News

Freedom Holding Corp. is acquiring a 99.32% stake in Turkish Bank A.Ş. from Özyol Holding and the National Bank of Kuwait. The deal still has to be approved by Turkish regulators.

Deal details and development plans

The core of the deal is Turkish Bank A.Ş., which has operated in Turkey since 1982. Other subsidiaries of TurkishBank Group, the bank’s parent company, located in the U.K. and Cyprus, are not part of the transaction.

The acquisition of the bank will be a logical continuation of the infrastructure the holding has been developing in the region. In addition, Freedom operates another...

Spanish media have reported on an unusual project by fans of the world-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen. Kursiv LifeStyle explains why they decorated a Spanish village to resemble a Kazakh aul.

According to the Spanish outlet La Voz de Galicia, the fans are filming a video they plan to present to the artist as a birthday gift.

Around 25 people from different regions of Spain and other countries gathered in Oia municipality and the Val Miñor Valley in Galicia to shoot a congratulatory video for Dimash.

The filming took place at the Moreiras farm, where scenes...

Authorities in the Philippines are considering introducing a four-day workweek as part of efforts to reduce fuel consumption, according to a report by The Guardian.

Read also: The 4-day week is a global hit — so why aren’t Kazakh employers buying in?

The proposal comes as global fuel prices rise amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Government seeks to cut energy use

The government is exploring several measures aimed at conserving energy. Public institutions have already been instructed to reduce fuel consumption by at least 10%.

To mark International Women’s Day, the website of Guinness World Records published a collection of stories about women who set remarkable records — and in some cases outperformed men.

Cycling around the world

British cyclists Rachael Marsden and Catherine Dixon traveled around the globe on a tandem bicycle named «Alice,» completing the journey in 263 days. Their time was faster than the men’s previous record of 281 days.

Read also: From London with love: A Briton with Kazakh roots cycles across continents to visit ancestral homeland.

During the trip, the...

Caitlin Kalinowski, head of robotics and consumer hardware at OpenAI, has announced her resignation, citing concerns about the company’s negotiations with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Read also: Democrats are using AI more than Republicans at work—here’s why.

Kalinowski said she was dissatisfied with how quickly the agreement was reached and argued that the decision lacked broader public discussion and clearly defined rules governing the use of artificial intelligence.

Concerns about oversight and autonomous weapons

In a post on X, Kalinowski said artificial intelligence plays a...

Tuimegul Temirbayeva, a resident of the Ulytau region, has celebrated her 116th birthday this year and is believed to be the oldest person in Kazakhstan, according to the TV channel 24KZ.

Read also: Meet Constitution: The unusual Kazakh names reflecting a nation in transition.

The centenarian marked her birthday in January. She says the secret to her longevity is simple: hard work and love for family.

A life devoted to family

Temirbayeva spent most of her life caring for her family. Together with her husband, Ayazbai Temirbayev, she raised their...

Russia’s space agency published images of unusual «cosmic flowers» on its Telegram channel to mark International Women’s Day.

The photographs, captured by astrophotographers, show massive nebulae located thousands of light-years from Earth. One of the images features the Tulip Nebula, a glowing cloud of hydrogen gas in the Cygnus constellation.

Stellar nurseries shaped by radiation

According to the authors of the post, these cosmic formations resemble flowers because of their shape and color. Radiation from hot, young stars excites surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to emit bright pink light.

Scientists note that although the structures...

Russia has been supplying Iran with intelligence that could help target U.S. forces in the Middle East, according to officials familiar with the matter cited by The Washington Post.

The information reportedly includes the locations of American warships and aircraft operating across the region.

If confirmed, the assistance would mark the first known instance of another major U.S. rival becoming involved, even indirectly, in the ongoing conflict.

Read also: Ready for anything: Analyst breaks down Iran’s survival strategy in 2026.

The scale and consistency of Russia’s assistance remain unclear...

Kazakhstan’s national mining company Tau-Ken Samruk — a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna — is set to develop deposits of rare and rare-earth metals in Rwanda jointly with the country’s Ngali Holdings, Samruk-Kazyna reported.

«Nurlan Zhakupov, the head of the fund, met with the management of the Rwanda Development Board, the Rwanda Mining Board and Ngali Holdings in Kigali (Rwanda)… Following the meeting, Tau-Ken Samruk JSC and Ngali Holdings signed the Term Sheet. The document provides for joint development of deposits of rare and rare-earth metals in Rwanda,» the fund said in a statement.

The doll art exhibition titled «From East to West» opened March 4 at the National Central Museum of Kazakhstan.

The exhibition features 140 works by 21 artisans from cities across Kazakhstan. According to organizers, each doll in the collection is unique. Even when a particular design becomes popular, artisans do not produce replicas for sale.

Read also: Stitches of the steppe: The forgotten art of traditional Kazakh dolls.

Exhibition organizer Tatyana Fisenko said she has been involved in the craft for nine years.

Prices reflect time and craftsmanship

Prices for...

World-renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen and actress Samal Yeslyamova received awards from the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information reported.

The awarding ceremony took place in Astana. Qudaibergen was recognized for his contribution to the development of Turkic culture. The artist received the Order of Cultural Ambassador of the Turkic World — the organization’s highest award.

Actress and Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Samal Yeslyamova, was honored with the organization’s special prize in the «Best Artist of the Turkic World» category for her contribution to the development of Turkic and global cinema.

TURKSOY Secretary General...

The U.S. granted India temporary permission to acquire Russian oil that is already aboard tankers at sea, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated.

He announced that the Treasury Department provided a 30-day exemption for Indian refineries.

«To enable oil to continue flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil. This deliberately short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea,» Bessent wrote on X.

According to the official...

For the first time since the military conflict in the Middle East began, Iran has launched a drone attack on Azerbaijani territory. The incident left civilians injured, while Tehran has not yet commented on the strike.

According to reports from Deutsche Welle, two Shahed-136 drones crashed near the airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran, and near a school in the village of Shakarabad.

Read also: Ghost drones: Unexplained crashes in Kazakhstan’s west prompt urgent safety tips.

Two civilians were injured in the strikes, and...

Kazakhstani flagship carrier Air Astana announced an extension of cancellation of scheduled flights to Dubai, Jeddah, Medina and Doha up to March 10 inclusive. The ticket sales for these routes are suspended until March 17.

«Passengers may rebook their tickets free of charge until April 30 inclusive, or request a refund until March 11 inclusive,» the company said in a statement.

According to the Foreign Ministry, more than 9,000 Kazakh citizens remain in Middle Eastern countries affected by the conflict involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel

On March 4, the committee...

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) property sector is facing new uncertainty after Iranian missile strikes hit airports, ports and residential areas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, raising investor concerns and testing the region’s reputation as a safe haven for global capital, Reuters reported.

Shares of major developers fell on Wednesday following the attacks. Aldar Properties and Emaar Properties both dropped about 5%, while bond prices of several large developers also declined. Bond markets, a key funding source for the sector, have largely closed to new issuance amid rising borrowing costs.

The UAE property market has experienced a strong...

A Kazakhstani vehicle registration plate was spotted at the «end of the world» — the world’s southernmost city of Ushuaia, Argentina.

A tourist from Almaty shared on Threads that she arrived in the city and noticed a familiar vehicle registration plate on the wall of a local shop. The plate was issued in Kazakhstan, precisely the Abai region (18th region).

Ushuaia is considered the world’s southernmost city and is a point of departure for expeditions to Antarctica, located around 1,000 kilometers from the continent. The city lies roughly 17,800 kilometers from Kazakhstan, thus the find surprised...

A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed, according to the BBC.

Hegseth said the vessel was hit by a torpedo on Tuesday and sank quickly. He did not initially identify the ship. However, Sri Lanka later said it had responded to a distress call from an Iranian vessel, the Iris Dena, which went down about 40 kilometers off the country’s southern coast.

Sri Lankan officials said rescuers recovered 80 bodies from the frigate and rescued 32 survivors, who were taken to a hospital in the southern port of Galle...

On March 5, BTS revealed the poster and trailer for the “BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang” concert. The video was uploaded on the group’s official social media channels.

The trailer opens with loud screams from the fan base, ARMY, filling the concert venues. The group members say that they promised the fans they would be back.

The video also features Gyeongbokgung Palace. Against the historic backdrop, the phrase, «the world’s biggest band is back,» appears.

The trailer highlights all seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, with dedicated frames for each.

China has set its annual economic growth target at 4.5% to 5%, the country’s lowest goal since 1991, reflecting challenges such as weak domestic spending, a property crisis and a shrinking population, according to Reuters.

The target was announced at China’s main annual political meetings, known as the «two sessions,» where the country’s top officials shared early details of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Once approved at the end of the week-long meeting, the document will set economic goals for the nation through 2030.

China last changed its growth target in 2023, setting it at «around 5%.» In...

Valve, developer of the cult shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, has unexpectedly restored the game page on its online game marketplace Steam, which had been replaced by the most recent installment in the series, Counter-Strike 2. CS:GO is now available for download without complicated instructions or workarounds.

However, the game does not offer the full-fledged previous experience. Servers remain disabled, leaving users only with offline mode against bots. Nevertheless, fans have returned to the game for nostalgia.

Even with these limitations, interest has proven significant, with 8,500 gamers simultaneously launching the older installment. Notably, in its prime...

Robinhood Markets Inc., a California-based provider of an electronic trading platform, has announced a new premium product — the Platinum card — aimed at high-income users, Reuters reported.

The company’s Platinum card carries a $695 annual fee and offers cashback and other perks. Robinhood said these benefits could total up to $3,000 per year, putting it in line with premium cards from American Express and JPMorgan Chase. The American Express Platinum card costs $895 annually, while JPMorgan’s Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $795 annual fee. Both cards offer benefits valued at about $3,500 and $2,700, respectively.

Robinhood, which...

Samsung’s latest unveiled flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, won the industry’s prestigious «Best in Show» award at the Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO) during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, currently being held in Barcelona, Spain, the company said in a release.

The awards ceremony took place on March 4. The GLOMO Awards are held annually during MWC and are organized by the GSMA. The «Best in Show» award is granted following judging by over 200 industry experts and analysts.

Samsung said the device was recognized for its seamless combination of cutting-edge hardware...

Last year, when I came across an old photo online of Tom Cruise in a gray jacket standing next to an elderly Russian woman outside a private home with carved wooden window frames, I assumed it was AI-generated. It looked too improbable to be real. It wasn’t.

In the summer of 1987, Cruise made a private visit to the Soviet Union — a trip documented in the memoirs of the Russian filmmaker who accompanied him, along with a series of rare photographs taken at the time.

Hollywood stars — reimagined in 1990s Russia

The pictures below, however, are...

A satirical online campaign suggesting that Barron Trump, the youngest son of President Donald Trump, should be drafted into the military has emerged after the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Euronews reported.

The campaign centers on a website called DraftBarronTrump.com, created by former «South Park» writer Toby Morton. The site humorously suggests that the president’s 19-year-old son should join the military as the U.S. becomes involved in the conflict. The hashtag #SendBarron has spread widely on social media as part of the campaign.

Morton, who is known for purchasing internet domain names...