News

The headline Freedom Holding Corp. PMI® Business Activity Index signaled a sixth consecutive monthly rise in output across the Kazakh service sector in June. Moreover, at 55.1, up from 54.3 in May, the index rose for a fourth straight month and indicated a steep rise in activity — the highest recorded in the series’ history, which dates back to March 2019.

According to Yerlan Abdikarimov, director of the Financial Analysis Department at Freedom Finance Global, new contracts and marketing strategies revived the market, supporting employment. Rising operating costs have already been partly reflected in the growth of sales prices.

Signs of a growing deficit are emerging in the global uranium market, according to Dastan Kosherbayev, chief strategy and international development officer at Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s national nuclear company and the world’s largest uranium producer. Speaking at the Virtual Uranium Conference, as reported by Inbusiness.kz, Kosherbayev warned that the imbalance is becoming increasingly apparent.

Securing pounds

«The deficit is rapidly approaching — it’s obvious to everyone,» Kosherbayev said. «But it contradicts the behavioral patterns of many utilities, especially in the Western hemisphere. There was a lack of contractual activity in 2024, especially from the middle...

All airports and most airlines in Kazakhstan are now connected to the E-Freight information system, which is expected to enhance the country’s appeal for cargo transportation and transit, according to the Ministry of Transport.

«As part of a strategy to develop Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential through 2030, the ministry has introduced the E-Freight information system to streamline paperless documentation in the field of air cargo transportation. This will improve the efficiency of processing air waybills, reduce average cargo handling time from one day to one hour, and boost the overall attractiveness of air cargo transportation...

Several nuclear power plants in Switzerland and France have been forced to reduce output or shut down completely due to the extreme heat that has engulfed Europe in recent days, Euronews reports.

The shutdowns occurred as the ongoing heatwave in Europe made it impossible to use water from nearby rivers for reactor cooling, as it was already too warm.

Axpo, which operates the Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland, said it had shut down one of its reactors — located directly on the Aare River — on Tuesday due to the heat. The other reactor is currently operating at...

Kazakhstani photographer Ivan Ryaskov has once again drawn global attention to the culture of Kyrgyzstan. His shot, depicting a man wearing traditional clothes while standing on horseback, was recognized by PhotoVogue, Vogue’s global photography platform.  

The work received international recognition, being marked as a «pic of the day» on the project’s Instagram account.

The photo itself is truly an anthem to nomadic aesthetics, radiating calm strength — a young man stands on horseback on one foot, as if levitating, surrounded by snow-white yurts and soft light.

In the age of memes and clicks, social cartoons — a long-standing form of political and social commentary — have proven remarkably resilient, finding new life and a global audience online. Cartoonists are now stepping into the role of independent creators, utilizing the internet to establish personal brands and connect with new audiences.

This story highlights two contemporary Kazakh cartoonists whose work continues to resonate, underscoring the enduring relevance of the medium for audiences who are both thoughtful and engaged.

Humor connects where words fail

Renowned Kazakh cartoonist Galym Boranbayev recently received the silver award at the 64th...

Kazakhstan’s National Bank emerged as the world’s most active gold buyer in May, according to data from the World Gold Council (WGC). Analysts estimated that Kazakhstan increased its gold reserves by 7.4 tons over the month.

More generally, various central banks purchased 20.5 tons for their reserves, marking a significant increase from April (15.6 tons), although this figure remains below the average over the past year (27 tons).

«Fresh tensions in the Middle East may have reinforced the strategic appeal of gold for central banks looking to safeguard reserves against geopolitical shocks,» said Marissa Salim, senior...

Kazakhstani online game Grand Mobile has raised $750,000 in investment from the Astana Hub Venture Fund. The deal was made at a company valuation of $75 million.

Grand Mobile is an open-world RP life simulator created by 27-year-old Roman Lineytsev from Ust-Kamenogorsk, a participant in the Forbes «30 Under 30» list.

Grand Games, a Kazakhstan-based online game developer, currently develops the game. To date, the game has been downloaded more than 60 million times and draws a monthly audience exceeding 5 million users. Last year alone, the mobile game’s revenue amounted to $17.9 million.

«We raised...

Renowned pastry chef and chocolatier Hans Ovando has created a dessert inspired by one of Kazakhstan’s most mysterious natural landmarks — the Zhumbaktas rock in Lake Burabay.

The dessert, made with local ingredients including honey from a nearby apiary, symbolizes a careful attitude toward the region and is part of a broader initiative to promote mindful tourism.

«We wanted the dessert not only to deliver taste but also to bear history, so that a person tasting it would be intrigued by the landmark that inspired the pastry’s creation,» said Askar Kanapin, co-founder of the La Crème...

A spectacular event featuring 5,000 musicians took place in the central square of Taldykorgan, in southeastern Kazakhstan, setting a new national record.

The large-scale flash mob, titled «The Sound of the Great Steppe,» was organized in celebration of Kazakhstan’s National Day of Dombra, a traditional two-stringed lute central to Kazakh folk music. Residents of the Zhetisu region, including many young musicians, gathered for the performance.

The highlight of the event was the simultaneous playing of traditional instrumental pieces (küys) by 5,000 dombrists, a feat that was officially entered into Kazakhstan’s Book of Records.

«The...

According to Kazakhstani blogger Yerzhan Ismagulov, almost everyone who moves from Kazakhstan to Los Angeles in the U.S. ends up living at The Orsini — downtown LA’s apartment resort. Over time, the residential complex has turned into a kind of «Kazakh corner» on the other side of the world.

The complex comprises several blocks surrounded by lush greenery and featuring spacious halls and a cozy interior. However, it’s not just about the comfort of the apartments themselves — right next to The Orsini is a mobile café called Naryn, which serves traditional Kazakh dishes.

«When I...

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) has released a draft law aimed at limiting the involvement of banks and bank holding companies in digital marketplaces, depending on the size of their capital.

The proposed regulation, open for public comment through July 15, outlines new rules for banks and banking holdings investing in online trading platforms, software developers specializing in information and communication technologies, biometric identification systems and companies focused on cybersecurity and fraud prevention.

Under the draft law, a bank or holding company’s total investment in such entities must not exceed 15% of its...

Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, is currently negotiating the sale of a 49% stake in a $25 billion nuclear power plant (NPP) it is constructing in Turkey, as reported by Bloomberg.

Anton Dedusenko, chairman of the board of directors of Akkuyu Nuclear, a Rosatom subsidiary responsible for the project, told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Nuclear Power Plants Expo & Summit in Istanbul that dialogue with Turkish and international investors is in progress.

«The closer we are to the first unit generating electricity, the more investors start coming,» he said. 

A preceding...

Zaman Bank, Kazakhstan’s Islamic bank, was the country’s sole financial institution to post a loss in May, reporting a deficit of approximately $2.4 million, according to data from the National Bank of Kazakhstan.

The bank made headlines in November 2024 when a test payment was successfully processed between Zaman Bank and Afghanistan’s Ghazanfar Bank, marking the first financial transaction since Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations in late 2023. Ghazanfar Bank, one of Afghanistan’s largest commercial banks, opened a correspondent account with Zaman Bank to enable direct payments between the two countries.

As...

There’s no need to travel as far as New Zealand to experience the atmosphere of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, as Kazakhstan offers its own magical landscapes. The county is home to many stunning places where you can feel like a character from «The Hobbit» or «The Lord of the Rings.»

Three of these locations are situated near Almaty.

Hobbit’s waterfall in the Ayusay Gorge

The mysterious Ayusay Gorge attracts visitors with its waterfalls and picturesque trails. One of them is Hobbit’s waterfall, dubbed for the surrounding fairytale atmosphere that resembles a place in the Shire, where Bilbo once lived.

The spot...

According to the Azerbaijani media outlet Minval, the Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), which crashed near Aktau on December 24, 2024, was allegedly shot down on the orders of the Russian Defense Ministry. The outlet based its claim on an explanatory note from a Russian air defense officer, along with several voice messages.

A letter attributed to Russian Captain Dmitry Paladichuk states that he was on combat duty in Grozny from December 24 to 25, 2024, serving as the commander of an air defense combat unit. On December 25 at 5:40 a.m., he reportedly received an order to...

The Freedom Holding Corp. Kazakhstan Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers’ IndexTM) posted 49.7 in June, dipping below the 50.0 no-change mark following a reading of 51.3 in May.

Although signaling the first deterioration in business conditions for 16 months, the index pointed to only a marginal worsening in the health of the sector.

Central to the deterioration in operating conditions was a renewed reduction in manufacturing output, the first since February 2024. Production was down solidly amid softer new order growth and reports of pauses to repair machinery.

Alongside the drop in output, manufacturers also signaled a reduction in employment. The...

Theaters in Almaty are keeping their doors wide open — at least for wealthier visitors. If, for instance, someone wants to rent an entire theater building for a photo shoot, they can do so without any problem.

Almaty Theatre, the city’s first private venue of this kind, is currently offering this new service to anyone interested. The price is quite high, reflecting the theater’s reputation as one of the most exclusive cultural spots in the city.

The venue offers several packages, starting at approximately $200 for a three-hour rental that excludes access to the main stage and auditorium and...

A federation dedicated to togyzqumalaq, an ancient Kazakh strategy board game, has been officially established in South Korea on June 28, according to the press office of the Togyzqumalaq Federation of Kazakhstan.

A game in Seoul

The newly formed organization is led by Mrs. Sanghee Oh, president of the O’Brain Math & Game Academy, a Seoul-based training center.

The launch of the federation coincided with the first international togyzqumalaq tournament in South Korea, held in Seoul from June 24 to 30. Players from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, India and South Korea took part in the event.

The promotion of togyzqumalaq in...

People have always been interested in magic practices, including tarot reading, fortune telling and using talismans. For instance, about 30% of Americans embrace astrology, tarot cards or fortunetellers at least once a year, according to the Associated Press, citing findings from the Pew Research Center. The study also indicates that 20% of the surveyed adults in the U.S. claim to turn to astrology, tarot cards or fortune-telling mostly «just for fun,» 10% say they do so because they «believe the practices give them helpful insights» and only 1% state they have “a lot” of trust in what they learn...

According to a survey of Kazakhstan’s telecommunications market conducted by Telecom Daily and Nexign, a Russian billing solutions provider and developer of the country’s first mobile operator billing system, the industry is projected to grow by an average of 6% annually, reaching the $3 billion mark by 2027.

In 2024, the telecom market expanded by 11%, reaching $2.4 billion. This growth was largely driven by a roughly 20% increase in communication service tariffs. The price hikes stemmed from rising operational costs, as providers invest in modernizing their network infrastructure to handle growing data traffic and roll out 5G services.

Kazakhstan’s new public administration reforms have significantly reshaped the country’s anti-corruption framework. A key change is the reorganization of the Anti-Corruption Agency (Antikor), which has been merged with the National Security Committee (KNB) under a recent decree signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

What’s changing?

The restructuring establishes a new department within the KNB — the Anti-Corruption Service — which will assume core responsibilities in combating corruption. At the same time, some of Antikor’s powers have been transferred to Kazakhstan’s Agency for Civil Service Affairs.

This agency will now be responsible for:

According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the value of IT services provided by Kazakhstanis (both individual specialists and companies) to foreign clients in 2024 reached $647 million, a 16.8% increase year-on-year.

The main sources of this revenue were program code development and testing ($365 million), software product and internet resource support ($145 million) and IT consulting ($57 million). Additionally, Kazakhstani game publishers earned $5.6 million from foreign customers.

By country, the largest buyers of Kazakhstani IT services last year were the U.S. ($199.8 million), Russia ($139 million), Cyprus ($52.1 million) and Ireland ($45.7 million).

As for the total...

Adrian, a young man from France, chose Kostanay as the destination to complete his mandatory overseas internship as part of his university political studies program in 2022. But why Kazakhstan — and specifically, Kostanay? Adrian had his own reasons for the move.

«I studied Russian for two years before coming here. I also took a very interesting course on Central Asia at school, which really motivated me. I had the opportunity to do an internship at the French Cultural Center in Kostanay, and I was really happy to go there.»

He also noted that...