Just off Michigan’s northern coast, Mackinac Island offers a glimpse into a slower, car-free way of life that has endured for more than a century, the BBC reports. Home to around 600 year-round residents and an equal number of horses, this 3.8-square kilometer island in Lake Huron has prohibited motor…
On the frozen surface of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, Russian blogger and photographer Daria Bulaeva and her fiancé celebrated a spectacular wedding inspired by the hit series «Game of Thrones.» The ceremony took place on the ice and evoked the grandeur of Westeros royalty. The couple and their guests…
For decades, scientists have debated whether willpower is an exhaustible resource or a renewable skill. The concept of ego depletion, introduced by psychologist Roy Baumeister, suggested that self-control draws from a limited mental energy pool. In his classic experiments, participants who resisted eating cookies later showed less persistence on unrelated…
It is now permitted to work longer than usual in Greece. The country’s parliament has approved a bill enabling employers to set a 13-hour workday, the Athens News Agency reported. Under the new rules, an extended workday will be allowed only three times a month and up to 37 times…
A museum in Wiesbaden, Germany, has seen a surge in visitors after Taylor Swift’s new music video spotlighted «Ophelia,» a painting on display there, the BBC reported. Museum staff reported that crowds flocked in over the weekend as fans arrived to admire Friedrich Heyser’s early 1900s painting. It appears at…
Erlan Kozhasbay, owner of the Gorelnik Visit Center, announced on Threads the completion of a new pedestrian suspension bridge, Arman-Köpir, in the Gorelnik Gorge in Almaty, noting that he had «dreamed of building a bridge — and has done it.» Arman-Köpir is a modern 77-meter suspension bridge connecting the slopes…
«Good Boy,» a new supernatural horror movie, is quickly becoming one of fall’s breakout horror surprises. Directed by Ben Leonberg, the film debuted at SXSW in March 2025 and was released in the U.S. on Oct. 3. Despite its modest $990,000 budget, the movie has earned strong box-office returns and…
«The Shadow’s Edge,» the latest action thriller by martial arts legend Jackie Chan, is performing well at the box office, earning positive audience feedback and strong ticket sales, according to MovieWeb. Directed by Larry Yang and inspired by the 2007 Hong Kong film “Eye in the Sky,” the movie centers…
Alfiya Nurgumarova, CEO of First Media Group, the organization behind recent J.Lo and Backstreet Boys concerts in Kazakhstan, took part in a local podcast on the IZI Talk YouTube channel. The producer behind large-scale concerts with international stars shared backstage stories about organizing such events in Kazakhstan. She paid special…
A wedding is one of life’s most significant milestones. Couples across the globe spend months or even years planning their big day. But how much does it actually cost to say «I do»? Prices vary dramatically. In some countries, a wedding can cost nearly as much as an apartment. In…
A boy from Uzbekistan who didn’t manage to attend the Kairat vs. Real Madrid match received a ball signed by Real Madrid and Chelsea legend Claude Makélélé, delivered by Uzbek businessmen. The story of a boy and his father who arrived in Almaty for the legendary match tugged at the…
A new attraction for thrill-seekers has opened in China’s Guizhou Province: a dizzying 625-meter bungee jump from the Huajiang Canyon Bridge, which soars above the canyon. Promoted as one of the world’s most extreme sites, it draws adventurers worldwide. The price per jump is reportedly about $400. Organizers said that…
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has revealed the reason behind his icy swim in Lake Kolsai, located in southeastern Kazakhstan, during his journey around the country’s landmarks. The businessman posted a video in his Stories on his Russian-language Telegram channel, where he is seen walking into the water to remove a…
Utility workers in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, have begun spreading poison to kill rats near residential areas and public spaces, prompting concern about visible red granules in easily accessible locations. Residents are concerned that stray animals, birds, and children could be exposed to the poison, which has also been found…
Jade Henderson, a 32-year-old bodybuilder from Australia, broke the Guinness World Record by doing 733 pull-ups in one hour. She beat the previous record of 725, which Eva Clarke set in 2016, according to the United Press International. During her record attempt, Henderson averaged over 12 pull-ups each minute. She…
The mountains around Almaty in Kazakhstan have seen the installation of the country’s first ascent counter. The automated ascent counter was installed on the summit of Big Almaty Peak at an altitude of 3,680 meters. Its purpose is to collect data on tourism activity by tracking how many people climb…
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), noting that they have developed a new form of molecular architecture. The unique materials discovered by the scientists are capable of…
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou Province, China, is the world’s highest bridge, with its deck rising 625 meters. In addition to its impressive height, the bridge spans nearly 3 kilometers, with a main span of 1,420 meters, according to the Guardian. The bridge links the Liuzhi Special District…
More people are trying cold-water swimming and ice baths to improve their health and mood naturally. Many enthusiasts report feeling mental and physical benefits, but experts caution that these activities pose real risks if not done safely, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Mark Harper, an anesthesiologist who researches cold-water…
American rapper and producer Sean Combs, known as Diddy (also referred to as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy), seems to have decided to waste no time and immediately reached for the top in seeking a presidential pardon. According to TMZ, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the artist had asked…
Spotify, a Swedish audio streaming service, has announced a new partnership with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. According to the New Musical Express, this collaboration provides users with access to AI-powered recommendations for music and podcasts. Now, both Premium and Free subscribers will be able to connect their Spotify accounts to ChatGPT, allowing…
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé brought up his recent trip to Kazakhstan, reacting to a post by his clubmate Arda Güler on Instagram. The Turkish midfielder posted a photo from the jet after the match against Kairat in Almaty, showing Güler himself and a sleeping Mbappé. In the Sept. 30…
Kairat head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin shared his thoughts on the luxurious gifts presented to the club’s goalkeepers following recent high-profile matches. Urazbakhtin said that football is a team sport, and any support should be directed to the club as a whole, not to individual players. «In my opinion, if they…
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” exploded onto the scene, smashing multiple music industry records within just 24 hours of its release, according to Euronews. According to data from Luminate, the pop star’s 12th studio album soared to 2.7 million copies sold in the U.S. on its…
