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The famous Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival 2026, an annual ice fishing event held in Hwacheon County, a mountainous region about 90 kilometers from Seoul, South Korea, is welcoming visitors on Jan. 10, Yonhap reported.

The fishing event is centered on the sancheoneo, a Korea-native salmonid fish species caught on the frozen Hwacheoncheon Stream. The event allows visitors to try angling through holes cut in the ice, using lures or even bare hands. The caught fish can then be cooked within the festival area and prepared as sashimi, grilled fish or steamed fish.

Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik (World No. 11), rushing to the top 10, secured his second victory in 2026. In the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open 2026, Kazakhstan’s top-ranked player defeated  Shang Juncheng (No. 406) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2).

The first set lasted 28 minutes, 17 of which Bublik spent on the first five games. Trailing 0-5, Shang was at risk of a bagel set.

The sixth game lasted longer than all the previous ones combined. In the deuce exchanges alone, the players played 13 points. No bagel set for the Kazakhstani...

President Donald Trump’s renewed push for U.S. control over Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is gradually reshaping relations between the two allies.

Trump has argued that the U.S. needs Greenland for national and global security, despite Washington already having broad military access to the island under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark. The U.S. also operates Pituffik Space Base there, the Pentagon’s northernmost installation.

Despite Denmark’s objections to increasingly vocal U.S. statements suggesting a takeover of Greenland by any means, and expressions of solidarity from most European nations, pressure from Washington...

A socio-economic study examining the establishment of gambling areas restricted to foreign tourists was conducted in Kazakhstan. The press service of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports revealed the study’s results.

According to the ministry, citizens of Kazakhstan will not be allowed to enter these designated areas. The boundaries of the gambling zones for foreign tourists will be designated by the regional authorities where they are located.

The surveys indicate that a majority of residents support the establishment of casinos for foreign tourists. In the Zhetysu region, 67% of respondents do not...

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and U.S. President Donald Trump have maintained regular contact and a relationship based on mutual trust, according to Julie M. Stufft, who was confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan on Oct. 7, 2025.

Ambassador Stufft said she discussed key priorities of bilateral relations with President Tokayev, noting that these efforts have the full support of President Trump. She expressed enthusiasm about expanding cooperation between the two countries and said the two leaders are expected to meet again in the near future.

Tokayev and Trump

The ambassador noted that Tokayev and Trump communicate regularly...

Traveling across the Mangystau region of western Kazakhstan can feel more like a lunar expedition than a road trip. Driving off-road in four-wheel-drive vehicles, travelers pass bleached rock formations, broad plateaus and vast empty plains that show little sign of human presence, the Washington Post reported.

The dramatic landscape, shaped over millions of years, was once submerged beneath the prehistoric Tethys Ocean. As tectonic shifts reshaped the land, erosion carved the limestone spires, mesas and domes that now define the region. Fossils, including shells and shark teeth, remain scattered across the ground.

Mangystau’s isolation is striking. During days...

Two people were shot Thursday afternoon during an encounter involving a federal agent in Portland. Local officials have called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause operations in the city while investigations continue, ABC News reported.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Border Patrol agents conducted a targeted stop of a vehicle carrying two people. After agents identified themselves, the driver attempted to strike them with the vehicle, according to DHS. An agent fired a shot in response and the vehicle fled the scene.

DHS said the situation remains under investigation and that the passenger was allegedly...

The world-renowned K-pop band BTS is set to return to the stage following a lengthy pause. Kursiv LifeStyle shares what is known about the upcoming album and world tour.

The first news of the group’s reunion appeared in summer 2025. At that time, all seven members announced during a live broadcast that they were working on a new album and a tour after completing their mandatory military service. This was their first live joint statement since September 2022. The announcement garnered more than 7.3 million live viewers.

By 2025, all seven BTS members had completed their...

Iranian authorities shut down internet access and international telephone connections late Thursday as protests expanded across the country following a call for demonstrations by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, the Associated Press reported.

Iran has faced growing unrest since late December, following the collapse of its currency amid economic strain. Protests began soon afterward, with demonstrators chanting against the country’s clerical leadership and economic conditions. Over the following weeks, demonstrations spread to cities and rural towns, accompanied by the closure of markets and bazaars.

By Thursday, violence linked to the unrest had killed at least 42 people and led...

Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan’s national wealth fund, no longer owns Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants (KNPP) LLC, the company designated to become the operator and owner of all nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the country. This is indicated in the fund’s corporate documentation.

According to Kompra, ownership of KNPP was transferred to the State Property and Privatization Committee under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Dec. 30, 2025. As a result, Samruk-Kazyna is no longer the parent company of KNPP but instead holds the status of a sister company.

Initial reports that KNPP would be removed from Samruk-Kazyna’s...

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (World No.5) lost 2-6, 6-2, 4-6 to Czech Karolína Muchová and didn’t advance to the semifinals of the WTA 500 2026 Brisbane International.

Rybakina struggled in the first set — already in the opening game, she nearly lost her serve. Muchová secured a break in the fifth game and did so again two games later.

Rybakina made several errors, with her unforced-error count increasing. By the end of the set, she returned serve with backhand shots, and the score was 2-6.

During the break between sets, Muchová took a...

Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik (World No. 11) secured the first victory of 2026 at the ATP 250 Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open 2026. He defeated the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp (75) 6-3, 6-3.

The head-to-head score was 2-1 in favor of the Dutchman before the match. Up to 3-3, the players held serve confidently. Alexander fought hard to hold his next service game from 15-40, then secured a break to move ahead 5-3 and converted his second set point to take the set. After breaking serve twice in the second set, Bublik won the match in 1 hour and...

An Air Astana aircraft en route from Seoul to Astana made an emergency landing in Beijing after the onboard toilets malfunctioned. According to the airline, the aircraft departed the South Korean capital at 9:25 a.m. and landed in Beijing nearly two hours later. Departure from China was scheduled for 1:00 a.m. on Jan. 9.

Passengers holding Chinese visas were accommodated in a hotel while awaiting departure. Those without visas remained in the transit area, where they were provided with meals and blankets.

In December, Air Astana reported two emergency landings in a single day — one due to...

The Kazakhstani-Serbian doubles pair of Anna Danilina (World No. 14) and Aleksandra Krunić (17) lost 3-6, 6-4, 7-10 in a super tiebreak to Spain’s Cristina Bucșa (28) and Australia’s Ellen Perez (23) at the WTA 500 2026 Brisbane International.

Danilina and Krunić’s opponents entered the match better rested. Bucșa and Perez did not have to play their quarterfinal after Spain’s Paula Badosa and Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the doubles draw. Notably, Badosa later lost her singles match to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (3-6, 2-6), while Sabalenka defeated Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea (6-3, 6-3).

«Away Days with Jake Hanrahan,» a YouTube project that describes itself as an underground journalism outlet, has released a new documentary focusing on football hooligan culture in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe, a city largely unknown to many Western viewers.

Jake Hanrahan and Jonny Pickup visited Aktobe ahead of the city’s match against Almaty-based FC Kairat in September 2025. According to the presenters, it took several months of negotiations with 13 Sector — the city’s most active and dedicated football fan group, which typically refuses to speak to journalists.

The fan group known as 13 Sector was founded in Aktobe in August...

The shooting occurred inside a vehicle in a neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis. Videos posted on social media show ICE officers approaching an SUV blocking the street during a protest against an ICE raid in the area and ordering the driver to open the door, the Associated Press reported.

As the vehicle began moving forward, an officer standing in front of it drew his weapon and fired several shots at close range. The SUV then struck two parked cars and came to a stop. The victim, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, 37, died of gunshot wounds to the head.

Federal...

A young woman named Ailin, known for her distinctive appearance, recently gained attention in Kazakhstan’s online community. In her videos, she told viewers about being bullied at school for vitiligo — a condition that causes areas of skin to lose color — and about how she learned to accept herself. The story quickly resonated with users, who described her as inspirational and brave in the comments section.

Her Instagram bio stated...

The Freedom Holding Corp. PMI Business Activity Index remained below the neutral threshold of 50.0 in December, completing a full quarter of monthly declines in business activity. That said, the index ticked up to 49.5 from 48.7 in November, signaling only a marginal drop in service sector output — the weakest in the current run of decline.

The ongoing slowdown in new business growth persisted. Companies were also less optimistic about the 12-month outlook for activity. Sentiment fell to its lowest level since April 2020 amid concerns about the impact of the upcoming VAT increase.

What’s happening in the sector?

U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the country’s withdrawal from dozens of international organizations, according to the BBC.

The White House says the decision affects 66 international organizations, with almost half connected to the United Nations. This includes the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is a key treaty supporting global climate action.

The administration explained that the withdrawals followed a review that found these organizations no longer aligned with U.S. interests and were not a good use of taxpayer money. Officials also said the groups’ policies and programs contradict U.S. sovereignty and economic goals.

The U.S. will...

Japan-based entertainment company Sanrio — famous worldwide for its Hello Kitty and other character brands — is set to establish a permanent museum dedicated to its history and to its founder, Shintaro Tsuji, in Yamanashi Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, in April, NHK World reported.

The exhibition will focus on Sanrio’s history and its characters, with one exhibit recreating Tsuji’s office; he was born in the prefecture. The museum will be called Yamanashi Ichigo no Osama Museum: Sanrio Sogyosha Tsuji Shintaro Kinenkan (English: Yamanashi Strawberry King Museum: Shintaro Tsuji Hall).

Entry will be...

Central banks around the world continue to actively purchase gold, with Kazakhstan remaining one of the leaders in the trend. According to the World Gold Council (WGC), the National Bank of Kazakhstan increased its gold reserves by another 8 tons in November.

In total, the National Bank purchased 49 tons of gold over the first 11 months of the year, placing Kazakhstan second among global gold buyers. Poland ranked first, having purchased 95 tons of gold during the same period.

Overall, central banks purchased a net 45 tons of gold in November. This was slightly lower than in October...

Kazakhstan’s No. 1 tennis player, Elena Rybakina (World No. 5), advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 2026 Brisbane International. In the round of 16, Rybakina defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa (No. 25) 6-3, 6-2. With her victory following the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the Kazakhstani athlete has now won seven consecutive matches in official tournaments.

Badosa, 28, is no easy opponent. She reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2, a milestone Rybakina has yet to achieve. Last year, the Spanish player reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Before the new season began, Rybakina...

Two people were killed and three others seriously injured in a road accident that occurred on Jan. 6, 2026, on the outskirts of Almaty, according to the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan.

The group — four students from the South Kazakhstan Medical Academy (SKMA) and one Indian tourist — was traveling from Shymkent to Almaty when the accident occurred. Two students, Karan Parmar and Rishiraj Baraith, both natives of Rajasthan, died at the scene.

The three survivors were hospitalized with severe injuries and are currently in intensive care. Doctors are working to save the lives of students Manjeet Singh Solanki

Forbes Kazakhstan named millionaire Nurlan Smagulov «Businessman of the Year.» According to the outlet, he does not plan to leave his entire inheritance to his children.

«Our family does not want to leave large sums of money to the children — that is not always a blessing. It is more important for us to leave institutions, something that will continue to function after we are gone,» Forbes Kazakhstan cited the businessman as saying. 

Smagulov ranks eighth among the richest people in Kazakhstan, with...