News

Belarus is set to establish its embassy in North Korea by August 1, according to the Belarusian government press service.

The resolution was signed on April 8 by Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin. According to the statement, the development comes as a fulfillment of President Alexander Lukashenko’s official visit to Pyongyang in late March.

On March 25 and 26, Lukashenko made an official visit to North Korea, where he held talks with its leader Kim Jong‑un and signed the bilateral «friendship and cooperation» treaty.

Separately, North Korea and China resumed passenger train...

Jasveen Sangha, known as the «Ketamine Queen,» has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for supplying drugs linked to the death of actor Matthew Perry, the BBC reported.

The 42-year-old woman pleaded guilty in September to multiple charges, including distributing ketamine resulting in death or serious injury. Authorities said she sold drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax to a network of wealthy clients from her North Hollywood home in Los Angeles.

Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on «Friends,» was found dead in a hot tub at his LA residence in October...

Shymbulak Mountain Resort is set to say a vivid goodbye to the winter season. On April 12, the facility will hold a traditional end-of-season party.

Guests are invited to change their ski masks for sunglasses and warm coats for swimsuits and shorts. The program includes a mass downhill in bright costumes, pool jumps right on the slope, DJ sets and gifts from partners.

Kazakhstan’s oil and gas companies are gradually increasing their use of locally sourced materials and suppliers, though progress remains uneven.

A former manager at Tengizchevroil (TCO) says internal concerns — including fear of lobbying accusations and inflated pricing by domestic producers — continue to slow broader adoption.

Former TCO manager outlines concerns

A LinkedIn post by former TCO employee Timur Tashmukhambetov, first highlighted by the PACE Telegram channel, detailed the challenges.

According to his profile, Tashmukhambetov spent 10 years as a project manager at TCO.

He said major oil and gas operators in Kazakhstan often rely...

The British car market — long considered conservative and loyal to European brands — has delivered a surprise. In March 2026, a Chinese car topped U.K. sales rankings for the first time. The Jaecoo 7 crossover outsold major market players such as Ford and Nissan, setting a new record for Chinese brands, according to Carscoops.

How the «Mini Range» beat its competitors

March is traditionally the most important month for car dealers in the U.K. due to the registration plate change, and the Jaecoo 7 achieved its remarkable success during this period, with over 10,000 units registered. It...

Cases of animal cruelty have increased in Kazakhstan, with several disturbing incidents reported in recent weeks.

Last week, a video circulated on social media showing a woman brutally beating a chained dog with a shovel. In another case in March, residents in Almaty’s Alatau district discovered eight skinned dog carcasses in a courtyard. Earlier in 2026, a schoolgirl was filmed attempting to throw a cat out of an open window.

Psychologist points to root causes

Practicing psychologist Olga Tretyakova said the reasons for such behavior vary but share a common thread: perpetrators are often...

The educational program AI Leaders 2026 launched in Kazakhstan, bringing together over 150 organizations across the country and the region to send their top executives for AI training.

The project is implemented by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development jointly with the Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute, OpenAI Academy, and Silkroad Innovation Hub.

The ministry’s press service said the course unites Stanford’s academic expertise and OpenAI Academy’s technologies and aims to enable executives to apply their knowledge in business and public administration, developing their own AI strategies for companies.

Who takes part

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture has signaled it may review Enrique Iglesias’ upcoming performances for compliance with national traditions and legislation, focusing in part on the singer’s onstage interactions with fans.

Read also: Too hot for Kazakhstan? J. Lo’s revealing outfits spark backlash.

Vice Minister of Culture Kanat Iskakov told reporters on the sidelines of Parliament that the ministry will monitor adherence to ethical standards during the concerts.

«We will discuss this with our colleagues to ensure there are no actions that violate our laws or conflict with our traditions...

A growing “religious illiteracy” in the West is distorting geopolitical strategy and undermining internal social cohesion, Christiaan Alting von Geusau argues in a recent analysis.

Following the 2026 military escalation between Israel, the U.S., and Iran, von Geusau claims Western leaders largely fail to grasp the apocalyptic theology driving Tehran’s regime, which views global conflict as a precursor to the return of the “12th Imam”.

A strategic blind spot

The report highlights that Western elites, operating within a “secular bubble,” have become incapable of addressing religious questions in a rational manner. This ignorance poses a major handicap for...

Doors are portals. What once seemed ordinary can become unexpectedly captivating — especially when viewed through the lens of Almaty photographer Alen Shayakhmetov.

From unique craftsmanship to modern uniformity

Today, most doors appear standardized and indistinguishable. In the past, however, no two were alike.

Shayakhmetov’s collection highlights that lost individuality, capturing doors that once reflected the character of the buildings — and the people — behind them.

A diverse collection of entrances

The series features doors from a wide range of locations, including residential buildings, concert halls — including an opera house — a museum, a...

Kazakh Greco-Roman wrestler Almatbek Amanbek won a gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek.

Competing in the 72-kilogram weight class, Amanbek secured a decisive victory over Iran’s Mohammad Javad Rezaei in the final.

Mixed results in bronze medal bouts

Three other Kazakh wrestlers competed for bronze medals.

In the 60-kg category, Yerbol Kamaliyev fell to Iran’s Ali Ahmadi Vafa. At 82 kg, Ibragim Magomadov lost to China’s Rui Liu. In the 97-kg division, Islam Yevloyev is set to face South Korea’s Minho Lee.

Earlier medal for Kazakhstan

A day earlier, Nursultan Tursynov earned Kazakhstan’s...

The South Korean cabinet on Monday approved a motion to amend the national Constitution, initiating a process to reform martial law protocols and honor democratic history, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

The proposal, backed by 192 lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party and minor groups, seeks to integrate the spirit of the 1979 Busan-Masan and 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprisings into the preamble. President Lee Jae Myung emphasized that the changes are necessary to reflect significant societal shifts since the document was last amended in 1987.

Crucially, the bill tightens requirements for declaring...

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president of the Republic of Korea, who is traveling to Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia to secure additional crude oil supplies for the South Korean economy, was received by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

During the meeting, Tokayev emphasized that South Korea is one of Kazakhstan’s key strategic partners.

«Your visit is of great importance for the further strengthening of Kazakh-Korean cooperation. I am confident that, through joint efforts, cooperation between our countries will continue to develop steadily,» Tokayev noted.

Key topics of the talks

According...

A service that warns viewers of jump scares in real time has launched. The Binge app alerts users to sudden movements and frightening scenes.

The system tracks the timing of a selected movie and displays on-screen notifications just before a jump scare.

Binge also includes features common to streaming services, such as information about movies and series, cast, runtime, and availability. The app also offers a separate section for parents, providing warnings about violence, offensive language and other potentially sensitive content.

The app itself is free, but the jump-scare feature is available by subscription: $1.99 a...

Two «devils» of the fashion world, Anna Wintour and Meryl Streep, have come together on the cover of Vogue, the industry’s leading fashion magazine.

The pair reunited to promote “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in a conversation moderated by director Greta Gerwig. They discussed expectations around how women «should» look, as well as Streep’s return to the role of Miranda Priestly nearly 20 years after the original film.

Revisiting an iconic character

Wintour, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, said being portrayed by Streep is a tremendous honor, regardless of one’s status.

Streep noted that, at the time...

Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS) has completed its investigation into a high-profile child trafficking case opened in 2024. At the time, law enforcement officials detained two individuals — a Kazakh citizen and a Kyrgyz citizen.

«A.A., a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, conspired with Israeli citizen A.B. to purchase three minor children from Kyrgyz citizen S.S. for monetary and other material compensation. They then committed indecent acts, including immoral rituals involving the exposure of the children’s private parts, photographing them and sending the images to third parties outside the Kyrgyz Republic via...

BTS, the globally recognized K-pop band, is set to bring three additional shows to Latin America as part of the upcoming Arirang World Tour, the group’s label BigHit Music said on Weverse.

The group’s first world tour since 2022 now includes concerts in Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. All three additional performances are scheduled for October — on Oct. 7, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, respectively. With the additions, each city on the list will now host three shows.

[공지] BTS (방탄소년단) WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN LIMA, SANTIAGO and BUENOS...

An X user, nicknamed yaml, created a strange yet funny tool — a digital whip for working with AI. It appears right in the code window and mimics a blow when clicked.

Notably, this software is not just an animation: the whip operates as a script and sends a command to make the AI work faster. The developer noted on the GitHub page that the agent sometimes works «too shlow,» and this is a way to give it a little push.

bad claude.. pic.twitter.com/CXtxjSRDf1

— yaml (@blended_jpeg) April 6, 2026

The...

Tiryaki Agro Holding, one of the largest agro-holdings in Turkey, intends to build a vegetable oil processing plant in the North Kazakhstan region, the regional administration announced.

The plant will be located in the Qyzyljar Special Economic Zone in Petropavlovsk. With a capacity of up to 1,500 tons of product per day, it will produce sunflower, rapeseed and flaxseed oils.

Details of the project were discussed during a meeting between Gov. Gauez Nurmukhambetov and Koksal Salih Yıldız, regional director at Tiryaki Agro.

«Our region is well known as a major producer of grain and oilseed crops...

Kyrgyzstan has openly expressed frustration that, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, European countries sharply increased investment in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan while largely overlooking Kyrgyzstan, Tazabek reported.

Investment concentrated in two countries

Kyrgyzstan’s ambassador to Germany, Omurbek Tekebayev, told a parliamentary committee meeting on April 7, 2026, that roughly 95% of all investment in Central Asia has gone to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, leaving Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with minimal inflows.

Trade with Germany rises, then slows

Tekebayev said trade turnover between Kyrgyzstan and Germany was previously modest — about $70 million to $80 million in...

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks and move toward a bilateral ceasefire, he posted on Truth Social.

«I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!» the president wrote.

Trump said the decision was due to the U.S. having already achieved its military objectives and being close to reaching a long-term peace agreement.

«We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable...

A quirky but surprisingly popular trend has resurfaced on social media: adding salted peanuts to cola. This time, it has gone viral in Japan, with users around the world trying it and sharing their reactions online.

Sweet meets salty

At first glance, the trend looks like a staged experiment for views. But those who have tried it say the flavor genuinely changes. The salt enhances the cola’s taste, making it...

Kazakhstan is planning to launch two plants that will convert coal into diesel fuel, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said at a recent cabinet meeting.

Coal-to-chemicals projects expand

According to Akkenzhenov, three major coal chemical industry projects are currently underway. These include:

Kazakh marketers are once again drawing attention with bold shelf promotions — this time involving kumyz, a traditional fermented mare’s milk drink, labeled with a provocative twist.

Read also: Bizarre foods of the steppe: Is saiga antelope actually edible?

A user on Threads shared a photo of a bottle labeled as a drink «for MILFs,» spotted in a store refrigerator in Kazakhstan. The find quickly sparked debate online over the appropriateness of such branding.

Mixed reaction online

Commenters were divided. Some praised the creativity of the marketing team, calling...