News

Kazakhstan plans to launch a pilot project for a driverless taxi service in the second half of 2026, according to the Ministry of AI and Digital Development.

The project is being developed by the ministry in partnership with Yandex Qazaqstan and inDrive, with preparations currently underway.

Read also: Sex in driverless cars: Already an issue in San Francisco, not yet in Kazakhstan.

Engineers from Yandex Qazaqstan have already begun building the technical infrastructure, including setting up specialized garages and importing and configuring a fleet of autonomous vehicles. The vehicles’ software is...

A photo purportedly showing Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in a hospital has been circulating on social media, though users and fact-checkers have questioned its authenticity.

Read also: Kazakhstan’s ‘Falling Nazarbayev’ sculpture sold to Russian buyer.

The image recently appeared in an Instagram post. It shows Nazarbayev lying in a hospital bed with an IV and connected to medical equipment, while a doctor stands nearby. A timestamp at the bottom of the image reads May 23, 2026.

«The people’s gratitude and good wishes are the highest reward for a...

Head coach of the Kazakhstan Freestyle Moguls Team, Yelena Kruglykhina, has responded to claims from Olympic figure skating champion Mikhail Shaidorov that he has not received his salary in recent months.

Kruglykhina said Shaidorov, like other winter sports athletes, signed a contract valid through Feb. 22, 2026. She added that responsibility for renewing agreements did not rest solely with the federation, but also with the athlete’s representatives.

«Has Misha gone too far, or are you being used?» Kruglykhina wrote on Instagram. «You signed a contract until Feb. 22, 2026, just like all...

Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva was eliminated in the second round of the French Open after a hard-fought loss to Colombia’s Camila Osorio 7-5, 6-7(6-8), 6-4.

The match marked the first career meeting between the 31-year-old Putintseva and the 24-year-old Osorio. Both players are considered strong clay-court specialists.

Osorio has won all three of her WTA 250 titles on clay in Bogotá, claiming trophies in 2021, 2024 and 2025. Putintseva, meanwhile, has captured two of her three career titles on clay — in Nuremberg in 2019 and Budapest in 2021 — with her only non-clay title coming on...

The foundation of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia is a shared responsibility for the stability and development of the broader Eurasian region, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Astana.

Tokayev described Putin’s state visit as an exceptionally important event for the development of the strategic partnership and allied relations between the two countries. He also thanked the Russian leader for an article published ahead of the visit.

«I fully agree with the point that the foundation of Kazakh-Russian cooperation is a shared responsibility for the stability and...

Russia will provide Kazakhstan with an intergovernmental export loan to finance the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant. The total financing package is estimated at approximately $16.4 billion, including about $2 billion allocated for social infrastructure and safety systems.

Kazakhstan and Russia signed agreements outlining the key principles and terms of cooperation for the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant in the Almaty region.

Loan terms described as favorable

Almassadam Satkaliyev, chairman of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy, said the loan terms are favorable for Kazakhstan but declined to disclose specific details.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner suffered a stunning second-round defeat at Roland Garros, falling to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, ranked No. 56 in the world, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1.

The Italian appeared to be in complete control on Court Philippe-Chatrier, cruising through the opening two sets 6-3, 6-2. In the third set, Sinner held a 5-1 lead and seemed on the verge of advancing to the next round before experiencing serious physical issues.

The momentum shifted entirely from that point. Cerúndolo mounted an impressive comeback to claim the third set in a tiebreak, 7-5, before dominating the...

Kazakh mixed martial artist Shavkat Rakhmonov is showing signs of recovery and has returned to training after previously being spotted on crutches and wearing a knee brace, according to Bloody Elbow.

In late January, Nomad was spotted walking with crutches and wearing a knee brace, raising concern among fans, followed by a statement from the athlete in February, in which he said he had suffered another knee injury and pledged to return stronger.

However, a video showing Rakhmonov in a contact training session posted on the official DAR...

The European Union has fined Chinese-owned online retailer Temu €200 million for selling illegal and potentially dangerous products on its platform, including unsafe baby toys and faulty chargers, as reported by Euronews.

The European Commission said Temu failed to properly identify and assess risks associated with products sold through its marketplace and the potential harm they pose to consumers. The company has been under investigation since October 2024 over compliance with obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act as a designated Very Large Online Platform.

As part of the investigation, an independent testing organization conducted mystery shopping exercises and...

A former U.S. government official has been arrested after FBI agents discovered hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million at his Virginia home, according to the BBC.

David Rush, a former senior official in the CIA, was charged with criminal theft of public money in a complaint filed last week. Authorities allege that between November 2025 and March 2026, Rush made several requests to the U.S. government for large amounts of foreign currency and gold bars intended for work-related expenses.

Investigators later said there was no record indicating that Rush had informed his employer of the location...

An unusual food trend emerged in Malaysia, with locals began flocking to the Kajang Prison for its famous curry puffs.

The trend began with a viral Threads post in which a user asked Malaysia’s Prison Department whether it was possible to visit a prison facility to buy curry puffs, which had suddenly gone viral on social media. Inmates prepare the pastries as part of a prison work program, which are then sold at a prison shop.

South Korean authorities have arrested a YouTuber over allegations that he spread false claims about popular actor Kim Soo-hyun using manipulated and AI-generated evidence, the BBC reported.

According to police and prosecutors, Kim Se-ui, who operates the popular YouTube channel Hover Lab, falsely alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had dated actress Kim Sae-ron while she was underage, accusations the actor has consistently denied. Investigators allege that a voice recording published by Hover Lab, in which Kim Sae-ron appeared to discuss the relationship, was generated using artificial intelligence.

Authorities also claim screenshots of text messages from the actress’s phone were altered...

Dan Greaney, an American television writer and producer known for his work on «The Simpsons,» including the episode widely cited for its «prediction» of Donald Trump’s presidency, has announced a bid for the 2028 U.S. presidential election.

The episode in question is «Bart to the Future,» which aired in 2000. In it, Lisa Simpson is elected President of the U.S. and refers to the «budget crunch from President Trump.» Following Trump’s victory, many people revisited the episode and began discussing other supposed «predictions» on the show.

Now Greaney has decided to try...

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Astana for a three-day state visit. A formal welcoming ceremony for the Russian leader took place at the Palace of Independence, where Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev greeted him in person, and an honor guard was lined up alongside official delegations from both countries.

In honor of the visit, Kazakhstan Air Force fighter jets conducted a flyover above the venue, leaving white, blue and red smoke trails matching the colors of the Russian flag.

Inside the palace, Tokayev and Putin introduced members of the Kazakh and Russian delegations to one another.

The commander of the...

Russia has gifted Kazakhstan four Amur tigers, including two cubs, as part of efforts to help restore the tiger population in the Lake Balkhash region, Reuters reported.

According to an official Kremlin statement, the animals were captured in Russia’s far eastern Khabarovsk region and flown to Kazakhstan ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s three-day visit to the country this week.

Read also: Asia’s lost king: The story of the Turan tiger

Kazakhstan has been working to restore its tiger population and considers the Amur tiger a close relative of the...

Federal prosecutors in New York have charged Michele Spagnulo, a 36-year-old Google software engineer and Italian citizen living in Switzerland, with commodities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in connection with alleged insider trading on the prediction market platform Polymarket, NBC News reported.

According to the federal complaint, Spagnulo allegedly used confidential internal Google search data to place a series of bets on Polymarket between October and December 2025. Prosecutors claim he accessed commercially valuable internal data tracking user search activity and used it to predict future search trends before the information became public.

As a result, Spagnulo, who...

Kazakhstan has issued panda bonds on the Chinese stock market for the first time, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Finance reported.

The issuance of yuan-denominated bonds was completed on May 26, 2026. The issue size amounted to 3.4 billion yuan (roughly $500 million). The bonds have a three-year maturity and a coupon rate of 1.9% per annum.

According to the Ministry of Finance, during bookbuilding, demand for the bonds was twice the supply. The ministry believes this proves the trust of Chinese institutional investors in Kazakhstan’s macroeconomic indicators, including sustainable economic growth and low government debt.

Kazakhstan set a record by issuing...

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy said active construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant will begin in 2027.

Read also: Kazakhstan’s nuclear chess: Why China’s CNNC ‘loses’ first NPP, but still wins big.

Agency spokesman Shyngys Ilyassov said that during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing state visit, Kazakhstan and Russia plan to sign two intergovernmental agreements related to the project. The agreements will cover construction of the nuclear power plant and the project’s financing arrangements.

Earlier, Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Russia’s state nuclear corporation...

Judo will be gradually introduced into Kazakhstan’s higher education system under a new cooperation agreement signed by Sayasat Nurbek, Kazakhstan’s minister of science and higher education, and Marius Vizer, president of the International Judo Federation.

Read also: Ippon: Judo expert neutralizes prankster during ‘abduction’ stunt.

According to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the initiative will include competitions, the creation of student leagues and the development of sports infrastructure at universities and colleges.

Particular attention will be given to strengthening educational institutions’ sports infrastructure and supplying sports equipment, tatami mats and...

The gender makeup of a delivery room team could be a literal lifesaver. By analyzing data from 2.5 million births, researchers discovered that the way “Lead” and “Assisting” physicians interact significantly influences maternal safety during high-stakes medical emergencies, according to a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

The study’s central finding is a stark “partisan” divide in performance based on gender mix: female-only teams achieve the best maternal outcomes, while male-only teams have the worst. Specifically, the researchers found that severe maternal complications are 15.8% higher in male-only teams compared to female-only pairings...

You count calories, eat less and exercise more — but eventually the number on the scale stops moving. While frustrating, this is a predictable response from the body.

We spoke with endocrinologist and nutritionist Saina Olesova of the Good Doctor (Horoshiy Doctor) clinic to better understand what happens in the body during a calorie deficit and why weight-loss plateaus occur.

What is metabolic adaptation?

Metabolic adaptation is the body’s response to an energy deficit, but it does not mean the body suddenly «shuts down» or stops burning fat altogether.

Olesova compares the process to conserving a phone...

We’re accustomed to teaching financial literacy to children, but older adults need it just as much. For retirees, financial literacy is not only about saving money — it’s also about security. Without basic financial skills, seniors can become easy targets for scammers.

Here’s how to help older relatives understand the basics of personal finance, protect their accounts and avoid making them feel lectured or patronized.

Saving habits don’t always mean financial planning

The paradox of the older generation is that people who grew up in times of scarcity often know how to save money on...

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina suffered an upset loss to Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva in the second round of the French Open (No. 55), 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (4-10).

The players had never faced each other before. Rybakina broke early to for a 2-0 lead and secured another break for 5-1. After that, the Kazakhstani player made several unforced errors, allowing Starodubtseva to win two consecutive games and break back. Serving for the set again at 5-3, Rybakina fell behind 15-40 but managed to take the set 6-3.

In the second set, Rybakina struggled badly. A high number...

Starting in 2027, Kazakhstan plans to gradually introduce a new standardized university entrance exam to replace the current Unified National Testing (UNT). At the same time, the existing test will be retained until most graduates switch to the new format. Against this background, journalists asked Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek what types of tasks and assessment methods the new exam will include.

What is known about the new test

The Minister said the test will be called the Admissions Insight Test (AIT). Its key feature will be that it assesses not...