News

Chile’s Atacama Desert, widely regarded as one of the darkest places on Earth, is facing rising levels of light pollution that could threaten its status as a leading location for astronomical research, the BBC reported.

The remote desert is home to some of the world’s most advanced observatories, including the Paranal Observatory, where exceptionally dark skies, clear weather and high-altitude conditions have enabled major astronomical discoveries.

However, astronomers report a noticeable increase in light pollution around the Atacama in recent years, warning that even small increases in sky brightness can affect observations at facilities designed to detect faint...

A famous bull mosaic in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is being restored after years of wear caused by a long-standing tourist tradition, the BBC reported.

The mosaic, which depicts a prancing bull surrounded by a coat of arms, has become a popular attraction due to a local legend that promises good luck to visitors who place a heel on the bull’s testicles and spin three times. The ritual, which dates back to the 19th century and remains popular with tourists today, has gradually worn away the pink tiles in the area, leaving a visible crater.

Restoration work began...

On May 28, a ferry route between Taiwan and Japan resumed operations after being discontinued in 2008, Kyodo News reported.

The route connects Japan’s Ishigaki Island to the Taiwanese port city of Keelung. According to the website of Taiwan-based operator Yaima Line, the journey covers 270 kilometers and takes about eight hours. From May 28 to June 29, one round trip per week is scheduled, while from July 2 to July 31, two round trips are planned. The vessel operating on the route is the Yaima Maru, which can accommodate about...

BMW plans to introduce humanoid robots into vehicle production at its Leipzig factory in Germany, marking the first use of such robots in its European operations, the BBC reported.

The Aeon robots, developed by Sweden-based Hexagon Robotics, are currently being tested and are expected to begin production work this summer.

Unlike traditional industrial robots, humanoid robots can operate in existing workspaces designed for people, reducing the need for costly factory redesigns. BMW intends to use the Aeon robots for tasks such as supplying parts to manufacturing equipment and handling components during battery assembly.

The robots are trained using...

On May 26, Freedom Holding Corp. CEO Timur Turlov addressed MBA students at Stanford University, where the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) dedicated an academic study to the corporate strategy of a Central Asian company for the first time.

According to Professor Howard Rosen, who broke down the case, Kazakhstan is an excellent example for studying international entrepreneurship thanks to its vast territory and economy.

In turn, the fintech group’s CEO Timur Turlov revealed that Freedom Bank issues online mortgages in just four hours and that the bank became the leader in Kazakhstan in Mastercard payment volume within...

Argentina’s national team manager Lionel Scaloni announced the squad for the 2026 World Cup, which is set to take place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The squad includes 26 footballers, including the national team’s captain Lionel Messi, marking the sixth participation in the World Cup in the 38-year-old forward’s career. 

Scaloni retained the majority of the championship core, including Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martínez, and Julián Álvarez. At the same time, Ángel Di María, who retired from international football after the 2024 Copa América, is absent from the...

Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General’s Office is introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into the law enforcement system. Neural networks are set to forecast crime, automate the processing of service documents and conduct continuous observation and analysis of information.

Big data

The Criminal Threat Forecasting Center under the Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Accounts has already sent 192 advisory letters to government agencies with recommendations on threat prevention. Access to 38 fraudulent websites has been blocked, and 16 public alerts have been issued warning of new fraud schemes.

“The Center’s implemented solutions include systems for monitoring the media...

The U.S. stock market could deliver significantly weaker returns over the next 10 years, according to Aman Alimbayev, an economist and former analyst at the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).

Read also: Kazakhstan launches its first S&P 500-style index funds.

As an example, Alimbayev cited the distribution of 10-year U.S. stock market returns from 1880 to 2026, based on data from economist Robert Shiller and Goldman Sachs analysts.

He noted that the average annual return of the U.S. market over the past 146 years has been approximately 9.3%. However, the most recent...

Kazakhstan plans to launch a pilot project for a driverless taxi service in the second half of 2026, according to the Ministry of AI and Digital Development.

The project is being developed by the ministry in partnership with Yandex Qazaqstan and inDrive, with preparations currently underway.

Read also: Sex in driverless cars: Already an issue in San Francisco, not yet in Kazakhstan.

Engineers from Yandex Qazaqstan have already begun building the technical infrastructure, including setting up specialized garages and importing and configuring a fleet of autonomous vehicles. The vehicles’ software is...

A photo purportedly showing Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in a hospital has been circulating on social media, though users and fact-checkers have questioned its authenticity.

Read also: Kazakhstan’s ‘Falling Nazarbayev’ sculpture sold to Russian buyer.

The image recently appeared in an Instagram post. It shows Nazarbayev lying in a hospital bed with an IV and connected to medical equipment, while a doctor stands nearby. A timestamp at the bottom of the image reads May 23, 2026.

«The people’s gratitude and good wishes are the highest reward for a...

Head coach of the Kazakhstan Freestyle Moguls Team, Yelena Kruglykhina, has responded to claims from Olympic figure skating champion Mikhail Shaidorov that he has not received his salary in recent months.

Kruglykhina said Shaidorov, like other winter sports athletes, signed a contract valid through Feb. 22, 2026. She added that responsibility for renewing agreements did not rest solely with the federation, but also with the athlete’s representatives.

«Has Misha gone too far, or are you being used?» Kruglykhina wrote on Instagram. «You signed a contract until Feb. 22, 2026, just like all...

Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva was eliminated in the second round of the French Open after a hard-fought loss to Colombia’s Camila Osorio 7-5, 6-7(6-8), 6-4.

The match marked the first career meeting between the 31-year-old Putintseva and the 24-year-old Osorio. Both players are considered strong clay-court specialists.

Osorio has won all three of her WTA 250 titles on clay in Bogotá, claiming trophies in 2021, 2024 and 2025. Putintseva, meanwhile, has captured two of her three career titles on clay — in Nuremberg in 2019 and Budapest in 2021 — with her only non-clay title coming on...

The foundation of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia is a shared responsibility for the stability and development of the broader Eurasian region, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Astana.

Tokayev described Putin’s state visit as an exceptionally important event for the development of the strategic partnership and allied relations between the two countries. He also thanked the Russian leader for an article published ahead of the visit.

«I fully agree with the point that the foundation of Kazakh-Russian cooperation is a shared responsibility for the stability and...

Russia will provide Kazakhstan with an intergovernmental export loan to finance the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant. The total financing package is estimated at approximately $16.4 billion, including about $2 billion allocated for social infrastructure and safety systems.

Kazakhstan and Russia signed agreements outlining the key principles and terms of cooperation for the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant in the Almaty region.

Loan terms described as favorable

Almassadam Satkaliyev, chairman of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Atomic Energy, said the loan terms are favorable for Kazakhstan but declined to disclose specific details.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner suffered a stunning second-round defeat at Roland Garros, falling to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, ranked No. 56 in the world, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1.

The Italian appeared to be in complete control on Court Philippe-Chatrier, cruising through the opening two sets 6-3, 6-2. In the third set, Sinner held a 5-1 lead and seemed on the verge of advancing to the next round before experiencing serious physical issues.

The momentum shifted entirely from that point. Cerúndolo mounted an impressive comeback to claim the third set in a tiebreak, 7-5, before dominating the...

Kazakh mixed martial artist Shavkat Rakhmonov is showing signs of recovery and has returned to training after previously being spotted on crutches and wearing a knee brace, according to Bloody Elbow.

In late January, Nomad was spotted walking with crutches and wearing a knee brace, raising concern among fans, followed by a statement from the athlete in February, in which he said he had suffered another knee injury and pledged to return stronger.

However, a video showing Rakhmonov in a contact training session posted on the official DAR...

The European Union has fined Chinese-owned online retailer Temu €200 million for selling illegal and potentially dangerous products on its platform, including unsafe baby toys and faulty chargers, as reported by Euronews.

The European Commission said Temu failed to properly identify and assess risks associated with products sold through its marketplace and the potential harm they pose to consumers. The company has been under investigation since October 2024 over compliance with obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act as a designated Very Large Online Platform.

As part of the investigation, an independent testing organization conducted mystery shopping exercises and...

A former U.S. government official has been arrested after FBI agents discovered hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million at his Virginia home, according to the BBC.

David Rush, a former senior official in the CIA, was charged with criminal theft of public money in a complaint filed last week. Authorities allege that between November 2025 and March 2026, Rush made several requests to the U.S. government for large amounts of foreign currency and gold bars intended for work-related expenses.

Investigators later said there was no record indicating that Rush had informed his employer of the location...

An unusual food trend emerged in Malaysia, with locals began flocking to the Kajang Prison for its famous curry puffs.

The trend began with a viral Threads post in which a user asked Malaysia’s Prison Department whether it was possible to visit a prison facility to buy curry puffs, which had suddenly gone viral on social media. Inmates prepare the pastries as part of a prison work program, which are then sold at a prison shop.

South Korean authorities have arrested a YouTuber over allegations that he spread false claims about popular actor Kim Soo-hyun using manipulated and AI-generated evidence, the BBC reported.

According to police and prosecutors, Kim Se-ui, who operates the popular YouTube channel Hover Lab, falsely alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had dated actress Kim Sae-ron while she was underage, accusations the actor has consistently denied. Investigators allege that a voice recording published by Hover Lab, in which Kim Sae-ron appeared to discuss the relationship, was generated using artificial intelligence.

Authorities also claim screenshots of text messages from the actress’s phone were altered...

Dan Greaney, an American television writer and producer known for his work on «The Simpsons,» including the episode widely cited for its «prediction» of Donald Trump’s presidency, has announced a bid for the 2028 U.S. presidential election.

The episode in question is «Bart to the Future,» which aired in 2000. In it, Lisa Simpson is elected President of the U.S. and refers to the «budget crunch from President Trump.» Following Trump’s victory, many people revisited the episode and began discussing other supposed «predictions» on the show.

Now Greaney has decided to try...

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Astana for a three-day state visit. A formal welcoming ceremony for the Russian leader took place at the Palace of Independence, where Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev greeted him in person, and an honor guard was lined up alongside official delegations from both countries.

In honor of the visit, Kazakhstan Air Force fighter jets conducted a flyover above the venue, leaving white, blue and red smoke trails matching the colors of the Russian flag.

Inside the palace, Tokayev and Putin introduced members of the Kazakh and Russian delegations to one another.

The commander of the...

Russia has gifted Kazakhstan four Amur tigers, including two cubs, as part of efforts to help restore the tiger population in the Lake Balkhash region, Reuters reported.

According to an official Kremlin statement, the animals were captured in Russia’s far eastern Khabarovsk region and flown to Kazakhstan ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s three-day visit to the country this week.

Read also: Asia’s lost king: The story of the Turan tiger

Kazakhstan has been working to restore its tiger population and considers the Amur tiger a close relative of the...

Federal prosecutors in New York have charged Michele Spagnulo, a 36-year-old Google software engineer and Italian citizen living in Switzerland, with commodities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in connection with alleged insider trading on the prediction market platform Polymarket, NBC News reported.

According to the federal complaint, Spagnulo allegedly used confidential internal Google search data to place a series of bets on Polymarket between October and December 2025. Prosecutors claim he accessed commercially valuable internal data tracking user search activity and used it to predict future search trends before the information became public.

As a result, Spagnulo, who...