News

Kazakhstan has selected Russia’s advanced VVER-1200 design for its first nuclear power plant (NPP). Yernat Berdigulov, CEO of Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP, noted that the cost of an NPP depends on a wide range of factors, making direct comparisons between projects in different countries inappropriate.

Berdigulov noted that the cost of an NPP is shaped by a variety of factors and that projects in different countries have unique characteristics. The price may depend on the reactor technology, power unit configuration, legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as engineering, geological and climatic conditions.

Deliveries from sex shops have emerged as the fastest-growing business segment for Glovo in Kazakhstan, according to Ruslan Gamayev, the company’s general manager in the country.

Read also: Toys ‘are’ us: Kazakh journalist featured on the Guardian cover for sex toy advocacy.

Speaking at the New Vision Forum 2026, Gamzaev said demand for such orders is particularly strong during nighttime hours.

Beyond food delivery

Gamzaev noted that many consumers still view Glovo primarily as a food delivery platform, but the company has increasingly expanded into other categories.

According to him...

The U.S. and Iran have reached an agreement aimed at ending their military confrontation and are expected to formally sign the deal during a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday, according to a statement posted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on social media early Monday, Reuters reported.

Shortly afterward, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to confirm the development, writing on his Truth Social platform that an agreement with Iran had been completed.

Details remain limited

The full terms of the accord were not immediately disclosed. Sharif said the agreement provides for an immediate and permanent...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Finance expects to generate about 50 billion tenge (about $100 million) in additional budget revenue by legalizing and licensing the hookah industry, Finance Minister Madi Takiyev said on the sidelines of a recent parliamentary session.

His comments came as the government signaled support for easing plans for a comprehensive ban on the industry in favor of a regulated framework.

Government favors regulation over prohibition

According to Takiyev, the ministry’s position is based on practical considerations. He argued that existing restrictions on hookah smoking in public venues have proven ineffective and that tighter regulation would...

In May, Altynay Jakisheva, daughter of Mukhtar Dzhakishev, the former head of Kazakhstan’s state uranium company Kazatomprom, married Karl Obi, an investment banker. After sharing wedding photos on social media, she faced a wave of criticism from some Kazakh internet users over her decision to marry a foreigner.

Read also: Groom’s mother addresses racist remarks over mixed-race marriage in Kazakhstan.

Delegates at the 26th Congress of Kazakhstan’s ruling Amanat party in Astana voted today to merge the party with the newly established Adilet party.

According to congress organizers, the proposal was approved unanimously, with no votes against and no abstentions.

Party officials said the merger is intended to combine the organizations’ experience, personnel and public support in pursuit of Kazakhstan’s long-term development goals and the creation of what they described as a fair and progressive state.

Adilet emerges as successor

The Adilet party, established just over a month ago, is led by Aibek Dadebay, former...

The case was brought before a court in Kazakhstan after a lawsuit was filed by a locomotive driver. He was dismissed following a bribery conviction and challenged the decision, arguing that the regulation violated his constitutional right to freedom of labor.

Constitutional Court limits scope of dismissal rules

The Constitutional Court ruled that mandatory termination of employment contracts at an employer’s initiative applies only to individuals authorized to perform government functions or those in equivalent positions.

“The extension of the contested regulation to all employees of the quasi-public sector, without regard...

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov held a meeting on the implementation of a gas processing plant project at the Kashagan oil field with an annual capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas. He said the project has already entered the implementation phase, according to the Ministry of Energy.

Representatives of QazaqGaz, PSA and shareholders of NCOC — the consortium developing the Kashagan oil field — discussed the project status, coordination between participants and measures to ensure timely completion. Another gas processing plant with an annual capacity of 1 billion cubic meters is currently under...

On June 12, the other two co-hosts will play their first games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, while the U.S. will play against Paraguay in Los Angeles.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Group B, Round 1, June 12, Toronto, BMO Field

Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coaches: Jesse Marsch (the U.S.) / Sergej Barbarez

Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)

Prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina had never faced each other. Canada had previously appeared at the World Cup in 1986 and...

In Shymkent, a local oncology center successfully performed the first laparoscopic pancreatoduodenal surgery on a patient with a malignant pancreatic tumor. This means that city residents will now be able to receive high-tech medical care without having to travel to other regions.

According to the Ministry of Health, this type of surgery is one of the most complex and high-tech interventions in oncological treatment. Therefore, experienced oncology surgeons from the National Scientific Medical Center in Astana came to Shymkent to share their expertise with local specialists. They held a master class for local surgeons.

A sign language video dictionary called e-Ymdau has been released in Kazakhstan. The project aims to expand opportunities for people with hearing impairments to study, communicate, and participate in society.

How it works

The dictionary takes the form of a database where words and concepts are demonstrated through gestures. An automated search system allows users to quickly find the needed word and view its correct sign language representation.

The video dictionary is available in Kazakh and Russian and covers 21 vocabulary topics. The app is available on the App Store and on the National Scientific and Practical Center for...

In April and May 2026, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) investigated dozens of terrorism- and extremism-related cases, resulting in prison sentences for 13 individuals.

In one case, a resident of Astana used social media to promote terrorist ideology and encourage people to join armed conflicts abroad. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.

In another case in Shymkent, a local resident allegedly called on his associates to establish a theocratic state in Kazakhstan in which religious leaders would hold political power. He was also accused of spreading terrorist ideology and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

A separate...

On June 12, the inaugural meeting of the South Korea-Kyrgyzstan trade and investment cooperation committee was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Mederbek Tumanov and South Korea’s Director General for International Trade Relations at the ministry Bae Jun-hyoung discussed prospects for cooperation in critical minerals, bilateral trade, investment and industry, as well as Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to digitalize transport infrastructure and develop its textile industry, Yonhap reported.

Notably, trade turnover between South Korea and Kyrgyzstan totaled...

Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha has died at the age of 47 after spending nearly four years in a coma, The Guardian reported.

The eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn was hospitalized in December 2022 after suffering severe health complications related to a heart condition. Since then, the palace released only limited updates on her condition. In May, officials reported that her health had deteriorated due to multiple infections affecting several organs and that doctors had been unable to stabilize her heart rhythm.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha was born in 1978 and earned several academic degrees, including a doctorate from Cornell University...

Another foreign air carrier has entered Kazakhstan’s market. Starting June 12, 2026, FlyOne Armenia launches direct scheduled passenger flights to the country, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

The airline operates the Yerevan-Almaty route. According to the schedule, two flights are operated per week — on Mondays and Fridays.

«The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan is continuing efforts to expand the country’s flight network and increase the number of international air services. Starting June 12, FlyOne Armenia, an Armenian carrier, is entering Kazakhstan’s aviation market,» the statement read.

With...

Kazakhstan plans to significantly tighten restrictions on the sale of medicines through online platforms. Prescription drugs — including widely used antibiotics — could be completely banned from sale on marketplaces, according to Bauyrzhan Jussipov, chairman of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Control Committee.

Read also: World’s top painkiller paracetamol becomes best-selling drug in Kazakhstan.

Jussipov said medications that should be available only with a doctor’s prescription are currently being sold freely online. The ministry now handles such violations on a case-by-case basis, requesting that platform owners remove the products. However...

Construction has commenced on a massive “Data Center Valley” cluster near Ekibastuz, a project intended to establish the nation as a premier Eurasian digital hub, according to a report in Kazpravda. The ambitious initiative aims to attract global hyperscalers and will eventually house 10 modern data centers with a total capacity of 1 gigawatt.

Read also: What you need to know about Kazakhstan’s new $16B AI strategy.

The first phase of the development, led by national operator Kazakhtelecom, is scheduled for completion in 2027. This initial stage...

In the digital battle for the future of journalism, the “click” might be the ultimate liar. While newsroom editors have long chased viral traffic to keep their organizations afloat, the stories that actually convince readers to open their wallets tell a far different story about what we value in our local news, according to a new study published by NBER.

Researchers examined four years of granular data from a major U.S. metropolitan newspaper, tracking 605 million article visits and millions of “paywall events” where readers were forced to subscribe to keep reading. The findings reveal a stark disconnect...

Air quality affects more than just physical health — it can also influence mental well-being.

Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, appears to have a significant impact. These microscopic pollutants are produced by vehicle exhaust, smoke, and industrial emissions. They can penetrate deep into the lungs and may even affect brain function.

According to a report by the Almaty Air Initiative, the average annual PM2.5 concentration in Almaty in 2025 was approximately six times higher than the level recommended by the World Health Organization.

Pollution and cognitive function

Air pollution has been linked not only to lung and heart...

Google employees are increasingly using the company’s internal meme board, Memegen, to voice frustration over the mandated use of artificial intelligence tools, Emanuel Maiberg of 404 Media reported. While CEO Sundar Pichai has publicly stated that 75% of new code is AI-generated, staff members are privately ridiculing the technology as “slop” that complicates their daily tasks. The volume of anti-AI memes typically surges during major product reveals, such as the I/O 2026 conference, where AI was the primary focus.

Problems with internal coding tools

A primary target for recent critique has been Jetski, Google’s internal...

Billions of tenge from Kazakhstan’s state budget have been spent on medical treatment for foreign nationals, Kazakh lawmaker Murat Abenov said on the sidelines of a recent parliamentary session. He also criticized government plans to restore remote applications for Individual Identification Numbers (IINs) for foreigners.

According to Abenov, 3.5 billion tenge (approximately $7 million) from the state budget has been spent on treating foreigners in the North Kazakhstan Region alone. He attributed the expense to insufficient digitalization and weak oversight.

“Essentially, foreigners arriving from neighboring countries are using our healthcare system for...

Electric vehicle owners in Kazakhstan will be able to obtain green license plates later than expected. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the launch of a new type of license plate for environmentally friendly vehicles has been delayed by around six months, Informburo reported.

Plans to introduce a separate type of license plate for EVs became known in May 2026 during discussions of amendments to the road traffic law. At the time, the MIA supported the idea of distinguishing battery-powered vehicles with special plates, following the example of other countries.

In May, Cove Kaz Capital Group LLC completed the acquisition of a 70% stake in Severny Katpar LLC, a Kazakh mining company previously under the umbrella of Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund. The asset includes development rights to the North Katpar field, one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits.

A report from Samruk-Kazyna confirmed the completion of the transaction involving a controlling interest in the project.

«On May 4, 2026, the group completed the sale of a 70% stake in the authorized capital of Severny Katpar LLC to Cove Kaz...

On June 11, the first matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place. In the opening game Mexico will face South Africa at the legendary Azteca Stadium, followed by the clash between Czechia and South Korea in Guadalajara.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Group A, Round 1, June 11, Mexico City, Azteca Stadium

Mexico vs. South Africa: W2 D1 L1 (10-5)

Coaches: Javier Aguirre / Hugo Broos (Belgium)

Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)

A special opening for a special tournament

Sixteen years ago, on June 11, 2010, the national teams of South Africa...