Italy has purchased a rare painting attributed to the Baroque master Caravaggio for $35 million, marking one of the country’s largest state expenditures on a single artwork, the Associated Press reported. The portrait, titled «Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini,» was painted around 1598 and depicts Pope Urban VIII as a…
The globally renowned Cirque du Soleil is set to perform in Kazakhstan for the first time since 2017. The troupe will perform 14 shows in the country’s two largest cities: from June 4 to 7 in Astana and from June 11 to 15 in Almaty, Freedom Events CEO Victoria Torgunakova…
Thomas «Tommy» Thompson, 73, an Ohio scientist and treasure hunter who recovered a large amount of gold from an 1857 shipwreck, has been released from federal prison, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Thompson had been in jail since 2015 after a federal judge in Columbus held him in contempt of court…
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education announced teaching guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), developed by the National Academy of Education named after Ybyrai Altynsarin. Kursiv LifeStyle explains how teachers are advised to use AI and curb homework copying. Primarily, the ministry stated that AI cannot replace the teacher’s role.…
An unusual online dating fraud scheme was exposed in Astana, according to Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General’s Office. A group of women contacted men on dating websites and suggested continuing communication in a rented apartment. To make the arrangement appear legitimate, they posted rental ads online in Astana, using fake photos of…
ChatGPT now offers a feature that identifies music playing nearby using Shazam, letting users discover a song’s title directly in conversation with the chatbot. If music is playing nearby — for instance, in a café, shop or outdoors — ChatGPT can simply be asked to identify the track. The chatbot…
Kazakhstani figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov may receive another award following the Winter Olympics — the athlete’s costume was shortlisted among the best. Shaidorov is among 16 candidates in the «Best Costume» category, which includes single skaters, pairs and ice dance duos. The Kazakhstani athlete is on the list for the…
Spanish media have reported on an unusual project by fans of the world-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen. Kursiv LifeStyle explains why they decorated a Spanish village to resemble a Kazakh aul. According to the Spanish outlet La Voz de Galicia, the fans are filming a video they plan to present…
American figure skater Ilia Malinin was honored with a prize from the International Olympic Committee. Kursiv LifeStyle explains why the committee recognized the athlete’s sportsmanship toward his Kazakhstani counterpart Mikhail Shaidorov. According to the Olympic Games website, Malinin was awarded the 2026 Fair Play Award at the Milano Cortina Winter…
Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s TikTok account has been unexpectedly banned. The reasons remain unknown. Durov registered his TikTok account in January. Since then, over 150,000 users have subscribed. Trying to open the profile now, a message indicates that the account is unavailable. The situation is particularly ironic, given Durov’s previous…
Enrique Iglesias will perform concerts in Almaty and Astana this fall. The singer will bring his stadium show to Kazakhstan’s two largest cities. Iglesias will perform on Sept. 3 at Astana Arena and on Sept. 5 at Central Stadium in Almaty. An exclusive ticket pre-sale will start on March 7…
A Kazakhstani vehicle registration plate was spotted at the «end of the world» — the world’s southernmost city of Ushuaia, Argentina. A tourist from Almaty shared on Threads that she arrived in the city and noticed a familiar vehicle registration plate on the wall of a local shop. The plate…
Valve, developer of the cult shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, has unexpectedly restored the game page on its online game marketplace Steam, which had been replaced by the most recent installment in the series, Counter-Strike 2. CS:GO is now available for download without complicated instructions or workarounds. However, the game does…
A satirical online campaign suggesting that Barron Trump, the youngest son of President Donald Trump, should be drafted into the military has emerged after the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Euronews reported. The campaign centers on a website called DraftBarronTrump.com, created by former «South Park»…
BTS, the globally recognized K-pop band, revealed the tracklist of its upcoming album «Arirang,» the group’s first in six years, scheduled for release on March 20, Billboard reported. The album will consist of 14 songs. BTS posted the list on Instagram and Weverse. The release opens with «Body to Body.»…
Moschino, the Italian luxury fashion brand, has once again surprised the public. This time, the brand unveiled a handbag shaped like a roll of toilet paper. In a video showcasing the unusual accessory, fashion blogger Malu Borges demonstrated the bag, which resembles a real toilet paper roll. It features a…
Startup Anthropic, the developer of the chatbot Claude, has made one of its main features available to all users. Memory is now accessible for free-plan users, whereas it was previously exclusive to paid plans. The feature allows the service to remember details from previous conversations with the chatbot. When enabled,…
UNESCO has voiced concern about the safety of cultural landmarks in the Middle East following reports that Iran’s Golestan Palace sustained damage amid recent military strikes in Tehran, Euronews reported. According to Iranian state media, debris and shockwaves from a U.S.-Israeli airstrike near Arg Square on Monday caused damage to…
Kazakhstani DJ Arkadiy F performed on the cult Berlin-based stream HÖR Berlin, featuring remixes of Kazakh tracks, including those containing explicit language. A profanity-laced track with humorous lyrics in Kazakh was aired on one of the world’s most recognizable online platforms for DJs. This is not the first appearance of…
The launch of the first light rail transit (LRT) line in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, is expected this spring, according to Mayor Zhenis Kassymbek. The mayor posted on Instagram, stating he visited the LRT depot and the operations control center to check operational readiness. Kassymbek traveled through the Airport, Baiterek, House…
On March 1, a complete ban on vapes and electronic cigarettes took effect in Uzbekistan. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the law last November, Sputnik Uzbekistan reported. Now it is not only prohibited to vape but also to produce, possess, sell, import and export electronic cigarettes and e-liquids. Violations are subject…
Andrew Tate, a controversial American-British influencer and former kickboxer, arrived in Almaty with his brother Tristan. The visit came as a surprise to Kazakhstani internet users, who learned about the brothers’ trip through their Instagram Stories. Later, another video appeared online showing Tate and his brother sitting in an Almaty…
Kazakhstan is set to welcome another global star. Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias is expected to perform in the country, possibly for more than one concert. The announcement appeared on the social media accounts of online ticketing platform Freedom Ticketon. A short video features rapid cuts of the singer’s past performances,…
A strange fitness trend is gaining traction on Scandinavian TikTok. Athletes are mixing skyr — a thick, high-protein yogurt — with a popular sugar-free energy drink. It may sound questionable at first, but many users swear by the result, calling it «delicious» and «perfect for fitness.» Read also: Bizarre foods…
