News

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...

ChatGPT developer OpenAI has started testing ads in the chatbot. Users in the U.S. on the Go and Free tiers are already seeing them.

Meanwhile, the chatbot remains ad-free for users on the Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education plans.

The company said ads do not affect ChatGPT’s responses and chat content is not shared with advertisers.

«Keeping the Free and Go tiers fast and reliable requires significant infrastructure and ongoing investment. Ads help fund that work, supporting broader access to AI through higher-quality free and low-cost options...

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said effective engagement with investors requires cooperation among government agencies through a single coordination and decision-making center.

New appointments to oversee investment work

Presidential aide Murat Nurtleu has been appointed coordinator for work with foreign investors, while presidential adviser Asset Irgaliyev will oversee engagement with international financial institutions.

«I have appointed a special assistant who will handle investment matters. Foreign and domestic investors can contact Murat Nurtleu, as the focal point, with any questions they may have. Regarding international financial institutions, Asset Irgaliyev, chairman of the...

The quality of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games medals does not appear to reflect the athletes’ efforts, as some competitors have complained about the issue.

According to the BBC, two American gold medal winners, Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, said the ribbons tore off their medals shortly after the awarding ceremony. Johnson displayed the damaged medal during a press conference, noting that it broke when she was jumping in excitement after the competition.

@teamusa @Breezy Johnson’s Olympic gold medal did not pass the jump...

Kazakhstan plans to expand its use of artificial intelligence tools and will establish a joint venture with the Chinese company 01.AI in March. According to Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s minister of artificial intelligence and digital development, the new entity will operate the National Artificial Intelligence Platform.

«Partnership with world-class specialists will be a tool for developing artificial intelligence in the public and quasi-public sectors,» Madiyev said, noting that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supports the idea of partnering with 01.AI.

ChatGPT analogue

01.AI is a Chinese artificial intelligence company founded by Kai-Fu Lee, a Taiwanese computer scientist...

Drivers struggle with two problems in winter — cold weather and ice on the windshield, whether it’s an electric or gasoline-powered vehicle. In any case, one either burns gas or loses driving range to defrost the windshield. However, it appears a more convenient solution has been invented, according to Autoblog.

The proposed solution

The Canada-based startup Betterfrost Technologies introduced a simple yet unusual technology. Instead of using warm air blowing, the system applies pulsed heat directly to the windshield, targeting the ice interfacial layer roughly 0.01 millimeters thick. This eliminates the grip, causing the ice...

Alatau, Kazakhstan’s new flagship megaproject, is set to become the region’s first fully digital city, featuring blockchain integration and a cryptocurrency-based economy, according to the Almaty regional administration, where the city is located.

International partnerships and investment

During a recent visit to China, a Kazakh delegation concluded agreements worth billions of dollars with global companies, including a construction firm involved in developing the Shenzhen technology hub. Officials hope to attract the company to participate in Alatau’s development.

Read also: Is China’s Shenzhen the blueprint for Kazakhstan’s Alatau city?

Regional authorities emphasized that...

Timur Turlov’s Freedom Holding Corp. (FRHC) released its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 (ended Dec. 31, 2025), revealing $1.688 billion in revenue and $145 million in net profit for the first nine months of the fiscal year. The company also reported strong growth in key metrics following the more subdued results of the previous quarter.

Key figures

In Q3 alone, the holding reported $628.6 million in revenue, which is significantly higher than the previous quarter’s $526.1 million.

Net profit for the quarter amounted to $76.2 million, almost double the second quarter’s result of...

The Deepal S05 electric SUV confirmed its status as one of the safest cars on the market. According to Euro NCAP, the model from the Chinese car maker Changan’s sub-brand successfully passed a series of stringent tests in late 2025 and received a maximum five-star rating. The vehicle was assessed under new protocols, and Deepal proved to be an advanced and human-friendly car.

Protecting passengers and other road users

One aspect of the test was the assessment of body crashworthiness. In a frontal collision, the Deepal absorbs energy to minimize damage to the other vehicle. Inside...

The draft of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution should clearly distinguish between human rights and citizens’ rights, according to Professor Viktor Malinovsky, a member of the Constitutional Commission. He said such a distinction would eliminate legal ambiguity and clarify which guarantees are granted at birth and which arise only with Kazakh citizenship.

Malinovsky, a professor at Narxoz University, proposed revising the wording of Clause 3 of Article 14 in the draft Constitution. He said the document should explicitly state that the rights and obligations of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan arise from the fact of...

Kazakhstan became the largest importer of Russian black caviar, spending about $1 million on the delicacy, according to Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

Citing the federal export center Agroexport, the report said Kazakhstan accounted for 27% of Russia’s sturgeon caviar exports in the first 11 months of last year. Belarus ranked second with a 15% share, followed by Armenia at 8%.

Overall, Russia exported about 700 tons of caviar worth roughly $20 million last year. Sturgeon caviar, commonly known as black caviar, made up more than $3.8 million of that total. Based on...

Kazakhstan is willing to supply 20 of the 60 minerals considered critical to the U.S., Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev said during the first ministerial conference on critical minerals in Washington, according to the Kazinform news agency.

Delegations from more than 50 countries attended the conference last week. During the event, U.S. Vice President JD Vance warned that the global market for critical minerals is weakening. He said supply chains remain fragile and prices continue to fluctuate sharply, while China accounts for more than 80% of global critical mineral supplies.

Read also:

A video from Aktau, a city on the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, is going viral in a local segment of the internet — the white swans, considered one of the city’s symbols, have returned for winter.

The birds were spotted at a city promenade. Content creator Azamat Sarsenbayev posted a video of the bevy of noble birds. Hundreds of swans can be seen gathering in a quiet area near the promenade, swimming and sliding on the ice. Users in the comment section highlighted that it’s rare to encounter so many birds in the city.

The international trading platform ITS has completed the regular rebalancing of its flagship ITS World Index, increasing the number of Kazakhstani issuers in the index from two to five.

Who joined the top list?

The index basket, which tracks 50 of the world’s largest corporations, added three new representatives from the domestic market:

The three companies have joined Kaspi.kz (KSPI), a leading Kazakh fintech platform, and the...

In the first month of the year, Kazakhstan’s service sector reported a long-awaited revival in business activity, turning positive for the first time in four months. However, an increase in the value-added tax (VAT) triggered the sharpest price surge since March 2019.

Business revives, but prices rise

The Freedom Holding Corp. Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the service sector rose to 50.5 points in January from 49.5 in December, indicating a shift from stagnation to growth.

Demand for new orders has increased for 15 consecutive months, with companies introducing new products and updating their business models. After four months of...

Kazakhstan’s top-ranked player, Alexander Bublik, retained 10th place in the updated ATP rankings published today, Feb. 9. He has entered the ATP 500 tournament in the Netherlands in both singles and doubles.

An evident miscalculation by Kazakhstan’s national team coaching staff on the second day of the Davis Cup tie against Monaco in Astana — sending Bublik on court for nearly five hours — resulted in the team’s defeat. In doubles, paired with Beibit Zhukayev (No. 369), and later in singles against Valentin Vacherot (No. 27), Bublik was...