Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry has proposed a major change to the country’s drug laws that could remove criminal liability for some offences involving drugs intended for personal use rather than sale. The proposal is contained in a regulatory policy consultation document published on August 14, 2026 and opened for public discussion until September 8. It concerns amendments aimed at decriminalising certain forms of illegal handling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues when there is no intention to sell them. The ministry is proposing that parts 1 and 2 of Article 296 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code be repealed or substantially reworked. Under the current law, part 1 covers non-medical drug consumption in public places, while part 2 covers illegal manufacture, processing, acquisition, possession and transportation without intent to sell. The latter can currently result in a fine of up to 160 monthly calculation indices, corrective labour, up to 160 hours of community service or arrest for up to 40 days. This does not amount to legalising drugs. The ministry is considering several models, including decriminalising possession without intent to sell when quantities remain within legally established limits, retaining criminal liability for manufacturing and processing, and introducing administrative penalties that could escalate for repeat offences.

New Taldykorgan–Ust-Kamenogorsk highway shows signs of deterioration after costing more than 180bn tenge

A highway between Taldykorgan and Ust-Kamenogorsk that cost more than 180 billion tenge is already showing signs of deterioration , prompting activists to demand further inspections and a longer warranty period. The road was constructed between 2018 and 2025 using borrowed funds from China’s Export-Import Bank. But an inspection conducted on August 21, 2026, by a group of activists led by Rollan Mashpiyev found numerous areas where the asphalt appeared to be peeling, cracking or deteriorating. In some locations, the problems appeared to extend beneath the asphalt to the road foundation. Mashpiyev said the group travelled from Semey to the Ayagoz area to examine the road and found that damage had become noticeably worse. The activists argue that the problem may extend beyond the quality of the asphalt itself. Mashpiyev said cracks had reappeared even in areas where asphalt had already been replaced, suggesting that defects could exist in the lower layers of the road.

Kazakhstan builds $78.6bn pipeline of investment projects targeting more than 88,000 jobs

Kazakhstan has assembled a portfolio of 215 investment projects worth $78.6 billion , as the government seeks to shift foreign and domestic capital towards manufacturing, advanced processing, technology and higher-value industries. The portfolio managed by KAZAKH INVEST is expected to create more than 88,000 jobs. Of the 215 projects, 93 worth $32.2 billion are already being implemented, while another 122 worth $46.4 billion remain under development. The strategy follows President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s 2025 address, Kazakhstan in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Current Tasks and Solutions Through Digital Transformation. Rather than focusing solely on attracting larger amounts of capital, the government says it wants to change the structure of investment by prioritising manufacturing, deep processing, high-tech production and the localisation of goods with greater added value. Since rules governing investment agreements were introduced, Kazakhstan has signed 66 agreements worth more than 17.8 trillion tenge. Six were concluded in 2024, followed by 30 agreements worth around 11.2 trillion tenge in 2025.

Kazvodkhoz returns to profit after overhaul cuts receivables by 90%

Kazakhstan’s state water-management company Kazvodkhoz has returned to profitability after a restructuring programme that included management reforms, digitalisation, asset transfers and tighter financial controls. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said the state enterprise had eliminated its losses and ended 2025 with a profit, while its accounts receivable fell by 90%. One major change involved merging the Nurinsky Group Water Pipeline state enterprise with Kazvodkhoz. The government has also approved a roadmap to transfer non-core assets, including group water pipelines, into municipal ownership so Kazvodkhoz can concentrate more closely on its core water-management responsibilities. Financial management has also been digitalised. Since the beginning of 2026, Kazvodkhoz has completely stopped accepting cash payments for irrigation water. All contracts with water users are now concluded electronically through a new billing system. Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Zhandos Salimov said the transformation includes redesigning and automating business processes, creating systems for planning and assessing the performance of branches, centralising revenue and expenditure management and introducing project-management principles.

More than 283,000 cameras installed as Kazakhstan strengthens security in 7,656 schools

Kazakhstan has installed more than 283,000 surveillance cameras across 7,656 general education schools , as authorities strengthen security measures ahead of the new academic year. The Interior Ministry has declared 2026 the Year of Children’s Safety within the ministry, with measures focused on protecting children not only at school but also on streets, in public places and online. Of Kazakhstan’s 7,656 schools, 7,159, or 93.5%, are directly connected to police operational control centres or duty units, allowing law-enforcement agencies to respond more quickly when security incidents are detected. The ministry said its approach goes beyond surveillance. Preventing juvenile offences remains a priority, with authorities focusing on legal education, identifying problems at an early stage and providing individual support to children and families. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also emphasised the importance of developing what authorities describe as a law-abiding generation, arguing that respect for the law and Constitution is important both to young people’s individual well-being and to Kazakhstan’s broader development.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini told senators the clause had been “smuggled” into the bill. “The clause was smuggled in; it was not there originally,” Kwidini said during the debate.

The proposed amendment would have allowed abortions on request up to 20 weeks for adults and minors without parental consent, removed spousal notification requirements, and permitted a single medical practitioner to authorise the procedure.

Kwidini distanced the ministry from the provision, saying it was not part of the original draft presented in the Lower House. “When the Bill was introduced in the Lower House at First Reading, there was no Clause 11, it ended at Clause 10,” he said. “As the Ministry, we are saying Clause 11 cannot be part of this Bill.”

Most senators indicated they were unwilling to support the clause in its current form. The government suggested that if abortion law reforms are to be considered, they should be introduced under a separate bill.

Under the proposal, citizenship would be more closely linked to “genuine ties” to the state, including long-term residence, good conduct and social and linguistic integration. The change is aimed at preventing abuse of existing rules and reducing broad interpretations that have emerged over time.

The draft law also introduces clearer grounds for stripping nationality in exceptional cases, such as involvement in terrorism, actions that seriously harm state interests, or allegiance to a foreign power. Any such decision would require a presidential decree, prior warnings and the right to challenge the move through legal channels.

Officials stress that the changes are meant to close legal loopholes in order to preserve citizenship revocation as a last resort.

In 2017, the Portuguese Parliament passed Law No. 11/2017, mandating at least one vegan option in all public-sector canteens, including schools, universities, hospitals, and prisons.

The law was heavily supported by the animal rights party PAN (People–Animals–Nature) and framed as a step toward inclusivity and sustainability.

This decision marked a rare moment when ethics, public health, and environmental concern converged into law. According to the European Commission , food-related emissions account for nearly 31% of global greenhouse gases, pushing governments to rethink how food is supplied in public spaces.

Furthermore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that plant-based diets can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and obesity, aligning the law with long-term public health goals.

This year’s major UN climate reports have emphasised food-system reform as essential to meeting global climate targets. The UN Environment Programme stated that shifting toward plant-based diets could slash agricultural emissions and land use dramatically.

Meanwhile, the global conversation around veganism has expanded beyond animal ethics. In 2024–2025, rising food prices, supply chain shocks, and conflict-driven shortages have pushed public institutions to reevaluate their menu strategies .

However, while several countries are introducing plant-forward guidelines, none have legislated a mandatory vegan meal nationwide. The UK, Germany, and the Netherlands have debated similar policies but stopped short of legislation. Some cities, like New York City, have introduced plant-based hospital meals by default, but not through national law.

The map above shows how, even as much of the country had legalised interracial marriage, a swath of states, primarily in the South, still enforced laws that made it illegal for people of different races to wed.

These “anti-miscegenation” laws were among the last vestiges of institutionalised segregation. According to the online timeline of marriage laws, more than one-third of U.S. states had such bans well into the 1960s.

The watershed moment came on June 12, 1967, when the Loving v. Virginia decision by the Supreme Court of the United States declared that laws prohibiting marriage between people of different races were unconstitutional, saying that “the freedom to marry … resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.”

However, the map from 1966 reminds us that until that ruling, countless couples faced legal prohibitions simply because of their race.

Some states’ bans lingered on the books long after they became unenforceable — for example, the state of Alabama didn’t officially remove its constitutional prohibition against interracial marriage until a voter referendum in the year 2000.

Why this history still matters

At first glance, these laws might seem like a chapter from long ago, but they speak directly to ongoing debates about equality, identity and the meaning of marriage. For example:

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has directed all regional and district governors to begin submitting monthly public reports on their work. The order is intended to improve transparency and keep local officials accountable to the public. This move reflects the administration’s ongoing governance reforms aimed at decentralisation and civic engagement, ensuring that regional leaders stay in closer touch with citizens’ needs and development goals.

New governors appointed across multiple districts and cities

A series of new gubernatorial appointments have been announced in several regions and cities across Uzbekistan. The reshuffle is designed to strengthen leadership and improve socio-economic management at the local level. The government says the changes are part of a broader push to modernise governance structures, empower regional administrations, and align local strategies with national development targets.

New appointments to presidential advisory team

President Mirziyoyev has also made changes within his advisory circle. Ravshan Gulyamov and Aziz Magrupov have been appointed to new roles, focusing on regional and economic development. Their inclusion in the presidential advisory team underscores the government’s intent to streamline policy implementation and attract investment while ensuring sustainable regional growth.

Another governor dismissed in Navoi region

Leadership changes continue in the Navoi region, where a previous governor was dismissed amid ongoing administrative restructuring. Alisher Rashidov has been appointed as the new regional governor. The government has not disclosed the reasons behind the dismissal, but the decision fits into the wider pattern of leadership accountability initiatives rolled out by Mirziyoyev’s administration in recent months.

Deputy Azizova calls for life imprisonment for pedophiles

A powerful debate on child protection laws is gaining traction in Uzbekistan following remarks by Deputy Azizova, who declared that “pedophiles must be punished with life imprisonment.” Her comments have received significant public support, with citizens and advocacy groups urging tougher legal measures against sexual violence involving minors. The proposal aligns with Uzbekistan’s ongoing legal reforms aimed at strengthening justice and social protection systems.