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Georgia’s banking system expanded in 2025 with the addition of two new players from the microfinance sector. The total assets of the country’s second-tier banks exceeded 100% of GDP by the end of the year, while net profit reached a record 3.3 billion lari (about $1.2 billion).

As Georgia’s largest lenders — TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia — continue expanding into the markets of Armenia and Uzbekistan, smaller domestic digital and microbanks are still struggling to gain significant market share.

The banking sector remains the dominant segment of Georgia’s financial system, accounting for 89.9% of total financial-sector...

The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its forecast for Kazakhstan’s economy in 2026. According to the IMF’s latest review, Kazakhstan’s nominal gross domestic product is expected to reach approximately $360 billion, which would rank the country 49th among the world’s largest economies.

Read also: Kazakhstan’s richest people and their assets visualized.

By comparison, the IMF’s October 2025 forecast projected Kazakhstan’s GDP at $320 billion, placing the country 50th globally.

Kazakhstan projected to surpass several European economies

According to the updated estimates, Kazakhstan’s economy is now projected to be larger than...

Drivers in eastern France faced an unexpected threat, leaving even the most modern ADAS systems ineffective. Law enforcement authorities in Saône-et-Loire have raised the alarm and warned of «intoxicated» deer prone to running onto the road.

In early May, authorities posted videos of deer behaving strangely. In this state, deer can run onto the road and literally freeze. They are not afraid of emergency lights or signals, ignoring engine sounds and «falling asleep,» prompting patrol officers to carry the antlered troublemakers to the roadside.

«Ladies and gentlemen… not all road users are...

French football star Kylian Mbappé is featured on the new cover of Vanity Fair. In an extensive interview, the Real Madrid forward discussed pressure, criticism, politics and expectations ahead of the next FIFA World Cup.

Read also: A class act in Almaty: Mbappé’s heartwarming meeting with young wheelchair-bound fan.

In the magazine’s photo shoot, Mbappé appears in looks from...

An unusual dessert combination is gaining popularity on social media and quickly becoming a viral favorite: ice cream topped with olive oil.

While the pairing may sound surprising, it has long been enjoyed in southern France, particularly in the sunny region of Provence.

Olive oil gives traditional ice cream a silky texture while adding new layers of flavor. Instead of the usual chocolate or caramel toppings, the dessert offers subtle...

Kazakhstan’s gross international reserves reached $67.78 billion, up 3.62% since the beginning of 2026, according to preliminary data from the National Bank as of May 1.

Monetary gold emerged as the main driver again. Its volume over the first months of 2026 increased by 11.55% to $52.69 billion.

At the same time, assets in convertible foreign currency fell nearly 17% to $15.08 billion.

Despite the decline in the foreign currency portion of reserves, Kazakhstan’s net international reserves still posted growth. From January to April, the figure rose 4.18% to $65.77 billion.

Kazakhstan’s National Fund also recorded...

Georgia’s GDP grew by 7.5% in 2025, reaching 105 billion lari ($38.1 billion). The role of migrant inflows and foreign capital in driving economic growth has gradually diminished, while more advanced sectors — including information technology, finance and logistics — are emerging as key contributors to the country’s long-term economic potential.

Post-relocation boom begins to normalize

For several years, Georgia experienced unusually rapid economic growth fueled by external factors. In 2022 and 2023, the economy was significantly affected by relocation flows following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to research by The Bell, about 112,000 people...

Kazakhstani company Alatau Advance Air Group is going to test its first air taxi, based on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology, at the end of May.

Alatau: A special environment for the development of Urban Air Mobility

On May 8, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law granting special status to the city of Alatau. According to the company, this is why Alatau is particularly attractive for developing Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Unlike other cities, it does not require changes to existing urban infrastructure.

A master plan for Alatau, which is being designed from scratch, could include:

During Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan‘s state visit to Astana, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warmly welcomed the Turkish leader and thanked him for accepting the invitation. He emphasized that Erdogan’s visit is of exceptional significance for Kazakhstan and described it as a historic event.

Erdogan said the Turkish delegation was impressed by Kazakh Air Force jets escorting the presidential plane as it entered the country’s airspace.

«Your Excellency, Mr. President, my dear brother, I am very pleased to see you in the capital of Kazakhstan. Your current visit will give a powerful boost to cooperation between...

The chairman of the Respublica political party, Aidarbek Khojanazarov, on the sidelines of the Mazhilis, shared details about the upcoming filming of Jackie Chan’s «Armour of God,» which will take place in Kazakhstan. He said the film will cost $50 million.

Part of the budget, Khojanazarov said, will go toward salaries for the Kazakhstani film crew, venue rentals, local actors, accommodation and transportation.

«That is, money will come [into Kazakhstan’s economy] from external investors investing in Jackie Chan,» he clarified.

Khojanazarov also added that Chan plans to shoot two more films...

Kazakh blogger Medet Zhanatuly traveled to China’s Shaolin Temple and spent nearly a month there, studying kung fu and meditation. He posted videos of his training sessions with the monks on Instagram.

The videos garnered millions of views, with followers comparing the blogger to characters from Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies.

In his posts, Zhanatuly showed grueling training sessions with sticks, punching bags and sparring on the monastery grounds. In one video, he admitted that he intentionally leaves his comfort zone to rediscover himself and regain his inner peace.

Judging by the footage, the blogger trained...

For the first time in its history, the FIFA World Cup final will feature a halftime show. The upcoming 2026 World Cup final will include performances by prominent pop singers Madonna and Shakira, and the globally recognized K-pop group BTS, FIFA and an international education and advocacy organization, Global Citizen, announced.

The initiative also aims...

Federal authorities have arrested a tourist accused of hurling a large rock at an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, an incident that sparked outrage after it was captured on video, The Associated Press reported.

Officials said agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took 38-year-old Igor Lytvynchuk into custody near Seattle. He is expected to appear in a local district court on Thursday and is accused of harassing a protected animal. If convicted, Lytvynchuk could face up to one year in prison for each charge, along with fines of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and...

South Korea’s semiconductor giants are riding a powerful wave of demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI), pushing SK Hynix, a South Korean manufacturer of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips and flash memory, close to a historic valuation milestone of $1 trillion, Reuters reported.

Investor enthusiasm has been fueled by surging demand for both traditional memory chips and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which are essential for AI servers. SK Hynix shares have climbed more than 200% this year, following an even steeper 274% gain in 2025.

If SK Hynix crosses the trillion-dollar threshold, South Korea would become the first country...

Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, will host a top-tier international Counter-Strike 2 tournament, PGL Astana 2026, from May 15 to 17. This will mark the second time Kazakhstan has hosted one of the world’s largest esports events, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported.

PGL Esports SRL is a tournament organizer; the total prize pool is $1.6 million.

World’s top teams in Astana

PGL Astana 2026 will feature 16 teams, including Team Spirit, G2 Esports, FURIA Esports, and Heroic.

Furthermore, renowned figures from the global esports scene are expected to attend the event, including CS:GO world champion...

SpaceX subsidiary Starlink, which already provides internet access in Kazakhstan through low-Earth-orbit satellites, will be required to register in the country and purchase internet traffic from local operators, according to Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and minister of AI and digital development.

«Satellite internet service is supplementary to internet provided via fiber-optic networks. The provision of satellite services by foreign operators must comply with the new standards we are introducing into law,» he said during a meeting in the parliament, where lawmakers considered in the first reading amendments related to the development of...

Kazakh inventor Galimzhan Gabdreshov has developed an echolocation device that allows people who are completely blind to navigate independently, ride bicycles and even shoot at targets. Despite successful trials and international recognition, the social-impact project has not received government support. Gabdreshov shared details about the situation on Threads.

A personal crisis inspired the invention

The idea for creating an alternative form of vision came to the 52-year-old Arkalyk native after a serious medical emergency. In 2019, Gabdreshov suffered a steam burn to his eyes that caused retinal detachment. Doctors warned that without laser surgery within five days...

Hollywood movies featuring giant robots piloted by humans are gradually becoming reality. Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics has unveiled an unusual transforming robot called the GD01 that can carry a human operator. The company posted a presentation video on its official YouTube channel and says the project is ready for mass production.

A transforming robot with a human pilot

The GD01 resembles a massive humanoid robot that stands more than twice the height of an average person. With a pilot inside, the machine weighs about half a ton. During the presentation, Wang Xingxing, founder and...

A new era of «ghost parenting» is emerging as children are increasingly being conceived years after the deaths of one or both biological parents. Advances in reproductive technology are transforming what was once considered rare or culturally specific into a growing reality in Western societies, raising difficult legal, ethical and social questions.

In her recent article on posthumous reproduction, Sandra Carol Bamford examines how medical advances allowing the retrieval and preservation of genetic material after death are reshaping concepts of family, inheritance and legal parenthood.

Legal systems struggle to keep pace

Bamford argues that legal systems around...

Chinese East Hope Group — one of the world’s largest aluminum producers — could invest $12.6 billion in bauxite mining and aluminum production in Kazakhstan, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction.

«Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev held talks with East Hope Group Director for Strategic Investments Chen Lei…The company is conducting geological exploration at several blocks in the Aktobe and Kostanay regions. Total investment is estimated at $12.6 billion,» the statement read.

At the meeting, the parties discussed the implementation of the investment project to establish a full-cycle aluminum production chain...

A preventive road risk management concept has been unveiled in Almaty by the Sergek Group. The company is testing a new AI-powered platform that identifies dangerous drivers before accidents occur.

Neural networks and driver behavior

According to Sergek Group Chief Product Officer Nigmet Abdrakhmanov, the existing video recording model primarily addresses the consequences of violations. The company’s new AI platform uses city cameras as a unified sensor network to improve road safety.

Algorithms automatically generate driver behavior profiles: consistent speeding and dangerous lane changes immediately trigger alerts. On suburban highways, the system analyzes driving patterns and can recognize...

Metallica’s performance in Athens was so powerful that it was detected by seismographs in Greece.

The iconic band opened the European leg of its M72 World Tour with a concert at OAKA Stadium, which drew over 90,000 people. Given that Metallica hadn’t performed in Greece for almost 16 years, it was a big deal for fans.

When the band started performing one of its early songs, «Creeping Death,» specialists at the Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens recorded so-called «concert earthquakes.» These are microvibrations that occur when tens of thousands of people simultaneously jump, move, and...

Users on social media have once again remembered «The Simpsons» following the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Several users noted that a 2012 episode featured a similar plot. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a closer look at that installment of the series.

Season 23, Episode 19, is the installment in question. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie go on a cruise when their vacation abruptly takes a turn following an announcement of the Pandora virus outbreak, triggering panic among passengers.

The scenario surprisingly resembles the actual hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The...

The proposed «Golden Dome» missile defense system, introduced by President Donald Trump, is expected to cost about $1.2 trillion over two decades, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. This is significantly higher than earlier projections of $175 billion, the BBC reported.

The system is designed to protect the U.S. from ballistic and cruise missile threats using advanced technologies across land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors. However, the CBO warns that the program faces major technical and strategic challenges.

Moreover, the system may not provide complete protection. Analysts note it could be vulnerable...