Category: News

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree aimed at integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into the country’s secondary education system, Kazinform news agency reported.

Under the decree, the Kazakh government is expected to approve, by July 1, a comprehensive action plan for 2026–2029 focused on the large-scale introduction of AI into schools.

The plan will include mechanisms for personalized learning, the development of digital infrastructure, teacher training, and the protection of students’ personal data.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers that Iran is “frighteningly close” to constructing nuclear weapons, insisting that the country is “weeks away” from enriching one ton of its uranium to weapons-grade levels, CNN reported.

“Frighteningly close. They are weeks, a small number of weeks away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium,” CNN quoted Wright as saying at the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing. “There’s still a weaponization process that happens after that, but they’re quite close to constructing nuclear weapons.”

Enriching uranium above a certain threshold — around 90% — means it can be used to create nuclear weapons. Asked by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal about the status of Iran’s other reported 11 tons of uranium, Wright said the levels of enrichment ranged up to 60%, though Iran has “a lot of” 20% enriched uranium, which he called “very concerning.”

Blumenthal then pressed Wright on whether President Donald Trump would have to go after all of Iran’s uranium stockpiles in order to stop the enrichment.

“I think that’s the wise strategy,” Wright said. “Ultimately, the goal is to prevent future enrichment of uranium as well. Yes, to have a safe world, we need to end their nuclear program.”

Multiple Trump administration officials have cited Iran’s enriched uranium stores as part of the rationale for the war with Iran. Trump has also said he wants Iran to surrender its enriched uranium in order to reach a deal to end the conflict.

Iran officially denies pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition submitted a bill to dissolve parliament, taking a preliminary step toward holding new elections later this year, The Associated Press reported.

The proposal sets the stage for a formal vote to dissolve parliament and schedule new elections. Israeli media said a preliminary vote is expected next week.

Netanyahu’s coalition is near the end of its four-year term and must hold new elections by the end of October. But some of Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox governing partners have urged him to push up the vote slightly to early September.

The bill calls for elections “no less than 90 days” after it is approved, giving Netanyahu flexibility to choose a date when he feels he has the best chance of success.

The outgoing coalition has presided over a turbulent term that included the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Opinion polls have indicated that the coalition, comprised of religious and nationalist parties, could struggle to win reelection, according to AP.

Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Silina said ‌she would resign on Thursday, triggering the collapse of her coalition government just months before an election is due in October, Reuters reported.

“I am ⁠resigning, but I am not giving up,” Reuters quoted her as saying in a televised statement.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, who is tasked by the constitution to select a leader of the government, will meet all parliamentary parties on ‌Friday.

Silina, ⁠of the center-right New Unity party, was left without a ruling majority in the parliament on Wednesday after the left-wing ⁠Progressives party said it was withdrawing its support.

The decision followed the firing at the ⁠weekend of Progressives’ Defense Minister Andris Spruds over the handling of ⁠incidents involving stray Ukrainian drones flying into Latvia from Russia, according to Reuters.

Some 19.5 million Sudanese people, or more than 40% of the population, ‌are facing acute hunger, according to a report by a global hunger monitor, Reuters reported.

The spread of hunger and famine has become a hallmark of the three-year-old war in Sudan, which is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people as well as devastating the economy and agriculture and displacing 14 million.

The estimate by the ⁠U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is slightly lower than last fall’s of 21.2 million people, but some 14 areas in the country’s North Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan states remain at risk of famine, where 135,000 people face “catastrophic” levels of hunger.

“Ongoing hostilities – especially around major supply routes, such as El Obeid in North Kordofan – and the possibility of renewed siege‑like conditions continue to heighten risks,” the ⁠IPC said in a statement.

Iraqi officials have approached the International Monetary Fund for financial assistance amid the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a source close to the IMF told Reuters.

According to the source, preliminary discussions took place last month in Washington during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings. Talks are currently continuing over how much financing Iraq will require and under what conditions the loan could be granted.

The war against Iran launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 has dealt a major blow to the entire region. Iraq has been particularly affected by the developments, as much of the country’s oil exports – the main source of state revenue – have been reduced due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.

Armenia moved on Thursday to introduce a framework of internationally applicable cybersecurity standards, setting requirements for critical information infrastructure operators, cybersecurity service providers, and auditors.

The bill on establishing a list of internationally applicable cybersecurity standards was approved at a Cabinet meeting.

First Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia, Gevorg Mantashyan, briefed Cabinet members on the regulations.

He said that the Cybersecurity Law adopted by parliament last year was a key achievement and an important step toward strengthening digital security and cybersecurity.

He said several by-laws are now required.

“With this decision, we are defining international standards for critical information infrastructures operating in vital sectors, deriving from the law,” he noted.

According to Mantashyan, the decision also sets requirements for cybersecurity service providers.

“Since there are, and can be, providers of services for critical infrastructures, we are also setting requirements for cybersecurity service providers, specifically the standards they must comply with, as well as requirements for auditors in case these systems undergo audits,” he said.

The First Deputy Minister noted that, in the context of the widespread use of digital tools, risks are also increasing, and the government initiative is aimed at raising the overall level of security.

“I will not reveal a secret by saying that digital tools are becoming more widespread in our lives, and they can carry more risks. We believe this is a very necessary action at the moment. It will also bring certain costs for businesses, but we consider it an investment in our overall security,” Mantashyan said.

According to him, discussions on the bill were previously held with the participation of representatives of the private sector and companies from vital sectors.

“This will not come as a surprise, because the law was discussed three times on e-draft [online public debate platform], and at different times it was discussed with the private sector and specifically with companies from vital sectors. We believe that with this we are fixing the minimum standard that everyone must meet,” he said.

Mantashyan also noted that various companies are already using certain solutions and standards, but the lack of a unified approach in the sector can create vulnerabilities.

The Bright Armenia Party has pledged to push for caps on bank loan interest rates if it secures seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections, with party leader Edmon Marukyan arguing that commercial banks in Armenia are generating excessive profits.

During a campaign event in Yerevan outside the Central Bank headquarters, Marukyan, a former ambassador-at-large and former lawmaker, called for tighter regulation of the financial sector, as well as measures to prevent conflicts of interest and address fraudulent lending practices.

According to Marukyan, over the past five years, no steps have been taken to implement regulations on high interest rates.

“In the last five years, we have had a situation in which Armenia’s banking sector has simply generated super-profits,” Marukyan said.

He said the Central Bank lends money to commercial banks at an average rate of 6.7 percent, after which those banks issue loans to citizens at rates ranging from 16 to 20 percent.

“We are asking the people to give us the opportunity so that after the June 7 elections, in the newly formed parliament, we can work to limit the ceiling on loan interest rates in Armenia,” Marukyan said.

He further proposed introducing a restriction under which individuals with experience in the Central Bank or Armenia’s financial sector would be barred for several years after leaving their positions from working in private commercial banks, in order to prevent the use of public-sector expertise in favor of private interests.

Marukyan also spoke about the need to tackle fraudsters who take out loans in unsuspecting citizens’ names.

The Bright Armenia Party is among the 19 political forces running for parliament in the June 7 election.

Armenia’s industrial production rose 13.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 to 748.8 billion drams, driven by strong growth in mining and quarrying and moderate gains in manufacturing and utilities, according to the Statistical Committee.

In March, industrial production declined by 2% compared to February but rose by 7% year-on-year. Industrial output in March amounted to 256 billion 521.4 million drams at current prices.

Mining and quarrying accounted for 60 billion 969.5 million drams of the March total. In the first quarter, output in the sector increased by 36.8% year-on-year to 163 billion 889.9 million drams. In March, production rose by 17.7% month-on-month and by 28% year-on-year.

Manufacturing output increased by 9.5% year-on-year in the first quarter to 458 billion 410.6 million drams. In March, output fell by 9.6% from February but rose by 1.3% from a year earlier, amounting to 155 billion 815.5 million drams.

Electricity, gas, steam, and air supply rose 7% in the first quarter to 118 billion 171.7 million drams, including 37 billion 172.5 million drams in March. Output increased 6% month-on-month and 7.9% year-on-year in March.

Water supply, sewerage, waste management, and recycling grew 4.1% year-on-year in the first quarter to 7 billion 528.6 million drams, including 2 billion 563.9 million drams in March. The sector rose 4.2% month-on-month and 2.9% year-on-year in March.