The battle between Netflix and Paramount for the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has moved to the heart of Europe.

This week, Paramount's CEO David Ellison visited Paris, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as with the culture ministers from France and the UK. This trip to European capitals aims to secure support from local politicians and cultural figures, which should help strengthen Paramount's position in negotiations with Warner Bros. shareholders, who previously rejected its proposal. As part of its strategy, Paramount emphasizes its commitment to the film industry,

The Ministry of Internal Affairs outlined priorities for 2026: security, cameras, and discipline

On January 23, a board meeting was held at the central office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where the results of the operational and service activities of the police for 2025 were summarized. The event was attended by the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Head of the Presidential Administration, Adylbek Kasymaliev.

Deputy on the fire in the nursing home: Management must bear moral responsibility

At the meeting of the commission on social issues on January 23, Alymbaeva emphasized the need for moral responsibility on the part of the management of the institution where the tragedy occurred. The director of the social development department of the mayor's office, Aizada Junusova, reported on an inspection conducted on March 18, 2025, during which employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations identified violations and issued a directive to improve safety conditions, including the

Weather forecast for Kyrgyzstan on January 24: no snow expected during the day

In Kyrgyzstan, no snow is expected throughout the day. In the capital, Bishkek, the temperature will drop to -13 at night and rise to 0 degrees during the day.

About 1,500 Bishkek residents want to be exempt from paying for bus rides.

Vice Mayor Ramiz Aliyev presented a draft resolution at the meeting of the Bishkek City Council's Social Issues Committee, which proposes the possibility of free travel for new categories of citizens. Currently, there are five such categories in the capital. The proposal introduces a new group—personal assistants who help people with disabilities.

More than 150,000 people have connected the self-restriction service for lending in the Kyrgyz Republic

From November 1, 2025, to January 23, 2026, the self-restriction service for lending was connected through the mobile application "Tündük," with 151,249 citizens joining. This information was announced by the press service of the National Bank. It is worth noting that the self-restriction mechanism came into effect on November 1, 2024. Its purpose is to reduce instances of fraud and protect the population from the illegal acquisition of loans without their consent.

Bakyt Torobaev instructed to check the finances of "Electric Stations"

During a meeting of the Ministry of Energy's board, Bakyt Torobaev, Deputy Prime Minister, raised a question regarding the losses of JSC "Electric Stations" for the past year, despite the transfer of the Bishkek CHPP to the management of the city administration. The company's General Director, Alpbek Sadyrov, noted that in the first half of 2025, "Electric Stations" showed a profit; however, the financial results for the entire year turned out to be negative due to

The trading volume of the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange soared to 220 billion soms

At a press conference held on January 23, 2026, the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) presented the results of its activities for the past year, which was a record year for the platform. The total trading volume for 2025 amounted to 219.7 billion soms, nearly doubling the figures from 2024. The KSE index increased by 54.76%, and the market capitalization reached 219.6 billion soms.

In Kyrgyzstan, the tax on banking transactions has been reduced

The tax rate on transfers through foreign banks has been reduced from 0.2% to 0.1% The State Tax Service of Kyrgyzstan has announced a reduction in the tax on transactions conducted through banks in other countries. The new rate is 0.1% compared to the previous 0.2%.

In 2025, bailiffs collected 1.5 billion soms in favor of the state.

As a result of the work of the bailiff service, which has been under the management of the General Prosecutor's Office since last year, state revenue increased by 1.5 billion soms in 2025. This information was announced by representatives of the agency. According to the provided data, in 2024, the amount of collections was 633 million 271 thousand 231 soms, while in 2025 this figure rose to 1 billion 62 million 228 thousand 280 soms.

Kyrgyzstanis Mostly Work Informally. What Reforms Could Change the Situation?

In 2025, the IMF released an analytical report on the labor market in Kyrgyzstan, highlighting its problems and possible solutions. Kaktus.media spoke with one of the report's authors, Farid Talyshly, who discussed key trends and vulnerabilities, as well as necessary changes to create a more flexible and convenient employment system for workers and employers.

Project "Zheneke": Alina Azimova, falling in love in Russia, moved to the Issyk-Ata district and got a job on her father-in-law's recommendation.

Continuing the "Жеңеке" section, we share stories about the lives of young brides and experienced daughters-in-law. Our project emphasizes the importance of family values and reveals the talents of married women. Alina, who found her love in Russia, became the head of the library on the recommendation of her father-in-law.

Sadyr Japarov held a meeting with the heads of major construction companies in Kyrgyzstan

- During the meeting organized in a question-and-answer format, important aspects related to the fulfillment of obligations by developers and the need to improve the regulatory framework for the construction industry were discussed. The President emphasized the necessity of good faith activities by construction companies, highlighting the importance of transparency and honesty in their work. He noted that violations of obligations to citizens are unacceptable and provided examples of specific

Bishkek's Weekend Agenda: Workshops, Concerts, and Performances

Theatrical Events January 24. Performance "Star Nomads" This journey explores time, memory, and the human path. The new work by the independent theater "Place D..." creates a philosophical and poetic narrative that examines how the past and future connect in the search for meaning. The production was developed in collaboration with German directors Danila Korogodsky and Eberhard Keller. "Theater 705", starting at 19:00. January 24. Evening of Ballet The evening

Which countries did not meet the electricity import plan to Kyrgyzstan

According to the Ministry of Energy, in 2025, Kyrgyzstan imported 3.885 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. However, planned deliveries were only fulfilled by 89-90%, which means a shortfall of 499 million kilowatt-hours. The General Director of JSC "NESK" Ilgiz Sydygaliev announced information about electricity shortfalls by country:

"Nowhere to Place a Foot". A Bishkek Resident Complains About the Lack of Buses in the City

Butter vs. Vegetable Oil: Which is Actually Healthier?

Butter is gaining popularity again, and among its supporters are often well-known personalities, including bloggers and politicians, who criticize vegetable oils. For example, Dr. Paul Saladino calls them the "main dietary villain," while U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. shares similar concerns. However, many nutrition experts disagree with such claims. Professor Thomas Sanders from King's College London emphasizes that randomized clinical trials regularly show that

World Bank: Over 2 Years, 10% of Budget Funds Saved in Kyrgyzstan Thanks to Public Procurement

According to Felipe Goya, the regional manager of the World Bank for procurement in Europe and Central Asia, competitive procurement in Kyrgyzstan has already proven its effectiveness. Currently, the electronic state procurement system in the country brings together more than 3,700 customers and over 40,000 suppliers, creating an effective platform for centralized procurement. According to the World Bank, in 2024 and 2025, it is expected that competitive procurement will save about 10% of

In Suzak, a suspect in fraud has been detained

A 43-year-old man has been detained in Suzak on suspicion of fraud. This was reported by the press service of the Internal Affairs Department of the Jalal-Abad region on January 23. According to the regional police, on January 14, 2026, a citizen identified as J.S., born in 1984, filed a complaint with the Suzak District Internal Affairs Department. He stated that in September 2025, a citizen identified as J.H. took 97 heads of small livestock from his farm, valuing each sheep at 33,000 soms,

The Prosecutor's Office Returned 197 Hectares of Illegally Privatized Land to the State

In the Ton district, the prosecutor's office identified serious violations in the distribution of agricultural land. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, during the inspection, it was established that in 2007-2008, plots totaling 196.83 hectares were illegally transferred into private ownership by the local self-government bodies of Ulahol, Ak-Terek, Mambetov, and the former Ton (now Kun-Chygysh) rural administration. These lands were removed from the state fund without

Kyrgyzstan has entered the top three leaders in apple imports from Uzbekistan, - Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan

According to information provided by the National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan ranked third among the countries importing apples from Uzbekistan. From January to November 2025, Uzbekistan exported 25.5 thousand tons of apples, generating revenue of $13.2 million. Of this amount, 1.3 thousand tons were supplied specifically to Kyrgyzstan. Thus, the republic ranked third in import volume, behind Kazakhstan (12.2 thousand tons) and Russia (11.3 thousand tons).

Amazon plans a new round of employee layoffs

According to Reuters, Amazon, one of the leading online retailers in the world, may announce a new round of layoffs as early as next week. Sources familiar with the situation claim that the company intends to cut about 30,000 corporate employees. Recall that in October, it became known about Amazon's plans to conduct the largest wave of layoffs in three years, during which the company announced the reduction of 14,000 employees to optimize business processes.

Nearly 79 thousand people applied for driver's license replacements

From January 15 to 21, 2026, a total of 78,959 applications were registered as part of the initiative to exchange indefinite driver's licenses for new samples. This became known on January 23 after a review of the work of the department of the State Agency "Unaa," where the replacement process is taking place. Citizens submitted applications in two formats:

Driving on summer tires — involved in an accident: A warning to drivers

On the night of January 22 to 23, four road traffic accidents occurred in the Jalal-Abad region, resulting in seven people seeking medical assistance. This information was announced by the department for road safety in the region.