News

The Korean martial art taekwondo could be added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a joint heritage of both North and South Korea, Yonhap reported.

According to media reports, North Korea applied to register taekwondo in 2024, while South Korea’s Cultural Heritage Committee has selected it as a candidate for joint or expanded UNESCO listing and plans to submit its application by March.

As of now, there is one joint listing by the Koreas: ssireum, a form of traditional Korean wrestling. North Korea has five listings, while South Korea has...

According to the Ministry of Health, the Almaty Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital has successfully carried out a complex multi-organ donation procedure.

The donation became possible after the family of a patient born in 1979, who had been diagnosed with brain death, gave consent for posthumous organ donation.

«The Republican Center for the Coordination of Transplantation and High-Tech Medical Services organized and coordinated all stages of the process. As a result, two kidneys, a heart, a liver and corneas were recovered,» the ministry said in a statement.

All the organs were promptly delivered to specialized medical...

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a new banking law along with amendments to several legislative acts governing financial market regulation, the presidential press office reported.

The changes aim to strengthen financial security, combat fraud, and reduce debt for Kazakh citizens.

Measures to combat fraud

The law adds safeguards to prevent loans issued in others’ names, aiming to reduce the use of forged documents, stolen phones, and unauthorized remote device access.

Key measures include:

Kazakhstani tennis player Alexander Shevchenko (World No. 97) started his run at the Australian Open 2026 with a victory. In a lengthy match in hot weather, Shevchenko defeated Sweden’s top-ranked player, Elias Ymer (175), with 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-1. 

At the Australian Open 2026 draw, which took place on Jan. 15, Shevchenko was assigned a qualifier — unknown at that time — who later became Sweden’s 29-year-old Ymer, who defeated one-by-one Australia’s Alex Bolt (171) with 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5); Denmark’s Elmer Møller (119) with 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; and Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong...

Arctic cold and blizzard conditions are forecast across much of Kazakhstan, while Russia’s Far East — particularly Kamchatka — is now buried under deep snow. Amid the heavy snowfall, people have begun jumping into snowdrifts directly from windows and rooftops. Videos of these scenes were shared by users on the social media platform Threads.

According to the Eastern calendar, this year is the Year of the Horse in Kazakhstan. Coincidentally, residents of Almaty recently spotted a herd of horses roaming freely through the city streets. A video of the unusual sight quickly appeared on social media.

The video’s author on Threads said she encountered the horses at the intersection of Chaliapin and Beregovoi streets. According to her, the unaccompanied animals crossed the road on their own and headed toward Sain Street, an area known for heavy traffic.

Iconic mobile game “Subway Surfers” is getting a sequel — “Subway Surfers City,” scheduled for release on Feb. 26 on iOS and Android.

Pre-registration is available now. The developer is studio SYBO. Unlike the original installment, in which characters traveled across different countries, the sequel takes place in a single location as a main hub — fictional Subway City.

Players will have four areas to explore — The Docks, Southline, Sunrise Blvd. and Delorean Park. Developers plan to expand the city and release seasons with new areas, characters, events and customization items.

The sequel also features...

In early January 2026, Citix MENA, a technology company from Kazakhstan, announced two strategic deals. First, the company agreed to join Turlov Private Holding, the investment vehicle of Timur Turlov, a well-known businessman in the country, and second, it signed a contract with the government of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Turlov deal details

The parties have already agreed on the main terms of Citix MENA’s merger with the holding and are now in the process of obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals.

By joining Turlov’s structure, the startup will gain access to long-term financing and...

Legendary composer Hans Zimmer, famous for numerous film soundtracks including «The Lion King (1994)» and «Dune (2021)» and Bleeding Fingers Music — the artist’s music company — are set to score music for the upcoming HBO «Harry Potter» series, Variety reported.

The soundtrack is expected to remain rooted in the musical tradition of «Harry Potter,» with the sound reimagined for the large-scale series. The premiere is scheduled for 2027, based on the books by J.K. Rowling, with each one getting a separate season. The viewers will see adaptations of «Sorcerer’s Stone,» «Chamber of Secrets,» «Prisoner of...

Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployed to Minneapolis have drawn criticism for using forceful crowd-control methods during protests following the fatal shooting of a woman by an agent last week, raising questions about whether they are adequately trained for public-order policing, the Associated Press reported.

Videos and eyewitness accounts document agents pointing rifles at demonstrators, using chemical irritants early in confrontations, breaking vehicle windows, removing people from cars, and pushing protesters to the ground. Some former U.S. officials interviewed by the Associated Press contend these tactics do not reduce violence but instead increase public anger

A 20-year-old man in Astana has been charged with fraud on Tinder.

Pretending to be a woman

The young man registered on Tinder under the woman’s name «Nurai» and shared a link to the profile on Telegram. There, he created a fake account using photos of another young woman and started communicating with a victim.

«Under the guise of ‘Nurai,’ the perpetrator asked for money under various pretexts in exchange for an in-person meeting. Unsuspicious of fraud, the victim transferred more than 4 million tenge (around $7,800) over less than three months,» the prosecutor’s office...

Social media users in Kazakhstan are actively discussing rumors about the alleged «bankruptcy» of the luxury boutique Saks Fifth Avenue in Almaty. Posts making the claim have gained traction on the Threads platform.

Bankruptcy filing linked to U.S. parent company

The bankruptcy filing, however, was made not by the Almaty boutique but by Saks Global, the U.S.-based parent company that owns the Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus brands. The filing was submitted to a Texas court under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

A Chapter 11 filing does not signal the closure...

India currently depends on overseas suppliers for roughly 90% to 95% of its semiconductor requirements. That reliance is now prompting a major domestic push, as the government moves forward with plans to establish what it hopes will be the country’s first large-scale semiconductor fabrication plant. The facility is planned for Dholera, a special economic zone in the western state of Gujarat, according to Nikkei Asia.

Major investments signal industry takeoff

Tata Electronics has pledged $10 billion to develop India’s inaugural chip fabrication plant. In parallel, CG Semi — a joint venture involving Japan’s Renesas Electronics and Thailand’s Stars...

On Jan. 16, the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea sentenced the country’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison over charges that include obstructing investigators’ attempt to detain him in 2025, Yonhap reported. The development marks the first verdict on charges against Yoon arising from his martial-law initiation in December 2024.

According to The Korea Herald, the prosecution initially sought a 10-year sentence, which included five years for obstructing an arrest, two years for revising the martial law decree post-implementation and three years for interfering with Cabinet...

Higgsfield AI, a startup from Kazakhstan, has raised new funding at a valuation of more than $1.3 billion, Reuters reported. The company develops AI-powered video generation tools and is among the fastest-scaling generative AI projects globally.

The company recently disclosed that it raised $130 million in a Series A funding round, with Accel, GFT Ventures and Menlo Ventures among the investors. The deal valued the startup at over $1.3 billion.

Higgsfield also said its annualized revenue run rate (ARR) has reached $200 million, a metric that reflects projected revenue if current growth continues.

According to co-founder Alexander...

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on Thursday, according to Reuters.

A White House representative said Trump plans to keep the medal. The president later posted on social media that Machado had given him the medal in recognition of his work, calling the gesture respectful and meaningful.

Machado said the gift reflected her appreciation for what she described as Trump’s support for the Venezuelan people. The Norwegian Nobel Institute, however, stated that while she gave him the physical medal, the Nobel...

The Spiritual Administration of Kazakhstan’s Muslims (SAKM), announced plans to launch a mobile application called Imam AI, which will be powered by artificial intelligence.

AI as response to modern challenges

SAKM said the introduction of AI into the religious sphere is intended to address modern challenges facing religious institutions. The technology is expected to enable faster and more systematic responses to questions from believers while reducing the workload on clerics and other religious officials.

Focus on verified religious guidance

According to the project’s concept, the app will provide answers to religious questions based on verified and...

KazMunayGas (KMG), Kazakhstan’s state-owned oil and gas company, rerouted 300,000 tons of oil in December 2025 amid restrictions on operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).

The company said the oil was redirected through the KazTransOil pipeline system for delivery to Germany, China, and via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) route, as well as through the Russian ports of Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga.

Drone attacks prompt further diversions

In January 2026, Kazakh oil shipments will also be rerouted due to disruptions following drone attacks on CPC infrastructure, the company said.

KMG noted that it is continuing to develop additional...

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Talgat Yeshenkulov said the ministry does not have accurate data on how many Kazakh students are studying at universities in Iran.

«There are no students studying there through academic mobility programs, and we do not keep records of those who are studying independently,» Yeshenkulov said.

Protests across Iran

Iran is experiencing its largest anti-government protests in recent years. Demonstrations initially erupted over economic hardship but have since expanded into broader calls for the overthrow of the ruling regime.

The situation has been further complicated...

On Jan. 15, BigHit Music, the label of the globally recognized K-pop group BTS, revealed the name of the upcoming album and announced pre-orders.

The fifth album has been titled «ARIRANG,» which is also the name of a Korean traditional folk song, with one of its central themes being parting and separation, as well as hope beneath sadness, and is included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

«The members were deeply involved throughout the songwriting and production process, infusing their own thoughts and identities while expressing the...

Honda has unexpectedly entered the recreational vehicle space — but in its own way. The Base Station is neither a massive camper van nor a motorhome. It’s a high-tech towable trailer that can even be hitched to a CR-V for a weekend getaway in the countryside.

The idea is simple: camping without hassle, unnecessary fuss or a large pickup truck for towing. The Honda Base Station is lightweight and designed to suit popular crossovers and electric vehicles.

The trailer is compact and neat on the outside, with an ergonomically arranged interior — a feature Honda is...

Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey has registered eight images of himself smiling, staring and talking with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

According to The Wall Street Journal, among the trademarks are short videos featuring McConaughey, pictures of his facial expressions and gestures, and the iconic phrase «Alright, alright, alright» from the movie «Dazed and Confused.» The actor’s lawyers said this was done to prevent his voice and pictures from being used to create deepfakes.

Given that there were no reports of McConaughey being a victim of AI abuse, the trademarks are largely a preventive measure amid the growing number...

On Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of State announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. The move was attributed to enhanced security and background screening requirements, a reassessment of eligibility criteria.

The suspension applies to immigrant visas, which grant permanent residence, and does not automatically extend to temporary or nonimmigrant visas.

Affected countries

Nurasyl Abdrazakuly, a Kazakh data scientist and a frequent collaborator on our infographics, has mapped the 75 countries where U.S. immigrant visa processing has been suspended.

The visualization highlights the broad geographic scope of the decision and the...

Kazakhstan’s second-ranked tennis player Alexander Shevchenko (World No. 104) was eliminated in the quarterfinal against France’s Ugo Humbert (36) at the ATP-250 Adelaide International 2026 tournament with 0-6, 3-6.

Before today, Jan. 15, Shevchenko trailed Humbert 0-2 in their head-to-head. However, every one of those matches was fiercely contested. For example, at the start of Wimbledon 2024, the two athletes played five sets: 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.

The match in Adelaide began poorly for Shevchenko. Humbert won nine consecutive games and the Kazakhstani struggled throughout. After losing the first set 0-6 and falling...