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Cryptocurrencies cannot be used to pay for goods and services in Kazakhstan, according to Madina Abylkassymova, head of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market, who spoke at a recent parliamentary hearing.

Her comments came as Kazakhstan’s Senate reviewed a new law on banks and banking activities that introduces formal regulation of digital financial assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Crypto allowed for investment, not spending

«For the first time in Kazakhstan, we will allow the creation of cryptocurrency exchange points, which will be regulated by the National Bank,» Abylkassymova said. «The use...

On Dec. 29, one of South Korea’s largest restaurant franchise groups, Genesis BBQ, which specializes primarily in fried chicken, announced it had signed a master franchise agreement with Kazakhstan-based Restopark KZ LLP, Yonhap reported, citing the company’s press release.

The development marks the company’s entry into the Central Asian market, with further plans to expand to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Under the agreement, the franchisee is authorized to open and operate outlets and to grant subfranchise rights to other parties.

The franchise is reportedly expected to cover Almaty and other major cities in...

Cristiano Ronaldo’s remark at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai — that if he avoids injury and continues playing, «Inshaallah,» he will score 1,000 career goals — sparked widespread discussion among fans.

Following the comment, some social media users began to speculate about whether Ronaldo had converted to Islam. However, neither the player nor his representatives have made any official statement regarding his religious beliefs.

Honored at Globe Soccer Awards

The Al-Nassr striker was named the Best Middle East Player at the Globe Soccer Awards, recognizing his impact since joining the Saudi Pro League club. While...

To celebrate the New Year — a major holiday in Kazakhstan — residents and local authorities usually decorate homes and public spaces with festive lights and evergreen trees. In Ust-Kamenogorsk, in eastern Kazakhstan, they went a step further by organizing a dog parade.

On Dec. 27, the Pet Dog New Year festival was held on the new Ulba embankment, according to YK-News.kz. More than 50 costumed dogs, accompanied by their owners, took part in the event.

The parade featured both purebred dogs and mixed breeds adopted from city shelters. Entire families attended, and some guests even traveled from other...

The husband and mother-in-law of former Kazakh judge Aigul Sailybayeva, who was found dead in Germany, have been detained in Moscow, according to her family and legal representatives.

The detentions were confirmed by lawyer Murat Adam and Sailybayeva’s brother, Kanat Sailybayev.

Detentions reported on Dec. 23

According to the sources, Alexander Dontsov, Sailybayeva’s husband, and Natalia Dontsova, her mother-in-law, were taken into custody on Dec. 23, 2025.

Authorities are now considering whether the two could be extradited to Kazakhstan. Legal experts note that the process could be lengthy due to diplomatic considerations and the fact that the...

A season’s greetings video by London’s Chelsea FC went viral on Instagram. Uploaded to the official social media page, it achieved millions of views and more than 200,000 likes within 24 hours.

In the video, footballers take turns congratulating fans, wishing them a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and warm celebrations among their loved ones. The formula of short personal addresses resonated with Chelsea enthusiasts all over the world.

Over the past four decades, deer numbers in the U.K. have increased sharply, creating growing challenges for farmers, drivers, landowners and conservationists. The situation worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic, when culling levels fell significantly, according to the BBC.

Although exact figures remain uncertain, estimates from the Forestry Commission and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) suggest Britain’s deer population may now be around two million — a steep rise from roughly 450,000 in the 1970s.

The expanding population has contributed to an increase in vehicle collisions, crop losses, woodland damage and pressure on natural ecosystems. Although...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has published an updated edition of its «worst of the worst» list of foreign residents arrested for serious crimes and immigration violations. Three nationals of Kazakhstan are included in the list.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Zhafar Dadayev was arrested in Brookwood, Alabama, and charged with assault and receiving stolen property.

Islomdin Iskandarov was arrested in Tampa, Florida, and charged with larceny.

Yury Korotkikh was arrested in Oregon City, Oregon, on a weapons-related offense.

ICE regularly releases the list to inform the public. It includes foreign nationals...

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.

Scope of the collection

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.

Inspections to begin in 2026

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.

Kazakhstani bank cards

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...