Kazakhstan’s Shubat Fest 2026 to Be Held in Aktau on August 29
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Kazakhstan’s national Shubat Fest 2026 will take place on August 29 at the Amphitheatre Square in Aktau, where the country’s best producers of shubat, a traditional fermented camel milk drink, will be selected, according to the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
The festival aims to promote shubat and other camel milk products, as well as encourage the development of gastronomic tourism.
The main event will be a competition to determine Kazakhstan’s best shubat producer. Participants will also compete in several special categories. The festival will feature kurt, a traditional dried dairy product, balkaymak, desserts, ice cream, coffee and cocktails made with camel milk.
Individuals, companies, as well as agricultural and farming enterprises producing camel-based products are eligible to take part. Twenty participants will be selected for the final, with samples of their shubat tested by an independent accredited laboratory.
Winners will be determined according to three criteria. Laboratory test results will account for 40% of the final score, the decision of a professional jury for another 40%, and a public vote for the remaining 20%. Specialists will assess the safety and quality of the shubat, while the jury will evaluate its taste, consistency, aroma and presentation.
The top three winners of the main competition will receive 1 million, 700,000 and 500,000 tenge, respectively. The Grand Prix winner will be awarded a car. Cash prizes will also be presented in the special categories.
The festival will conclude with a gala concert featuring popular performers. Organisers expect 20,000 to 25,000 people to attend Shubat Fest 2026.
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No New Information on Kazakh Women Missing After Nepal Floods - Foreign Ministry
There is still no new information about the Kazakh women who went missing after flooding in Nepal, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry told Kazakhstan Today.
More than two weeks have passed since the floods. Responding to a question from the news agency about the search operation, a ministry representative said the situation remained unchanged and no new information was available.
It was previously reported that a search was under way for three Kazakh nationals who went missing in Nepal following the floods.
The devastating flooding struck border areas of Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on 26 August.
Citizens of more than 20 countries are among those reported missing.
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Kazakhstan MP Proposes Tougher Penalties for Harmful Livestreams
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A Kazakh lawmaker has proposed introducing a legal definition of "trash streaming" and tougher penalties for livestreams featuring violence, dangerous pranks, insults and deliberate provocations.
Kurultai deputy Zharkynbek Amantayuly made the proposal in a parliamentary inquiry addressed to Culture and Information Minister Arman Kyrykbayev and Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov.
According to the lawmaker, social media platforms have seen a growing number of livestreams featuring obscene language, insults and humiliation, as well as dangerous pranks and provocations.
Some content creators deliberately produce such material to attract views and likes, receive donations and generate advertising revenue.
"As a result, unlawful acts in some cases become a means of making money," the parliamentary inquiry said.
Amantayuly noted that the Interior Ministry had already brought a number of social media users to administrative liability for distributing unlawful content.
The inquiry also focused on protecting people who appear in livestreams without their consent. The lawmaker said stronger mechanisms were needed to protect their honour and dignity.
"We are not proposing restrictions on freedom of speech. On the contrary, we need to clearly define the boundary between freedom of speech and responsibility," Amantayuly said.
The lawmaker therefore proposed introducing a legal definition of "trash streaming" and tougher penalties for broadcasting violence, dangerous pranks, insults and deliberate provocations during livestreams.
He also proposed working with TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms to develop a mechanism for quickly identifying and blocking unlawful livestreams and establishing the identities of those behind them.
In addition, Amantayuly called for a unified state system to monitor unlawful content on social media and for the results of this work to be published regularly.
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Kazakhstani doctors continue professional experience exchange in Türkiye
The Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Istanbul held a meeting with the management of Hisar Intercontinental Hospital in Türkiye.
During the meeting, the parties discussed further development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Türkiye in the field of healthcare, particularly opportunities for Kazakhstani doctors to undertake internships at leading medical institutions in Türkiye.
The parties emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation in enhancing the professional qualifications of Kazakhstani medical specialists, familiarizing them with modern medical practices and new technologies, as well as facilitating the exchange of experience.
In this regard, the parties exchanged views on the procedures for Kazakhstani doctors to undertake internships, relevant medical fields and specialties, internship duration, and organizational matters.
The Turkish side expressed its readiness to support the internship opportunities for Kazakhstani doctors and emphasized its interest in continuing cooperation in the relevant areas.
A meeting was also held with Kazakhstani citizens receiving medical treatment at the aforementioned hospital.
As a result of the discussions, an agreement was reached on providing opportunities for Kazakhstani medical specialists to exchange experience at the hospital, as well as on facilitating internship opportunities for Kazakhstani students studying medicine in Türkiye.
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Almaty Pavilion Wins an Award at Malaysia’s MATTA Fair 2026
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Almaty presented its tourism potential at Malaysia's international tourism exhibition "MATTA Fair 2026." Kazakhstan was represented for the first time at Malaysia's largest tourism industry event, a country that has held a leading position in the sector over the past couple of decades.
Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Malaysia, Bulat Sugurbayev, noted in his welcoming speech the importance of expanding tourism exchanges between the two countries, stressing that Kazakhstan's participation in MATTA Fair opens up new opportunities to promote the country's tourism potential among Malaysian travelers.
The Secretary-General of Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Shaharuddin bin Abu Sohot, highlighted Almaty's growing role as a tourism hub that opens up opportunities for travel to other regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
The "Visit Almaty" pavilion was one of the most striking at the exhibition: its design and the performances of the creative team drew strong interest from Malaysian tourists and industry representatives. Over the three days of the exhibition, the pavilion was visited by more than 10,000 registered guests who learned about Almaty's attractions, cuisine, and traditions.
Alongside the exhibition, "Almaty Tourism Day" was held in Kuala Lumpur, dedicated to promoting Almaty as one of the most attractive destinations in Central Asia. The event brought together representatives of Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, the associations MATTA and MATA, airlines, and tourism businesses. The program included presentations, the signing of memorandums, and business meetings.
A key outcome of the day was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Almaty Akimat's Tourism Department and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, aimed at strengthening cooperation, information exchange, and business ties between the tourism industries of both countries.
Association President Nigel Wong noted the high level of interest in the Kazakh stand and announced that the Almaty pavilion received an award for best cultural program. On the sidelines of the event, more than 50 Kazakh and Malaysian tourism companies held talks.
The cultural program, featuring the dombra, kobyz, national dances, and tastings of traditional dishes, allowed guests to get closer to Kazakhstan's heritage and the hospitality of the Great Steppe.
"Almaty Tourism Day" continued Kazakhstan's active promotion in a key tourism market of Southeast Asia and confirmed the mutual interest of both sides in developing tourism ties.
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Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Move to Resume Caspian Ferry Service
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Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have begun work to restore passenger ferry services across the Caspian Sea on the Kuryk-Baku-Kuryk route. The service was suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Alim Bayel, said.
Kazakhstan proposed relaunching the ferry route, an initiative backed by Azerbaijan. The two countries’ transport authorities are now working to resume passenger services as soon as possible.
"We recently proposed that Azerbaijan resume passenger services on the Port of Kuryk-Port of Baku-Port of Kuryk ferry route. The service operated until 2020 but was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the suspension, around 1,500 passengers a year travelled across the Caspian Sea by ferry. I believe even more people will be interested in travelling along this route in the coming period," the diplomat wrote.
Bayel said restoring the ferry service would provide fresh momentum for passenger travel between the two countries, boost tourism and expand opportunities along the Middle Corridor.
"We are pleased that the Azerbaijani side has supported Kazakhstan’s proposal. The transport authorities of the two countries have now begun work to restore passenger services as soon as possible," Bayel said.
There are currently 37 flights a week between Baku and the Kazakh cities of Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau and Atyrau.
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Humanity Risks Losing Control of Superintelligent AI, Hinton Warns
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Geoffrey Hinton, the 2024 Nobel laureate in physics, has warned that developing highly powerful artificial intelligence systems without adequate safety guarantees could have catastrophic consequences for humanity.
In an interview with The Times, the scientist widely known as the "godfather of AI" said technology companies currently lack the tools needed to develop superintelligence - a system far more intelligent than humans - safely and under human control.
"We would be very foolish to start developing superintelligence now, when there is no scientific consensus that it can be developed safely and kept under control," The Times quoted Hinton as saying.
Hinton warned that losing control of such a system "could be catastrophic and could even lead to human extinction."
According to Russian media outlet RBC, concerns about increasingly powerful AI models have intensified following several incidents in which systems reportedly broke out of their assigned constraints. In late July, OpenAI reported an "unprecedented cyber incident" during internal testing of new models. After gaining internet access, the models allegedly attacked the infrastructure of the Hugging Face platform and identified vulnerabilities.
In early August, Anthropic reported three cases in which Claude escaped its testing environment. Around the same time, a Meta model reportedly gained internet access and hacked another company’s systems. Moonshot’s Chinese AI model Kimi K3 also reportedly broke out of its testing environment but did not attack third-party websites.
According to the Loss of Control Observatory, the number of incidents in which AI systems ignored instructions, misled users or pursued harmful objectives nearly doubled in July. Analysts recorded more than 300 cases of AI "loss of control" during the month.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has also previously warned about the dangers of uncontrolled AI development. He has said artificial intelligence could become either one of humanity’s most important tools or a threat to its existence.
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Space Days Kazakhstan 2026 Brings Global Space Experts Together in Astana
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The international Space Days Kazakhstan 2026 forum has opened in Astana, bringing together representatives of government agencies, international organisations, space agencies, the scientific community, technology companies and investors, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.
The forum focuses on the development of the space industry, emerging technologies and their practical applications. Participants will also discuss international cooperation in space exploration.
Speaking at the opening, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev identified data, technology and talent as the three key areas for the development of Kazakhstan’s space industry.
"Three key priorities - data, technology and people - will enable Kazakhstan to develop competitive space products and services. We expect the forum to deliver practical results, concrete agreements and new joint projects," Madiyev said.
According to Madiyev, Kazakhstan plans to establish an international Earth observation satellite constellation comprising nine satellites by 2030. It will include six Kazakh satellites, as well as spacecraft from Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. The constellation could later be expanded to 14 satellites.
Kazakhstan is also working to replace the KazSat-3 satellite with a new spacecraft, KazSat-3R. The new satellite is expected to ensure the reliable operation of the country’s national satellite communications system and bring it in line with modern technological requirements.
On the first day of the forum, participants will discuss the role of satellite communications in ensuring digital sovereignty, the development of services based on satellite infrastructure, and the use of space-based data in water resource management.
Separate sessions will focus on the use of artificial intelligence in space systems, cooperation between regional space agencies, international space tourism and the outlook for the global space industry.
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