News

Kazakhstan has formally launched a unified interbank QR payment system, enabling customers of participating banks to make purchases at any terminal using a single QR code.

The service debuted at the Central Asia Fintech Summit 2025.

Freedom Bank, Bank CenterCredit, and Home Credit Bank were the initial participants. Halyk Bank, Altyn Bank, and Bank RBK joined later.

The unified system lets users send or receive payments between any participating banks. To make a purchase, users open their bank’s mobile app, scan the QR code on a participating merchant’s terminal, and confirm the payment.

For...

Samsung is set to release its new trifold smartphone in December 2025, Yonhap reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The launch event is reportedly scheduled for Dec. 5, followed immediately by domestic sales. The sources also noted that during the initial release, the devices will be exported to China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, with shipments expected to total between 20,000 and 30,000 units.

The unfolded display is reported to measure 10 inches. The device features three sections, allowing it to fold twice. The new device is expected to be priced at around...

American football star Tom Brady surprised fans with a revelation: his current dog, Junie, is a clone of his late pit bull, Lua, whom he once shared with his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen.

Lua died in December 2023, but blood samples had reportedly been taken from her shortly before her death for cloning purposes. Nearly two years later, Brady revealed that Junie was created from those cells as an exact genetic copy of his beloved pet.

The cloning was carried out by Colossal Biosciences — a biotech company in which Brady is an investor — and Viagen Pets and...

Prosecutors in Milan have launched an investigation into allegations that Italian citizens may have travelled to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the early 1990s to participate in so-called «sniper safaris,» in which foreigners allegedly shot at unarmed people in Sarajevo, according to the BBC.

The complaint was filed by Ezio Gavazzeni, an Italian journalist and novelist well known for his reporting on the mafia. In his report submitted to Milan’s counter-terrorism prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis, Gavazzeni claimed that some Italians and other foreigners passionate about light arms sought the opportunity to shoot at people — including men, women and children...

Kazakh lawmaker Askhat Aimagambetov has argued that legislative action is necessary to restrict children’s access to social media, aiming to protect them from harmful content on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. He said that smartphones in the hands of children as young as 4 to 6 years old, often without parental supervision, can pose serious risks.

A growing craze

Aimagambetov said nearly every child in his neighborhood is always on their phone. He claimed social media algorithms “hook” children, likening it to gambling.

«We all know violent, bullying content is...

Italian player Jannik Sinner defeated German Alexander Zverev (6-4, 6-3) and secured the Bjorn Borg Group win ahead of schedule at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals. The World No. 2 is advancing toward World No. 1. The upcoming match between Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who is leading the Jimmy Connors Group, is the most anticipated event of the tournament in Turin.

It is a Spanish-Italian rivalry, both direct and indirect, that will determine the leader of the world rankings at the end of the 2025 season. To return to the top, Sinner needs to win three more matches in Turin...

Apple has introduced the iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted accessory created in partnership with Japanese design house ISSEY MIYAKE. The holder is designed to fit any iPhone model as well as other small items.

Apple and ISSEY MIYAKE described the product as combining universal design, simplicity and versatility. The special-edition accessory is available in two strap lengths, with the short strap offered in eight colors and priced at $149.95. The long strap is available in three colors and priced at $229.95.

The iPhone Pocket will be available for purchasing beginning Nov. 14 at select Apple Stores and...

Arbuz.kz, Kazakhstan’s leading e-grocery service, has announced a strategic shift to reach the mass market. The company now aims to compete not only for premium customers but also for price-conscious shoppers.

The announcement was made by Alexey Lee, head of lifestyle at Freedom Holding Corp., during a meeting of the Freedom Lifestyle Talk discussion club.

According to Lee, Arbuz.kz has recently adjusted its prices to align not only with online competitors but also with major brick-and-mortar chains.

«We monitored key supermarkets and made sure our base prices matched in-store prices. And if you factor...

Shapewear and apparel brand Skims, co-founded by Kim Kardashian, has secured new investment that values the company at $5 billion. The latest funding round included backing from investors such as a Goldman Sachs affiliate and is one of the largest this year for a U.S. consumer brand, according to the BBC.

The company said the new capital will support plans to expand its physical retail presence in the U.S. and internationally. Skims currently runs 18 stores and also sells through global retail partners. It expects to surpass $1 billion in sales this year. According...

Seven international human rights organizations have condemned proposed amendments in Kazakhstan that would ban the «propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation.» The groups say the move violates the country’s international commitments and United Nations recommendations.

Civil rights defenders

The joint statement was signed by Access Now, Civil Rights Defenders, the Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, the International Partnership for Human Rights, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

Anti-LGBT rules in archival law

On Wednesday, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament approved a draft law on archival regulations...

Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka has set a record for the highest amount of prize money won by a woman in a single season. The world No. 1 earned $15,008,519, surpassing the previous mark of $12,385,572 set by American Serena Williams in 2013.

Top 10 women’s prize money in single season (gross)

Jimmy Kimmel paid tribute to his longtime friend and «Jimmy Kimmel Live!» bandleader Cleto Escobedo III following his passing, NBC News reported.

In a touching post on social media, Kimmel described Escobedo as a «great friend, father, son, musician and man,» and asked fans to keep his family in their prayers.

«Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old,» Kimmel wrote. «The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.»

Venezuela is mobilizing its military following the arrival of U.S. combat ships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, in the Caribbean, according to CNN.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said that land, air, naval and reserve units will mobilize, with exercises nationwide scheduled to continue through Wednesday. He called the U.S. presence an «imperialist threat.»

The U.S. Navy confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group — including nine air squadrons, two missile destroyers, the command ship USS Winston S. Churchill and over 4,000 personnel — has entered the U.S. Southern Command area, which covers most of...

Kojima Productions, the studio behind the «Death Stranding» series, announced a collaboration with Dnsys — a robotics and wearable-tech company that develops exoskeleton systems and AI-powered mobility support devices — to produce a game-inspired exoskeleton in real life.

The announced device, Death Stranding 2 Dnsys Z1 Exoskeleton Pro, will help its owner overcome obstacles and move in complex environmental conditions. Developers say the exoskeleton will provide leg support, enhance stamina, and reduce knee load, which together will allow the user to lift up to 200% more weight. The device will also feature artificial intelligence and operate...

Kazakhstan is among the countries with the longest working weeks, according to the World’s Hardest Working Countries 2025 report by Visual Capitalist.

The study shows that Kazakhstanis spend about 38 hours a week at work on average — significantly more than in most developed countries. For comparison, Americans work an average of 36 hours, Canadians 32, the British 31 and the Dutch just 26.8 hours per week. Globally, the average is 38.7 hours.

In Central Asia, Turkmenistan leads with an average of 41.9 hours per week, followed by Tajikistan with 41 hours. In Uzbekistan, people work an average...

Kazakhstan has seen a steep increase in fuel prices since the start of 2025. According to the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the price of motor gasoline rose 11.2% compared with December 2024, while diesel fuel climbed 9.2%.

The pace of growth has outstripped all other member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Across the EEU, consumer prices for gasoline rose an average of 9.2% in September, while diesel prices were up 4.4%.

For comparison, gasoline prices increased by 9.3% in Russia, 8.8% in Kyrgyzstan and 6.7% in Belarus. Armenia was the only EEU country to report a...

The Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament, has approved a draft law banning the «propaganda of LGBT» and pedophilia.

«The draft law enshrines measures aimed at protecting children from exposure to content detrimental to their mental health and physical development. The dissemination of information containing propaganda of pedophilia and non-traditional sexual orientation in public, as well as through the media, telecommunication networks and online platforms, is prohibited,» the parliament said in a statement.

MP Elnur Beisenbayev explained that the bill proposes amendments to laws related to the rights of children, advertising, communications...

An ambitious project called Mars-V is slated to open in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert by 2029, offering, according to organizers, the world’s most realistic simulation of life on Mars. The site won’t just serve as a tourist attraction — it’s designed as a monthlong experiment in living like a member of humanity’s first expedition to the Red Planet.

Organizers promise a fully immersive experience: capsule-style living quarters equipped with a lab and greenhouse, freeze-dried meals, communication with Earth that includes a built-in signal delay, and a tightly regulated daily schedule that includes meditation, exercise, research, and troubleshooting.

Kazakh superstar singer Dimash Qudaibergen gave a live interview to CNN following his arrival in London.

The Kazakhstani performer appeared as a guest on the program «What We Know with Max Foster.» During the conversation, the anchor highlighted Qudaibergen’s popularity and his exceptional vocal range, which has expanded from four to six octaves.

«Maybe it’s something like a gift from God. And I just want to use this opportunity to say a lot of thanks to my vocal coaches. His name is Marat Aitimov. He’s still living in Aktobe. Yes, I’m still, every day doing some...

Just a year ago, Ahmed al-Sharaa was a wanted man with a $10 million price on his head. This week, the Syrian president walked through the doors of the White House, becoming the first leader of his country to do so since Syria declared independence in 1946 — a striking symbol of his dramatic political reinvention. What do we know about him?

Origin and education

Ahmed al-Sharaa was born in 1982 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where his father, Hussein al-Shaara, a specialist in oil production and refining originally from Syria’s Golan Heights, was working at the...

A Turkish C-130E Hercules — a four-engine turboprop tactical airlifter — went down in Georgia shortly after entering the country’s airspace on Tuesday, killing all 20 people on board, according to Turkish authorities, as reported by Euronews.

Video footage circulating online appeared to show the plane spiraling rapidly toward the ground, while trailing white smoke.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his condolences to the families of those killed, saying he was «deeply saddened» by the tragedy.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, a close ally of Turkey, also offered condolences.

«We were deeply saddened by...

At least 220 people in Japan faced bear attacks, including fatal cases and injuries, across 21 of the country’s 47 prefectures since April, according to NHK World. Notably, the previous highest figure of such cases was 219, recorded in fiscal 2023.

According to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, 13 people were killed in bear encounters over the period, marking the highest on record, with five deaths in Iwate, four in Akita, two in Hokkaido and one each in Nagano and Miyagi prefectures.

The media outlet noted that a scarcity of acorns and beechnuts — the animals...

Christopher Eppinger, a former intern at KazMunayGas — Kazakhstan’s national oil company — has reportedly made a profit of more than $250 million reselling Russian oil. Between 2022 and 2025, his company sold oil worth nearly $2 billion, according to the Financial Times.

Born in 1994 in a small town near Hamburg, Eppinger later studied business there. After his first year at university, he secured an internship at KazMunayGas in Astana. Following graduation, he joined the Hamburg-based energy firm SET Select Energy. In 2021, he moved to the UAE to work for a small trading house.

When Russia...

Gaumont has unveiled the first trailer for «The Wizard of the Kremlin,» a political drama centered on the rise to power of a young Vladimir Putin.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli, with a screenplay by Olivier Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère. It examines the intricate political maneuvering in post-Soviet Russia and Putin’s ascent to power.

Paul Dano stars as Vadim Baranov, a fictional character inspired by real-life Kremlin power broker Vladislav Surkov, a political strategist and adviser.

Jude Law portrays Putin, depicted in the film as a cold...