News

Iran has appointed an acting supreme leader following a sharp escalation in regional tensions and the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli military strike. Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was named to the position, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Arafi previously served on the country’s governing bodies as a legal scholar and will act as head of state until a new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic is formally elected.

Read also: Iran’s looming power struggle: The contenders to succeed Khamenei.

Iranian state media...

When Indonesian police entered a hotel on Lombok Island, murder suspect Sultan Sarsemaliyev attempted to flee but was detained at the scene, according to Commissioner Ricky Purnama.

Sarsemaliyev and his wife are wanted in connection with a double homicide in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau region, a case that investigators describe as one of the most disturbing crimes in the country’s modern history. The case has drawn comparisons to the dark plot of the television series “True Detective.”

Read also: The haunting case of a vanished family in western Kazakhstan.

The unexplained disappearance of...

Figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov and gymnast Aislu Murzagalieva were recently spotted at Daididau restaurant, owned by Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen’s family.

Read also: Dimash Qudaibergen’s restaurant ‘blasted’ by TikToker over ‘bad’ Kazakh meat dish.

Video published by the restaurant shows a staff representative personally greeting the athletes at the entrance. Shaidorov was presented with a bouquet of flowers before the guests were escorted inside.

The pair were also given a brief tour highlighting the restaurant’s interior and atmosphere, suggesting preparations had been made ahead of...

Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna plans to cut about 650 employees, according to the fund’s CEO Nurlan Zhakupov. The move follows criticism from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev over what he described as an excessive number of administrative staff in the capital.

Layoffs to target administrative staff in Astana

Zhakupov said the fund will reduce its administrative and management workforce by roughly 10%, adding that all corporate decisions related to the layoffs have already been approved.

Read also: A house divided: Kazakhstan’s government at odds with its own wealth fund reform.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić held closed-door talks. The key topics included the development of the IT sector, direct flights between the two capitals, and the expansion of Serbian businesses in Kazakhstan.

Tokayev emphasized that Serbia is Kazakhstan’s «very important strategic partner in Europe.» He noted that over 60 Serbian companies are currently operating in the country. A key factor in strengthening ties has been the launch of a direct flight between Astana and Belgrade, which is already yielding results in business and tourism.

«We share common approaches to major international issues...

Andrew Tate, a controversial American-British influencer and former kickboxer, arrived in Almaty with his brother Tristan. The visit came as a surprise to Kazakhstani internet users, who learned about the brothers’ trip through their Instagram Stories.

Later, another video appeared online showing Tate and his brother sitting in an Almaty wine bar with men in business suits. Although the purpose of their visit is unclear, Andrew mentioned that the trip is business-related.

Kazakhstan is set to welcome another global star. Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias is expected to perform in the country, possibly for more than one concert.

The announcement appeared on the social media accounts of online ticketing platform Freedom Ticketon. A short video features rapid cuts of the singer’s past performances, hinting at his upcoming event in Kazakhstan.

«A global heartbeat is getting closer...

Kylian Mbappé, a forward for Real Madrid and France’s national team, has refused to undergo surgery on his knee ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to Spanish outlet AS, the current Champions League top scorer has been dealing with knee ligament pains since December. The pain has become so severe that Mbappé skipped the second leg of the playoff round against Benfica.

Based on medical assessments, surgery is required; however, the 27-year-old athlete refuses, believing he will not recover in time for the World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico (June 11 to...

Brussels is increasingly concerned about a sharp rise in Kyrgyzstan’s imports of radio equipment and machine tools that are later shipped to Russia in violation of Western sanctions, according to the European Union’s Sanctions Envoy David O’Sullivan.

Read also: Ukraine’s war drives Kazakhstan’s exports of laptops, bulldozers to Russia.

Speaking at a press conference, O’Sullivan said the EU has evidence suggesting that some goods are being imported into Kyrgyzstan primarily for re-export to Russia, bypassing sanctions imposed after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trade flows draw scrutiny

According to...

Block Inc., an American technology company and a financial services provider for consumers and merchants, founded by Jack Dorsey in 2009, announced that it will cut more than 4,000 jobs, nearly half its workforce, as it integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations. The company’s shares rose 25% in after-hours trading following the announcement, Reuters reported.

Block CEO Dorsey said new AI tools have changed how companies operate, making it possible for smaller teams to work more efficiently. He explained that Block decided on a single large round of layoffs rather than several smaller ones.

The restructuring reflects...

Japan-based startup aircraft manufacturer SkyDrive Inc., which develops new air mobility solutions, has showcased its «flying car» in action in Tokyo, according to the company’s press release.

The demonstration took place on Feb. 24 in the area of the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center. The remotely controlled SkyDrive SD-05 vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, flown without a pilot, safely performed a flight over Tokyo Bay lasting around three minutes and 30 seconds, covering 150 meters at an altitude of 13 meters, with roughly 300 people watching the demonstration.

The startup noted that since takeoff and...

South Korea will now let Google transfer its high-precision map data to servers outside the country. This is a major change after years of rejecting similar requests, according to Reuters.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says the approval comes with strict security rules. Google must blur military bases and other sensitive locations. In addition, it cannot show exact coordinates for South Korean sites on Google Maps or Google Earth.

Google also has to process map data on servers inside South Korea. It can only send navigation and direction data abroad if the government approves it first.

Authorities...

The goal of walking 10,000 steps a day has long been built into smartwatches and fitness trackers. But contrary to popular belief, the number is not a medical standard. It originated as a marketing benchmark — and modern research shows health benefits begin well before that point.

Where the 10,000-step goal came from

The 10,000-step target first appeared in Japan in the 1960s, when a pedometer manufacturer introduced a device called the manpokei, which translates to «10,000 steps meter.» The figure was intended to encourage people to walk more.

Read also:

Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan has obtained Regulated Agent Third Country (RA3) security compliance status within the EU aviation security regime, confirming the airport’s air cargo security system complies with European Union aviation security requirements for the handling of export cargo.

The security validation was conducted by an EU authorized validator, after which the airport was included in the Union database and assigned the RA3 registration number KZ/RA3/00006-01.

Obtaining this status enables the airport to handle direct cargo shipments to EU Member States without additional security screening, accelerating throughput, streamlining logistics and reducing costs for industry...

Kazakhstan may begin supplying horse meat to Japan later this year, according to Zhanibek Kenzhebayev, chairman of the Turan Livestock Association and owner of a farm with 3,000 horses.

«We plan to begin supplying horse meat to Japan, possibly in May or June 2026, if direct flights are available,» Kenzhebayev told Kursiv.media. «They have foreign currency, so the price is attractive. I think it will be at least $15 per kilogram.»

Air shipments seen as most likely option

Kenzhebayev said the most likely export route would involve shipping freshly chilled...

A strange fitness trend is gaining traction on Scandinavian TikTok. Athletes are mixing skyr — a thick, high-protein yogurt — with a popular sugar-free energy drink. It may sound questionable at first, but many users swear by the result, calling it «delicious» and «perfect for fitness.»

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

Skyr has long been popular among athletes because of its high protein content and relatively low calorie count. A 100-gram serving typically contains about 10 to 11 grams of protein, just...

A discussion is gaining traction on social media over an unusual apartment in Almaty that the listing’s author, a realtor, described as a true «work of art.»

Read also: How photographers saved Almaty’s fleeting street art.

The property is located at the intersection of Panfilov and Tole Bi streets in a well-known building constructed in 1955 and recognized locally for its tower-like silhouette. Built in the Stalinist Empire architectural style, the building is now designated as an architectural monument.

Apartment with rare private terrace

According to the listing, the...

Most people know it’s smart to maintain a financial cushion. Yet as soon as a paycheck hits the bank account, spending quickly follows. Why does this happen?

The answer often lies in psychology. Emotions — not math — are usually the biggest threat to a healthy budget.

Here are several common psychological traps that undermine savings, along with practical ways to regain control of your money.

Trap No. 1: Mental accounting

People tend to assign different emotional value to different sources of money, even though all money is objectively the same.

Read also:

Efforts to change public perceptions of people with developmental disabilities are increasingly being supported not only by advocacy and charitable organizations but also by major fashion publications.

Late last year, German fashion, culture and art magazine KALTBLUT featured two young women from Kazakhstan with Down syndrome, highlighting issues of visibility and inclusion.

Kazakh women featured in international publication

The article — titled “We Are Here Too!” — profiled Natalie Vrublevskaya and Zhansaya (Nonna) Mukhamedzhanova. The young women participated in a photo shoot and interview in which they spoke about their lives, interests and sources of joy.

Kazakhstanis born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s — commonly known as Generation Z — already account for about a quarter of the country’s workforce.

According to Arman Shokparov, an HR expert at Qazaq Expert Club, Gen Z workers made up just 13% of the workforce in 2018. Over the next three to five years, their share could rise to 45% to 50% of the economically active population.

Changing attitudes toward work

Shokparov said younger employees are often criticized for job-hopping or lacking diligence, but his professional experience suggests otherwise.

«Gen Z employees are...

Wildlife camera traps in the Almaty State Nature Reserve captured rare footage of snow leopard cubs. The video shows them playing together, running through the snow and mimicking their mother’s movements.

For the cubs, these games are not just a form of play but a way to learn essential skills for hunting and survival in the wild.

The snow leopard is on Kazakhstan’s Red List and considered...

Zero Carbon Charge, a company based in Cape Town, South Africa, has begun developing solar-powered charging hubs for heavy-duty electric trucks along the main highway between Johannesburg and Durban.

This follows a pilot project in which the company fully charged two heavy-duty electric trucks supplied by China’s SANY Trucks at the same time as four passenger EVs powered solely by solar energy, the Associated Press reported.

The project along the 570-kilometer N3 route is supported by a $6.2 million investment from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Once completed, off-grid charging stations will be built every...

On Feb. 25, Kazakhstani figure skater Mikhail Shaidorov, who won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and his coaching team met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Akorda, the official presidential residence.

The president praised the athlete’s achievement and described the victory as historically significant, stating that it continues the legacy of late Denis Ten, a figure skater widely recognized for putting Kazakhstan on the global stage and popularizing the sport in the country.

«This is a historic award that the Kazakhstani people have...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the U.S. and North Korea could «get along» if Washington recognizes Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear power, the BBC reported.

Speaking to delegates at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Kim urged the U.S. to respect North Korea’s nuclear status and abandon its «hostile policy.» He said the future of relations «depends entirely on the U.S. attitude» and that North Korea is ready for either «peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation.»

Kim also rejected any prospect of improved relations with South Korea, calling it the North’s «most hostile...