Internet users have found new favorites in Uralsk, a city in western Kazakhstan, where a group of stray animals has become an unexpected local sensation.
Unlikely friendship spotted near shopping center
Users on the social media platform Threads drew attention to an unusual pair — a young cat and a dog — frequently seen near the Shkolnik shopping center. According to the original post, the two animals are almost always together and rarely leave each other’s side.
Japan has approved its largest-ever defense budget, allocating more than ¥9 trillion ($58 billion) for the next fiscal year. The figure represents a 9.4% increase from the current period and marks the fourth year of Japan’s five-year plan to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP, according to The Guardian.
The new budget prioritizes counterstrike capabilities and coastal defenses, with investments in surface-to-ship missiles and unmanned systems. As part of the plan, Japan will spend about ¥100 billion to deploy air, surface and underwater drones for surveillance and coastal protection. Authorities say the program, known as «Shield,» is expected...
A Lufthansa-operated flight made an emergency landing at Almaty International Airport after a passenger fell ill, Qazinform reported, citing the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan.
LH 0722, en route from Munich to Beijing, made an emergency landing after the passenger lost consciousness during the flight.
The airport’s medical service and the city’s ambulance crew promptly responded, but it was determined that the man had died while in the air.
The plane was refueled in Almaty and departed for Beijing at 7:56 a.m. local time.
The police press service stated that a criminal case has been opened. The...
A newly released episode from the second volume of «Stranger Things» Season 5 includes a tense, emotional sequence centered on fan-favorite characters Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, Daily Mail reported. Facing what appears to be a life-or-death situation, the pair share a brutally honest exchange that quickly sparked speculation online about a possible engagement.
That assumption was later addressed by the show’s creators, who said the moment was never meant to signal an engagement but rather to reveal the couple’s unresolved tensions.
Confessions and un-proposal
During the scene, Nancy admits she dislikes the band The Clash. Jonathan counters...
South Korean actress Kim Ji‑eun has been spotted in Almaty and has already been sharing her impressions on social media. On Instagram, she posted a set of photos taken in the winter mountains, presumably at Shymbulak Resort.
The post went viral among Kazakhstani users, who are actively welcoming Kim and sharing positive reactions to her arrival in Kazakhstan.
The K-drama actress is best known for her role...
A group calling itself Anna’s Archive claims it has copied a large portion of Spotify’s music catalog and compiled what it describes as the largest open music database, totaling about 86 million songs.
The group says the archive contains nearly 300 terabytes of data.
According to the group, the archive includes music from more than 15 million artists and about 58 million albums. Members say they plan to release the tracks gradually for public access, beginning with the most popular titles.
Anna’s Archive estimates that the 86 million tracks account for about...
As people around the world enjoyed their Christmas trees decorated with lights and garlands, the universe appears to be joining in the festive spirit.
Scientists at NASA have released a stunning image of the star cluster NGC 2264, nicknamed the «Christmas Tree» because of its striking shape and glowing lights.
The image shows a scattering of young stars shining like garlands, while the surrounding clouds of gas and dust resemble soft, fluffy branches. The result looks like a giant Christmas tree carefully decorated deep within the Milky Way.
These young stars are true «cosmic teenagers» — energetic, unpredictable and...
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva announced that a new Tax Code will authorize inspections of organizations that receive foreign funding.
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, tax authorities will be permitted to conduct inspections of organizations receiving international funding. The inspections are intended to verify how funds are spent and whether recipients are properly paying taxes to the state budget, Balayeva said.
According to the minister, the measure is aimed at increasing transparency in the activities of non-governmental organizations and individuals that receive funding from foreign...
The commission investigating the AZAL air accident near Aktau, Kazakhstan, has released an interim statement on its investigation into the crash on the one-year mark, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport press service reported.
The statement pertains to the accident involving an AZAL-operated Embraer 190 aircraft (registration 4K-AZ65) that occurred on Dec. 25, 2024. It has been prepared in accordance with Standard 6.6 of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The interim statement is available on the ministry’s website.
«We inform you that...
Actress Zendaya was spotted on a rare family outing with her fiancé, Tom Holland, and his relatives, prompting online speculation about a possible pregnancy.
On Dec. 22, Zendaya spent the evening in London with Holland’s parents and his brothers, Harry and Paddy. The group visited «The Traitors: Live Experience» live game. Photos from the outing quickly circulated on social media, with fans commenting on the warm reception the Holland family appeared to give their future daughter-in-law.
Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace, Dmitriy Mun, explained why there is still no dedicated PlayStation Network region for Kazakhstan and why no official Sony services are available in the country.
According to him, the number of users in Kazakhstan is insufficient for the company to establish a dedicated PlayStation Network region and officially connect its services. Mun said he had asked Sony about the required number of players for this to happen.
Despite the absence of a dedicated PlayStation Network region and the lack of official Sony services, payments with bank cards...
Kazakhstan’s first domestically developed cancer drug will not be ready by the end of 2025, despite earlier assurances from government officials.
Set deadline
In March, Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek said the country would complete development and registration of the drug by year’s end. At the time, he said the medication had successfully passed the first phase of clinical trials and was being tested on multiple types of cancer.
According to Nurbek, tumors in patients had shrunk by an average of 30%, some patients had gone into remission, and officials were planning a separate press conference...
According to Deputy Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Dmitriy Mun, Kazakhstan is planning to introduce self-driving cars next year. At the same time, the ministry is assessing which legislation needs to be amended and what infrastructure must be developed.
«We have already conducted pilot tests to see how self-driving cars perform in winter conditions, without special road markings and under varying temperatures. In Astana and Almaty, traffic lights are equipped with chips that warn vehicles when signals change. A significant part of the infrastructure is already in place. However, there is still room for...
Movies and TV series deemed to contain «LGBT propaganda» could be banned in Kazakhstan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Yevgeniy Kochetov said recently on the sidelines of parliament.
Which popular projects could be affected?
According to Kochetov, content featuring members of the LGBT community will be labeled «18+,» restricting it to viewers older than 18. He said the mere appearance of LGBT symbols would not, by itself, qualify as «propaganda.»
«If, based on an assessment, it is determined that the material contains principles of propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations, then by court decision...
During the Christmas and New Year holidays, many people want to make something tasty and new for friends and family. The internet is a popular place to look for recipes, with thousands of food websites showing off beautiful photos of various delicious dishes.
Much of this information, however, is AI-generated and often fake, according to CNN.
It’s not uncommon for many food websites to look like real blogs while their recipes fail, suggesting that no one tested them beforehand.
Food bloggers warn that AI-generated sites mix and repost recipes from around the internet. These recipes may look good, but...
American rapper Sean Combs, known as Diddy (also referred to as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy), has filed a new appeal and is attempting to win release from prison before the end of this year, Page Six reported, citing legal documents.
The rapper’s attorneys requested remission of the sentence or its significant reduction in the appeal submitted on Dec. 23. In October, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced 56-year-old Combs to four years and two months in prison.
Combs claims that the court committed serious violations when delivering the decision. The rapper was acquitted on racketeering and human...
The Portuguese company Mota-Engil, whose main shareholders include China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC), is in talks to buy the Brazilian mining company Bamin, which is owned by Kazakhstan’s Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), sources told the Brazilian outlet Valor International.
Bamin’s Brazilian concession
Bamin holds a concession for a section of Brazil’s West-East Integration Railway in the northeastern state of Bahia, as well as a mining asset in the same state, and has plans to build a port in the city of Ilhéus.
In April 2021, Bamin won the contract to build the first section of the Fiol...
The Dallas Cowboys, an American football team, have been ranked as the 2025 most valuable sports team by Forbes. The football clubs hitting the list include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool.
The total value of the 50 teams on the list is estimated at $353 billion, with the Dallas Cowboys once again topping the list at $13 billion. The NFL team has been leading the ranking since 2016.
The domination of NFL teams on the list is evident — 30 out of the 32 league teams are included. While NFL franchises surged 25% in...
Chinese technology company Baidu is partnering with Uber to bring autonomous taxis to the U.K. According to Pandaily, Baidu’s self-driving platform Radish Run is preparing to launch operations in London as early as 2026. The move would mark the service’s first deployment in left-hand traffic conditions outside of Hong Kong.
Uber and Radish Run partnership
The two companies plan to introduce a full-scale robotaxi service, with autonomous vehicles accessible through a global mobile app. The rollout will begin with testing, followed by a gradual expansion of autonomous driving operations on London streets. For Uber, the partnership represents another step...
Google is rolling out a new feature that lets users change their @gmail.com email addresses. Until now, most Gmail users could not do this, 9to5Google reported.
The change was first noticed on a Google support page available only in Hindi, indicating that rollout and early access to the feature began in India before expanding to other regions.
According to the updated Google support page, users will soon be able to replace their existing Gmail address with a new one that also ends in @gmail.com. When a change is made, the original Gmail address will remain active as an alias...
“Power,” as Henry Kissinger famously quipped, “is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” However, for a select group of global leaders, it isn’t just their policy platforms that are turning heads — it’s their undeniable charisma and “camera-ready” looks. From viral surfing photos to “rockstar” press tours, these individuals have redefined what it means to be a modern political figure.
Pedro Sánchez (Spain)
Famously dubbed “El Guapo” («The Handsome One») by the German daily Der Spiegel, the Spanish prime minister has a reputation for setting social media aflame.
Standing at 6’3″, the former basketball player became an overnight sensation...
The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan appeared in Qonaev, capital of the Almaty region, for the first time, according to the Almaty region governor’s office press service.
On Dec. 24, the decorated Coca-Cola truck passed along Almaty, Seifullin, Zhambyl and Qonaev streets, then parked by the main Christmas tree at the city’s Central Square. The caravan’s arrival was accompanied by a festive atmosphere and drew the attention of residents and visitors.
The event featured an entertainment program with interactive games and concerts. The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan is one of the company’s annual traditions, symbolizing...
President of Turkish sports club Fenerbahçe Sadettin Saran, 61, responded to a positive drug test by stating that he has never used the substance alleged to have tested positive.
“I have never used the substance that is claimed to have tested positive, and I have not even seen it at close range in my life,” Türkiye Today cited Saran’s statement.
He described the allegations as a coordinated smear campaign intended to harm his reputation and the organizations he represents. He stated he is ready to provide new samples right away, and...
Volunteers on Ogmore By Sea Beach in Wales stumbled upon hundreds of old leather boots while clearing rock pools along the shore. Experts say the studded-soled shoes date back to the 19th century, the BBC reported.
According to Emma Lamport from the Beach Academy, who took part in the beach walk, locals associate the find with an Italian ship that sank about 150 years ago in nearby waters while carrying a cargo of leather goods. One theory suggests that the boots may have been washed into the Ogmore River and then ended up on the shore.
So far, volunteers...