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According to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, his country incurs high costs to maintain water resources, while neighboring states use them without compensation. Speaking at the Regional Environmental Summit (RES 2026) in Astana, he proposed new water distribution mechanisms under which recipient countries would pay either in fossil fuels or money.

Global warming and melting glaciers

As Japarov noted, Kyrgyzstan has been facing the growing impact of climate change, including a threefold increase in natural disasters over the past five years. By 2060, the country could lose up to 80% of its glaciers, a development he described as potentially catastrophic...

South Korean authorities have concluded that a mid-air collision between two fighter jets in 2021 occurred after pilots attempted to take photos and videos during a flight mission, the BBC reported.

The incident took place near the central city of Daegu, according to a report by the Board of Audit and Inspection. Both pilots survived without injuries, but the aircraft were damaged, resulting in repair costs of $596,000.

The report found that one pilot, who was flying the wingman aircraft, began taking photos with his personal mobile phone while returning to base. The lead aircraft’s pilot, aware of the...

On April 13, 2026, the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan was officially recognized as the largest museum of Islamic civilization in the world by Guinness World Records.

The ceremony was attended by Guinness World Records official representative Sheida Subashi, who presented the award to members of the Center’s Scientific Council, as well as to the architects, planners, designers and builders who contributed to the implementation of this large-scale project.

The key factor behind the Guinness World Records decision was the center’s size. The three-story, Oriental-style building is 161 meters long and 118 meters wide. Its dome is 65 meters...

Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said the country will not supply oil to a refinery in Schwedt via the Druzhba pipeline in May.

«The Russian side claims it lacks the technical capability to pump Kazakhstan’s oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Germany. This is most likely due to recent attacks on Russian infrastructure,» he stated, adding that this was his assumption.

He said that oil transit to the Schwedt refinery is not planned for May. Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry later confirmed this in an official statement. Kazakhstan typically exports oil to Germany via the Atyrau-Samara pipeline...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a pointed critique of the global order during the Res 2026 Regional Environmental Summit in Astana.

Tokayev said the United Nations Charter should be treated as a single, comprehensive document — not a set of principles applied selectively, particularly in the context of military conflicts.

«The UN Charter is not a menu, and it cannot be approached by cherry-picking,» Tokayev said, using a metaphor to underscore his argument.

He emphasized that a selective approach to international law is especially dangerous in matters of war and peace. When countries...

South Korean police have asked prosecutors to request an arrest warrant for Bang Si-hyuk, founder of Hybe and the executive behind K-pop group BTS, over allegations of fraudulent trading linked to the company’s stock market debut, the BBC reported.

Authorities allege Bang misled investors in 2019 by suggesting that a public listing of Hybe was unlikely, while preparations for an initial public offering were already underway. The company was later listed on South Korea’s Kospi exchange in October 2020. Investigators say the actions resulted in approximately $136 million in gains.

Bang has denied the allegations and maintains that his...

Despite the continued dominance of the state in Uzbekistan’s banking sector, private players — particularly young digital banks — are expanding more rapidly. The gradual denationalization of the economy is also expected to revive the local stock market, which currently lacks attractive instruments for investors.

Assets of Uzbekistan’s credit institutions rose 20.5% by the end of 2025 to 937 trillion sums (about $77 billion). According to Kursiv Research, that equals 50.7% of the country’s GDP, up 0.1 percentage point year over year. Microfinance organizations grew 50%, and pawnshops expanded 34.6%, but their combined share remains small...

On Monday, Apple announced that Tim Cook will step down as chief executive officer, a role he has held since 2011, succeeding co-founder Steve Jobs. He will be replaced by John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, who is set to take over on Sept. 1, 2026.

Despite spending nearly his entire career at Apple, Ternus remains relatively unknown outside the company. A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he joined Apple in the late 1990s after a brief stint at a virtual reality startup. He later rose through Apple’s hardware engineering division, most recently overseeing...

The price of Kazakhstan’s CPC Blend crude has been declining on global markets.

According to the latest data, the benchmark traded at $114.47 on Friday but fell to $112.23 on Monday, April 20. The drop suggests shifting supply-and-demand dynamics and increased investor caution.

Middle East tensions weigh on market

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East continue to influence oil price stability, contributing to volatility in global energy markets.

Over the past month, CPC Blend prices have fallen significantly. About a month ago, the price peaked at $130.10 before steadily declining to around $112.

That represents a drop of...

When traveling within their home country, Kazakhstanis are increasingly opting to save on accommodations by staying with relatives or friends, according to 2025 data from the Bureau of National Statistics.

Over the past year, more than 8.45 million domestic tourists traveled within the country and stayed overnight. Of those, about 5.3 million chose free accommodations with relatives or friends.

Commercial hotels and inns hosted about 1.2 million guests. Another 973,000 travelers opted to rent private apartments or houses.

Meanwhile, about 307,000 Kazakhstanis stayed in domestic sanatoriums (or health resorts), 118,000 chose country houses, and...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assumption that Russia would abandon a new offensive out of fear of Donald Trump is not a sufficient security guarantee.

Zelenskyy made the remarks in an interview with ICTV, according to RBC-Ukraine.

Concerns over lack of international presence

Zelenskyy said the absence of a meaningful international partner presence along the line of contact leaves open the question of how to contain Russia.

He also addressed the U.S. position that Moscow might hesitate to escalate due to the prospect of a strong response from Trump.

«President Trump has another two and...

Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh arrived in Astana on a state visit Tuesday.

Following the signing of intergovernmental agreements, Khürelsükh and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a joint media briefing, where Tokayev said the countries had agreed to explore building a highway connecting Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Highway project under review

Tokayev said the project would require comprehensive analysis. At this stage, the two sides agreed to establish an intergovernmental task force to study its feasibility.

He said the potential launch of such a route could significantly boost trade ties.

«The integration of the transport and logistics potential...

Russia will provide Kazakhstan with an intergovernmental loan for the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) near Lake Balkhash, covering 85% of the total cost of Rosatom’s 2.4-gigawatt project, according to Almasadam Satkaliyev, head of the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

He also confirmed that the total cost of the NPP will be approximately $15 billion. Thus, Russia is expected to provide a $12.75 billion loan, while Kazakhstan will contribute the remaining $2.25 billion toward the construction of its first NPP.

«This will be an intergovernmental loan. Several agreements are currently being developed: one on the...

According to Askarbek Yertayev, minister of labor and social protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the country welcomes investors, entrepreneurs and in-demand specialists. For this reason, it has introduced simplified entry procedures for these categories of foreigners.

As the official noted, Kazakhstan’s migration policy differentiates entrants based on the purpose of their visit, separating labor migration from permanent relocation.

This approach ensures that Kazakhstan’s economy remains open to qualified specialists.

«Investors and specialists in in-demand professions can enter the country for employment under a simplified procedure. We have an order from the Ministry of Labor that...

Kazakhstan has chosen a working name for its second nuclear power plant — the «Moiynkum» NPP. Like the first plant, it is planned to be located near Lake Balkhash. This was announced by Almasadam Satkaliyev, chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy.

As he noted, three potential construction sites are currently being considered. The plant is expected to consist of two power units, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. Authorities are also negotiating with potential technology suppliers.

Satkaliyev added that the Chinese company CNPC is being considered as a priority partner for the...

A farewell ceremony for prominent Kazakh poet Mukhtar Shakhanov was held April 21 in Almaty.

Among those attending was Dimash Qudaibergen, who came to pay his respects at the city’s National Opera and Ballet Theatre.

During the ceremony, Dimash met with Shakhanov’s family, offering condolences and sharing in their grief.

His presence drew appreciation from attendees and social media users, with some commenting that «the true...

According to a Demoscope survey, 71% of Kazakhstanis say they need large-scale changes in their lives, while another 13% believe minor adjustments would be enough to improve their situation. Only 10% of residents are satisfied with everything in the country and would not change anything.

Interestingly, despite strong demand for change, trust in the authorities remains relatively high. Since 2023, respondents’ trust in the government has risen by 20%. Currently, 61% of Kazakhstanis trust the president, about half trust local administrations, and 47% trust the cabinet. At the same time, 17% do not trust the president and about a...

The administration of the Pavlodar region signed a memorandum with China’s Snow Valley Agricultural Group Co. Ltd. to launch a large agro-industrial project with total investments of up to $200 million.

Under the agreement signed by Gov. Assain Baikhanov, Snow Valley Agricultural Group Chairman Wang Dengshe, and CEO Zhang Fan, the Chinese investor will build a deep-processing potato complex with a capacity of 100,000 to 200,000 tons per year. The facility will focus on producing high-value-added products, including French fries.

The project will cover the entire production cycle, from breeding to processing. Plans include building a breeding and research...

Péter Magyar, Hungary’s soon-to-be prime minister, said it is possible that Benjamin Netanyahu could be detained if he visits Hungary.

Magyar made the remarks during a press conference in Budapest, responding to a journalist’s question, according to TASS.

Hungary’s ICC obligations

Magyar said his party, Tisza, supports maintaining Hungary’s membership in the International Criminal Court, a position he said has been consistent since June 2020.

«If a country is a member of the International Criminal Court and a wanted person enters Hungary, that person must be detained,» Magyar said.

Kazakhtelecom, Kazakhstan’s largest telecommunications operator and part of the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund, plans to replace some employees with artificial intelligence as early as 2026.

The changes will primarily affect call center staff, whose functions will be partially automated, CEO Bagdat Mussin said during a meeting of Samruk-Kazyna’s public council, according to Bes.media.

Automation to replace call center roles

Mussin said AI systems could replace more than half of the company’s call center operators — about 230 positions. The project is expected to be implemented this year.

«We’re creating...

Tau-Ken Samruk, Kazakhstan’s national mining company and a subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, has agreed to sell a 70% stake in the North Katpar tungsten deposit to U.S.-based Cove Kaz Capital Group LLC.

The company said it approved the transaction on April 16. The share purchase agreement for a 70% stake in Severny Katpar LLP — the project operator — was reportedly signed on Feb. 13, 2026.

Project scope and resource base

Severny Katpar LLP is engaged in the exploration and production of tungsten-molybdenum ores at the North Katpar and Upper...

Kaspi.kz, Kazakhstan’s leading fintech company, said it has completed the purchase of 6 million American depositary receipts (ADRs) from Baring Fintech Venture Funds. Tencent is among the buyers.

Following the transaction, Tencent has become one of Kaspi.kz’s largest shareholders, according to company disclosures.

New investors and deal advisers

In addition to Tencent, new shareholders include investment firm Spice Expeditions, as well as the endowments of Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Wisconsin Foundation (WISIMCO). Morgan Stanley served as financial adviser on the transaction.

Business overview and expansion

Kaspi.kz operates a «super app» that...

Tajikistan is interested in importing Kazakh grain, flour and sunflower oil, said Nurmahmad Akhmadzoda, director of the Agency for State Material Reserves of Tajikistan. The Ministry of Agriculture quoted him following a meeting with the leadership of Kazakhstan’s Food Contract Corporation (FCC), a state-owned company that regulates the grain market.

Proposal for local infrastructure investment

Akhmadzoda also suggested that Kazakhstan consider building milling facilities and grain elevators in Tajikistan. He invited representatives of the FCC to visit Dushanbe to review existing grain storage infrastructure and explore potential participation in new elevator and processing facility projects.

Import needs and...

A submerged city with streets, buildings and even a cemetery has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul.

Archaeologists and divers explored a site near the village of Toru-Aygyr and identified several areas with preserved walls, beams and pottery. According to the researchers, these are not random finds but evidence of a fully developed settlement.

The city lies at a depth of one to four meters. Despite this, traces of the people who lived there before the area was submerged remain beneath a layer of sand.

Underwater, researchers found the remains of brick buildings, ovens, animal bones and...