News

Almaty appears to be finding new ways to make everyday life more engaging: visitors can now go to a café or restaurant not only for coffee or dinner, but also for an impromptu art experience. Without planning ahead, diners may simply sit down and find an original painting hanging nearby.

Artist Yevgeniy Fridlin, whose work is increasingly featured in the interiors of Almaty’s restaurants and cafés, said the concept is far from new. He notes that displaying art in dining spaces dates back to the era of Post-Impressionism.

From Zurich to a global trend

A major...

Gulaiym Rakhmonova, the former wife of renowned Kazakhstani UFC fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, gave a candid interview on the YouTube channel of host Ruslan Otepbai, detailing a family conflict, a property dispute and the reasons behind their divorce.

Read also: How Russian comedian dodged a sparring session with Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Rakhmonova said discussions about a prenuptial agreement began shortly after a family trip to Dubai in spring 2025, with the athlete initiating the idea. She said she initially reacted with irony but later agreed to sign the document.

Under the agreement, each...

Disney-owned 20th Century Studios is set to adapt «99 Nights in the Forest,» a popular Roblox game, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The project is currently in early development, with no director or writer on board. Developers Alec Kieft, Matthew Hufton and Cameron Angland will act as executive producers.

«99 Nights in the Forest» is a Roblox survival-action game where players must survive 99 nights in a haunted forest, rescue missing children, and defend against monsters in the darkness.

Less than a year after release, the game has become one of the...

Amazon Inc., an American multinational technology company, plans to expand its satellite communications business by acquiring the US-based satellite telecommunications company Globalstar, the BBC reported.

The $11.5 billion deal aims to strengthen the tech giant’s position in the growing market for space-based internet and mobile services. Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit satellite initiative, Project Leo, intends to deploy a next-generation network by 2028, and the acquisition supports its long-term growth strategy.

The move brings Amazon into closer competition with Starlink, launched by Elon Musk in 2019. Starlink currently has a significant lead, with more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and over...

American content creator Ramsey Khalid Ismael, known online as Johnny Somali, was sentenced to six months in prison by a South Korean court after being convicted of multiple offenses, including public-order violations and distributing sexually explicit deepfake videos, the BBC reported.

The case drew widespread attention after Ismael posted a video of himself desecrating the Statue of Peace, a memorial commemorating victims of Japan’s wartime «comfort women» system — women and girls subjected to sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II — in October 2024.

Ismael faced charges filed in November...

In the first quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan’s National Fund, a sovereign wealth fund financed by oil revenues, received 784 billion tenge (about $1.6 billion) from oil companies — an increase of 162 billion tenge compared with the previous year. However, the additional revenue did not offset the 800 billion tenge withdrawn from the fund.

Limited impact of high oil prices

During a recent briefing following a government meeting, journalists asked about the impact of high oil prices on the lives of Kazakhstanis.

The Ministry of Finance said the primary beneficiary of rising oil prices was the National Fund...

Kanye West, also known as Ye, has postponed his planned concert in Marseille, France, «until further notice.» The decision followed statements by French authorities that the artist was not welcome, The Washington Post reported.

West, who has faced widespread criticism in recent years for antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi remarks, said he chose to delay the show himself. He stated that he wants time to demonstrate his commitment to making amends and that he does not want his fans caught up in the controversy.

Earlier this month, Ye was also banned from appearing at the Wireless Festival...

Following controversy over South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s post on X referencing an alleged 2024 video from the West Bank and comparing Israeli military actions to the Holocaust and comfort women abuse under Japan’s colonial rule, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the dispute has been resolved and that a senior Israeli official accepted Seoul’s explanation of the comments, Reuters reported.

Context

The dispute between South Korea and Israel was triggered by Lee’s April 10 post on X, sharing a video of Israeli soldiers pushing a body off a...

A 32-year-old man from Wenzhou, China, sought medical attention for common abdominal pain. However, what doctors discovered during the examination shocked them. Inside the patient’s stomach, they found a mercury thermometer. Even more surprising, the man had lived with the object for decades.

It turned out he had swallowed the thermometer at age 12. At the time, he was frightened and did not tell anyone. Since he experienced no symptoms, the incident was forgotten for many years.

Doctors were concerned about his condition. The sharp tip of the thermometer had been pressing against the intestinal wall for years and...

Iranian businessman Gholam-Ali Soleimani has applied for financing from the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) to support construction of a dairy processing plant in Qonaev, in southeastern Kazakhstan.

Read also: Elite only: who benefits from Kazakhstan’s Development Bank?

A project to build a dairy plant in Qonaev producing cultured milk cheese, ultrafiltered cheese, cream cheese and Turkish labneh (a creamy yogurt cheese) is under review by DBK.

The application is currently at the second stage of review, which involves document collection and indicative analysis to determine preliminary financing terms.

Ownership structure...

Alex Beard, head of the UK’s Royal Ballet and Opera, has credited actor Timothée Chalamet with unexpectedly driving audience engagement and ticket sales after his comments about the relevance of opera and ballet sparked widespread debate, The Guardian reported.

During promotional interviews in March for his film «Marty Supreme,» Chalamet said he was glad to work in cinema rather than opera or ballet, art forms that, in his words, struggle to maintain public interest. He later clarified that he respects those working in opera and ballet, though he was criticized anyway.

However, the controversial comment has had an unexpected...

On April 14, Paris resident Ari Hodara, 58, won the 1941 painting «Tête de Femme» («Head of a Woman») by Pablo Picasso, valued at approximately €1 million, after purchasing a €100 ticket in the «1 Picasso for 100 euros» charity raffle, the BBC reported.

The draw for the event’s third edition took place in Christie’s main auction room in Paris. Hodara was informed of his victory via video call. At first, he was unsure whether the news was legitimate. He said he had bought a ticket after learning about the competition by chance.

This year’s edition...

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market, together with the National Bank, has approved new rules on biometric authentication. The regulation mandates verification through the Identification Data Exchange Center (IDEC) for banks, microfinance institutions and payment organizations.

In addition to facial recognition, the rules allow the use of palmprint identification. Verified client images with a high match score will be automatically added to the National Biometric Authentication System (NBAS).

Implementation timeline and scope

The new regulation takes effect July 12, 2026. It applies to all financial and payment institutions and significantly expands requirements...

Kyrgyzstan’s financial sector is expanding rapidly, fueled by 11% year-over-year GDP growth. Last year, banking sector assets increased by 50%, while stock exchange trading volume doubled.

Banking sector dominates the system

The banking sector remains the backbone of the country’s financial system. By the end of 2025, total banking assets had risen 48.5% to 1.2 trillion soms (about $13.7 billion). The sector’s share of GDP reached 61.3%.

Out of the 22 active banks, three institutions drove the main market trends. Over the past year, they strengthened their positions further: the combined share of two state-owned banks...

Work in Kazakhstan is becoming not only a place for career advancement but also a space for personal development. Ahead of Kozy Korpesh–Bayan Sulu Day — the Kazakh Valentine’s Day celebrated on April 15 — the recruitment platform hh.kz surveyed more than 1,700 people to find out how often workplace relationships turn into something more.

Read also: China’s new dating culture uses ‘internal referrals’ to find love.

The survey found that:

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov made a strong statement during a meeting with residents of the Alay district. According to Kyrgyz media reports, the head of state plans to eliminate all Russian-language village names by 2027.

«We suggest renaming villages that were named in Russian. We will complete this work across entire republic in the next year,» he said.

Japarov explained that people’s names would not be used to replace Russian-language names in order to avoid internal disputes and that the authorities would instead focus on other options.

The situation took an...

Shareholders of Kazakhstan’s state-owned uranium giant, Kazatomprom, have approved a transaction with India’s Department of Atomic Energy, according to the company’s disclosed corporate filings.

Long-term supply agreement

The documents indicate that the deal is a long-term contract for the purchase and sale of natural uranium concentrates. Under the agreement, Kazatomprom will act as the seller, while India’s Department of Atomic Energy will be the buyer.

Limited disclosure on terms

Key terms of the agreement, including pricing and duration, have not been disclosed. However, the company noted that the transaction involves assets valued at more than 50% of Kazatomprom’s...

Swiss national ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer has publicly admitted that he used a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate to enter China during the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to The Associated Press.

In an official statement, Fischer described his actions as a «serious mistake,» acknowledging that he traveled to Beijing with the Swiss men’s team using invalid documents to bypass pandemic-related entry requirements. He explained that he did not want to receive the vaccine and therefore chose the shortcut of using a forged certificate.

Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) reported that Fischer was confronted with evidence showing he had...

Hungary’s OTP Bank sees Central Asia as one of its priority regions for business expansion and mergers and acquisitions, according to the group’s full-year 2025 results.

The report highlights that the bank is prioritizing organic growth while continuing to pursue value-creating deals both across its current footprint and beyond.

«Management continues to look for potential value-creating M&A opportunities both within and beyond the existing geographical footprint. Central Asia is one particular region the Management is focusing on given its high growth potential,» the report said.

The group’s interest in the region...

Meta Platforms is developing an AI version of Mark Zuckerberg capable of replicating his speech, behavior and communication style. This digital clone would be able to answer employee questions and give instructions as if Zuckerberg himself were doing so.

The goal of the project is straightforward: to save the CEO’s time. Once ready, the AI version is expected to be available around the clock and handle some of Zuckerberg’s tasks without his direct involvement.

The system is being trained on Zuckerberg’s tone and past statements to reflect his current strategy and thinking. Ideally, it would also replicate facial expressions...

Kazakhstan’s oil exports fell to 15.3 million tons in January to March, down 21.5% year-on-year, according to Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.

«Over the reporting period, oil and gas condensate production volume made 19.7 million tons, equal to 80.2% of the same period last year… Oil exports over three months totaled 15.3 million tons, equal to 78.5% of the same period in 2025. The forecast for 2026 is 76 million tons,» he said during the government session.

Akkenzhenov highlighted that commissioning of a sixth gas injection compressor at the Karachaganak field is underway. It is expected...

Kazakh consumers often cannot obtain compensation from major international companies — even in cases involving proven defects. While courts in other countries have forced corporations to pay billions in damages, consumers in Kazakhstan are frequently left without recourse. Lawmakers are now looking to change that.

Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament recently discussed introducing a class action lawsuit mechanism.

Officials cite global precedents

Rustam Akhmetov, first deputy chairman of the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition, pointed to international examples. Apple has paid compensation to U.S. consumers — including about $25 per claimant — over defective...

Today began with alarming news for BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer. A fire broke out in the Pingshan district of Shenzhen, where the company’s headquarters and manufacturing cluster are located. Thick black smoke rising from the facility alarmed investors and revived concerns about lithium battery safety on social media, Reuters reported.

What happened

The fire was first reported overnight and engulfed a large garage within an industrial park. By morning, it had been completely extinguished.

BYD moved quickly to reassure the public, stating that the fire occurred in a parking garage used for «test and...

A large nationwide study conducted in Denmark has found no evidence that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in children, Reuters reported.

The research analyzed data from more than 1.5 million children born between 1997 and 2022. Among them, 31,098 were exposed to Tylenol in the womb. Autism was later diagnosed in 1.8% of those exposed, compared with 3% of children who were not exposed to the drug.

According to the researchers, the results remained consistent even after adjusting for various factors, including the amount of medication taken and the stage of pregnancy during...