Nurlan Urankhayev becomes akim of Abai region
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Nurlan Urankhayaev was born on 4 May 1965. He graduated from the Lenin Kazakh Polytechnic Institute, the Kazakh Financial and Economic Institute and the East Kazakhstan State Technical University.
Prior to the appointment he was head of the architecture, town planning and land relations of Nur-Sultan city.
Earlier Kazinform reported that Berik Abdigaliuly had been appointed akim (governor) of Ulytau region.
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Direct Flights Launch Between Izmir and Almaty
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Following negotiations between the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Izmir and SunExpress, direct flights on the Izmir – Almaty – Izmir route will be launched starting from July 31, 2026, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
Flights will operate twice a week until the end of October, 2026.
The new route is expected to significantly facilitate travel for Kazakh citizens, students, tourists, and business representatives.
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Kazakhstan weather forecast for May 24
Kazhydromet has released the weather forecast for May 24, 2026, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Unstable weather conditions are expected across most of Kazakhstan on May 24, with rain and thunderstorms forecast in many regions. In eastern parts of the country, precipitation in the form of rain and snow is expected overnight, while heavy rain is forecast during the daytime. Fog is also expected across Kazakhstan during the night and morning hours.
Light overnight frost, with temperatures dropping to around -1°C, is expected in eastern parts of East Kazakhstan region and mountainous areas of Zhetysu region.
A high wildfire risk is expected in Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, Aktobe, and Ulytau regions, as well as in parts of Mangistau, Kostanay, Akmola, North Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Karaganda, Turkistan, Kyzylorda, Zhambyl, Almaty, Abai, and Zhetysu regions.
Extreme wildfire conditions are forecast for parts of Kyzylorda, Mangistau, Aktobe, Karaganda, Pavlodar, Zhetysu, Ulytau, and Abai regions.
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Kazakh school students win 6 medals at Open International Biology Olympiad
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Kazakh school students won six medals at the Open International Biology Olympiad (OIBO-2026), held from May 15 till 22 at the Sirius Federal Territory in Russia, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education.
Kazakhstan’s national team was represented by six students and delivered a perfect performance, winning two gold, three silver, and one bronze medal.
Gold medals were awarded to Yersultan Kairken, an 11th-grade student at the Bilim-Innovation specialized boarding lyceum in Pavlodar region, and Sofya Zheltova, an 11th-grade student at NIS Medeu district in Almaty.
Silver medals went to Nurali Bilyalov, a 10th-grade student at the Bilim-Innovation specialized boarding lyceum in Pavlodar region, Daryn Mukashev, an 11th-grade student at the Bilim-Innovation specialized boarding lyceum in East Kazakhstan region, and Nurasyl Adilgali, a 9th-grade student at the Bilim-Innovation boarding lyceum in Mangistau region.
The bronze medal was won by Yevgeniya Mezhenina, a 10th-grade student at NIS in Karaganda.
The team was led by Dinmukhammed Urazbayev, a prize winner of national and international Olympiads and currently a fourth-year student at Astana Medical University.
The prestigious intellectual competition brought together more than 100 young biologists from 17 countries and included theoretical, practical, and team project rounds. Participants took on advanced challenges in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and physiology, while also carrying out laboratory work in botany, zoology, and bioinformatics.
The Olympiad assessed not only students’ theoretical knowledge but also their research abilities, analytical skills, and capacity to apply interdisciplinary approaches.
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Fighter jets to fly over Astana
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As part of scheduled activities by the Air Defense Forces of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces, a demonstration flyover of fighter jets will take place over Astana on May 28, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Ministry of Defense.
In preparation for the event, military aviation training flights will begin in the capital’s airspace starting May 24.
According to the ministry, both the demonstration flyover and training exercises will be conducted at safe altitudes and are not expected to disrupt the city’s normal routine.
We ask residents and visitors of the capital for their understanding regarding a possible temporary increase in noise levels during the training flights and demonstration flyover," the ministry said.
The Defense Ministry stressed that all flights will be carried out in full compliance with safety requirements and do not pose any risk to the public. It also noted that the use of colored smoke is solely for demonstration purposes and has no harmful impact on the environment.
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Hypertension patients in Kazakhstan may choose free or co-paid medicines
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health has drafted amendments to the rules governing the co-payment mechanism, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The proposed changes provide for the supply of medications to patients with arterial hypertension through a co-payment system.
Under the proposed system, patients would be able to choose between receiving medication free of charge through primary healthcare organizations or obtaining it through private pharmacy chains with a co-payment option and the ability to select their preferred manufacturer.
The Ministry of Health said the proposed measures are expected to broaden access to medicines, including previously unavailable drugs, give patients more flexibility in choosing between original and generic medications, improve patient satisfaction, and enhance competition and service quality among pharmacy chains.
The document has been published on the Open NLA platform for public discussion until June 8.
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Aktobe to Host "The Capital of Millet" Gastro and Ethno Festival on May 30
On May 30, the "Astana" Park will host the gastro festival "Aktobe - The Capital of Millet", a celebration of traditional culture and folk cuisine dedicated to one of the oldest grain crops of the Kazakh steppe.
The festival will begin at 11:00 AM and continue until 5:00 PM. Alongside the gastronomic program, the ethno-festival "Änım Sensıñ - Aktobe" will also take place.
Guests will enjoy an exhibition featuring more than 50 millet-based dishes, a fair of traditional foods and local products, a master class on preparing zhent, as well as hot baursaks and tea served from a samovar. At a special venue, craftsmen from the Uil District will introduce visitors to traditional millet-processing methods, while the district museum’s exhibition will showcase historical artifacts related to this grain crop. Folk artisans will present handmade products crafted from leather, felt, wood, wool, and traditional jewelry.
From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, a roundtable discussion titled "Aktobe - The Capital of Millet" will be held with the participation of leading experts in agriculture and agronomy. The discussion will focus on reviving millet cultivation traditions, promoting its nutritional benefits, and developing the region’s agro-gastronomic potential.
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Kazakhstan to launch direct flights to New York and Tokyo
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At today’s Government meeting in Astana, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev announced that Kazakhstan will open new direct international routes to Tokyo and New York, Qazinform News Agency reports.
He said the Astana-Tokyo flight is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, while Astana-New York is planned for the second quarter of 2027.
Currently, the Kazakh capital operates 34 international routes.
Kazakhstan intends to open or resume 11 additional international routes this year, including flights from Astana to Ulaanbaatar, Guangzhou, Issyk-Kul, Larnaca, and Kashgar, from Almaty to Tokyo, Larnaca, Izmir, Warsaw, Hanoi - Almaty - Prague, and from Kostanay to Tashkent.
By the end of 2026, Kazakhstan’s airlines will add six new aircraft to their fleets.
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