News

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Economy Serik Zhumangarin has compared upcoming value-added tax increases in Kazakhstan and Russia, saying the process moved more slowly at home because of extended discussions with businesses and the public.

Speaking at a recent press briefing, Zhumangarin was asked about the effectiveness of Kazakhstan’s tax reform. He said he takes personal responsibility for its implementation and emphasized that the policy is not experimental.

‘Not an experiment,’ minister says

«This is not some kind of fortune-telling,» Zhumangarin said. «Institutions and the best specialists in this field have been working on it.»

Coca-Cola’s famous New Year truck caravan is set to return to Kazakhstan this holiday season, continuing a tradition recognized worldwide.

The company announced that the illuminated trucks will hit the road beginning Dec. 25, traveling through four major cities: Almaty, Astana, Shymkent and Aktobe. Detailed routes for each city are available on Coca-Cola’s Instagram page.

Almaty

In Almaty, the Coca-Cola caravan will follow its main route on Dec. 25, 26, 27, 29 and 30. An alternative route is scheduled for Dec. 28.

Astana

In the capital city, the caravan will operate along the primary holiday route on Dec...

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to invite Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the G20 Summit, which will take place in Miami.

Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, noting phone calls with the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

“I had two wonderful telephone calls this morning with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. We discussed the importance of bringing Peace to ongoing conflicts, and increased Trade and Cooperation between our...

According to Nurdaulet Kilybay, governor of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, the Chinese company Zhongyong International plans to begin construction of a new seaport in Aktau next year. The first phase of the project alone is expected to cost $300 million.

The agreement follows several years of negotiations with the company that operates Tianjin, one of the world’s largest ports.

«We have already identified a suitable land plot for the project, and the paperwork is underway. The documents required to sign an investment agreement have also been prepared. Construction is therefore planned to begin in the second quarter of 2026,» Kilybay said.

Governor of the Mangystau region Nurdaulet Kilybay stated that construction of the road to the Bozzhyra natural landmark — popular with tourists for its surreal landscapes, often compared to Martian terrain — began this year. The visitor center in the picturesque area has been built and is set to open its doors in 2026.

During a briefing at the Central Communications Service, Kilybay reported on tourism development in the region. According to him, one of the priorities is the promotion of trips to Bozzhyra. This year, construction began on a 13.2-kilometer road...

Scientists analyzed DNA believed to be Adolf Hitler’s and drew conclusions about his possible genetic conditions, according to a documentary released by Britain’s Channel 4.

Fabric with Hitler’s blood stains

The analysis was conducted using fabric taken from a sofa reportedly used by Hitler in his bunker, The Times reported. The findings have not been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, but the newspaper cited several conclusions described by the researchers involved.

According to what The Times called the study’s main conclusion, Hitler may have suffered from Kallmann syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can prevent puberty and...

China and Russia have reiterated their support for Venezuela as the U.S. intensifies pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, executing missile attacks on Venezuelan boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking and targeting of US-sanctioned oil tankers exporting crude from Venezuela to a limited number of buyers, The Guardian reported.

Thus, China, Venezuela’s largest oil customer, criticized the interception of a China-bound oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, calling the seizure a violation of international law and opposing what it described as unilateral sanctions. Beijing also said that Caracas has the right to maintain relations with any country it wants.

Russia...

World-famous Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias and former Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova have welcomed their fourth child, the couple announced on Instagram.

The baby was born Dec. 17, according to the post, which featured a photo of the newborn alongside a stuffed sloth and the caption, «My sunshine 12.17.2025.» The couple has not disclosed the child’s name or gender.

Iglesias and Kournikova are already parents to 8-year-old twins Nicholas...

Timothée Chalamet has amused his fans with an unusual advertising stunt for the film «Marty Supreme,» in which he stars.

The 29-year-old actor appeared atop the Sphere venue in Las Vegas. In a video posted on Instagram, Chalamet is seen standing at the very top of the structure and shouting that the film will be released on Dec. 25, 2025, while the venue itself was transformed into a giant ping pong ball.

While modern electric vehicles continue to prove their reliability and compete on cruising range, history offers an interesting contrast. RM Sotheby’s auction house has listed a 1912 Baker Electric Model V, valued at $400,000 to $500,000, which is not a museum mock-up but a fully functional serial electric car.

When electric cars were a status symbol

At the beginning of the 20th century, Baker was considered the pinnacle of engineering, and the company itself described its vehicles as «The Aristocrat of Motordom.» In those years, electric cars competed on equal terms with gasoline cars and...

Winter brings not only New Year’s cheer but also a familiar inconvenience: bulky clothing that is hard to keep clean. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at a popular online method for preventing stains on winter jackets.

During the colder months, many women struggle with makeup stains on jacket collars, especially from foundation and lipstick. High collars and hoods rub against the face, leaving visible marks on both light- and dark-colored outerwear. Online, the most common advice is to remove the stains with micellar water or rubbing alcohol.

Many users say, however, that it can take at least 30 minutes of...

Chris Rea, the British rock and blues star, widely known for the 1986 hit «Driving Home for Christmas,» has died at the age of 74 after a brief illness, Euronews reported.

His family — wife Joan and their daughters Josephine and Julia — have confirmed that Rea passed away peacefully in hospital after a short illness.

Born in Middlesbrough in 1951, Rea built a long and respected career marked by his distinctive gravelly voice and reflective songwriting. He achieved widespread success in the late 1970s with songs such as «Fool,» «Let’s Dance» and «The Road to Hell.» In...

Few things capture the spirit of the times as vividly as the words, memes, and trends circulating across dominant social platforms. Following a tradition long observed by international media outlets and publishers, the editorial team at Kursiv.media set out to identify Kazakhstan’s Word of the Year for 2025.

A year shaped by big decisions and new technologies

In 2024, Kazakhstani voters approved the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). In 2025, attention shifted to deciding which country and which company would build it. Later, it was announced that not one, but three NPPs

Buying a car is a significant investment, and most owners hope to get as many years and miles out of it as possible. According to GOBankingRates.com, reaching 300,000 miles without major mechanical failures is entirely achievable. The media outlet shared several tips on how to extend a vehicle’s lifespan, citing Alain Zori, a mechanic with 35 years of experience and the owner of M&M Auto Repairs.

Keep the engine clean

Regular oil changes are the foundation of a long-lasting engine. Zori recommends using only high-quality full synthetic oil and, just as importantly, changing both the oil and the filter...

In recent years, Kazakhstan has invested about $680 million in Uzbekistan, according to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). Companies owned by Kazakhstan’s wealthiest businessmen have accounted for a significant share of that investment, Margarita Bocharova, an author with the Shishkin_like project, wrote in a recent review.

EDB analysts say more than one-third of Kazakhstan’s investment in Uzbekistan has gone into the construction sector.

BI Group

BI Group owner Aidyn Rakhimbayev — ranked 10th on Forbes’ list of Kazakhstan’s richest people, with a net worth of $967 million — co-founded developer NRG in 2020 with Uzbek businessman Murod...

U.S. President Donald Trump presented President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev with memorable gifts: symbolic keys to the White House and a baseball cap bearing his signature, according to Tokayev’s aide and press secretary, Ruslan Zheldibay.

The gifts were delivered through Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the United States, Magzhan Ilyasov. In a brief exchange, Trump recalled his November meeting with Tokayev in the Oval Office.

The U.S. president asked that warm wishes be conveyed to the president of Kazakhstan, describing him as a wonderful person and an experienced statesman with a deep and balanced understanding of international affairs.

Tokayev paid...

The world’s largest uranium supplier Kazatomprom and one of Japan’s largest electric utilities, Kansai Electric Power Company, have agreed on supplies of Kazakhstani uranium to Japan’s nuclear power plants, Kazatomprom said in a statement.

According to the statement, the agreement is important for Japan as the country gradually resumes nuclear energy in its power balance, and it is expected to secure stable and long-term fuel deliveries for its nuclear power plants.

The official signing took place during a visit of the Kazakhstani delegation, headed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to Japan from Dec. 18 to 20, within...

Six Unitree androids unexpectedly took the stage alongside Wang Leehom — an American singer of Taiwanese descent — during his concert in Chengdu, China. They effectively stole the show, captivating the audience with their impressive dance performance.

The robots moved in perfect sync not only with each other but also with the live dancers. At one point, they even performed a complex acrobatic move. For many in the audience, the scene felt like something straight out of a sci-fi movie — except it was happening in real life.

A video of the performance quickly went viral on social...

A modern five-star hotel complex, Pana Unique Semey, opened in a former steam mill built in 1890 following its renovation, while preserving its historical appearance, in Semey, eastern Kazakhstan.

According to the Abai region governor’s office, the project, valued at approximately $12.6 million, is one of the largest in the region. The hotel features 91 rooms designed to accommodate 180 guests, spans 8,300 square meters and has a total capacity of 203 people. The hotel offers four restaurants, a coffee shop, a spa and a conference hall.

Furthermore, the governor of the Abai region Berik Uali stated that every Kazakhstani...

Virtuous sayings preserved in collective memory are widely used not only in literature and everyday communication, including colloquial speech, but also in political discourse. Notably, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev frequently refers to quotations from Abai, the prominent Kazakh poet and philosopher, as well as to folk wisdom expressed through proverbs — particularly those emphasizing unity and solidarity. This practice can be observed in his addresses to both the nation and the international community.

To identify which authors the President quotes most frequently and which proverbs he most often uses to support and reinforce his views, we analyzed his...

A notable shift in global finance is underway as the Chinese yuan continues to gain traction as a currency for international settlements, according to Reuters. Kazakhstan has emerged as an active participant in this trend, gradually replacing dollar-denominated liabilities with borrowing in yuan as part of its efforts to strengthen economic stability.

Record-high offshore placements

In September, the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) raised 2 billion yuan on Hong Kong’s offshore market through a dim sum bond issuance. The deal marked a significant milestone for the country’s financial sector, positioning Kazakhstan — alongside Indonesia — among leading...

Pursuing the goal of reducing litter left by café visitors taking food to go, tourism officials and shop operators in Kyoto are trialing an initiative using edible spoons, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

Three dessert restaurants in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district — popular with tourists — serve their meals with edible spoons as part of the trial. The spoons are branded «Pacoon,» after the Japanese onomatopoeia for eating and biting, and are available in five flavors, made from flour, sugar, eggs and vegetable powders.

Reportedly, customers have responded positively to the idea, and the amount of garbage outside...

Jim Beam, owned by Japanese Suntory Global Spirits, will stop production at its main Kentucky distillery for all of next year due to planned upgrades of the site, as reported by the BBC.

The company said the decision was made after reviewing production needs based on expected demand for 2026. Other Jim Beam sites in Kentucky, including a second distillery and bottling and warehousing facilities, will keep running, though. The visitor center will also stay open.

Meanwhile, Jim Beam is figuring out how to assign employees during the shutdown and is in discussions with labor representatives.

According to the...

Prince William and his 12-year-old son, Prince George, volunteered at The Passage in London to help staff and volunteers prepare for the charity’s annual Christmas lunch. William’s visit with George echoed his own childhood experience, when Princess Diana brought him to the same organization at a similar age, according to CNN.

During the visit, the father and son spoke with people who have experienced homelessness and learned about the charity’s support, according to a Kensington Palace source. Prince George also signed The Passage’s visitors’ book, adding his name to the same page previously signed by his father and...