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Speed dating has long been part of urban culture in the West and is now gradually taking hold in Kazakhstan. Interest in the trend is growing rapidly in Almaty, the nation’s largest city, as more residents seek face-to-face communication away from screens and algorithms.

Offline format

Speed dating is a format in which participants meet through a series of short encounters lasting five to seven minutes. After each conversation, partners rotate. If there’s mutual interest, organizers share their contact information.

One such project in Almaty is led by Angelina, a marketer and founder of a new speed-dating...

The last weekend of November became a true celebration for dog owners in China, as several movie theaters across different cities held special screenings of «Zootopia 2,» allowing audiences to attend with their pets. Adorable photos from the events quickly went viral on social media, sparking a wave of affection nationwide.

In Shanghai, for example, the Longhua Perfect World Cinema prepared in advance by adapting its theater for the pet-friendly format. Staff created designated areas and arranged seating to avoid conflicts between dogs. The cinema also provided diapers, wipes and cleaning pads at each seat, while owners were required to...

WBO and IBF world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly of Kazakhstan tested positive for a banned substance in VADA testing, The Ring reported.

In response, Alimkhanuly posted a statement on Facebook, saying he has always supported clean sport.

«I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I didn’t make any changes to my vitamin regimen. I don’t know what happened in the second test, so I demanded a retest,» he wrote.

As a result of the controversy, Alimkhanuly’s upcoming WBA title fight against...

An aquarium in central Japan has set up an unusual attraction — a Christmas tree with lights powered by electric eels, NHK World reported.

Until Dec. 25, Toba Aquarium is offering visitors the chance to admire the five-meter tree lit by three eels in a tank near the attraction. The LED lights glimmer when the eels are fed, as the fish release electricity when they catch food or defend themselves.

According to an aquarium representative, the eel-powered exhibit is one-of-a-kind at the facility.

Notably, in 2019, the Tennessee Aquarium set up a...

Thanks to massive deposits of critical materials, China has managed to become the world’s largest producer of electric cars, prompting the EU and the U.S. to put up tariffs and trade barriers to protect their car markets from more affordable Chinese EVs.

However, by concentrating all their attention on one field, legacy automakers and regulators didn’t anticipate another trend beginning to reshape car markets around the world, as China is quickly increasing its exports of gasoline-powered cars, especially to emerging and second-tier economies, according to Reuters.

The rapid growth of electric vehicles in China...

The video by travel content creator Nikolai Gladkov showing frozen Song Kul — one of the most picturesque alpine lakes in Kyrgyzstan — is going viral. Users compare its azure ice texture to that of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, and note that the landmark is definitely worth visiting.

Overview of the high-altitude lake

Song-Kul lies 3,016 meters above sea level in the northwestern part of the Naryn region, between the Songkol-Too and Moldo-Too ridges. This is the country’s second-largest lake after Lake Issyk-Kul and is actually popular with tourists, but in the winter season the path becomes...

Rolan Anatoly, a resident of Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan, cycled roughly 8,000 kilometers to reach the holy city of Medina. The journey took him 44 days — the time it took to travel from Central Asia to Islam’s second-holiest city.

His route passed through several countries, including Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He crossed the stretch between Iran and the UAE by ferry. From there, Rolan continued toward his final destination — the Kaaba in Mecca.

The influence of innovative anti-obesity drugs (GLP-1 drugs) such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other so-called «slimming shots» has clearly moved far beyond the pharmacy. The impact of these game-changers is now visible in mass-market retailers, on red carpets, and even on restaurant menus.

Notably, the share of U.S. adults taking popular weight-loss medications — including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound — has surged over the past year, climbing to 12.4%, according to new polling from Gallup. Over the same period, the national obesity rate edged down, slipping from nearly 40% in 2022 to 37% in 2025.

Businesses...

In October, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that iconic thrash metal band Megadeth could perform in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstani Kaisar Zhuman told Kursiv that the group’s frontman Dave Mustaine personally shared that the band planned to hold a concert in Kazakhstan during a meet and greet session at the concert in London. Today, Dec. 2, this information was officially confirmed.

Megadeth will give their first solo concert in Almaty at Spartak Stadium on June 28, 2026. The group’s lineup will include permanent front man and guitarist Dave Mustaine, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

Ticket...

The painting «The Survivors» by Russian marine artist Ivan Aivazovsky set a new price record at Sotheby’s after being sold for £4.188 million, the highest price ever paid for a work by the artist.

Dated to 1878, «The Survivors» is the largest painting by Aivazovsky ever offered for public sale. In April 2004, it appeared at Sotheby’s in New York, where it sold for just $745,000.

In the iconic painting, the artist depicts a moment of hope for those who have survived a shipwreck and realize that rescue is at hand. A sailor standing at the bow of a...

Desire Doue, 20-year-old winger for Paris Saint-Germain and France’s national team, has been recognized as Europe’s best young footballer of 2025. The awarding ceremony of the prestigious Golden Boy award — established by the Italian outlet Tuttosport in 2003 — took place on Dec. 1 in Turin.

Doue significantly contributed to PSG securing its first Champions League title. In the final match against Inter Milan — which ended 5-0 — Doue scored a brace and provided an assist. He was recognized as the MVP afterward. Furthermore, the young player became the country’s champion, and the winner...

Halyk Finance, a leading Kazakhstani investment bank, has acquired shares in the U.S. pizza chain Domino’s Pizza, according to data from the consolidated pension asset investment portfolio published on Kazakhstan’s Unified Pension Fund website.

On Oct. 9, 2025, Halyk Finance purchased Domino’s shares worth 157 million tenge (about $305,000).

World’s largest pizza chain

Domino’s Pizza is an American restaurant chain founded in 1960 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, starting with a single store. It rapidly expanded to become the world’s largest pizza chain by number of stores and revenue, specializing in delivery and carryout. Today, Domino’s operates thousands...

The phrase «work, work, work, work and work,» used by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has been selected as Japan’s catchphrase of the year, reflecting its strong impact on public discussion in 2025, according to The Guardian.

Takaichi made the remark shortly before taking office in October, describing her commitment to working tirelessly on behalf of the country. The phrase was chosen from more than two dozen candidates as the one that best captured the national mood, according to Jiyū Kokumin Sha, the organizer of the annual «Word of the Year» contest.

Takaichi’s words, however...

Managing companies in Kazakhstan will soon be able to invest up to 80% of Kazakhstanis’ pension savings in foreign-currency assets.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) will introduce new limits on pension investments in instruments denominated in foreign currency. Currently, such investments are capped at 60% of total asset value.

The new limits are as follows:

On Dec. 2, Kazakhstan and the EU entered into talks on facilitating the visa regime and migration readmission procedures. The move was announced during the 22nd meeting of the Kazakhstan–European Union Cooperation Council held in Brussels.

«This step will significantly contribute to strengthening humanitarian ties, expanding opportunities for students, scholars and professionals, and enhancing citizen mobility,» Kazakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry emphasized that 10 years have passed since the parties signed the agreement, during which trade between Kazakhstan and the EU reached nearly $50 billion. In the near future...

For years, the Maldives has been a symbol of luxury vacations, with its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. The island nation is still known for its overwater villas, private islands and prices reserved for the ultra-wealthy. However, the paradise islands are no longer just for the rich and honeymooners with platinum credit cards, as the country has started to offer more affordable vacation options for families, backpackers and curious travelers, the BBC reported.

In a quiet revolution, the island nation has undergone deep reforms in tourism, allowing local residents to open guesthouses on inhabited islands. As a result...

The latest attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) by Ukrainian naval drones — and the resulting partial shutdown of its terminal in the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which carries more than 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports — underscores how vulnerable Kazakhstan’s oil exports are due to the country’s systemic reliance on a single route.

CPC has become a near-monopoly corridor through which Kazakh oil producers expand output and generate revenue.

Why do oil companies favor CPC

Nurlan Zhumagulov, the author of the Energy Monitor Telegram channel, noted that oil companies have long favored CPC because...

The partial shutdown of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Novorossiysk, Russia, after a Nov. 29 attack by Ukrainian naval drones, highlights Kazakhstan’s ongoing export vulnerabilities. The terminal, which handles over 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, now has its Offshore Mooring Terminal-3 (OMT-3) out of service, while OMT-2 has been under repair for two weeks.

Abzal Narymbetov, author of the Energy Analytics Telegram channel, wrote that the country is now likely operating only through OMT-1. He explained that this immediately creates risks for shipping and production.

Growing reliance on a single export corridor

Narymbetov argues...

On Dec. 2, South Korean tech giant Samsung announced the launch of the Galaxy Z TriFold — the company’s first trifold smartphone. Notably, the initial market for the device will be domestic, aimed at testing consumer response before a global rollout, according to The Korea Times.

The device features a 6.5-inch cover screen when folded and a 10-inch main screen when fully expanded, while retaining a slim profile, measuring 3.9 millimeters at its thinnest point when unfolded and 12.9 millimeters when folded.

It is powered by Qualcomm’s three-nanometer Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile...

The Freedom Holding Corp. Kazakhstan Manufacturing PMI® (Purchasing Managers’ Index™) posted 49.0 in November, remaining below the 50.0 no-change mark for the sixth month running and therefore signaling a deterioration in the health of the manufacturing sector. That said, the latest reading was up from 48.3 in October and pointed to only a slight worsening of business conditions.

Last month, production, new orders and purchasing activity all fell at slower rates than in October, but the pace of reduction in employment intensified amid reports of difficulties sourcing qualified staff. The easing of the sector’s downturn reflected softer reductions...

Chinese tech giant Huawei has presented Smart Hanhan — an emotional-support AI plush companion. The toy was showcased alongside the Mate 80 smartphone line, with all three models selling out shortly after sales began, Gizmochina reported.

Smart Hanhan is a compact plush toy standing 8 centimeters and weighing 140 grams. The electronics are concealed inside, while the exterior is finished in soft fabric and silicone. However, its standout feature is its emotional intelligence.

The plush companion can identify the user’s mood, pick up intonations and hold natural conversations thanks to the Xiaoyi large-model AI system that...

AI-created adult content has flooded the internet. But typically, only users themselves know which photos they feed into face-swap tools that insert a person’s likeness into explicit material. That secrecy vanished when Secret Desires — an erotic roleplay chatbot and AI image generator — left portions of its cloud storage open to the public. The exposed files, as reported by 404 Media, reveal a troubling pattern: users routinely uploaded photos of people who never agreed to appear in sexualized content.

Nearly two million images and videos left unprotected

The unsecured databases held close to two million files...

Kazakhstan is developing a comprehensive road strategy through 2040 to keep pace with rapidly growing freight transit between Europe and China, Vice Minister of Transport Maksat Kaliakparov said during a Nov. 25 briefing.

Surge in truck volume from China to Europe

According to Kaliakparov, the number of trucks passing through Kazakhstan is increasing by 30% to 35% each year. To prevent traffic bottlenecks and border congestion, the government plans to introduce a «green corridor» at all border checkpoints. Under this system, transit cargo will be processed rapidly with minimal inspections. Reconstruction and upgrades at all border crossings are...

Rikhi Ram, a man from a small village in the Sirmaur district, India, had lost his memory in a car accident and hadn’t been in touch with his family for 45 years. However, not so long ago, he ended up in another accident that helped him recover his memories, NDTV reported.

In 1980, 16-year-old Ram left Nadi village in search of a job. He found work in a hotel, but on one of his trips, he was involved in a serious car accident. After the head injury, Ram completely forgot his identity and lost contact with...