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An international laboratory has been established at Utebayev University in Atyrau, Kazakhstan, in collaboration with Turkish scientists. The specialists will develop environmentally friendly packaging based on polypropylene derived from water and agricultural raw materials, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education reported.

The project is being funded through the Ministry’s 2025-2027 grant. It aims to create biodegradable composites to reduce the environmental impact of plastic. During the development process, the scientists use domestic materials: bulrush and agricultural waste products.

Biological raw materials are integrated into the polypropylene structure using specialized equipment, thereby reducing the packaging’s decomposition...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare has banned and ordered the withdrawal from circulation of a batch of the Indian drug Desilmax. The medication, available in 100-milligram tablets, is used to treat erectile dysfunction.

The agency has the authority to suspend, prohibit or withdraw medicinal products from circulation if testing or analysis shows the drug does not meet approved standards or specifications.

The recall applies to batch No. BSE92301A of Desilmax, manufactured by Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd., an Indian pharmaceutical company. Medical organizations and pharmacies have been instructed to stop using the product and remove it from sale.

NASA has postponed the March launch of its Artemis II mission, pushing back the planned flight of the Orion spacecraft with four astronauts on board. The space agency said the mission will not take place in March because of newly identified technical issues.

According to Deutsche Welle, engineers detected a helium leak in the rocket’s pressurization system. Officials decided to roll the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft back from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. The move effectively eliminates all March launch windows.

The mission had already been delayed from...

Ramadan is no longer observed only as a religious month of fasting and prayer. The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar has also become a peak season for global retail. British media have coined the term Ramadan Rush, and luxury executives say the weeks leading up to Eid al-Fitr now rival Christmas or Lunar New Year in commercial importance.

Read also: Fast smart: How to keep your energy up this Ramadan.

Here’s how Ramadan has evolved into a major driver of global trade.

The economy of Ramadan

Almaty photographer Dmitry Dotsenko shared video of a rare celestial scene showing a thin crescent moon rising above the spruce-covered slopes of the Ile Alatau at the start of the new lunar month during Ramadan.

Capturing the «ash glow»

The footage was taken using a telephoto lens. Dotsenko captured what is known as «ash glow,» or Earthshine — a phenomenon in which the Moon’s darkened portion is faintly illuminated by sunlight reflected from Earth.

Read also: The Qada checklist: How to catch up on your Ramadan days.

The...

Offenses will now also be monitored by police drones in Almaty. Kursiv LifeStyle explains why residents’ lives may start to resemble the trappings of a cyberpunk dystopia.

According to Polisia.kz, police drones have begun patrolling the city’s skies. In addition to recording violations, the drones are intended to remind residents of their responsibilities.

The devices are equipped with lights and loudspeakers. They patrol pedestrian zones, yards, and crowded areas. If a person litters, spits in a public area, behaves disorderly, or jaywalks, the drone immediately addresses the violator and reminds them that such actions are prohibited.

Leading the field in nominations does not ensure a Nobel Peace Prize win. As our previous review of the Norwegian Nobel Committee archives for 1974 showed, Andrei Sakharov was among the most frequently nominated candidates that year — yet he did not receive the award. He would go on to win in 1975.

Read also: Four days left to nominate the next Nobel Peace Prize winner.

In 1975, the committee received 121 nominations. Sakharov led all individual nominees with 13 nominations. However, the overall front-runners were two international youth...

Osaka, Japan, received a lavish donation of 21 kilograms of gold bars, worth around $3.6 million, from a donor who asked to remain anonymous in November to help renovate the city’s water system, following an earlier cash contribution of roughly $3,200, the BBC reported, citing Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama.

«Tackling ageing water pipes requires a huge investment. So I have nothing but appreciation,» the BBC cited Yokoyama as saying.

He pledged to channel the donated resources toward pressing issues, including the degradation of water pipelines.

According to the...

The flash eurozone manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased to 50.8 in February, up from 49.5 in January. This is the highest level since June 2022, Euronews reported, citing S&P Global and Hamburg Commercial Bank.

Furthermore, the broader composite PMI, which covers both manufacturing and services, rose to 51.9 from 51.3. This shows that private-sector activity is still growing at a moderate pace. Services remained in growth territory at 51.8, but this was slightly below expectations.

Economists said this improvement could signal a change after almost two years in which manufacturing held back eurozone growth due to weak...

A video of an unusual fitness club in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, looking more like a nightclub than a gym, has gone viral online. People are shown working out to DJ sets, accompanied by a light show.

The video quickly went viral and sparked discussions. Some users found the format bold and interesting, while others received the concept with skepticism, arguing that people go to the gym to work...

Tajikistan’s GDP grew 8.4% in 2025, driven by high gold prices — the country’s key export — major infrastructure spending, primarily on the Rogun Hydropower Station, and increased remittances from migrant workers that boosted domestic demand.

Against this backdrop, the government maintained a budget surplus, strengthening its position to secure concessional loans from international financial institutions to complete what officials call the country’s «project of the century.»

GDP and its components

Tajikistan posted one of the fastest growth rates in Central Asia in 2025, second only to Kyrgyzstan. For the second consecutive year, the economy...

Hungarian composer György Kurtág is marking his 100th birthday with events across Hungary honoring his life and work. Widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in contemporary classical music, Kurtág is being celebrated particularly in Budapest, Euronews reported.

The commemorations began with a screening of the documentary “Kurtág Fragments” at the Palace of Arts (MÜPA). Directed by Dénes Nagy, the film explores the composer’s creative process, as well as themes of doubt, grief and loneliness in old age. Nagy said the project was filmed over four years and built from approximately 300 hours of footage.

Musicians have...

In pursuit of air safety, addressing incidents related to external batteries (power banks), every South Korean carrier has prohibited using them onboard, Yonhap reported.

The country has 11 passenger airlines, with the latest to introduce the limitations being T’way Air, starting Feb. 23. Last October, Eastar Jet became the first in South Korea to implement the restriction.

It is still allowed to carry the power banks, but only in carry-on baggage and not in overhead compartments, being always within reach. Each device must be put in a separate pouch or have its exposed...

Tesla launched a more affordable Cybertruck in the U.S. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive version is now listed at $59,990, making it the cheapest Cybertruck so far, Reuters reported.

Tesla also lowered the price of its top-end Cyberbeast model from $114,990 to $99,990, according to its website.

After the price change, Tesla appears to be discontinuing its «Luxe Package.» This package, added last August when the pickup’s price went up, included Supervised Full Self-Driving and free Supercharger access.

Prices for the other Cybertruck models have not changed.

Earlier this year, Elon Musk announced that Tesla would stop making the...

Madrid has been named Europe’s leading destination for 2026 in the latest annual ranking by European Best Destinations, which has published its list of top European cities since 2009, according to Euronews.

The ranking was based on an evaluation of nearly 500 cities, towns and regions across Europe. Organizers analyzed indicators including international arrivals, overnight stays, tourism growth, online search demand, media coverage and social media visibility. A shortlist of 42 destinations was then put to a public vote, with 1.3 million votes cast overall.

In its statement, European Best Destinations said Madrid was selected for its mix...

U.S.-based multinational Mars Inc. is set to construct a pet food factory in the future city of Alatau, Kazakhstan, with an investment of around $180 million. The relevant agreement was signed during a meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the company’s CEO, Poul Weihrauch.

The president praised the agreement’s conclusion, calling it the beginning of a strategically important partnership. Tokayev emphasized that this step reflects a high level of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United States.

Project details

According to the Akorda press service, the new production facility in...

Police in Thailand used a creative approach to catch a suspected serial burglar who had eluded arrest several times. Officers dressed in traditional lion-dance costumes during Lunar New Year celebrations to get close to and arrest the suspect, the Associated Press reported.

A video from Bangkok police shows two officers hidden inside a red-and-gold lion costume blending in with the crowd at a temple fair in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok. As the event progressed, the officers in disguise moved closer to the 33-year-old suspect. When the time was right, the officer at the front of the costume lunged...

Political tandems are often born from a need for stability during periods of transition. But in centralized systems of power, there is ultimately room for only one dominant leader.

The political trajectories of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia suggest that dual-leadership arrangements are inherently temporary — fragile bridges that tend to collapse under the pressures of centralization and the pursuit of a single monopoly on authority.

Kyrgyzstan: Collapse of the tandem

The political alliance between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and powerful security chief Kamchybek Tashiev — once described as an «inseparable tandem» — fractured in early...

Satbayev University in Almaty has officially allowed its students to sleep on campus. The university has set up designated rest areas where students can lie down and take power naps between classes, journalist Polina Shimanskaya said in a post on Threads.

She said the university held a local «referendum,» after which students were granted the right to take short rests or power naps between classes.

Shimanskaya noted that the university offers not only these rest areas but also modern laboratories, lecture halls and several museums.

The post quickly went viral in the Kazakh segment of the...

On Feb. 18, the Ykhlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments in Almaty opened the exhibition «Dimash: One Voice – Thousand Nations,» honoring renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen.

Read also: Dimash reveals his message for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat.

The artist attended the grand opening with his parents, Kanat and Svetlana Aitbaev. Hundreds of fans also gathered for the event.

Crowds fill the museum space

The venue proved too small for the turnout, with halls and corridors packed with visitors. Organizers appeared unprepared for the level of excitement...

No new sporting venues are planned in Almaty for the 2029 Asian Winter Games, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Serik Zharasbayev said during a Senate briefing.

He said that before approving the bid, authorities conducted monitoring and analysis. It was determined that the existing sports facilities in Almaty meet international standards and are suitable for the competition program.

«There is no need to construct additional sports facilities to host the Asian Games. The 2011 Asian Winter Games and 2017 Winter Universiade demonstrate this,» Zharasbayev said.

Meanwhile, several facilities...

The New Mexico Department of Justice says it is looking into a claim that two foreign girls were buried near Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, Reuters reported.

The claim comes from a redacted 2019 email included in the latest batch of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The email, sent to New Mexico radio host Eddy Aragon a few months after Epstein’s death, said two girls had been buried «somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro.» The sender also offered videos proving Epstein’s unlawful behavior with minors in exchange for one bitcoin.

A spokesperson for the...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office, the BBC reported.

Police declined to identify the suspect, in line with national guidance, but said in a statement that «a man in his sixties from Norfolk was arrested on Feb. 19 and remains in custody.»

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said police opened an investigation after a «thorough assessment» of the allegation. He said updates would be provided at an appropriate time, noting the significant public interest in the case.

According to the BBC, the arrest relates to allegations involving documents...

An Almaty court has sentenced an unidentified man to 100 hours of community service for persistently stalking his ex-girlfriend, Polisia.kz reported.

According to police, the man repeatedly followed the woman, threatened her and forced his presence on her. The victim eventually reported the incidents to the police, who opened a criminal case.

«Stalking is not a minor offense but a criminal act that poses a real threat to a person’s life and safety. We urge citizens not to ignore such risks, as promptly reporting them to the police makes it possible to stop illegal behavior...