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Masdar, a renewable energy company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has officially kicked off construction of a 1-gigawatt wind farm in the Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy reported.

The groundbreaking ceremony, which included the placement of a commemorative time capsule, was held via teleconference. In particular, Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov, Samruk-Kazyna CEO Nurlan Zhakupov and Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi sent out a signal from Astana to begin work at the construction site.

“Our partnership with Masdar is driving the development of renewable energy and supporting...

Freedom Holding Corp. has announced the appointment of Valeriy Kim as its chief financial officer (CFO). He previously served as vice president of finance at Freedom Holding Corp. and chief executive officer of Freedom Holding Operations LLP, a subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp.

Kim assumes the role from Evgeny Ler, who had served as the holding company’s chief financial officer since 2015. Ler will remain with the company as a special advisor to Freedom Holding Corp. CEO Timur Turlov. In his new role, he will oversee financing and M&A deals.

«As Freedom continues to explore innovative...

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has signed a decree declaring June 30 a national holiday following the country’s national football team’s victory over Germany in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

«June 30 is declared a national holiday to celebrate the epic triumph of Paraguay’s national team over four-time world champions Germany and its historic advance to the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,» the decree, posted by the president on X, reads.

Peña also thanked the players for bringing immense joy and for once again uniting millions of Paraguayans...

The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) has presented President Donald Trump with a custom ring featuring 321 natural diamonds to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the organization announced.

Ring inspired by Super Bowl championship jewelry

The ring was designed and created by Antwerp jeweler and diamond master David Gotlib. Inspired by Super Bowl championship rings, the design incorporates elements that reference the upcoming U.S. semiquincentennial.

Read also: The art of soft power: How ‘certificate diplomacy’ is changing foreign policy.

Crafted from 18-karat gold, the ring is set...

Researchers in the U.S. have identified a protein that helps cancer cells resist some of the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs, potentially contributing to treatment resistance and disease relapse. The findings were published in the Cell Reports journal.

Scientists at Michigan State University investigated how ovarian cancer and other types of cancer develop resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy.

Protein linked to chemotherapy resistance

The researchers identified a protein known as TPPP3 as a key factor in the process.

According to the study, cancer cells with elevated levels of TPPP3 are better able to stabilize their internal...

Kazakhstan’s Senate has approved amendments that would allow citizens to transfer up to 100% of their pension savings to private asset management companies for trust management. Under current rules, contributors may transfer no more than 50% of their pension assets to private managers.

The changes were announced by MP Askhat Aimagambetov on his Telegram channel.

If the bill is signed into law, Kazakhstanis will be able to choose whether to keep their pension savings under the management of the National Bank of Kazakhstan or transfer all of their assets to licensed private investment managers.

More...

Astana is home to an unusual representative of the legendary Akhal-Teke horse breed: a mare named Akzhan, meaning “Pure Soul.” The daughter of the purebred Akhal-Teke horses Ganatly and Tabys, Akzhan is being celebrated not only for her rare beauty but also as a potential new cultural symbol of Kazakhstan’s capital, Kazinform reported.

Read also: Are these the most beautiful horses on Earth? Meet the ethereal Akhal-Teke.

Akzhan has an isabella coat color, one of the rarest among Akhal-Teke horses. Because of the unique structure of her coat, her hair reflects...

Members of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s family were removed from the Forbes Kazakhstan rich list when the publication could no longer verify information about their wealth using publicly available sources, according to Armanzhan Baitassov, entrepreneur and owner of the Forbes franchise in Kazakhstan and Georgia, who shared the insight in a recent interview with journalist Dmitriy Shishkin.

Read also: Nazarbayev’s billions remain untouched after January 2022 uprising, journalist says.

Shishkin pointed to cases involving Dariga Nazarbayeva and Kairat Satybaldy, Nazarbayev’s eldest daughter and nephew...

Although Grand Theft Auto VI is still about five months from release, the game is already being credited with a record-breaking milestone. According to media reports citing industry insiders, more than 39 million copies have been preordered worldwide, generating more than $3 billion in revenue for Rockstar Games.

Costs reportedly recovered

According to the reports, Rockstar Games spent about $2 billion developing and marketing Grand Theft Auto VI, making it the most expensive video game ever produced.

If the reported preorder figures are accurate, the game would have recouped its entire development and marketing budget...

The Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA) is preparing to open the first major exhibition of video art in Kazakhstan, “Bill Viola: The Space of Time.” Kursiv LifeStyle attended a preview ahead of the public opening and explains why the exhibition is both significant and worth seeing.

The Uly Dala hall on the first floor houses the exhibition. The project has been prepared together with Bill Viola’s studio in California and is curated by Kira Perov, executive director of Bill Viola Studio, as well as the artist’s wife and longtime artistic partner.

The exhibition brings together 18 works created between...

Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess) President Timur Turlov has officially announced that he will run for International Chess Federation (FIDE) deputy president.

FIDE leadership elections will be held Sept. 26-27, 2026, in Samarkand during the organization’s General Assembly. During the same period, the city will also host the 46th Chess Olympiad.

Under FIDE rules, candidates for president and deputy president run on a joint ticket. As a result, Turlov has joined the team of current FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who is also seeking re-election.

«The results we have achieved over the past three and a half years...

UK-based mining company East Star Resources is preparing to begin drilling at the Verkhuba deposit in the East Kazakhstan region to explore its reserves. The project will be financed through to the production stage by Chinese Xinhai, with which the British company has formed a joint venture in the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). Economist Arman Batayev highlighted the development.

East Star Resources reported on the London Stock Exchange on the progress of the Verkhuba project. In March, the company formally signed an agreement to establish a joint venture with Hong Kong...

Vehicle production in Kazakhstan continues to grow. In May 2026, domestic manufacturers produced 41.7% more vehicles than a year earlier, while output for the first five months of the year rose 36.1%, the Kazakhstan Automobile Union (KAU) reported.

According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, 78,580 vehicles and related equipment were produced in Kazakhstan between January and May 2026. The total includes passenger cars, trucks, buses, special-purpose vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers.

In May alone, manufacturers produced 15,178 vehicles, up 41.7% from May 2025. However, production declined by 16.3% compared with April.

Head of KAU Anar Makasheva believes the localization of...

Kazakh entrepreneur Sultan Talip has launched a construction company in the U.S. and has already begun building single-family homes for sale. As he shared on Facebook, he hopes to earn $1 billion by 2035.

«I’m that Kazakh guy who started a construction company in America and began building single-family homes here. We’re currently working in Florida, and this house has 250 square meters of covered living space. We started putting up the walls this morning, and by the end of the first day, half of them were already finished. Tomorrow, the walls will be completed...

Uzbekistan is considering introducing age restrictions on social media use for children and teenagers under 16, Gazeta.uz reported.

The country’s Minister of Preschool and School Education, Ezozkhon Karimova, said that the proposal has already been discussed with senators and members of parliament. The authorities now plan to draft a bill and submit it for public consultation.

“We have discussed it with members of parliament and senators. We want to draft a bill and submit it for public consultation. I think we should adopt a similar measure here as...

Lawmakers from the A Just Russia party have introduced a bill to the State Duma that would allow the death penalty for corruption-related crimes deemed to undermine Russia’s national security and defense capabilities, RTVI reported, citing party leader Sergey Mironov.

According to Mironov, current Russian law distinguishes between ordinary corruption and treason but does not establish a separate offense for corrupt acts by officials that directly threaten the country’s security.

“We believe such crimes should be treated the same as espionage and treason because they also constitute a betrayal of national interests,” Mironov said.

Kazakhstan has become the first Central Asian country to join Pax Silica, a U.S.-led international technology initiative focused on artificial intelligence and supply chain security that aims to strengthen economic security cooperation among allies and trusted partners.

The documents formalizing Kazakhstan’s accession to the alliance, along with the joint statement of the AI Opportunity Partnership, were signed by Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and minister of AI and digital development, in Washington on June 25.

Kazakhstan joins an international technology alliance that already includes Australia, the U.K., India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE...

An international team of researchers has found that Nordic walking may have antidepressant effects, helping people with depression recover more quickly than previously thought.

Depression is one of the world’s most common mental health disorders, affecting an estimated 5.7% of adults.

Read also: New study finds ‘significant link’ between poor nutrition and depression.

The study included 64 adults with moderate to severe depression. None had previously participated in regular exercise. Participants were randomly assigned to either a Nordic walking group (48 people) or a control group (16 people).

For 10 weeks...

On the eve of Media Workers’ Day, Finprom analysts examined how the rise of artificial intelligence and the blogging boom have affected employment and wages in Kazakhstan’s media industry. Using data from the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS), they sought to determine whether AI is truly replacing professional journalists and whether aspiring media professionals can break into the industry after completing a three-month copywriting course.

Media salaries outpace the national average

As of the first quarter of 2026, average nominal monthly wages across all major media sectors exceeded Kazakhstan’s national average of 461,500 tenge (about $950).

In...

Authorities in China and the U.S. are increasingly considering new fees for electric vehicle owners as governments grapple with heavier vehicles and declining fuel tax revenue, Autoblog reported.

Electric vehicles were once promoted primarily as a cleaner alternative to cars powered by internal combustion engines. But the push for longer driving ranges has resulted in significantly heavier battery-powered vehicles.

Automakers are installing larger batteries, while consumers are increasingly opting for larger crossovers and SUVs. As a result, the average weight of new electric vehicles in China has approached 1.9 tons, with some models weighing more than...

Uzbekistan lost all matches on its World Cup debut. On matchday 17, Fabio Cannavaro‘s side fell to DR Congo 3-1, finishing the group stage without a single point.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Group K, Round 3, June 27, Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium

DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan 3-1

Goals: Eldor Shomurodov 10’; Yoane Wissa 68’ (P), Fiston Mayele 78’, Yoane Wissa 90+1′

Uzbekistan’s Eldor Shomurodov opened the scoring in the 10th minute, finishing Akmal Mozgovoy‘s assist after Uzbekistan had an earlier goal disallowed for offside.

DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa converted a penalty in...

There are several adult ballet studios in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Around the world, practicing ballet not as a professional pursuit but as a form of fitness two or three times a week has become increasingly popular. Kursiv LifeStyle visited one of Almaty’s studios to learn how classes are structured and what they offer participants who are unlikely to ever perform on a major theater stage.

From professional stage to adult instruction

Aidar Ishmukhametov studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the world. He worked in theaters and toured internationally...

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and AKASHI Data Center PLC have agreed on financing terms for a major infrastructure project. The parties signed a memorandum of cooperation during the EDB’s Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, the company announced.

The memorandum was signed by Sergey Ignatov, senior managing director at the EDB, and Vladislav Minkevich, head of AKASHI Data Center PLC.

First phase backed by $90 million in financing

The project will receive $90 million in financing to build the first module of a high-tech data center.

According to the company, the facility will...

The draw for Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of 2026, took place in London. Kazakhstan’s singles players have learned their opening-round opponents.

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, will face France’s Lois Boisson (World No. 154) in the first round, while Yulia Putintseva (World No. 85) will face Germany’s Tatjana Maria (World No. 112).

Alexander Bublik (No. 11) will face Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 492), while Alexander Shevchenko (No. 98) will take on Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 4).

Timofey Skatov (No. 178) could have become the fifth representative of Kazakhstan in the tournament but lost in...