A ceremony to lay the foundation stone for a Boeing aircraft maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) hangar center was held in Shymkent, according to the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Transport.
“The new complex will become the largest aircraft maintenance and repair facility in Central Asia and one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Kazakhstan’s aviation industry,” the ministry said.
The project involves the creation of a modern full-cycle production center focused on servicing Boeing aircraft, including the Boeing-737 (Classic/NG/MAX) and Boeing-757/767 families, as well as promising programs for Boeing-777 wide-body aircraft. In this regard, the purchase of additional Boeing aircraft is planned.
The complex will be located on an area of 10 hectares. The total area of the engineering and technical infrastructure will exceed 45,000 square meters, including an aircraft parking area of more than 6 hectares. It is planned to build at least 15 high-tech facilities.
“The implementation of the project will allow Kazakhstan to create a modern service base of international level, capable of attracting foreign airlines to service their aircraft, expanding industry competencies and creating new highly skilled jobs,” the press release said.
It is noted that the initiative to create the center was developed during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s working visit to the United States, where, at a meeting with Boeing executives, the prospects for expanding strategic cooperation were discussed, including the implementation of a project to build a Boeing aircraft maintenance and repair center in Shymkent.
Earlier, Kazakh airline SCAT agreed with Boeing Co. to increase the number of Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet to 15 by 2035: in September 2025, SCAT received its 11th Boeing 737 MAX8.
A few years ago, Kazakh airline Air Astana announced plans to start flying to the US once it got its hands on some Boeing 787 Dreamliners. In November 2025, Air Astana said it signed a deal with Boeing Co. to get up to 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The airline expects to take delivery of four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in the fourth quarter of 2026.
American neurologists have introduced the Brain Care Score, an interactive questionnaire that helps assess brain health and determine what lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of stroke, dementia, and depression.
Aording to the description provided by the developers at the McCance Center for Brain Health (Massachusetts General Hospital), the scale is 21 points and takes into account 12 modifiable factors – from blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels to nutrition, sleep, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, social connections and “meaning/purpose in life.” .
The effectiveness of the approach was evaluated using UK Biobank data: in a study of nearly 399,000 participants, a higher Brain Care Score was statistically associated with a lower risk of dementia and stroke at a median follow-up of 12.5 years (in particular, a 5-point increase was associated with a reduction in risk across different age groups).
Dynamics of import of goods in January-September 2025 by most important items in relation to same period of 2024, %
Dynamics of export of goods in January-September 2025 by most important items in relation to same period of 2024, %
The National Bank of Ukraine has increased the deadline for settlements on agricultural and specialized equipment export transactions carried out from March 1, 2026, from 180 to 270 days.
This applies to goods classified under UKT VED codes 8424, 8428, 8432, and 8716.
The NBU specifies that the decision was made following consultations with the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture and taking into account the government’s proposals (Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 573-r of June 21, 2024).
The changes were approved by NBU Board Resolution No. 18 dated February 26, 2026, which comes into force on February 28, 2026.
The Ministry of Economy believes that extending the deadline “from 180 to 270 calendar days” will help exporters avoid the risks of reduced supplies due to long production cycles and the specifics of fulfilling foreign economic contracts, as well as support the continuity of contracts and the inflow of foreign currency earnings.
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY, EXPORTS, foreign currency earnings, NBU, REGULATION
From March 1, pensions in Ukraine will be indexed by 12%. The recalculation will be carried out automatically, so no applications need to be submitted, according to Denis Ulyutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine
“The indexation will affect all pensioners, except those whose pensions are scheduled to be paid in 2025 and early 2026. The recalculation will be done automatically. No applications need to be submitted. Funds for the indexation have been allocated,” the minister’s press service quoted him as saying on Saturday.
As noted in a statement received by Interfax-Ukraine, all recalculations will be carried out in a timely manner and in full. The state will ensure that the indexation is carried out even under martial law. The financial resources for this have been allocated. In addition to indexation, work is continuing on comprehensive pension reform.
“We are currently finalizing the final calculations. It is important for us that the new pension system is financially sustainable for decades to come,” Ulyutin said.
According to him, a comprehensive bill is being prepared that will cover the solidarity system, professional pensions, and the voluntary accumulative part. The ministry plans to complete the preparation of the bill, hold public discussions, and submit the document to the Verkhovna Rada this year.
