Almaty. January 17. Kazakhstan Today - The British comedian Sasha Baron Cohen has been named the best comedy actor of the year, the agency reports referring to foreign mass media.
Sasha Cohen became the holder of the premium in the field of cinema and TV the Gold Globe for the role in the film: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The award ceremony of the second prestigious after Oscar premium took place in the hotel Beverli Hilton in Los Angeles.
The character of Cohen' s comedy Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - the Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev comes to the USA to make the report on the country. There he falls in love with a known actress and makes all the efforts to marry her.
The image of the Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev earlier, after presentation of MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon (Portugal), caused controversial reaction in Kazakhstan as it represented the country in the negative light. At first the representatives of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs were indignant, in particular, the Ambassador to the Great Britain Yerlan Idrisov named Cohen' s character "a pig of a man". Later the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev during his visit to London called to treat the British comedian performance with humor.
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British comedian Sasha Cohen named best comedy actor
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New Year’s tie: Equal number of boys and girls born in Kazakhstan
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254 children were born in Kazakhstan's maternity hospitals during the New Year celebrations, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Ministry of Healthcare.
The births were split exactly down the middle: 127 boys and 127 girls. Twins were born in the Aktobe region.
The highest number of newborns, 29, was recorded in the Turkistan region. Shymkent had 24 births, followed by Astana with 22 and Almaty with 21.
It is noteworthy that 11 girls and 11 boys were born in Astana.
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Direct flight linking Kazakhstan’s Almaty and China’s Chengdu launched
Air China announced the launch of direct flights from Kazakhstan’s Almaty to Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The CA456 flight will be operated twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays by Airbus A320 aircraft.
The direct flight from Chengdu to Almaty takes around 3.5 hours in total, while the return flight lasts around 5 hours.
To date, Almaty is connected to 60 cities across the world via direct flights, with 13 new destinations added in 2025.
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Kazakhstan launches 35 new air routes in 2025
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Assistant to the President - Press Secretary of the President of Kazakhstan Ruslan Zheldibay highlighted the priorities of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in developing Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics infrastructure and key projects implemented throughout 2025, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev placed special emphasis on expanding the country’s transport potential and transforming Kazakhstan into a major logistics and transit hub in Eurasia.
In 2025, Kazakhstan repaired and built 13,000 kilometers of roads, including 1,900 km of new strategic projects such as the Center-West highway and sections of Karaganda-Zhezkazgan, Aktobe-Ulgaysyn, and Atyrau-Dossor.
Ruslan Zheldibay also noted significant developments in aviation in 2025.
Noteworthy, more than 35 new air routes were launched, including direct flights to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Munich. Several new airlines entered Kazakhstan.
In line with the President’s task, construction of three new airports began in Zaysan, Katon-Karagay, and Kenderli, alongside the restoration of the Arkalyk airport.
He emphasized the President supported the creation of Kazakhstan’s first national cargo airline to leverage transit potential and enter the global market.
Railway infrastructure also saw major upgrades, in particular, construction of second tracks on the Kyzylzhar-Moyynty line, a bypass road around Almaty, new lines Darbaza-Maktaaral and Bakhty-Ayagoz and modernization of 124 railway stations nationwide.
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Scientists talked about the geomagnetic situation on Earth until the end of the year
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The geomagnetic situation on Earth will remain calm until the end of this year, iz.ru reports.
The comment this time is simple. The remaining days until the new year will be quiet. Possible outbreaks will definitely not affect the Earth (just fireworks), " said the press service of the Laboratory of Space Astronomy at IKI RAS.
The IKI RAS also called on Russians to calmly go about their business. Over the past 24 hours, the geomagnetic situation has also been calm.
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Brigitte Bardot, French screen legend, dies aged 91
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Brigitte Bardot, the French actor and singer who became an international sex symbol before turning her back on the film industry and embracing the cause of animal rights activism, has died aged 91, The Guardian reports.
Among those paying tribute on Sunday was the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who wrote on social media that Bardot had "embodied a life of freedom" and "universal brilliance". France was mourning "a legend of the century", he said.
Brigitte Bardot, French actress, model and singer, wearing a blue gingham dress with her hair in plaits, tied with blue bows, sitting in a series of stone steps
Brigitte Bardot was a zeitgeist-force and France’s most sensational export
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Jordan Bardella, the president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party (RN), which Bardot supported, wrote: "Brigitte Bardot was a woman of heart, conviction and character. An ardent patriot, devoted to animals that she protected throughout her life, she embodied a whole French era, but also above all a certain idea of courage and freedom."
Le Pen, whom Bardot once described as "the Joan of Arc of the 21st century", wrote on social media that Bardot was "exceptional for her talent, courage, frankness and beauty". "She was incredibly French," she said. "Free, indomitable, whole. She will be hugely missed."
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Kazakhstan to brace for snowstorms and fog on Sunday
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A storm warning has been issued for 14 regions of Kazakhstan on December 28, Qazinform News Agency reports citing Kazhydromet.
Snow and rain, fog and icy roads, blizzards are forecast to batter Atyrau region.
Zhetysu region is expected to observe fog at night and in the morning and winds up to 15–20 m/s.
Snow, drifting snow, fog, high wind and icy roads are reported to grip Aktobe region.
East Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Ulytau, Kyzylorda, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, Turkistan, Pavlodar regions are to wake up to foggy streets.
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An Evening of Kazakh Music Held in Istanbul
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A concert program titled "QAZAQ CONCERT" was held in the capital of Turkey, aimed at broadly promoting Kazakhstan’s traditional and contemporary musical art. The event was organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Istanbul, with the participation of the creative ensemble "QAZAQ CONCERT", Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
The main objective of the concert was to introduce the Turkish public to Kazakhstan’s rich musical heritage, to deepen cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, and to promote Kazakh national art at the international level. As part of the program, the audience was presented with folk songs, kyui (traditional instrumental compositions), and ethno-contemporary musical works.
The concert featured renowned figures of Kazakhstan’s arts scene, including Nurbolat Arzamasuly, Perizat Turar, Zhantu Dadabayev, and Akerke Tazhibayeva. Each performer harmoniously combined national identity, historical continuity, and modern musical forms in their repertoire, offering the audience vivid and memorable cultural experiences.
The event served not only as a concert performance but also as an important cultural platform, contributing to the presentation of the spiritual values, national identity, and cultural diversity of the Kazakh people to an international audience.
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Kazakhstan Cultural Evening Held in Iran
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A Kazakhstan Cultural Evening was held at the "Niavaran" Historical and Cultural Complex, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Islamic Republic of Iran and was attended by the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri, senior officials of the Ministries of Culture and Tourism and Foreign Affairs, ambassadors of foreign states accredited in Tehran, heads of international organizations, representatives of the cultural and academic community, as well as members of the media.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Islamic Republic of Iran Ontalap Onalbayev noted that for centuries the two countries have served as an important bridge between East and West, recalling the close interaction between the Great Kazakh Steppe and the ancient Iranian civilization during the era of the Great Silk Road in the fields of trade, science, and culture.
The Ambassador underlined that Kazakhstan today is a dynamically developing state with a strong international standing. He stressed that under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev comprehensive political, economic, and cultural reforms are being successfully implemented.
O.Onalbayev also noted that the development of friendly and good-neighborly relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran remains one of the key priorities of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, highlighting Iran as one of Kazakhstan’s important political and economic partners in the Middle East and the Islamic world.
In his remarks Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri welcomed the organization of the Kazakhstan Cultural Evening in Tehran and noted the steady expansion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture and cultural heritage. He emphasized that the shared civilization and historical heritage of the two nations create a strong foundation for further strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation.
The Minister expressed support for enhancing cooperation between cultural and artistic institutions of the two countries and voiced confidence that the event would contribute to further deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, cultural heritage and tourism.
The cultural evening continued with a performance by the "Serper" dombra ensemble from the Mangystau Region, who performed traditional Kazakh kui with great professionalism and were met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
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