Managing companies in Kazakhstan will soon be able to invest up to 80% of Kazakhstanis’ pension savings in foreign-currency assets. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) will introduce new limits on pension investments in instruments denominated in foreign currency. Currently, such…
A sluggish economy, a battered real estate market, and tighter tech oversight have already squeezed China’s labor market. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence could make the situation even more challenging, according to RAND Corporation fellow Marianne Lu. Ambitious AI targets amid labor market strain Beijing has laid out sweeping…
According to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, AI is the most important technology humanity has ever worked on. He believes it will reshape the future of work as some roles evolve and new opportunities appear. Those who adapt to AI tools «will do well in each of the professions.» However, if…
A global equities index signaled further declines in world markets, while Bitcoin fell below $90,000 for the first time in seven months, according to Bloomberg. The cryptocurrency’s slide extended a weeks-long downturn that has wiped out its gains for the year and shaken confidence across digital-asset markets. The pullback is…
Kazakh state-owned investment and development company Baiterek Holding and Malaysian automotive company PROTON have signed a memorandum of cooperation to develop the automotive industry in Kazakhstan and establish a national carmaker. Data on the brand name and the timeline for its establishment has not yet been disclosed. The document was…
Over the past three months, residents of Kazakhstan purchased nearly half a ton of gold — 9,110 minted bars weighing a total of 409 kilograms — according to the National Bank. Ten-gram bars remain the most popular. Almaty accounted for the largest share of purchases, with 5,874 bars, or 71%…
According to Madiyar Sultanbek, deputy chairman of Kazakh Invest, China will soon rise from fourth to third place in terms of the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Kazakhstan. He hasn’t ruled out that China may eventually become the largest foreign investor in the country. «The People’s Republic of…
India’s fast-growing digital economy is fueling a rapid increase in data center construction, but this boom poses serious challenges: rising water consumption, soaring energy demand and threats to long-term sustainability, BBC reported. Driven by global demand for AI and cloud computing, India has become a major growth market for data…
California-based 1X Technologies has opened preorders for its robot assistant, Neo. The company says Neo will help consumers achieve a chore-free future. A humanoid robot Developers claim that Neo can perform routine household tasks, such as folding laundry, placing items on shelves, and cleaning rooms. The robot can be controlled…
Tesla shareholders have approved CEO Elon Musk’s compensation plan, valued at up to $1 trillion, in what marks the largest corporate pay package in history. The proposal received more than 75% support at Tesla’s annual meeting at its Texas factory, where Musk appeared on stage alongside the company’s dancing robots,…
Russia and Kazakhstan may jointly lay a fiber-optic cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to establish direct connections between Russian regions and Armenia, Iran and Kazakhstan, Interfax reported. According to Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev, the two countries — along with their respective telecom operators, Rostelecom…
OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, Timur Turlov’s Freedom Holding Corp. and the government of Kazakhstan have signed a strategic agreement in Washington. According to the document, 165,000 teachers in Kazakhstan will gain access to ChatGPT Edu, a special version of ChatGPT designed for students and teachers that features enhanced privacy…
Saudi Arabia is leveraging its low-cost energy and Aramco’s investment drive to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a future international hub for AI, CNBC reported, citing Aramco CEO Amin Nasser. According to Nasser, the Kingdom’s low-cost energy gives it an edge in AI data infrastructure:…
The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, one of Tesla’s largest investors, said it will vote against Elon Musk’s new compensation package, which could be worth up to $1 trillion over a decade, according to the Associated Press. The fund, which manages Norway’s Government Pension Fund and holds about 1.16% of Tesla’s…
Coca-Cola Içecek Kazakhstan plans to build its fourth plant in Aktobe, western Kazakhstan, with construction set for 2026. The company is a subsidiary of Turkish beverage firm Coca-Cola Icecek. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture and the company signed an agreement for the project. Once operational, the facility is expected to create…
Kazakhstan experienced a dramatic reversal in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, shifting from a net inflow of $2.8 billion in the first quarter to a net outflow of $1.9 billion in the second quarter. Economist Ruslan Sultanov attributed the decline primarily to U.S. companies reinvesting profits into production rather…
Kazakh startup Call2action.ai, founded by entrepreneur Yersultan Jussakinov, has raised $500,000 in funding, mostly from U.S. investors, at a $6 million valuation, Digital Business reported. Call2action.ai describes itself as the first generative AI-powered platform designed to help companies hire employees faster and at lower cost. The system conducts automated interviews,…
Sixteen-year-old Almaty resident Narminakhon Imangalieva turns one of her city’s biggest problems — air pollution — into eco-friendly ink. Narminakhon was inspired after learning that Almaty was ranked the world’s most polluted city. While researching smog’s causes, she found that it contains black carbon particles. «I thought, why not make…
L’Oréal will acquire Kering’s luxury beauty portfolio for €4 billion, boosting its standing in high-end cosmetics and fragrances, according to Euronews. The deal grants L’Oréal a 50-year license for Kering’s leading fashion houses, including Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga, and brings the niche fragrance brand Creed under L’Oréal’s ownership. Kering…
LVMH posted a 1% increase in third-quarter sales, buoyed by stronger spending in China and other Asian markets, excluding Japan. The world’s largest luxury group reported «noticeable» improvement in Asia, revealing positive overall results for the first time in 2025, according to Reuters. Quarterly revenue rose to $21.17 billion, beating…
Google plans to build a major artificial intelligence (AI) hub in southern India, marking its largest such project outside the U.S., CNBC reported. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian announced that the company will invest $15 billion in the project over the next five years. The new data center will help…
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Monday awarded the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to American-Israeli economic historian Joel Mokyr and economists Philippe Aghion of France and Peter Howitt of Canada. The three were honored for advancing the understanding…
The Dutch government has made what it describes as a rare move to step in at Nexperia, a China-owned semiconductor manufacturer based in the Netherlands. Officials say they acted because of risks to national and European economic security, according to the BBC. Following this decision, officials invoked the Goods Availability…
Kazakhstan is introducing a temporary permitting procedure for the import of slot machines, a measure aimed at combating illegal and problem gambling, the government’s press office reported. Under the new rules, only organizations holding a state gambling license will be allowed to import slot machines. Last summer, Kazakhstan tightened gambling…
