News

After nine days on the run, a two-year-old wolf named Neukgu that escaped its enclosure at the O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, was safely captured on April 17 following multiple failed attempts, according to the BBC.

According to a Facebook post by Daejeon city authorities, the wolf is recovering after treatment at a veterinary hospital. It also lost some weight and appeared to have fed on something. Moreover, a fishing hook was discovered and removed via endoscopy. The animal will be monitored for about a week for infectious diseases.

Authorities...

More than four months after a devastating fire struck a residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, former residents are preparing to return briefly to their homes to recover personal belongings, Reuters reported.

The blaze, which occurred in late November, destroyed multiple high-rise towers, killed 168 people and displaced over 4,000 residents. Many have not been able the opportunity to visit their damaged apartments until now, but will soon be granted access. Between April 20 and May 4, all residents will be given a three-hour window to recover essential items such as cash, family photographs and other...

The Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK), a subsidiary of Baiterek Holding, may finance two rare earth metal mining projects, Baiterek Managing Director Aidyn Akan told reporters on the sidelines of the MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 forum.

Read also: US moves to counter China on minerals with new Kazakhstan pact.

Akan said Baiterek financed $2.5 billion in mining projects in 2025, out of a total loan portfolio of approximately $20 billion.

Read also: The US and Kazakhstan eye billions in landmark tungsten deal.

He...

Belarus has adopted a law introducing administrative penalties for what it describes as the «propaganda» of LGBT+ people, gender reassignment and voluntary childlessness. The measure was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Alexander Lukashenko, according to state news agency BELTA.

What the law says

The legislation adds Article 19.16 to the Code of Administrative Offenses. It establishes liability for what authorities define as the «propaganda of homosexual relations, gender reassignment, childlessness and pedophilia.»

The ban covers the dissemination of information that presents such topics as attractive.

Penalties

Individuals can face fines...

The Republic of Moldova will officially withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States on April 8, 2027 — 12 months after notifying the organization’s secretariat in Minsk, the country’s Foreign Ministry said.

Reasons for withdrawal

The ministry said that, in practical terms, Moldova has long functioned as only a nominal member of the CIS, having avoided participation in political and other activities that do not align with its interests for several years.

Officials added that the decision reflects concerns that key CIS principles — including respect for territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders...

Berlin could reward tourists for picking up litter or supporting city initiatives, according to Die Welt.

The project is called BerlinPay and is planned for launch this summer. The idea is simple — visitors receive rewards for doing something beneficial for the city. These could include perks from partner businesses or special local experiences.

The focus is on activities in and around waterways. Tourists are encouraged to collect litter, help with beautification, and participate in social projects.

The initiative is currently seeking partner businesses connected to Berlin’s waterways, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural and educational institutions...

After reports of a possible visit by Shakira and Eminem to Almaty circulated online, concert organizer Alexey Puchkov shared details about the artists’ requirements and the status of negotiations.

Read also: J.Lo’s Almaty diary: Locusts for me, beshbarmak for the band.

According to Puchkov, talks with Shakira have been ongoing for some time, but no confirmed offers have been made. He shared a screenshot of correspondence with Tony Goldring, indicating that the singer’s performance fee for Kazakhstan is estimated at $7.5 million.

Shakira’s management also requires a venue with...

Japan is preparing to relax its long-standing restrictions on arms exports, drawing interest from countries seeking alternatives to U.S. weapons supplies, Reuters reported.

The policy shift, expected to be formally adopted soon, is part of efforts by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government to strengthen the country’s defense industry and expand its role in global security cooperation. Although Japan has largely stayed out of international arms markets since World War II, it produces advanced military equipment, including submarines and fighter jets, and has increased its defense budget this year.

The move comes as U.S. allies look to...

Residents of the Khorazm and Bukhara regions have shared videos of a powerful dust storm. The footage shows strong winds lifting dust into a fog-like layer along the ground. The sky is completely obscured and visibility is severely reduced.

A dust storm was also reported in the city of Urgench. A driver showed footage of his vehicle moving through a brown haze. Notably, Uzbekistan’s Hydrometeorological Service forecast

Citizens of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to enter one of Europe’s most well-known military museums.

Read also: Kusama in Kazakhstan: New Almaty museum unveils modern art Mecca.

The Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung museum in the German city of Koblenz has imposed strict entry restrictions on residents of several countries.

The museum administration said the decision is not based on discretion but on legal requirements. According to an official statement, the ban is tied to military security rules and applies to citizens of countries included on a designated list.

A social media trend dubbed «becoming Chinese» is drawing global attention, as young people share videos showcasing elements of Chinese culture in their daily lives. Posts featuring habits such as drinking hot water, eating traditional foods, or praising China’s infrastructure have gained millions of views online, The Associated Press reported.

The trend reflects a broader rise in China’s soft power, though it differs from long-standing government-led efforts. Instead, the recent online phenomenon appears to be more organic, spreading through entertainment, consumer products and everyday cultural practices.

Air New Zealand is set to make its long-haul flights more comfortable, allowing passengers to sleep not just in seats but in beds. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at when the new option will be available on board and how much it will cost.

The sleeping accommodation, called Economy Skynest, resembles bunk beds on a sleeper train. The facility is planned to debut in November 2026 aboard the company’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with bookings available starting May 18.

Skynest features six lie-flat pods and is located between the economy and premium economy...

Two men from New Jersey have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a scheme that helped North Korean operatives infiltrate U.S. companies and generate around $5 million, according to CNN.

Zhenxing «Danny» Wang, 39, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, while Kejia «Tony» Wang, 42, received a nine-year sentence from a federal court in Boston for their involvement in a large-scale fraud operation. Both men facilitated overseas technology workers in securing jobs at major U.S. companies through so-called «laptop farms» operated from their homes.

These setups involved company-issued computers that allowed remote workers to...

At a Senate briefing, reporters asked Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov about losses suffered by Kazakhstani businessmen due to the ongoing war in the Middle East. He said that many business projects are currently on hold.

Issetov said that Kazakhstani entrepreneurs are currently in a wait-and-see approach but did not name specific projects.

«We had grain supplies. There were projects on mutual exchange of food products. These are likely on hold,» the deputy minister said in general terms.

In response to a question about financial and investment losses due to the war, Issetov said there...

Fans of James McAvoy are actively discussing his appearance after a video posted on social media.

The actor was speaking about the film “California Schemin’,” his directorial debut. But that’s not what caught viewers’ attention. Many noticed his gray hair and wrinkles.

Reactions online

The comments were mixed. Some said McAvoy looked noticeably older, while others joked that it was just another «personality,» similar to his role in “Split.”

Kazakhstan has significantly strengthened veterinary controls along its borders with China and Russia following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture said.

Kazakhstan rejects claims of cross-border spread

Vice Minister of Agriculture Amangali Berdalin dismissed reports suggesting the disease may have spread to China from Kazakhstan.

«To date, the ministry has not received any official notifications from Chinese authorities that the disease could have spread from Kazakhstan,» Berdalin said. «Such information has not been confirmed.»

Outbreak reported in western China

In...

On April 15, the Foreign Ministries of Azerbaijan and Russia made a joint statement regarding the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Flight 8243 crash.

«In accordance with agreements between the Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation during their meeting in Dushanbe on 9 October 2025, the Parties have reached an appropriate settlement of the consequences, including the issue of payment of compensation in connection with the crash of the Embraer 190 airplane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) near the city of Aktau on 25 December 2024, resulting from the unintended...

China is once again reshaping the global auto industry — this time in steering technology, according to CarNewsChina.

An updated national standard set to take effect July 1, 2026, will allow automakers to use fully electronic steer-by-wire systems. In practical terms, this means a vehicle’s steering wheel no longer needs a mechanical connection to the wheels — a significant shift the country is making deliberately.

End of mechanical backup requirement

China currently requires electronic steering systems to include a mechanical backup. The new standard removes that requirement.

Instead, it introduces detailed technical rules governing electronic systems, including functional...

Almaty appears to be finding new ways to make everyday life more engaging: visitors can now go to a café or restaurant not only for coffee or dinner, but also for an impromptu art experience. Without planning ahead, diners may simply sit down and find an original painting hanging nearby.

Artist Yevgeniy Fridlin, whose work is increasingly featured in the interiors of Almaty’s restaurants and cafés, said the concept is far from new. He notes that displaying art in dining spaces dates back to the era of Post-Impressionism.

From Zurich to a global trend

A major...

Gulaiym Rakhmonova, the former wife of renowned Kazakhstani UFC fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, gave a candid interview on the YouTube channel of host Ruslan Otepbai, detailing a family conflict, a property dispute and the reasons behind their divorce.

Read also: How Russian comedian dodged a sparring session with Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Rakhmonova said discussions about a prenuptial agreement began shortly after a family trip to Dubai in spring 2025, with the athlete initiating the idea. She said she initially reacted with irony but later agreed to sign the document.

Under the agreement, each...

Disney-owned 20th Century Studios is set to adapt «99 Nights in the Forest,» a popular Roblox game, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The project is currently in early development, with no director or writer on board. Developers Alec Kieft, Matthew Hufton and Cameron Angland will act as executive producers.

«99 Nights in the Forest» is a Roblox survival-action game where players must survive 99 nights in a haunted forest, rescue missing children, and defend against monsters in the darkness.

Less than a year after release, the game has become one of the...

Amazon Inc., an American multinational technology company, plans to expand its satellite communications business by acquiring the US-based satellite telecommunications company Globalstar, the BBC reported.

The $11.5 billion deal aims to strengthen the tech giant’s position in the growing market for space-based internet and mobile services. Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit satellite initiative, Project Leo, intends to deploy a next-generation network by 2028, and the acquisition supports its long-term growth strategy.

The move brings Amazon into closer competition with Starlink, launched by Elon Musk in 2019. Starlink currently has a significant lead, with more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and over...

American content creator Ramsey Khalid Ismael, known online as Johnny Somali, was sentenced to six months in prison by a South Korean court after being convicted of multiple offenses, including public-order violations and distributing sexually explicit deepfake videos, the BBC reported.

The case drew widespread attention after Ismael posted a video of himself desecrating the Statue of Peace, a memorial commemorating victims of Japan’s wartime «comfort women» system — women and girls subjected to sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II — in October 2024.

Ismael faced charges filed in November...

In the first quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan’s National Fund, a sovereign wealth fund financed by oil revenues, received 784 billion tenge (about $1.6 billion) from oil companies — an increase of 162 billion tenge compared with the previous year. However, the additional revenue did not offset the 800 billion tenge withdrawn from the fund.

Limited impact of high oil prices

During a recent briefing following a government meeting, journalists asked about the impact of high oil prices on the lives of Kazakhstanis.

The Ministry of Finance said the primary beneficiary of rising oil prices was the National Fund...