AI Infrastructure Deal: Firebird and Kazakhstan’s government signed a strategic cooperation package worth up to $10 billion in Astana to build next-generation national AI infrastructure, including advanced computing, cloud tech, research, and a broader digital ecosystem. Payments Upgrade: Kazakhstan will roll out a single interbank QR code for cashless payments starting July 19, after a long pilot and new legal groundwork for the digital asset sector. Regional Diplomacy: Montenegro President Jakov Milatović will visit Kazakhstan June 18–20 for high-level talks on political dialogue, trade, investment, and people-to-people ties. Security & Online Crime: Kazakhstan has referred nearly 12,000 drug-related websites for blocking since the start of 2026, alongside steps to disrupt illicit financial flows. Transport & Trade: TRACECA says the Middle Corridor’s next growth phase depends less on steel and more on digitisation—shared data, harmonised customs, and common transport documents. Aviation Update: Lufthansa will suspend winter flights to Kazakhstan for 2025–26, with service expected to resume in spring 2027. Sports (Kazakhstan in focus): Ireland’s Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final is set against Kazakhstan, with the first leg in October and the second leg at home.