News

In Belarus, a man purchased a complex of abandoned buildings once used as a psychiatric hospital for just $100 and transformed it into a thriving art space.

The psychiatric hospital, located in the village of Zhodishki in the Grodno region, ceased operations after a fire in 2019. Patients were transferred to other medical facilities, and the buildings were sealed and later put up for auction. The buyer, Dmitri, acquired several structures along with roughly 3.7 acres of surrounding land.

A long and layered history

The site’s history stretches back centuries. Built in the 18th century as a...

As more people adopt short-form consumption habits, the market has responded accordingly. TikTok has launched its own «Netflix,» but in a vertical format with episode durations of around one minute, Business Insider reported.

PineDrama — the name of the app — was launched quietly, without an official announcement. It offers so-called microdramas: series broken into short, vertical episodes lasting about one minute.

According to the outlet, PineDrama provides content designed for quick consumption. The most common genres on the platform are melodrama, romance and fantasy. Dozens of shows are already available, including «The Officer Fell For...

China and Kazakhstan have begun developing a draft agreement on the apportionment of water in transboundary rivers, Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurlan Aldamzharov reported during a briefing at the Central Communications Service.

The official said that negotiations between the countries have moved to practical matters — the parties are now preparing an intergovernmental agreement.

«We have now embarked on a crucial stage of cooperation — preparing a draft agreement between the governments of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China on water apportionment in transboundary rivers,» Aldamzharov stated.

During a match between FC Kairat and Club Brugge in Astana on Jan. 20, several Belgian fans mocked Kazakhstan by wearing bright green swimsuits associated with the film “Borat.”

According to the Astana city police department, three foreign fans were detained and taken to a police station.

«An administrative case has been opened against the individuals for public intoxication and minor hooliganism,» police said...

As in the case of U.S. President Donald Trump last year, numerous signals — both official and informal — that someone is being actively promoted for the Nobel Peace Prize do not guarantee that the award will be granted.

In 1974, the leading nominees by number of nominations were Brazilian Catholic Bishop Helder Camara, an advocate of nonviolence in the pursuit of peace and social justice, and Soviet physicist and human rights activist Andrei Sakharov. Neither received the Peace Prize that year. Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.

Human rights and...

Kazakhstan’s top-ranked tennis player Alexander Bublik (world No. 10) defeated Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics (No. 54) 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round of the Australian Open 2026.

Despite a 1-5 head-to-head record, the 33-year-old Hungarian offered decent resistance to the 28-year-old Bublik. In the first set, the Kazakhstani athlete was forced to play catch-up as his opponent was solid on serve. At 5-5, Bublik managed to secure a break and then served out the set, 7-5.

In the third game of the second set, Bublik broke his opponent’s serve but immediately lost his own. The first-set pattern of playing catch-up...

Laramide Resources Ltd., a Canada-based uranium producer, has announced that it is withdrawing from its uranium project in Kazakhstan due to legislative amendments adopted at the end of 2025. Under the new rules, foreign investors have fewer rights, with priority given to the national uranium company Kazatomprom.

«Laramide to abandon Kazakhstan greenfield uranium effort due to newly enacted government policy changes. Laramide has elected to terminate its Option Agreement with Aral Resources for the Chu-Sarysu Project in Kazakhstan, effective immediately,» the company said in a statement on Jan. 20.

On Dec. 26, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev formalized a...

In the second round of the Australian Open 2026, Kazakhstani tennis player Alexander Shevchenko (world No. 97) lost to American Learner Tien (29) 2-6, 7-5, 1-6, 0-6.

The 20-year-old Tien is noted for his five-setters. In the first round, he stunned American Marcos Giron (51) in 3 hours 40 minutes, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

The match between Shevchenko and Sweden’s Elias Ymer (175) lasted 20 minutes shorter and one set fewer: 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-1. However, the Kazakhstani player also used up a lot of energy in hot conditions.

A commuter train derailed near Barcelona on Tuesday evening, killing the train driver and injuring at least 37 passengers, the BBC reported.

Multiple reports say the train derailed after hitting a retaining wall that had fallen onto the tracks between Gelida and Sant Sadurní. The wall may have collapsed because of a severe storm in northeastern Spain.

Emergency crews evacuated all passengers and rescued one person trapped inside. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge and Vila Franca. Fire services sent dozens of teams to search the area and confirmed that no other victims were...

Kazakhstani superstar singer Dimash Qudaibergen was caught in a humorous interaction with his fans.

A video uploaded by a fan community of the singer showed Qudaibergen at Shanghai airport, waiting for his flight while browsing shops with a crowd of fans nearby.

At one point, Qudaibergen offered to buy a gift for a fan. The artist asked what she wanted, and the young woman answered, «I want you.» The artist echoed her words, embarrassing the fan with a smile and making people around laugh.

The video quickly went viral on social media and triggered fans’ emotions. Users praised the fan’s...

The design of bank cards in Kazakhstan has evolved from simple visuals into sophisticated concepts inspired by neo-futurism and cyberpunk aesthetics. Recent card series reinterpret national symbols, transforming cultural heritage into digital art objects.

Cultural heritage

Illustrations by artist Aigerim Karibayeva have helped turn Kazakhstani bank cards into collectible art pieces. Her work offers a contemporary take on steppe motifs and traditional imagery, blending national ornamentation with modern design.

Astana Bank was among the first to issue cards featuring Karibayeva’s illustrations, including flying swallows, a braided girl and original ornamental patterns. The bank’s license was revoked in 2018, making...

On Jan. 22, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Akorda reported.

While in Davos, Tokayev will take part in the signing ceremony of the Charter of the Board of Peace, an international initiative proposed by Donald Trump that aims to rebuild Gaza and strengthen global dialogue.

«On Jan. 22, Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, will make a working visit to Davos to participate in the signing ceremony of the Charter...

On Jan. 21, Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, the man who assassinated Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 with a homemade firearm, was sentenced to life in prison, CNN reported, citing NHK.

Yamagami fatally shot Abe on July 8, 2022, while the politician was delivering a speech at a campaign event in Nara. He was arrested at the scene and charged with murder and firearms offenses the following year.

The reported motive for the assassination is Abe’s connection to the Unification Church, a South Korea-based religious organization, which...

Shares of Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer, continue to reach new highs, driven by surging demand for reliable electricity and a constrained global supply of uranium, according to financial consultant Daur Imanmadirov.

On Jan. 20, 2026, Kazatomprom shares on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange rose to 37,600 tenge ($74) per share, up by 4.44%.

The stock has gained for 11 consecutive trading sessions. Since the beginning of the year, shares are up 34%, rising from 28,100 tenge to current levels.

Renewed focus on nuclear energy

Imanmadirov said investors are reassessing nuclear power as a critical...

President Donald Trump is traveling to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, where he plans to meet with European leaders to discuss Greenland’s future. His trip was briefly delayed Tuesday night when Air Force One had to return to Joint Base Andrews because of a minor electrical issue, according to CNN.

The White House said the plane turned back as a precaution after the crew found the problem while flying over the Atlantic near Montauk, New York. Trump then boarded a backup plane, and staff moved his luggage and supplies from the original aircraft.

This is the...

Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Putintseva (World No. 94) advanced to the third round of the Australian Open 2026. After defeating world No. 59, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, she beat world No. 60, France’s Elsa Jacquemot, 6-1, 6-2 in 73 minutes.

The 22-year-old French player appeared not to have fully recovered from her exhausting first-round match against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, which featured three tiebreaks. By contrast, Putintseva made few errors and her disciplined patterns of play and powerful shots repeatedly made Jacquemot struggle.

The Kazakhstani player secured two breaks in the first set and three in the...

Videos showing massive snowdrifts in Russia’s Kamchatka Krai emerged following one of the most powerful snow cyclones on the peninsula in the past 30 years. The region’s largest city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, has been under an emergency declaration since Jan. 15.

The footage is striking, with snowdrifts as high as nine-story apartment blocks and people sliding from windows. However, after closer examination, it appears that a significant portion of these shocking videos are AI-generated.

Kazakhstan consumes more alcohol per capita than any other country in Central Asia, according to global statistics published by World Population Review (WPR).

The website recently released comparative data on alcohol consumption across countries worldwide, measured in liters of pure alcohol consumed per person annually.

Regional comparisons

In Kazakhstan, annual per capita consumption is estimated at 5.4 liters of alcohol. That figure is significantly higher than in neighboring countries, including Uzbekistan, where consumption stands at 2.1 liters.

Kyrgyzstan reports annual consumption of 3.9 liters per person, while much lower levels are recorded in Tajikistan...

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the 26-year-old eldest son of former football star David Beckham and former Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham, has gone public with a major rift with his parents, the BBC reported.

In a series of Instagram Stories, Brooklyn said he no longer plans to repair his relationship with his family, accusing them of emotional abuse, attempts to control him and attacks on him and his wife, Nicola Peltz, the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz, in the media.

He also said he had tried to keep family matters private but that ongoing...

According to Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the government must oppose the promotion of immoral behavior while also preventing the persecution of those with different beliefs. The president made it clear that every citizen has the right to choose, but no one is allowed to impose their opinions on others.

Speaking at the fifth session of the National Kurultai, the president outlined the government’s position on morality, traditional values and citizens’ rights.

«The state is obligated to protect traditional cultural values and counter the promotion of destructive — or, to put it bluntly, — immoral behavior patterns...

Astana Arena in Kazakhstan is set to host a mini-tournament featuring four national football teams — Kazakhstan, Namibia, Kuwait and Comoros — from March 26 to 31, according to the FIFA press service.

The International Football Association revealed the details of its new project. Forty-eight national teams from all six confederations will compete in friendly matches within the FIFA Series 2026 in the form of mini-tournaments, featuring semifinals and finals.

Kazakhstan will host the events, in which each team, including the hosts, will play two matches. The timetable is to be announced later.

FIFA Series...

Kazakhstan will introduce the position of vice president, who will be appointed by the president, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the fifth session of the National Kurultai, held in the southern city of Kyzylorda on Jan. 20.

Tokayev also announced that the country’s planned new unicameral parliament will be called the Kurultai, a term that translates as «gathering» or «assembly.»

New parliament

Under the proposed reforms, the unicameral parliament will consist of 145 deputies. Tokayev emphasized that the name Kurultai reflects historical tradition as well as contemporary political goals.

The current National Kurultai is not a...

According to the Committee for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the country is planning to develop the casino business in two areas: the Tepliy Plyazh area in the Mangystau region and the Akbulak international tourist center in the Almaty region. All casinos in these areas will be reserved exclusively for foreigners.

The casinos will be built with private investment, officials said.

Earlier this year, Sapar Rakhmensheyev, head of the Almaty Mental Health Center, said that online casinos pose the greatest threat to Kazakhstani gambling addicts due to their accessibility. However...

A mobile app with the provocative title «Are You Dead Yet?» surged to the top of Apple’s paid app rankings in China last week. The ranking success quickly gave way to online debate over the app’s blunt approach to a sensitive topic, according to China Media Project.

Designed for people living alone

Released in March 2025 by a startup based in Henan province, the app is priced at about $1.15 and serves a straightforward purpose: ensuring the safety of people who live by themselves.

Users are prompted to check in once a day with a single tap to...