Foreign media on Kazakhstan: Elena Rybakina withdraws from Paris Olympics after bronchitis diagnosis; PepsiCo announces $160m sustainable Kazakhstan factory
From a recent article of the Kazakhstan’s tennis player Elena Rybakina withdrawing from women’s tennis competition at Paris Olympics after bronchitis diagnosis to finding a mysterious stone carving depicting a human face in Kazakhstan, Kazinform News Agency presents a weekly review of foreign mass media coverage about Kazakhstan.
Eurosport: Elena Rybakina withdraws from women’s tennis competition at Paris Olympics after bronchitis diagnosis
Eurosport reports that Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina has pulled out of the Paris 2024 Olympics after being diagnosed with bronchitis. The 25-year-old, who was set to be seeded third in the women's tennis competition, confirmed that she had been told by her doctor not to travel to the French capital. She announced her decision shortly after the draw was revealed.
The world No. 4 was set to play Romanian Jaqueline Adina Cristian in the first round at the Olympics but contracted bronchitis in the days before the Games.
She was the third seed for the tournament and among the favorites to win gold after a strong run to the Wimbledon semi-final this summer.
“After Wimbledon, I contracted acute bronchitis and despite trying to return to training, my body has not yet recovered,” Rybakina said. “Doctors have categorically forbidden me to go outside.
“I am very sorry that I will not be able to justify your hopes and compete for our team at the Olympics in Paris. I was so close to a medal in Tokyo and carefully prepared for the Paris Games to win gold for Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, illness prevented these plans from coming true. I wish all Kazakhstani athletes good luck and success in Paris. Alga, Kazakhstan!” Rybakina concluded.
AKIpress: Uzbekistan sends almost 4 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan
According to Akipress, Uzbekistan has sent 3.9 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan via the Syrdarya River since April 1, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan reports.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov earlier agreed with Uzbekistan that 3.7 billion cubic meters of water would be sent to Kazakhstan via the Syrdarya River over six months. However, Uzbekistan sent the specified amount of water in four months.
It is expected that Uzbekistan will send another 1 billion cubic meters of water to Kazakhstan by the end of the irrigation period, which will help meet the needs of farmers in the southern regions of Kazakhstan.
The current volume of the Shardara Reservoir (a reservoir located on the Syrdarya River) is 2.6 billion cubic meters, which is 689 million cubic meters more than a year ago. In total, 3.9 billion cubic meters of water have flowed into the Shardara Reservoir.
3.6 billion cubic meters of water have been directed from the Shardara Reservoir to the lower reaches of the Syrdarya River. This is 950 million cubic meters more than a year ago. More than 700 million cubic meters of water have been directed to the Kyzylkum Canal, and over 400 million cubic meters to the North Aral Sea.
Potato News Today: PepsiCo announces $160m sustainable Kazakhstan factory, set to become the largest of its kind in Central Asia
Potato News Today reports that PepsiCo has announced a US $160 million investment to open a new green snack factory in Kazakhstan with sustainable principles and locally sourced ingredients for ESG goal.
The company has been making strides towards sustainability with its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) ESG strategy, aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2040. Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo says: “Across the globe, we are deploying a range of solutions to decarbonize our business and help us move a step closer to becoming net zero by 2040.”
PepsiCo will open the new snacks manufacturing facility in 2026, which will adhere to ‘sustainable operations from start’ (SOFS) principles.
The plant is set to become the largest of its kind in Central Asia, projected to produce 21,000 tons of salty snacks in 2027 including Lay’s potato chips. Perhaps most importantly, PepsiCo aims to locally source 100% of potatoes for the facility by 2033.
Heritage Daily: Mysterious stone carving depicting a human face found in Kazakhstan
Heritage Daily reports that the Ministry of Emergency Situations has uncovered a mysterious stone carving depicting a human face in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan.
The discovery was made in the Sandyktau district, where employees from the Emergency Situations Department found the depiction carved onto the face of a granite boulder.
The carving measures 27 by 21 cm and is oriented west-southwest. It was found alongside a nearby rock ceiling and a poorly preserved image of a deer.
Archaeologists suggest that the carving and rock ceiling were part of a ritual complex, the purpose of which is yet to be determined.
In a press statement by the Margulan Institute of Archaeology of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science: “The face is clearly visible, with large eyes, a long straight nose, and protruding lips.”
According to Yarygin Sergey from the Margulan Institute of Archaeology, the carving likely dates from the Bronze Age and has parallels with similar rock face carvings found in Bronze Age sites across Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
However, the researcher emphasized that similar images from the early Iron Age in southern Siberia and medieval Turkic cultures could also provide parallels, making the exact period of the carving uncertain and open to debate.
Asset Zhangozhin, from the Emergency Situations Department of Sandyktau district, said: “It is a source of great satisfaction to make such an important discovery while engaged in our primary responsibilities. Furthermore, I believe that this discovery will have a positive impact not only on our district, but also on the entire country.”
