News

Documents related to the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant are in the final stages of approval, including financing arrangements.

Alexey Borodavkin, Russia’s ambassador to Kazakhstan, announced the update in an interview with Russia 24.

The agreement outlines the project’s organizational, legal and technical framework. A second set of documents covers the provision of a Russian state loan for construction of the plant.

Project timeline and costs

Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, to be built on the shores of Lake Balkhash, will be constructed by Russia’s Rosatom.

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On Feb. 11, Kazakhstani tennis players Alexander Bublik (World No. 10) and Elena Rybakina (World No. 3) won thrilling matches in their runs at the ATP 500 ABN AMRO Open and WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open, respectively.

Bublik, who withdrew from doubles, faced Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz (No. 70) in singles and defeated him in three tight sets, 6-2(2-7), 7-6(7-1), 7-5.

Despite the ranking gap, Bublik had trailed 1-6 in his head-to-head record against Hurkacz. The match was expected to be a challenge following Bublik’s...

On Feb. 11, Kazakhstani tennis player Anna Danilina (World doubles No. 10), paired with Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunić (No. 13), won their opening match at the WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open. The 2026 Australian Open runners-up defeated France’s Kristina Mladenovic (No. 70) and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez (No. 80) 6-2, 4-6, 10-4.

Danilina and Krunić received a first-round bye, while their opponents advanced after beating China’s Wang Xinyu (No. 29) and Zheng Saisai (No. 92).

At the start of the match, the Kazakh-Serbian duo’s dominance was evident. They broke in the third and seventh games, winning the set...

A large shipment of laughing gas — the illegal sale of which is now a criminal offense — was discovered in a warehouse in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe region. Police seized more than 1,000 cylinders of nitrous oxide imported from Russia.

The operation was carried out as part of efforts to combat drug crime and restrict the circulation of potent substances. During the investigation, law enforcement officers found two cargo tanks and 1,033 gas cylinders in one of the warehouses.

Criminal liability introduced in 2026

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said that, alongside efforts to combat...

Zakat al-Fitr, a form of charitable giving during the holy month of Ramadan, will amount to 735 tenge ($1.50) this year, according to a decision by the Spiritual Administration of Kazakhstan’s Muslims. The amount is determined based on the cost of two kilograms of flour in the country.

Read also: Top muslim body launches Imam AI app.

According to a general fatwa, Ramadan will begin Feb. 19. The night of March 16-17 will mark Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power. Eid al-Fitr (known locally as Oraza Ait), the...

A referendum on adopting a draft new Constitution of Kazakhstan will be held on March 15.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree calling a nationwide referendum for March 15, 2026, according to Akorda.

The referendum will ask:

«Do you accept the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the draft of which was published in the media on Feb. 12, 2026?»

The draft constitution, initiated by Tokayev, was recently developed by the Constitutional Commission.

Under the proposed constitution, the country would have a unicameral...

Ghana has designated each Wednesday as «Fugu Day,» encouraging citizens to wear the traditional outfit to promote national identity and cultural pride, the BBC reported.

The initiative follows an online debate sparked by mockery of the fugu worn by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama during a state visit to Zambia. Social media posts about the outfit triggered a strong response from Ghanaians, who defended the garment’s cultural significance.

According to Ghana’s Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the weekly observance will help project Ghana’s identity with confidence internationally. She encouraged people to wear the outfit in its various styles and...

American pop star Britney Spears has sold the rights to her music catalogue to music publishing company Primary Wave, according to TMZ.

The deal reportedly totaled around $200 million. The publisher acquired a stake in the singer’s catalogue, which includes such hits as «…Baby One More Time,» «Oops!… I Did It Again,» «Circus» and «Gimme More.»

Primary Wave also holds rights to works by Bob Marley, Whitney Houston and John Lennon. The company was founded in 2006. It also does business with Prince’s heirs and the estate of The Notorious B.I.G.

The agreement reportedly was concluded...

Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam won gold in the 1,000 meters at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Her fiancé, YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul, was cheering her on emotionally from the stands. At one point, he couldn’t hold back tears and began to cry.

Earlier, another Dutch skater, Femke Kok, set an Olympic record, leaving little room for others to improve on it. However, Leerdam took to the...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev criticized government agencies for irrational spending on digitalization during an expanded government meeting Feb. 10. The head of state called for the creation of a unified digital platform without requesting «huge sums of money» from the state budget.

According to Tokayev, the lack of unified oversight has led government agencies to pursue digitalization independently. This has created technical difficulties and resulted in reckless spending.

No funding for fragmented systems

At a meeting at the Prosecutor General’s Office, a representative of the cabinet of ministers announced the amount needed to integrate...

Tesla is preparing to begin mass producing its electric truck Semi. The model was first presented in 2017, but large-scale production is only now starting. Meanwhile, the truck’s price has significantly increased. Elon Musk announced the full-fledged launch in 2026, and a dedicated page is now available on the company’s website.

Production in Nevada and a slow start

The electric trucks are produced at a facility in Nevada. However, since late 2022, only limited test deliveries had been made. The first vehicles were sent to PepsiCo for trial operations, while large-scale...

In 2025, Kazakhstan climbed one place from its 2024 position to 42nd on the World Justice Project’s Order and Security ranking, outperforming several European countries, including France (47th), Portugal (51st) and Italy (64th).

Further down the ranking are Barbados (43rd), North Macedonia (44th) and Cyprus (45th).

The ranking is topped by Luxembourg (1st), Singapore (2nd) and Ireland (3rd).

Notably, Kazakhstan surpassed Russia (130th) and Kyrgyzstan (61st), whereas Uzbekistan, ranking 17th, remains far ahead. Belarus placed one position higher at 41st.

Afghanistan (141st), Nigeria (142nd) and Pakistan (143rd) conclude the ranking.

The Order and Security factor reflects...

Air Astana shareholders have approved a deal with Airbus to purchase 25 aircraft. Renewing its fleet will cost the airline at least 550 billion tenge ($1 billion).

The decision, made at a special shareholders meeting, was announced on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange. Air Astana is expected to place a firm order with Airbus for 5 Airbus A320neo and 20 Airbus A321NX aircraft. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled between 2031 and 2034.

Although no details of the deal have been disclosed, Air Astana said it represents more than 50% of the company’s book value. Based on the company’s latest financial report for...

According to NASA, five asteroids will approach Earth in the very near future. Four of them are the size of airplanes and one space rock is about the size of an average house.

Scientists have reported that a 110-meter asteroid, dubbed 2026 BJ8, will be the first to approach the planet, passing at a distance of 2,370,000 kilometers on Feb. 12, followed by three more asteroids.

On Feb. 13, another large asteroid, dubbed 2026 CA1, will approach Earth at a distance of 1,520,000 kilometers.

Lastly, the largest one, a 180-meter asteroid named 1999 AO10, will pass the planet at...

With the new Tax Code that took effect in 2026 and related policy changes, Kazakhstan is significantly tightening taxation requirements for mining companies, according to a MINEX Kazakhstan forecast for 2026. The report highlights rising taxes on uranium and gold mining as market prices for the metals increase.

Read also: Kazakhstan moves to reclaim majority stakes in uranium projects.

«The uranium sector is facing particularly aggressive tax increases, reflecting the government’s desire to extract ‘excess profits’ during periods of high commodity prices,» the report states.

The flat...

Two-time Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina defeated China’s Wang Xinyu (World No. 33) 6-2, 6-4 in her first match at the WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open following her victory at the 2026 Australian Open.

The Kazakhstani tennis player received a first-round bye in Doha, while Wang defeated Colombia’s Emiliana Arango (No. 49) 6-1, 7-5. Securing breaks in the sixth and eighth games, Rybakina took the opening set 6-2 on her first set point.

In the second set, the 2023 French Open doubles champion found her game — breaking the favorite in the...

China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), the largest construction company in China, will participate in the construction of Alatau City, an ambitious new project in the Almaty region. According to regional authorities, the company’s engagement is the result of an agreement signed in September in Beijing between Kazakhstan’s National Investment Corporation and Caspian Group, on the one hand, and CSCEC International Construction Corporation Ltd., on the other.

Under the EPC+F (Engineering, Procurement, Construction + Finance) contract, CSCEC will provide design, procurement and construction services, as well as financial support for the joint project, the total value of which is estimated...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sharply criticized the domestic large language model KazLLM during an expanded cabinet meeting today, comparing it to ChatGPT.

Read also: Kazakh President is lambasting his own government over Grok and ChatGPT.

The head of state asked Minister of Artificial Intelligence Zhaslan Madiyev how many users KazLLM currently has and whether the model has any shortcomings.

Madiyev said the model is used by about 600,000 people, or roughly 3% of the country’s population. Tokayev noted that ChatGPT is used by 13% of Kazakhstan’s citizens.

«These...

Freedom Holding Corp. (FRHC) aims to create a fully-fledged digital infrastructure in Kazakhstan that contributes to the country’s development, according to the company’s CEO Timur Turlov. He made this statement at the FRHC Strategic Summit held from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29 in Limassol, Cyprus.

Global scale

The Freedom Holding Corp. ecosystem includes Freedom Broker, Freedom Bank Kazakhstan, Freedom Finance Europe, as well as insurance, technology and lifestyle companies.

Freedom Holding Corp. recently released its financial statement for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 (ended Dec. 31, 2025), reporting nearly $1.7 billion in revenue for the first nine...

Popular gaming messenger platform Discord announced the introduction of a new confidentiality policy, set to roll out in March 2026, which will temporarily apply «teen-by-default» settings to all users, regardless of their location or age, restricting access to adult content.

In recent years, Discord has faced criticism for hosting a large number of controversial communities and poorly moderated content that attracts underage users.

Once the update rolls out, users may be required to verify their age. The options include submitting a form of identification or a selfie for facial age estimation to lift the restrictions. Previously...

Starlink satellite internet stations located in Kazakhstan will transmit signals not only across the country but also to neighboring states, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev announced at a recent cabinet meeting.

The announcement refers to Starlink gateway stations. An agreement to deploy the company’s infrastructure in Kazakhstan was signed last summer.

«In addition to meeting the needs of citizens, this digital infrastructure will allow Kazakhstan to strengthen its leading role in ensuring regional digital connectivity,» Madiyev said.

Regional access beginning this year

Tajikistan...

In late January, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) notified mining companies operating in the country that they must allocate 5% of their shares to local employees, according to Bloomberg. The requirement applies to Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a Kazakh mining holding company that produces copper and cobalt in the country.

The rule mandating that companies developing metal deposits reserve 5% of their capital for Congolese employees was adopted in 2018 but had not previously been enforced.

Deadline set for compliance

The DRC’s Ministry of Mines is now requesting confirmation of...

It’s a trend sparking considerable debate: Democrats appear to use artificial intelligence in the workplace more often than their Republican colleagues. However, education — not ideology — arguably drives the partisan AI gap in the U.S. workforce, according to a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Politics, trust and new technology

Political ideology can shape perceptions of and interactions with new technologies. Republicans reportedly express significantly lower trust in scientists and are less likely to embrace certain innovations than their Democratic counterparts. NBER’s new working paper, «The Politics of AI,» explores the intersection...

Passengers flying with Kazakh airlines will gain access to the internet on aircraft, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Zhaslan Madiyev, announced at an extended government session.

He said that the country is actively developing its communications infrastructure with several projects set for the near future, expanding internet coverage beyond the ground and into the air.

Madiyev emphasized that 1,900 villages will receive fiber-optic connectivity, with 90% of them expected to be connected by next year. He also said that national-level highways will be equipped with communications infrastructure. The minister added that, as of last December, all...