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Former Kyrgyz presidents Askar Akayev and Sooronbay Jeenbekov took part in the Issyk-Kul International Forum in Cholpon-Ata alongside current President Sadyr Japarov and foreign guests.

In his speech, Akayev noted that the forum, established at the initiative of renowned Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov in the 1980s, has become an important platform for discussing issues of peace and security. He also expressed concern about growing tensions between some Eastern countries and the U.S.

«Some irresponsible political leaders are talking about the possibility of using nuclear weapons, now supplemented by powerful artificial intelligence, which once again puts humanity...

On June 19, at the 2026 World Cup, the following matches will be played: Brazil vs Haiti and Scotland vs Morocco in Group C, and the U.S. vs Australia and Turkey vs Paraguay in Group D.

    2026 FIFA World Cup 

    Group D, Round 2, June 19, Seattle, Lumen Field

    The U.S. vs. Australia W2 D1 L1, (5-3)

    Coaches: Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina) / Tony Popovic

    Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)

On the eigth day of the tournament, in Group A, Mexico secured a spot in the round of...

Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin spoke about two route options Kazakhstan is developing to get access to Pakistan’s ports.

Iran

The first route runs through Iran; however, the railway infrastructure on the Zahedan-Pakistan section does not yet meet the required standards. As a result, the most efficient option is considered to be shipment via Iran’s ports, followed by transshipment and onward delivery to the Port of Karachi in Pakistan, located on the Arabian Sea, which handles around 60% of the country’s cargo throughput.

Afghanistan

The second option is linked to the...

Chinese scientists have discovered a new species of bumblebee goby fish and named it after South Korean singer Jennie of the BLACKPINK group.

A new species discovered by researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in the mangroves of the Pearl River estuary was named Brachygobius jennie. It represents the first recorded member of the bumblebee goby genus in China.

Jiangyan Tian, a postgraduate student, noticed unusual fish during field research. Their coloration differed from that of all known local species, and subsequent genetic analysis confirmed that scientists had indeed discovered a species previously unknown to science.

Brachygobius...

One of China’s largest mining companies, Zijin Mining Group, has registered a new company, Tianshan Resources Co. Ltd., at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). The development was reported by economist Arman Batayev on his Telegram channel, Finmentor.kz.

The new entity was registered with an authorized capital of 5 million tenge ($10,000). Its founder is Zijin Mining Group Northwest Geological Exploration Co. Ltd., a specialized subsidiary focused on geological exploration, resource assessment, and engineering support for mining projects.

According to Batayev, the subsidiary operates in northwestern China, including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as well as...

The average salary of oil and gas workers in Kazakhstan reached 1.8 million tenge ($3,600) in the first quarter of 2026, making the sector one of the country’s highest-paying industries. Among all sectors, only the tobacco industry reported a higher average salary, at nearly 2 million tenge, according to data from the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS) highlighted by expert Nurlan Zhumagulov.

Oil and gas workers earn nearly four times the national average salary, which stood at 461,000 tenge ($925) in Q1 2026.

Salaries in the oil and gas industry continue to significantly exceed those in other extractive...

A sophisticated real-time video deepfake software, currently circulating within Chinese-language criminal underground networks, allows even non-technical fraudsters to impersonate targets during live video calls on platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WhatsApp. The tool, known as Haotian AI, represents a significant escalation in digital fraud, enabling criminals to “shapeshift” into anyone in real time to facilitate romance scams, tax fraud, and virtual kidnappings, 404 Media reported.

The acquisition process

The investigation into Haotian AI required weeks of persistent negotiation with scammers on Telegram. Joseph Cox of 404 Media notes that the initial outreach was...

During an ongoing high-profile murder trial in Atyrau, defendant Sultan Sarsemaliyev, who is accused of murdering an entire family, told the court what he did after the killings. According to his testimony, he traveled to Mecca via Turkey in November 2025.

“I was disappointed in life. I asked God for forgiveness and said that I would die. I was in Mecca for 10 days. If God does not understand me, no one else will. I did not commit the crime lightly. They pushed me to this point themselves. Yes, I made a...

On June 17, on the sidelines of a parliamentary session, journalists asked Kazakhstan’s Deputy Defense Minister Askar Mustabekov whether sexual orientation or religious beliefs could serve as grounds for exemption from compulsory military service.

Mustabekov said Kazakhstan’s laws do not provide deferments or exemptions from conscription on either basis.

According to him, Kazakh law does not prohibit people of any sexual orientation from serving in the military. He also said no service members identifying as sexual minorities have been recorded in the Kazakh armed forces.

Mustabekov also said conscripts cannot refuse military service on religious grounds...

The eighth day of the 2026 World Cup marks the start of the second round of the group stage. Groups A and B continue their campaign: Czechia faces South Africa, Switzerland meets Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada takes on Qatar, while Mexico and South Korea close the day in a clash for the provisional group lead.

The main peculiarity of the day lies in the contrasting tournament situations. Group A already shows a clear split: Mexico and South Korea started with wins, while Czechia and South Africa have no room for another mistake. Group B, by contrast, saw all four teams...

According to Talgat Adilov, head of the Digital Asset Administration Department at Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee, the so-called «Google Tax» — a value-added tax (VAT) imposed on foreign internet platforms operating in the country — has produced positive results.

Introduced in 2022, the tax applies to foreign companies that sell goods and services online directly to individuals in Kazakhstan.

How many companies are paying?

There are currently 131 foreign internet companies officially registered in Kazakhstan. Last year, 20 companies joined the registry, while another 13 have registered so far this year.

Major taxpayers

Apple is the largest...

Vietnam is expanding the coverage of its Pre-Arrival service for foreign travelers. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at which popular resort destinations are affected.

Travelers arriving in Hanoi and Da Nang now need to complete an electronic pre-arrival declaration and obtain a QR code in advance. Without one, they may experience delays at border control.

The form must be completed 72 hours before departure. It requires personal details, passport information, flight details and information about accommodation in Vietnam. After submission, the system automatically generates a QR code, which should be printed out or saved on a phone.

The...

A human leg was found at a recycling facility in Incheon, South Korea, The Korea Times reported, citing police.

The incident occurred on June 10 when a worker at the Southern Regional Resource Recovery Center in Songdo, Yeonsu District, reportedly discovered a human left leg wrapped in material while sorting recyclables and reported it to authorities. Facility representatives said it was initially mistaken for part of a mannequin, but bloodstains later prompted staff to notify police.

Investigators said the remains may belong to an adult patient approximately 161-165 centimeters tall who had been treated at a...

Thailand is considering reviving its long-discussed Landbridge Project, a proposed $30 billion transport corridor linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, Reuters reported.

The proposal calls for the construction of two deep-sea ports in Chumphon and Ranong, connected by a 90-kilometer standard-gauge railway. If completed, the project could provide an alternative route for cargo moving between the Pacific and Indian oceans, reducing reliance on the congested Strait of Malacca.

According to Reuters, the corridor would also include highways, local roads and connections to Thailand’s existing rail network. The government estimates the project could reduce logistics costs...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law ratifying an agreement with the United Nations to establish a UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, the Akorda press service reported.

The legislation provides for the official establishment of the regional organization to address issues related to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

Tokayev also signed the law ratifying the memorandum of understanding between the government and the UN regarding the institution’s operation. 

Both laws enter into force after...

The experienced Colombians opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over World Cup newcomers Uzbekistan at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in the first round of the group stage.

Daniel Muñoz opened the scoring in the 40th minute, while Luis Díaz doubled Colombia’s advantage in the 65th minute and Jaminton Campaz sealed the win in the 90th+9 minute.

Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored Uzbekistan’s only goal in the 60th minute.

The match was officiated by English referee Anthony Taylor.

Elsewhere on Matchday 7, Portugal faced DR Congo, England took on Croatia and Ghana played Panama.

A young man’s life was upended for years after a simple clerical error falsely labeled him as “mentally disabled” in a national psychiatric database, preventing him from securing employment, a mortgage, or even keeping his driver’s license. Despite discovering the mistake years ago, health officials refused to correct the record without a court order, Kazpravda reported.

A case of mistaken identity

The ordeal began in 2022 when the resident of Ust-Kamenogorsk, eastern Kazakhstan, was rejected by a major metallurgical firm due to a medical flag in the electronic register. An investigation revealed that in...

Google search as it has existed for a quarter-century is nearing its end, giving way to a conversational, AI-driven interface that many professionals fear will compromise the integrity of information. Pavel Bannikov of Provereno.media reported that Google’s recent shift toward “AI Overviews” and the Gemini chatbot marks a transition from a list of relevant links to a personalized dialogue that could distort data based on a user’s digital footprint.

Read also: Google Gemini officially launches in Kazakh.

While this “platform state” model may appeal to the average consumer...

Former German forward Miroslav Klose reacted to Lionel Messi tying his World Cup goals record.

The Argentine player reached the 16-goal mark after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in the first round of the group stage at the 2026 World Cup. The defending champions won the match 3-0.

All three of Leo Messi's goals in his first career FIFA World Cup hat trick pic.twitter.com/jb05ZWMrVU

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 17, 2026

Klose, who has held the record for 12 years, said he did not mind potentially being overtaken by Messi.

«I have...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has officially confirmed that it is aware of the case involving Yelaman Baltagerei, a Kazakh citizen detained in the U.S., and said it is investigating the details. U.S. authorities have stated that Baltagerei was detained on suspicion of ties to terrorism.

Foreign Ministry’s response

Amid reports that U.S. authorities may deport Baltagerei, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, first deputy minister of foreign affairs and former Kazakh ambassador to the U.S., noted that terrorism-related charges typically lead to criminal prosecution and imprisonment rather than deportation.

«If terrorism charges are brought against an...

The seventh day of the 2026 World Cup will complete the first round of the group stage. June 17 will mark the tournament debut of Uzbekistan‘s national team. The day will also feature Portugal’s national team with Ronaldo, as well as a classic clash between England and Croatia.

    2026 FIFA World Cup

    Group K, Round 1, June 17, Mexico City, Azteca Stadium

    Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (first meeting)

    Coaches: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) / Néstor Lorenzo (Argentina)

    Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)

National teams from Central Asia have not...

According to Kazakhstan’s Finance Minister Madi Takiyev, the government is not liable for the obligations of national companies and other quasi-public sector organizations unless state guarantees are provided.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, in response to journalists’ questions.

«What we’re talking about here are relationships between economic entities. If these companies borrow funds, they must repay them themselves. We have not provided state guarantees for them,» the minister emphasized.

However, he admitted that the government does issue state guarantees for specific projects.

The Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of Parliament, endorsed loan agreements with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The total amount of the  loans, which will be used to cover budget expenditures, is about $964 million, according to the Mazhilis.

The Mazhilis ratified a loan agreement concerning a second loan for financing the Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Development Policy from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The agreement was signed on May 20, 2026. Under its terms, the IBRD will provide Kazakhstan with 92.3 billion yen (around...

The government of Kazakhstan will launch a pilot project to use the digital tenge in the social sector. The new technology will be tested in the provision of technical rehabilitation equipment (TRE) for people with disabilities, according to a response to a parliamentary inquiry by Deputy Prime Minister Aida Balayeva.

Direct funding

In the first phase, the digital currency will be used in a limited segment — providing orthopedic footwear to eligible recipients. The primary objective of introducing the digital tenge in the social sector is to establish a system of direct, targeted funding.