev, director of the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan, and Johan Forssell, Sweden’s minister for migration.

«Due to demographic changes in Sweden, there is a shortage of personnel in the fields of transport, construction, industry, healthcare, education and services. Uzbekistan has significant potential to train and supply qualified specialists who can work in Sweden,» the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan said in a statement following the meeting.

The two parties agreed to create a joint digital platform and launch pilot...

Kia, a popular automotive brand from South Korean, is allegedly preparing a grand comeback to the Russian market. Insiders say that the cars are expected to be officially delivered from Kazakhstan. This was reportedly announced by brand representatives during a closed meeting with dealers.

According to car expert Oleg Moseev, Kia plans to return to Russia in 2026, with potential sales up to 100,000 cars annually. Six models are currently under consideration, including new ones not previously available in the country.

Exports are expected to come from Kazakhstan and China. However, without industrial subsidies, full recycling fees will apply and...

S&P Global Ratings has revised its outlook from “stable” to “positive” for key companies within Freedom Holding Corp., an international group controlled by Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov. The improved outlook comes as a result of strengthened risk management and compliance systems across the group.

The rating agency raised its outlook from “stable” to “positive” and affirmed the long-term and short-term credit ratings of “B+/B” for Freedom Finance, Freedom Finance Europe, Freedom Finance Global and Freedom Bank Kazakhstan.

«We affirmed our ‘B-‘ long-term rating on nonoperating holding company Freedom Holding Corp. and maintained the stable outlook...

Oil and gas companies are investing less and less in fixed assets in Kazakhstan. In 2024, capital investment by oil and gas enterprises dropped to 2.3 trillion tenge (approximately $4.9 billion), marking a 32.8% year-on-year decline in real terms. With non-residents serving as the primary investors in Kazakhstan’s oil sector, foreign direct investment (FDI) also declined. Gross FDI inflows into oil and gas production fell to $3.1 billion, a nominal decrease of 46.4% over the year.

This drop in investment activity is not a temporary dip driven by external shocks. It rather reflects the winding down of an investment cycle...

The Tajik government has adopted an Open Skies policy, lifting key restrictions on foreign carriers.

This move effectively abolishes the principle of parity between domestic and international airlines, which previously limited the number of foreign flights to match those of national carriers. Under the new rules, all restrictions on flight frequency, seating capacity, aircraft size, and tariffs for foreign airlines have been removed.

The Open Skies policy will apply at the international airports of Dushanbe, Khujand, Kulyab, and Bokhtar.

The decision is expected to promote competition, improve service quality, and expand access to air travel for passengers.

However, restrictions will...

A cableway is a popular and spectacular means of transportation in mountainous regions. However, despite being fairly widespread and generally safe, incidents still occasionally occur. On June 23, a cable car on Mount Karren in Austria got stuck for over four hours due to a thunderstorm, leaving 19 passengers and a dog stranded in gondolas suspended between the mountains and the valley over the city of Dornbirn. Fortunately, the rescue operation was successful, with all passengers safely returned to the ground, as reported by Bild.de, citing Vorarlberg.orf.at.

So, what should you do if you find yourself in a situation...

Knauf, a Germany-based manufacturer of building materials, is set to establish a $30.5 million dry gypsum mix production plant in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region. The parties have already signed an investment agreement, as reported by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry.

The facility will have an annual production capacity of 225,000 tons, with 80% of the output intended for domestic distribution and the remaining 20% designated for export to Eurasian Economic Union member states and countries in Central Asia. The plant is expected to employ 100 people.

Raw materials for the plant will be sourced from the Ulken-Burultau deposit, where Knauf already holds...

The management of BNK Commercial Bank, a new financial institution in Kazakhstan’s banking sector, has announced its plans to focus on developing lending products and working with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

This strategy is outlined in a roadmap presented by bank executives during an official ceremony marking the transformation of BNK Finance Kazakhstan, a microfinance organization (MFO), into a commercial bank.

In the first stage, set for this year, the bank will concentrate on transferring assets from the former MFO to the new bank, establishing a deposit-oriented base and implementing risk management standards.

In the second stage, planned for...

Paralympic athletes have received the keys to their new gifted flats in a residential complex built on the site of demolished dilapidated housing.

According to the press service of the Akmola region administration, two 45-apartment blocks were constructed as part of the region’s housing stock renovation program.

«This is not just about comfortable apartments, but a token of appreciation from the Akmola region for their valor, commitment to their goals and devotion to the homeland,» said Marat Akhmetzhanov, the region’s governor.

Two-time Paralympic champion powerlifter David Degtyarev and sport shooter Yerkin Gabbasov, a silver medalist...

In Astana, an unidentified individual attempted to sell a wolf cub for $776.

According to the Astana Police Department, law enforcement officials discovered an advertisement for the sale of a wild animal during routine social media monitoring. To catch the offender – in violation of laws prohibiting the sale and private ownership of wild animals, the police posed as potential buyers and apprehended the suspect during the transaction.

«The wolf cub was seized and placed in temporary custody at the state wildlife nursery in Astana. An administrative case has been opened against the seller, who was...

Long hailed as a symbol of good health, apples are once again earning scientific praise for their nutritional value. According to a BBC report, apples are rich in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants, supporting heart health, digestion and immune function. Studies increasingly show that eating apples regularly can help lower cholesterol, improve gut health and reduce inflammation.

However, few people know that the story of the modern apple begins in Kazakhstan. The Sievers apple (Malus sieversii), a wild ancestor of today’s domesticated varieties, grows naturally in the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains near Almaty. This rare species is...

Kyrgyzstan is set to complete the second stage of construction of its ambitious Ala-Too Resort mountain ski complex by the end of 2025. The resort is expected to host 850,000 tourists annually.

According to Kg.mir24.tv, the Kyrgyz administration has transferred 3,916 hectares in the Issyk-Kul region to the Ala-Too Resort enterprise, where the largest mountain ski resort complex in Central Asia will be built.

The project encompasses three key resort zones: Jyrgalan (1,624.7 hectares), Ak-Bulak (945.9 hectares) and Boz-Uchuk (1,345 hectares). Along the way, authorities plan to build essential infrastructure, including kindergartens, social facilities and utility networks in neighboring villages.

Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s state-owned nuclear company, has released a response to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security regarding an ongoing investigation into the national security risks posed by imports of processed critical minerals and their derivatives. The investigation, announced in April, sought public comments by May 16, 2025.

The probe’s scope

The probe is aimed at assessing whether the U.S. is vulnerable to what the department described as «predatory economic, pricing, and market manipulation strategies» by countries that process and export critical minerals to the U.S. While not officially stated, the investigation appears to have...

The volume of new car exports from Kazakhstan to Russia has dropped sharply. In the first five months of 2025, nearly 3.5 times fewer passenger cars were sold to the neighboring country than during the same period last year, according to Sergey Tselikov, co-founder and director of the Russian agency Autostat.

Car deliveries from Kazakhstan to Russia have been steadily declining. From January to May 2025, only 2,400 new passenger cars were exported, representing a 73% decrease compared to the same period in 2024 (8,800 units).

The export of used cars shows a similar trend. Since the beginning of...

The Almaty mountains are preparing to host several tourist attraction facilities at once. Kursiv Lifestyle reveals what awaits the city’s locals and guests.

Construction of the spectacular Arman-köpir footbridge on the outskirts of the metropolis is nearing completion. The bridge will be 77 meters long and will lead to a future sports club for school students called Myn Bala.

According to the plan, the new complex will operate year-round, offering opportunities for active recreation, athletic training and open-air educational programs.

In addition, a 912-square-meter multifunctional gym is being built near the bridge, along with 12 compact residential modules to provide...