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A controversy involving the fast-food chain Burger King in Kazakhstan has drawn widespread attention on social media, where users have posted criticism and negative reviews. What began as a private labor dispute has expanded into a broader discussion about inclusion, corporate culture and employee treatment.

Social media post triggers public reaction

The discussion was sparked by a post on the platform Threads by social entrepreneur and autism specialist Zhanat Karatay, who described her son’s experience working at one of the chain’s restaurants.

According to Karatay, her son Alibek Karatay — a cook with...

In Kazakhstan, one in six families faces infertility. Many married couples seeking to preserve their families turn to in vitro fertilization, but in some cases surrogacy becomes the only path to parenthood.

Read also: Kazakhstan’s birth rate falls to 11-year low.

Legal requirements for surrogate mothers

Under Kazakh law, a surrogate mother must be between ages 20 and 35 and have at least one child of her own. She also must be in good physical, mental and reproductive health, confirmed by an official medical report.

Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen congratulated Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov on his gold medal at the Winter Games, recording a special video message that he later posted on Instagram.

Emotional message of pride and remembrance

«Mishabai [a respectful Kazakh diminutive], my brother! Congratulations on the Olympic gold. Dear brother, what a celebration. You have become a great person who inspired the whole world with your performance and artistry on the ice,» the singer said in his message.

He also recalled the late Kazakh figure skater Denis Ten...

When an audience laughs at a taboo joke, they aren’t just sharing a moment — they’re finding solidarity in their dissent. In that instant, George Orwell’s words ring true:

“Every joke is a tiny revolution.”

For many entertainers, the stage is a place of freedom. For those living under — or near — the shadow of authoritarianism, however, a microphone can be a dangerous liability. Nurlan Saburov, once among the most successful comedians in the Russian-speaking world, recently learned this the hard way.

A native of Kazakhstan who built his...

Kazakh figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov captured the gold medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy, earning Kazakhstan’s first medal of the four-year Olympic cycle.

Climbing from fifth to first

After the short program, Shaidorov stood in fifth place with 92.94 points. In the free skate, he landed five quadruple jumps and received 198.64 points from the judges, bringing his total to 291.58 points and securing the Olympic title.

His main rivals included American Ilia Malinin, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa. All three struggled in the free skate...

Kyrgyz model Shadia Isaeva attracted attention at Seoul Fashion Week after appearing on the runway in outfits assembled from her grandparents’ clothing.

Look rooted in national tradition

Seoul Fashion Week took place Feb. 3-8. On the fourth day of shows, Isaeva appeared in traditional attire that included her grandfather’s chapan and her grandmother’s scarf.

The look was later featured in the pages of international Vogue.

Emotional reaction and inspiration

In posts on social media, the model said she still could not believe what had happened and felt so...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Julie Stufft. During the meeting, they discussed development of the bilateral cooperation, investment and upcoming constitutional referendum, the Akorda reported.

Tokayev highlighted accelerating cooperation between Kazakhstan and the U.S. across a wide array of issues on the bilateral agenda.

The president emphasized the importance of consolidation of investment, trade and economic cooperation, along with the need for high-quality implementation of agreements reached at the highest level.

In turn, Stufft offered gratitude and best wishes from President Donald Trump, reaffirming the U.S...

Machines for buying and selling gold bars, designed to operate like ATMs, are set to appear in Tajikistan.

The country’s central bank plans to launch the project this year. The idea is simple: customers pay for the selected bar by card and receive it directly from the machine. Some of these machines will also offer a buyback option. Gold ATMs already operate in the UAE and South Korea and are in airports and shopping malls.

Gold bars have been available for sale in Tajikistan since 2017 at the National Bank’s main office in Dushanbe, the capital...

KazMunayGas (KMG), Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, plans to invest more than $900 million in geological exploration and well drilling by 2029, according to KMG CEO Askhat Khasenov. He made the statement during a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

«Askhat Khasenov reported that KazMunayGas is currently focused on the exploration of deep and underexplored areas. Eight exploratory wells were completed in 2025 and 24 more are planned for drilling by 2029. The total investment will exceed $900 million,» the president’s press service said in a statement.

The KMG CEO also said that last...

India is shifting to clean energy more quickly than China did at a similar stage of economic growth, according to an analysis by the climate think tank Ember, CNN reported.

China is often viewed as the world’s top clean energy leader, but the report suggests India’s shift toward a broader use of clean energy could be faster and produce less carbon. When China’s income levels were similar to India’s today, it had very little solar power and few electric vehicles.

In contrast, solar power now accounts for about 9% of India’s electricity mix, making it the world’s third-largest...

A new weather forecasting system powered by Kazakhstan’s supercomputer has been launched in the country. Central Asia’s most powerful machine, located in the Supercomputer Center at al-Farabi Kazakh National University, is now performing calculations, Kazhydromet, the state enterprise responsible for monitoring and forecasting weather and climate in the country, reported.

The enterprise has started using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model to predict weather across the entire country. The model operates at a spatial resolution of two kilometers.

The project became implementable after the supercomputer was commissioned

Kazakh company Severniy Katpar, a subsidiary of Tau-Ken Samruk (TKS), presented a mining project at a public hearing on Feb. 10 for development of the North Katpar deposit in the Shet district of the Karaganda region.

According to the presentation, total revenue from the sale of tungsten trioxide, molybdenum, copper and bismuth is expected to exceed 1 trillion tenge (approximately $2 billion) between 2030 and 2048.

Joint development with a U.S. partner

In early November 2025, Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund and Tau-Ken Samruk’s parent company, announced that its subsidiary and U.S.-based Cove Capital would jointly...

The future megacity of Alatau, which is being built between Almaty and Konayev, aims to become the main entertainment center in Central Asia. According to the Almaty region administration, one of the city’s four districts — the Green District — will be dedicated entirely to tourism.

Under the design project, the district will accommodate an international resort with hotels, an oceanarium, an all-weather water park and its own pier on the shore of the Kapchagay Reservoir. Gambling will also be a key focus of the district.

To implement this and other ambitious plans, the city has already been...

BTS, the globally recognized K-pop band, has announced global cinema screenings of two concerts from their Arirang World Tour. The concerts — set to take place in South Korea’s Goyang on April 11 and Tokyo on April 18 — will be screened live in cinemas worldwide.

BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' LIVE VIEWING
IN GOYANG & TOKYO

Don’t miss your chance to experience two full-length concerts, broadcast live to cinemas worldwide!

? LIVE VIEWING from GOYANG: Apr.11
? LIVE VIEWING from TOKYO: Apr.18
? More Info: https://t.co/4fsmRtT9KW#BTS… pic.twitter.com/0HwIaIBqtS

— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) February 12, 2026

According to...

Currently, one person in Kazakhstan is named Constitution, and three people are named Quryltai (Kurultai). Against the backdrop of new constitutional reforms, Kursiv.media set out to determine whether any citizens bear unusual names now associated with the adoption of the new constitution.

According to data from the Bureau of National Statistics, the following entries were recorded for the requested names:

Constitution

Only one person in the country has this name. The individual is in the 65-and-older age group and lives in Astana. Media reports from 2021 indicated that Constitution is a woman living in the...

A short video of stray dogs crossing a street in Almaty went viral in Kazakhstan. In the footage, which has already garnered thousands of views, two strays carefully approach a crosswalk, wait for cars to pass, and then calmly cross the road. Drivers, in turn, stopped and let them cross.

Kaznet users have begun sharing similar...

Saber Interactive, a Florida-based video game developer and publisher, has announced the development of a new big-budget video game based on the “John Wick” franchise by Lionsgate.

According to the company, the game will be a mature-rated, third-person action title for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The developers say the project aims to capture the franchise’s signature action style and Baba Yaga’s legendary combat choreography.

«The style of fighting will feel like an authentic ‘John Wick’ action scene taken straight from the films. Everything is designed to faithfully mimic the movie experience in...

Otbasy Bank, a state-owned bank specializing in mortgages, may become a «special product lender,» radically changing its image and geographic presence. It is set to expand its product portfolio by adding Islamic finance and leasing, according to Timur Onzhanov, deputy CEO of Baiterek Holding.

In an interview with Bloomberg, the official noted that Otbasy Bank is considering entering the markets of Uzbekistan, Malaysia and the Middle East. Moreover, Baiterek Holding, the bank’s parent company, is not ruling out Otbasy going public.

These changes are part of a larger-scale transformation of Baiterek. Onzhanov, who oversees international cooperation, explained the essence of...

During the Muslim fasting period, the number of Google searches for «namaz» (prayer) rises significantly, while interest in intimate services declines, according to Kazakh data scientist Nurasyl Abrazakuly.

Nurasyl examined the widely held view that the focus on spiritual growth during the holy month of Ramadan is reflected not only in people’s behavior but also in their online search activity.

Read also: What is ‘halal gaming’? Inside the YouTube niche with millions of fans.

Using Kazakhstan as a case study, he compared Google Trends data for searches for «namaz...

Not only medals and records are in the spotlight at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Norway’s biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid, who won the bronze medal in the individual race, drew attention for bursting into tears and making a personal confession in the mixed zone.

The athlete told reporters that he met «the love of his life» six months ago and was unfaithful three months ago. Lægreid said that he confessed to her about the matter a week ago and was dealing with the consequences.

«I only have eyes for her. Sport has come second these last few...

In 2025, banks and exchange offices sold 40,799 gold bullion bars weighing a total of 1.1 tons to the public. Since the program was launched in 2017, a total of 263,479 bars weighing nine tons have been sold, the National Bank of Kazakhstan reported.

The most popular size was the 10-gram bar, accounting for 26% of sales and 67,833 bars sold. Other sales figures were:

«Gold bars may serve as a solid...

An unusual dating trend is gaining popularity among young people in China, with individuals recommending their former partners to others as if they were job candidates, according to the South China Morning Post.

The idea emerged amid growing frustration with dating apps and a desire to find a «vetted» partner. Users say the approach helps them avoid disappointment and scams. Many young Chinese report that they no longer trust dating apps and fear encountering manipulators or people who misrepresent themselves.

Read also: East meets West: The unexpected rise...

Users in Russia are complaining en masse about problems accessing YouTube and WhatsApp. According to industry experts, the services’ domains have disappeared from the National Domain Name System (NDNS), the state-controlled system used by providers in Russia, Kommersant.ru reported.

As a result, users’ devices have stopped receiving IP addresses for the services, making it possible to access the messenger and video-hosting service in Russia only through a VPN.

According to Habr.ru, Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal service responsible for media control and censorship, may have removed the domains from the system on purpose due to a lack of technical...

Universal Studios has decided to revive one of its most profitable franchises, «The Mummy.» There are many expectations for the movie, which is scheduled for release on May 19, 2028, nearly 20 years after the original’s release.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal has persuaded key cast members to join the new project. These negotiations took several months for the studio, which has already appointed Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett as the directors. The pair is well known for hits such as «Scream» and «V/H/S.»

Even though no details of the new movie have been disclosed, one thing is...