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Christopher Eppinger, a former intern at KazMunayGas — Kazakhstan’s national oil company — has reportedly made a profit of more than $250 million reselling Russian oil. Between 2022 and 2025, his company sold oil worth nearly $2 billion, according to the Financial Times.

Born in 1994 in a small town near Hamburg, Eppinger later studied business there. After his first year at university, he secured an internship at KazMunayGas in Astana. Following graduation, he joined the Hamburg-based energy firm SET Select Energy. In 2021, he moved to the UAE to work for a small trading house.

When Russia...

Gaumont has unveiled the first trailer for «The Wizard of the Kremlin,» a political drama centered on the rise to power of a young Vladimir Putin.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli, with a screenplay by Olivier Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère. It examines the intricate political maneuvering in post-Soviet Russia and Putin’s ascent to power.

Paul Dano stars as Vadim Baranov, a fictional character inspired by real-life Kremlin power broker Vladislav Surkov, a political strategist and adviser.

Jude Law portrays Putin, depicted in the film as a cold...

Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti (World No. 9) defeated Australian Alex de Minaur (7) and complicated the situation in the Jimmy Connors Group at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals.

Musetti has now beaten de Minaur in three of their four head-to-head meetings. The Australian could have improved the statistics, being the less fatigued player. De Minaur had a week’s rest before Turin, whereas Musetti had to fight for a spot in the tournament in Athens.

But in reality, it was Musetti who looked more energetic and played flawlessly in the crucial moments. In the first set...

FC Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal will miss the upcoming matches for Spain’s national team against Georgia (Nov. 15) and Turkey (Nov. 18). The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has released the player from the squad due to a medical procedure carried out without the national team’s approval.

«The Medical Services of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) wish to express their surprise and concern upon learning, at 13:47 on Monday, 10 November — the day the national team’s official training camp began — that Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure...

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie made a surprise trip to the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson — her second reported visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to Ukrainian and international media, though neither Jolie nor Ukrainian authorities have officially confirmed this visit.

Jolie, who previously served as a special envoy for the UN refugee agency, reportedly visited the maternity ward and children’s hospital in Kherson.

A photo shared by local official Vitaliy Bohdanov shows the actress wearing a bulletproof vest with Ukrainian symbols.

The Oscar-winning actress last visited Ukraine in 2022, when she met with...

The mystery figure known online as «Fedora Man» photographed near the Louvre after the recent crown jewel heist, has been identified as 15-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux from Rambouillet, west of Paris, according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press image, showing a sharply dressed teenager walking past police officers outside the museum, went viral as users speculated about his identity — some suggesting he was a detective or even an AI-generated image.

On the day of the heist, Pedro visited the Louvre with his mother and grandfather, unaware that a robbery had occurred. As the...

This spring, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government officially launched a four-day workweek program, an initiative that had been under discussion since last year. The decision comes amid a sharp decline in the city’s birth rate, which has fallen to a record low of 0.99 children per woman.

According to The Japan Times, the reform aims to address Japan’s demographic crisis and improve work-life balance. Under the program, parents will receive full pay while working shorter hours, along with a two-hour reduction in their daily schedules.

Previously, civil servants were allowed to take one additional day off per month. Under...

The video announcement for the video game Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) has broken the record for the most views among trailers on YouTube, surpassing the view count of the «Avengers: Infinity War» trailer.

The video was released in December 2023 on the Rockstar Games channel and, as of Nov. 11, has collected more than 268 million views — about 100,000 more than Marvel’s hit.

GTA 6 is currently in development for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. According to insiders, the game is almost ready, with developers now polishing it...

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has begun his state visit to Russia. As his aircraft entered Russian airspace, two Su-35 fighter jets of the Russian Air Force joined it to escort him to Moscow.

This is widely regarded as an honor for visiting heads of state, emphasizing the strategic partnership between Astana and Moscow.

Tokayev will remain in Moscow through Nov. 12.

Polish forward Robert Lewandowski could retire after this season if he is unable to reach an agreement with FC Barcelona to extend his contract, Sport.es reported.

Lewandowski’s current contract with the Catalan club is valid until summer 2026. The FC Barcelona management is not in a hurry to extend it. However, the forward believes he is capable of playing for the team for at least one more season. Lewandowski is even ready to become a substitute forward with reduced playing time.

Previous reports indicated that Saudi Arabian clubs were ready to offer favorable terms. However, the...

Over the past three months, residents of Kazakhstan purchased nearly half a ton of gold — 9,110 minted bars weighing a total of 409 kilograms — according to the National Bank. Ten-gram bars remain the most popular.

Almaty accounted for the largest share of purchases, with 5,874 bars, or 71% of total sales. Astana ranked second with 600 bars (7 %), followed by the Karaganda region with 460 bars (6%).

Small bars, weighing 5, 10, and 100 grams, were in the highest demand, accounting for nearly 70% of all purchases.

Notably, value-added tax is not levied on...

A 66-year-old woman in Atyrau’s Privokzalny neighborhood distributed religious leaflets warning of an impending apocalypse.

Ancient prophecies

According to the Halyqstan Telegram channel, the woman posted bright pink flyers on apartment doors. The flyers, printed in pre-reform Russian Cyrillic and resembling «ancient prophecies,» warned of an impending apocalypse and called for people to join God, regardless of their current faith.

One inscription read:

«The last recruitment of people to God from all satanic faiths and peoples.»

The pensioner told police she acted «on the call of her heart» and was not affiliated...

According to Madiyar Sultanbek, deputy chairman of Kazakh Invest, China will soon rise from fourth to third place in terms of the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Kazakhstan. He hasn’t ruled out that China may eventually become the largest foreign investor in the country.

«The People’s Republic of China is already among the top four largest investment partners [of Kazakhstan]. As statistics show, since 2005, we have attracted more than $30 billion from them, and this trend is only increasing. We think that the PRC will soon enter the top three or, perhaps, the...

The opening round of group-stage matches at the Nitto ATP Finals has concluded. Kazakhstani player Alexander Bublik is present at the tournament in Turin as the first alternate.

Bublik, currently world No. 11, will join the competition if any of the players withdraw from the tournament. The likelihood of this happening is not negligible, given the injuries and fatigue that often accumulate by the end of the season. For example, during the same women’s tournament — won by Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina — Russian player Ekaterina Alexandrova replaced Madison Keys from the U.S.

The U.S. Senate passed a short-term funding bill to end the country’s longest shutdown, the BBC reported.

The bill passed late Monday with a 60 to 40 vote. All Republicans, except for Senator Rand Paul, supported it, along with eight Democrats. The bill provides short-term funding for the government, allowing essential services to continue through Jan. 30 and giving full-year funding to the Department of Agriculture, military construction and legislative agencies. It also ensures federal employees will get back pay for missed work and allows the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to continue making...

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed creating a global organization to oversee and govern artificial intelligence (AI).

Xi made the announcement on Nov. 1 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea.

According to Xi, the proposed body — which he called the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization — could establish rules for AI governance, promote international cooperation, and help turn the technology into a public good for the global community.

Notably, Reuters reported that China made a similar proposal earlier this year, but the U.S. rejected the idea of international AI regulation.

Technological and energy...

A video has gone viral showing Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum being harassed by an unidentified man while walking in central Mexico City. The incident occurred on Nov. 4 as Sheinbaum was returning from an event at the Ministry of Public Education, located near the country’s main square, the Zócalo.

According to local media reports, the man, who appeared to be intoxicated, approached Sheinbaum, attempted to kiss her and hugged her from behind. The president initially smiled awkwardly before moving away. One of her security guards then stepped between them, though many observers noted that a quicker response could...

India’s fast-growing digital economy is fueling a rapid increase in data center construction, but this boom poses serious challenges: rising water consumption, soaring energy demand and threats to long-term sustainability, BBC reported.

Driven by global demand for AI and cloud computing, India has become a major growth market for data infrastructure. Analysts expect the country’s data center capacity to increase by more than 75% by 2027, as global and domestic companies invest heavily. For example, Google recently announced plans for a $15 billion AI data center in Andhra Pradesh.

However, this progress comes at...

Young Kazakhstani developers have created an app for learning languages and are looking forward to outranking Duolingo.

According to them, just a few days after its launch, their Aleem app reached the top three in the App Store, surpassing Quizlet, Kahoot, Photomath and Platonus.

The developers claim they built everything from scratch, without any investments, devoting «thousands of hours» of their personal time.

The app offers not only standard vocabulary and expression practice but also speaking and writing exercises, as well as personalized lessons.

Separately, in late August, Google announced new features...

China has introduced the K-visa, a new type of visa aimed at attracting top foreign professionals in science and technology, signaling Beijing’s determination to strengthen its leadership in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics, Euronews reported.

Officials announced the new visa last month, offering simpler application requirements than existing options such as the R-visa for skilled workers. Applicants will be able to apply without a confirmed job offer in place.

This change follows the U.S. tightening of immigration rules under President Donald Trump and the raising of H-1B visa fees, which have led some...

California-based 1X Technologies has opened preorders for its robot assistant, Neo. The company says Neo will help consumers achieve a chore-free future.

A humanoid robot

Developers claim that Neo can perform routine household tasks, such as folding laundry, placing items on shelves, and cleaning rooms. The robot can be controlled by voice commands or an app, which lets users create to-do lists.

Neo stands about 170 centimeters tall and weighs just under 30 kilograms. It can operate for up to four hours on a single charge. Powered by built-in Redwood AI, Neo recognizes its owners’ faces, follows conversations...

This Monday, President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the White House, marking the first official visit by a Syrian head of state to the U.S. since Syria gained independence from France in 1946, according to the Associated Press.

White House officials said the visit is part of Trump’s broader efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, as the two leaders are expected to discuss Syria’s role in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and possible future cooperation on security and reconstruction in the region.

The visit became possible after the United...

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reprimanded Minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Hitoshi Kikawada over comments he made about the Northern Territories (southern Kuril Islands), Yahoo Japan reported.

On Nov. 8, Kikawada visited Cape Nosappu in Nemuro, Hokkaido, where the Northern Territories are visible. When reporters asked for his impressions, the minister said,

«They are the very edge of Japan, or maybe it’s rude to say the edge, but they are in the east. The same goes for the south, but they are the closest to foreign countries, so I...

Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku stood out by scoring a goal against Liverpool in the Nov. 9 English Premier League match. On Nov. 15, the Belgian footballer will play for the national team against Kazakhstan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

English Premier League

Matchweek 11, Nov. 9

Manchester City vs. Liverpool: 3-0

Goals: Erling Haaland 29’, Nico González 45+3’, Jérémy Doku 63’

Norwegian forward Erling Haaland opened the scoring with a header. By the end of the first half, Spanish midfielder Nico González doubled Manchester City’s lead. In the...