News

China has announced an extension of its visa-free entry policy for business, tourism, family visits or transit for up to 30 days for citizens of 45 countries — including France, Germany and Spain — until Dec. 31, 2026. The policy will also be expanded to include Sweden starting Nov. 10, 2025, Reuters reported.

According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Consular Affairs, 32 European nations are eligible for the extension, along with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and several countries in South America and the Gulf region. Notably, under the original plan...

The Freedom Holding Corp. Kazakhstan Manufacturing PMI® (Purchasing Managers’ IndexTM) remained below the 50.0 no-change mark in October, dropping to 48.3 from 49.2 in September. The headline index has now signaled a worsening of operating conditions in each of the past five months.

October saw a renewed reduction in new orders in the Kazakh manufacturing sector, with new business down modestly following a slight rise in September. The fall in new orders mainly reflected muted customer demand, while some firms also indicated that ongoing repair work meant that they were not in a position to take on new business.

Some...

Skywatchers are in for a celestial treat this week as November’s full moon — known as the Beaver Moon — becomes the year’s closest and brightest supermoon, Euronews reported.

A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its full phase while at perigee, the point in its orbit closest to Earth. During this rare alignment, the moon can appear up to 14% larger and shine up to 30% brighter than the faintest full moon, according to NASA.

This dazzling spectacle peaks on Wednesday, Nov. 6, though the moon will appear full on both Tuesday and Thursday nights. The best...

Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler has played 75 matches for the club, according to Turkish sports outlet Fanatik. As a result, the Spanish club must pay €2 million to Fenerbahçe under one of the performance-based bonus clauses in Güler’s transfer agreement.

Güler’s 75th appearance for the club came on Nov. 1. At home, Real Madrid thrashed Valencia 4-0. Güler was in the starting lineup, assisted Kylian Mbappé, and was substituted at halftime when the score was 3-0. This marked the Spanish club’s 10th victory over 11 matchdays. Real Madrid has 30 points and leads the La...

A Mississippi woman shot and killed an escaped monkey near her home, saying she acted out of fear for her children’s safety after reports circulated that the animals might carry diseases, the Associated Press reported.

Jessica Bond Ferguson of Heidelberg told the Associated Press that she was awakened early Sunday by her 16-year-old son, who said he had seen a monkey outside. She said she took her phone and a firearm outside and spotted the animal about 60 feet away before firing.

«I did what any other mother would do to protect her children...

Supermodel and TV personality Heidi Klum once again proved she’s the undisputed queen of Halloween with a jaw-dropping Medusa costume that turned heads — and, fittingly, turned them to stone, as reported by Euronews.

The annual «Heidiween» party is famous for its over-the-top creativity. This year it reached new heights. Klum appeared completely unrecognizable in an elaborate full-body transformation. The look included green scales, a crocodile tail, clawed...

Kazakhstan can raise oil production in December to 1.569 million barrels per day, up from the November cap of 1.563 million. Eight OPEC+ nations made this decision on Nov. 2.

The total oil production increment for December was agreed at 137,000 barrels per day. Therefore, a 7,000-barrel-per-day increase is allocated to Kazakhstan. OPEC+ partners determined the increments based on «a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals.»

Moreover, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Kazakhstan and Algeria decided to halt their oil production increments in January, February and March 2026.

From April...

Miryildiz Mining, a Turkish company, aims to launch gold and copper production in Kazakhstan in late 2026, according to Regional Director Emrah Erdem.

At the Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable on Oct. 31, Erdem said the potential for copper mining in eastern Kazakhstan is strong, with the company focusing its efforts on the Abay and Pavlodar regions. He also noted promising prospects for gold, rare earth metals, and other solid minerals across the country.

In April, Miryildiz Mining presented a project to Abay Region Governor Berik Uali to build a mining and processing plant in the...

Viewers of the popular music show X Factor Uzbekistan experienced a moment of déjà vu when Nursultan Qudaibergen, a contestant from Kazakhstan, took the stage. Audience members and judges immediately drew comparisons to world-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen.

Everything about the performer seemed familiar — his last name, his resemblance, and even his vocal style. The judges couldn’t hide their surprise, noting that Nursultan’s voice sounded strikingly similar to Dimash’s.

Inter Milan players are approaching their Champions League match against Kairat in good spirits. On Nov. 2, the club earned three more points in Serie A, defeating Verona in an away match.

Italy. Serie A. Matchday 10. Nov. 2

Hellas Verona vs. Inter Milan: 1-2

Goals: Giovane 40’; Piotr Zieliński 16’, Martin Frese 90+3’ (own goal)

Inter is fighting for the title, while Verona is in the relegation zone. The favorites quickly took the lead as Polish midfielder Piotr Zieliński scored a spectacular volley from a corner kick. Shortly before halftime, the hosts tied the...

During his first «60 Minutes» interview in five years, President Donald Trump explained why he pardoned Binance founder Changpeng «CZ» Zhao earlier this year. He said he did not know Zhao personally and believed the case was politically motivated, according to CNN.

In his conversation with Norah O’Donnell, Trump said he did not know about Zhao’s background when he gave the pardon. Referring to his decision, Trump said, «I don’t know who he is. I heard it was a Biden witch hunt.»

Zhao had pleaded guilty in 2023 to breaking anti-money-laundering laws and...

A couple from Rotorua, New Zealand — Sharik and Jessica Burgess-Stride — got an unexpected surprise during their wedding celebration on the Hobbiton Movie Set. Actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in «The Lord of the Rings» trilogy, unexpectedly showed up at the ceremony.

According to the newlyweds, the day had been rainy, but the skies cleared for exactly half an hour, just long enough for them to hold their ceremony. As the couple finished signing their marriage documents, Wood walked down the aisle to congratulate them in person.

Several people were injured in a stabbing attack on a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train traveling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening. Amid the chaos, passengers and staff acted with remarkable bravery, with one rail worker credited by police for saving multiple lives, the BBC reported.

British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed that a 32-year-old man from Peterborough remains in custody as the sole suspect. A knife was recovered at the scene, and officers said they are not treating the incident as terrorism-related.

Investigators said CCTV footage showed that an LNER staff member, now in...

Kazakhstan experienced a dramatic reversal in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, shifting from a net inflow of $2.8 billion in the first quarter to a net outflow of $1.9 billion in the second quarter. Economist Ruslan Sultanov attributed the decline primarily to U.S. companies reinvesting profits into production rather than bringing in new capital.

Notably, Kazakhstan recorded a $893.6 million net FDI inflow in the first half of 2025, primarily driven by strong investment in the first quarter.

By country, the largest declines in investment were from the U.S. (-$1.65 billion) and China (-$486 million). In...

On Nov. 1, the official closing ceremony of the third season of Kazakhstan’s youth football championship, the Freedom QJ League, took place. One of the highlights was a charity auction featuring Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé’s jersey as the main lot.

The winning bid was placed by Kairat Boranbayev, chairman of the supervisory board of FC Kairat, amounting to 3 million tenge (approximately $5,646).

«All proceeds from the auction will be donated to charity,» the organizers said.

The event was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Astana, bringing together...

Using AI tools such as ChatGPT to look up «how to be environmentally sustainable» might actually be working against that goal, according to politics writer Lex McMenamin.

That’s because ChatGPT and other large language models carry an environmental cost. Training and operating these systems require massive computing power, and the servers that keep them running must stay cool — often through extensive water use.

More electricity and more water

Notably, the energy demand is also substantial. Although estimates vary, the International Energy Agency reported in 2024 that generating a single ChatGPT response can use nearly...

The private Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow has acquired «Falling Nazarbayev,» a sculpture by Kazakh artist Yerbossyn Meldibekov consisting of five bronze figures, National Business reported.

The installation was first unveiled in February 2024 at an exhibition in Almaty.

The work is a series of exact replicas of a monument to Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s first president, that once stood in Taldykorgan. The original statue was toppled by protesters during the January 2022 unrest.

Meldibekov’s sculpture captures the monument’s fall — from the moment it begins to lose balance to its impact with the ground...

A man was arrested in Japan for reportedly possessing toy guns with the capabilities of real weapons, NHK World reported.

Osamu Ebara, from Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, was found to have two plastic toy handguns capable of firing real bullets strong enough to kill a human, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Officials added that the suspect had around 30 of these toy guns at home, as well as several listed for auction. Ebara is suspected of violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law.

Police also said they found toy bullets but no real ammunition. Reportedly...

After a cross was installed on the central tower of the Sagrada Família, the renowned basilica in Barcelona, Spain, has become the world’s tallest church, the BBC reported. It now stands 162.91 meters high, surpassing Ulm Minster in Germany, which had held the record since 1890.

Construction of the church in central Barcelona has continued for more than a century. The project was designed and initially overseen by Antoni Gaudí, the celebrated Catalan architect. By the time of Gaudí’s death in 1926, only one of the planned 18 towers had been completed.

The main...

An accident occurred during the Rallye National de Saint-Joseph in France, claiming the lives of two children, Le Parisien reported.

The tragedy happened on Oct. 26, when a 22-year-old driver lost control of his car and went off the course, hitting spectators. As a result, a nine-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother were killed. Their father sustained multiple injuries.

Following the accident, the seventh stage of the rally was canceled.

According to the prosecutor, drug and alcohol tests for both the driver and co-driver showed no trace of any substances.

Spectators were reportedly standing in an...

Apple Inc. posted robust financial results for the third quarter, surpassing expectations. The growth was driven by strong demand for its latest iPhone 17, despite challenges from the global trade war and increasing competition.

«Today, Apple is very proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $102.5 billion. This includes a September quarter record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record for Services,» Euronews reported, citing CEO Tim Cook.

As a result, Apple’s quarterly profit rose to $27.5 billion, nearly double the figure from a year earlier. The strong performance...

Founder and CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg trained with Brazilian athlete Alex Pereira, a UFC light heavyweight champion (93 kilograms).

Zuckerberg visited the new gym of Pereira’s coach, Plinio Cruz, in New York. Later, he posted photos from the training session on Instagram.

Zuckerberg and Pereira can be seen practicing both stand-up and ground techniques.

The Brazilian champion also posted photos with the Meta CEO. The...

Kazakh startup Call2action.ai, founded by entrepreneur Yersultan Jussakinov, has raised $500,000 in funding, mostly from U.S. investors, at a $6 million valuation, Digital Business reported.

Call2action.ai describes itself as the first generative AI-powered platform designed to help companies hire employees faster and at lower cost.

The system conducts automated interviews, analyzes candidates’ responses and skills, and compiles a list of the most suitable specialists — such as drivers, mechanics and dispatchers.

«We’re addressing a major challenge in a massive but underserved market that employs more than 9 million people,» Jussakinov said...

A historic moment may be unfolding in the Netherlands. Rob Jetten, leader of the centrist Democrats 66 (D66) party, is on track to become the country’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister at just 38 years old.

According to preliminary exit polls, D66 has gained an advantage over far-right parties, positioning Jetten as a central figure in forming a potential governing coalition.

Notably, beyond politics, Jetten’s personal life has also drawn public attention. He is engaged to Argentine field hockey player Nicolás Keenan.