News

Almaty may emerge as a new center for BYD electric bus production. The Chinese manufacturer is considering localizing its B12 electric model at Astana Motors’ facility located in the Turksib district, according to the city’s administration. The project was discussed during a meeting between Mayor Darkhan Satybaldy and Ivan Cao, general director of BYD Central Asia.

Localization is planned in several stages, with the initial phase involving semi-knocked-down assembly, and future phases expanding production to include welding, body painting and the manufacturing of select components.

The BYD B12 model features the Blade Battery system, which is integrated into the chassis...

A new uranium processing plant has been launched in the Sozak district of Kazakhstan’s Turkestan region, according to Kazatomprom, the country’s national nuclear company.

The plant is located at the South Tortkuduk deposit and is operated by KATCO, a Kazakh-French joint venture in which France’s Orano Mining holds a 51% stake and Kazatomprom owns the remaining 49%.

The opening ceremony was attended by Kazatomprom CEO Meirzhan Yussupov, Turkestan Region Governor Nuralkhan Kusherov, officials from Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy, and executives from Orano Mining and KATCO.

The new facility has an annual uranium production capacity of 2,000 tons...

China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection wants to build three waste-to-energy plants worth $600 million in Kazakhstan, as reported by Kazakh Invest.  

According to the company’s chair Dai Daoguo, the project goes beyond waste disposal and includes construction of green data centers powered by the energy generated from municipal solid waste incineration. Junxin also plans to set up personnel training centers and introduce intelligent waste management systems.   

«Our goal is not just to build plants but to implement an innovative approach to waste handling. We aim to bring technologies to Kazakhstan that integrate recycling...

The American exchange-traded fund First Trust Financials AlphaDEX (FXO) has added common shares of Freedom Holding Corp. (FRHC) to its index. As of now, FXO holds 185,000 FRHC shares, which make up 1.22% of the fund’s total portfolio.

FXO is a modified equal-weighted index that selects stocks from the Russell 1000, an index tracking the top-performing U.S. financial sector companies. The fund uses the AlphaDEX methodology to determine which securities to include.

FXO is traded on the NYSE Arca, a Chicago-based exchange operated by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The fund is managed by First Trust, an American asset...

Kazakhs are not traditionally coffee drinkers — it’s simply not part of the national culture, said Kazakh historian and culinary researcher Aigerim Musagazhinova in a recent issue of Qalam History media project. However, a social shift toward embracing coffee as a daily staple appears to be brewing in Kazakhstan.

A nation of tea drinkers

«Kazakhs never consumed coffee,» Musagazhinova said. «Instead, they drank decaffeinated coffee alternatives — such as roasting and grinding the berries of the zhide (oleaster or silver berry) to make a natural ‘Americano zhide.’ Why not develop this tradition? We’re genetically predisposed...

The Park Live Almaty music fest has announced a new wave of artists. The lineup is now joined by the Indian metal band Bloodywood and the Mongolian rock band The Hu. Both groups will perform on Sept. 6 at the festival site on the bank of Pervomaisky Ponds.

Bloodywood is a metal band from New Delhi, whose music blends folk, nu metal and rapcore, accompanied by lyrics in multiple languages. The performers started with covers on YouTube and now take part in international festivals and release original albums — the latest, «Nu Delhi,» was released this year.

The Hu perform...

Silkroad Innovation Hub, in partnership with TechCrunch and Freedom Holding Corp., has announced the launch of the first-ever regional competitive selection for the finals of the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield pitch contest. The event is scheduled to be held within the largest technology conference TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco later this year.

Teams from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan are eligible to participate. At the national and regional selections, three startups will receive guaranteed spots in the finals, which will take place from Oct. 27 to 29 in California. Applications are open until July 15.

Contest...

Kazakhstan’s community has been actively discussing the recent ban on wearing face-covering garments, including niqabs — face veils worn by some Muslim women. The Spiritual Administration of Kazakhstan’s Muslims (SAKM) has backed the initiative, stating that the measures do not aim to confront religion but to maintain public safety.  

«This decision does not aim to limit religious commitment or personal preferences but is driven by the necessity to ensure public safety. Many countries worldwide, including Muslim-majority ones, also adopt such measures, citing security concerns,» the administration’s press service stated.

Notably, the statement also emphasizes...

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...