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Overnight Israeli airstrikes targeting senior Iranian officials have killed Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani and Basij militia leader Gholamreza Soleimani, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said, according to Reuters.

If confirmed, Larijani would be the highest-ranking Iranian official killed since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on Feb. 28 during the first day of joint Israeli-U.S. airstrikes.

The conflict, involving the three countries, has lasted three weeks and has already killed at least 2,000 people. The active exchange of strikes, as well as missile and drone attacks by Iran on Gulf nations has also caused disruptions to shipping...

International ride-hailing service inDrive acquired Pakistani quick-commerce startup Krave Mart in an all-stock deal, TechCrunch reported.

TechCrunch said the deal was agreed to in 2025 and approved by Pakistan’s Competition Commission. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition supports inDrive’s strategy to become a SuperApp as it expands beyond ride-hailing into grocery delivery and other services.

inDrive partnered with Krave Mart to expand its grocery delivery service to Pakistan in January 2026, after launching the service in Kazakhstan in September 2025.

In November 2023, inDrive launched its venture arm and invested in...

In September 2025, Kaspi.kz sold Portmone Group, the owner of the payment service of the same name in Ukraine, which Kaspi had acquired in 2021. Although no details of the deal were disclosed, it is known that the Kazakh fintech company did not earn much from the sale. This information was disclosed in Kaspi’s 2025 annual report.

According to Kaspi.kz, Portmone’s net assets approximated the fair value of the consideration received, meaning the deal was neither profitable nor unprofitable.

In 2021, Forbes Ukraine reported that the acquisition of Portmone could have cost Kaspi.kz approximately $15 million.

At...

Following the release of the Galaxy Z TriFold in December, Samsung has reportedly suspended sales of its foldable device in South Korea, Yonhap reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the sources, the move reflects the high manufacturing cost of the smartphone, even though demand was strong. They also said that rising global memory chip prices further complicated the situation.

Yonhap further quoted other insiders, saying that the device served more as a showcase of Samsung’s technological competitiveness than as a mass-market product.

The device, launched in South Korea on Dec. 12 with...

Flightradar24, a popular flight-tracking service founded by Swedes Mikael Robertsson and Olov Lindberg, began as a small experiment in 2006. Although it has long been popular, the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran, which caused flight disruptions across the Middle East, has turned it into a necessity, Euronews reported.

Temporary air travel restrictions have been introduced by several countries in the region, as Iran began launching missiles and drones at U.S. allies, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in response to missile attacks on its territory and the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The new Constitution of Kazakhstan, approved in a March 15, 2026 referendum, has been adopted, Central Election Commission Chairman Nurlan Abdirov stated during a session in Astana on March 17 announcing the results. These results are identical to preliminary data reported by the commission on March 16.

A majority of voters, 87.1%, approved the proposed amendments in the referendum, while 898,099 citizens voted against them. The total number of voters was 9.1 million, with 7.9 million voting «yes.» Separately, 127,868 ballots were recognized as spoiled.

«Therefore, the referendum results have been declared...

A popular mobile app designed to help people overcome pornography addiction exposed the sensitive data of more than 600,000 users due to a basic security flaw, according to a report by 404 Media.

The compromised data includes highly personal information about users’ sexual habits. Among those affected are more than 100,000 minors, whose private disclosures about pornography use and masturbation could be at risk of exposure.

Simple flaw enabled access

The vulnerability allowed virtually anyone to access the database by simply «authorizing» themselves — without the need for advanced tools or hacking expertise.

King Felipe VI of Spain has acknowledged abuses committed during the country’s colonial era, though the Spanish monarchy has never formally apologized to former colonies, Reuters reported.

During a visit to Madrid’s Museum of Archaeology on Monday, the king addressed Spain’s colonial legacy. He discussed the gap between the aims of colonial laws and their outcomes, noting that while the laws «wanted to protect,» in practice, «things didn’t work out as they were originally intended and there was a lot of abuse.»

The remarks referred to Spain’s colonial period between the 16th and 18th centuries, when it ruled one...

Christian Berçaïts, the mayor of the French commune of Viodos-Abense-de-Bas in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, was found dead after losing the first round of municipal elections, according to Le Figaro.

Disappearance after results announced

Berçaïts reportedly disappeared on the evening of March 15, shortly after the election results were announced. According to first-round results, his opponent received 55.5% of the vote.

Read also: The human cost of NAFTA: New study links trade shocks to US deaths.

After learning of his loss, Berçaïts left the polling station and did not respond to calls...

Kazakhstan is experiencing a dynamic surge in food and beverage production. Government forecasts anticipate food production volume to hit a remarkable 4.7 trillion tenge (approx. $9.7 billion) by the end of 2026.

Beverage sector expansion

Coca-Cola Almaty Bottlers is poised to drive growth in the beverage sector. The company plans an ambitious increase in soft drink production — from 4.3 billion liters to 6.7 billion liters, marking a 55% surge.

The company is investing 42 billion tenge ($84 million) in a state-of-the-art plant in western Kazakhstan to power this expansion.

Coca-Cola Almaty Bottlers is owned...

After winter, some people complain of fatigue, dry skin, brittle hair and general weakness. Certain vitamin deficiencies may indeed be more common at the end of winter.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common worldwide. The vitamin is produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, and ultraviolet radiation levels drop significantly in winter, especially in northern regions.

Read also: Curdled pre-workout? The science behind the viral energy drink yogurt hack.

Low vitamin D levels can cause fatigue, muscle weakness and bone pain.

About...

We hope that women will have a better chance than men of being elected UN secretary-general this year. At least for now, there are more female candidates in the race.

Three more nominees have joined the first two candidates we reported on earlier.

Argentina’s Virginia Gamba was formally nominated by the Republic of Maldives on March 11, 2026. A veteran strategist, Gamba recently served as the UN Under-Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (2017-2025) and previously led the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism in Syria.

Her vision statement, “Rebuilding Credibility Through Action,” emphasizes transforming the UN...

Kazakhstan has not abandoned its neutral and peace-oriented stance regarding the conflict in the Middle East and views dual power as a dangerous factor that can undermine stability, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said March 15 during a briefing for domestic and international media following the national referendum on a draft new Constitution.

«We have always advocated that all conflicts be resolved through peaceful, diplomatic means. This position of ours remains unchanged,» Tokayev said.

He noted that the conflict in the Middle East has multiple causes and said he had recently...

A remarkable incident in China resembled news reporting from the future. Police had to intervene in a conflict between a human and a robot.

The incident took place in Macau, near a residential complex in the Patane district, according to the South China Morning Post. Authorities said an elderly woman was standing on a sidewalk, looking at her phone, when she suddenly noticed a humanoid robot behind her. It frightened the resident, and in response, she started shouting and waving a bag at the offender.

The woman can be seen arguing with the robot in a...

Kazakhstanis who attempt to sell their organs most often do so through social media platforms and messaging apps, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in response to an inquiry from Kursiv.media.

«Most cases involve attempts to illegally sell kidneys, since this organ is frequently in demand for transplant operations,» the ministry said.

Penalties for illegal organ trade

The agency noted that coercion to remove human organs or tissues, as well as their illegal removal, is a serious criminal offense under Article 116 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code.

Read also:

InDrive CEO Arsen Tomsky said the company’s revenue grew by 31% last year compared with 2024, reaching $601.6 million.

In an interview with Reuters, Tomsky said profitability per ride has improved after several years of rapid expansion. The privately held U.S.-based company is now seeking to expand its business in developing markets through new acquisitions. Over the past two years, InDrive has acquired online grocery delivery services in Pakistan and Kazakhstan, he added.

«Gradually, through these purchases, we are entering this new sphere,» Tomsky said.

Unlike Uber and Grab, InDrive allows drivers and passengers...

«Interstellar» and «Miss Sloane» star Jessica Chastain unexpectedly drew the attention of Kazakhstani social media users after posting a video to Instagram using the track «GO!» by Kazakh rapper Alikhat Tanatarov, who performs under the name hatikoali.

In the video, the actress poses in a gown while the song plays in the background. The post was dedicated to Chastain’s styling team. «Shout out glam team for doing the lord’s work,» she wrote.

The fleet of electric vehicles continues to grow in Kazakhstan. Currently, more than 21,000 EVs are registered in the country. In the last year alone, their number increased significantly, 24KZ reported, citing Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics.

Electric cars are getting more popular

According to the latest data, the number of electric cars in Kazakhstan increased by roughly 80% over the past year. Several years ago, even in major cities, electric vehicles were a rare sight, but interest in them is now steadily growing.

Experts note that since 2019, Kazakhstan imported around 1,000 EVs annually...

Abiqua Falls, a popular Oregon waterfall, may soon become public land after state lawmakers agreed to fund its purchase from a private nonprofit, The Associated Press reported.

The 28-meter waterfall is located about 30 miles east of Salem and 50 miles south of Portland. It can be reached by driving along an unpaved road and then hiking a steep trail. Mount Angel Abbey purchased the site in 1908, and in 2002, it was transferred to the Abbey Foundation of Oregon, a nonprofit that supports the Benedictine monastery.

Although the organization had long allowed visitors to access the landmark...

Kazakh economist Rassul Rysmambetov said the tenge could remain in the range of 490-510 per U.S. dollar if global oil prices stay above $100 per barrel amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

Read also: How $100 oil could pay for Kazakhstan’s nuclear future.

According to Rysmambetov, Iran has previously signaled that it would welcome oil prices rising as high as $200 per barrel — a scenario that, from a purely economic perspective, could benefit oil-exporting countries such as Kazakhstan.

«At the policy level, Astana could...

“Scream 7” has set a franchise record at the box office. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at how much the new installment of the iconic slasher has grossed.

According to Paramount, the global box office has reached $176.9 million, allowing the latest movie to surpass the franchise’s previous record holders. “Scream” (1996) generated $173 million and “Scream 2” (1997) earned $172 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Of the total, $106.5 million came from domestic box office sales in the U.S., with $70.4 million earned internationally. According to the online ticketing platform Freedom Ticketon, the movie earned...

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but key allies, including Japan and Australia, say they have no plans to deploy naval vessels to the region, Reuters reported.

Trump said countries that rely on energy supplies from the Persian Gulf should help protect the narrow shipping route, which carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments. His request comes as tensions in the Middle East remain high amid the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. has...

Paul Thomas Anderson’s film «One Battle After Another,» starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, won best picture at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday. It is the director’s first Oscar after many years of critical acclaim, the Associated Press reported.

The film, which tells a multi-generational American story about political resistance, won six awards overall. These included best director and best adapted screenplay for Anderson, best supporting actor for Sean Penn and the Academy’s first award for best casting. DiCaprio, despite playing the film’s lead role, did not win any awards this time.

Michael B. Jordan won best...

Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission has announced preliminary results from the referendum on the new Constitution — 87.1% of voters supported the proposed amendments, committee chairman Nurlan Abdirov stated.

At the same time, 898,099 citizens voted against the amendments.

Overall, 9,127,192 people participated in the referendum, with 7,954,667 voting in favor of the new Constitution.

On March 16, 2026, representatives of the CIS Observer Mission and heads of delegations of the central election authorities of foreign countries, who monitored the voting process at the referendum, will speak at the Central Election Commission.

Context

According to an exit poll by the...