Kazakhstan’s international reserves including the gold reserves of the National Bank and the National Fund’s assets increased by 7.3 percent to $102.481 billion in January-December 2014, Kazakh National Bank reported. Source: http://www.azernews.az

Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry has pinpointed a possible cause of the mysterious “sleeping illness” that has gripped a small village, causing sufferers to fall asleep for no apparent reason. Source: http://www.themoscowtimes.com

The ninth stage of the Africa Eco Race-2015 has finished on January 8, in Akjoujt, Mauritania. Source: en.tengrinews.kz

Philadelphia startup SpotItBuyIt is trying to help its clients turn Instagram accounts into mobile e-commerce engines, the Philadelphia Daily News Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and its financial-services affiliate have agreed to invest $575 million to jointly in India’s One97 Communications Ltd.’s Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Starbucks, which for the moment is still the reigning king of U.S. mobile payments, also turns out to be one of the kings of holiday shopping time. The company Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Apple Pay is heading north, with a Canadian launch planned for early 2015, according to sources cited by 9to5 Mac. The same sources note that Apple and Source: http://www.pymnts.com

This is every retailer’s dream. Cozied up by the fireplace with a cup of coffee, Sarah reaches across the table — over the iPad, past the smartphone and far Source: http://www.pymnts.com

Last week, I was given a copy of the UBS report on Apple Pay. It claims that the launch of Apple Pay has accelerated the efforts of the retailers to join forces Source: http://www.pymnts.com

USC provides a detailed infographic of the history of patent law. Source: http://www.lotempiolaw.com