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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...

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.

Read also:

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...