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The giant African harvester ant (Messor cephalotes), a species native to East Africa and mentioned in the Bible, has become part of a growing illegal international trade driven by collectors and hobbyists, The Guardian reported.

A single queen can establish a colony that grows to hundreds of thousands of individuals, producing workers and soldiers while continuing to lay eggs throughout her life. These colonies can survive for decades, building large circular nests and storing seeds underground.

As seed collectors, they help spread plant species across grasslands and savannahs. This supports the biodiversity that livestock, wildlife and entire ecosystems...

Scientists at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University have begun the second phase of clinical trials for a drug to treat mugwort pollen allergy, the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan reported.

According to the ministry, the PollenVax immunotherapy drug, developed under the Ministry of Healthcare program, has successfully completed the first phase of trials assessing safety and tolerability. The next clinical trial will involve 138 volunteers and last 180 days.

«The drug is developed on the basis of a recombinant mugwort pollen allergen protein and is intended to provide a significantly shortened...

Kazakhstan’s government has responded to growing concerns over the condition of the country’s wildlife, addressing not only the recent saiga die-off in the steppes but also the deaths of swans and Caspian seals in western Kazakhstan.

Nurken Sharbiyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy minister of ecology, said the recorded deaths of 26,000 saigas — including 11,000 in the West Kazakhstan region — do not represent an abnormal event.

«The saiga mortality rate currently being observed is within the natural norm,» Sharbiyev said.

«The saiga population is fully renewed every three to four...

The photos of a strange snack spread on Reddit and social media, puzzling hundreds of netizens. Several users joked that it would be best for Italians not to see this.

The photos show pizza slices used as bread to form a sandwich with grilled meat and sauerkraut, ironically captioned «Fusion cuisine,» and uploaded to the r/Polska subreddit.

Users claim that this is a popular serving option in Poland.

Sauerkraut turned out to be one of the biggest surprises. Commenters noted that the combination felt extremely unusual, though the idea is not that strange in Polish cuisine...

Kazakhstan, together with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, plans to move into the practical construction phase of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant project, according to Jamshid Khodjaev, Uzbekistan’s deputy prime minister.

Read also: Kazakhstan to fund massive Kyrgyz dam for energy security.

Khodjaev said the 1,860-megawatt Kambarata-1 HPP is expected to become the largest power plant in Central Asia and help supply electricity across the region.

Regional energy and water cooperation

Construction is set to take place on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan.

Kazakhstan is rolling out a nationwide video surveillance system powered by artificial intelligence that will be used to detect aggressive behavior, fights and disorderly conduct.

The initiative was announced by Aida Balayeva, Kazakhstan’s minister of culture and information, in response to a request from Kudaibergen Beksultanov, a member of Parliament.

According to Balayeva, more than 43,000 cameras across the country are already equipped with AI capabilities. The system can identify not only traffic violations in real time, but also littering, crowd gatherings and conflicts.

Lawmakers push for stricter public behavior standards

The discussion followed a proposal by...

Kazakhstan’s banking statistics for March reflected a 3.8% strengthening of the tenge. The sector also benefited from increased liquidity driven by an inflow of corporate deposits, allowing banks to partially restore assets to levels seen at the beginning of 2026. The loan portfolio fully recovered, although growth continued to be driven primarily by retail lending. Meanwhile, sector profits continued to decline, as expected.

Read also: Why Kazakhstan’s top MFOs are on the brink of collapse.

Total banking sector assets, which had fallen in January and February, returned to growth in March...

While Russian politicians and commentators speak of the alleged «oppression of Russians» in Kazakhstan, some Russian speakers in the country are helping popularize the Kazakh language. Through music, Instagram and language clubs, Kazakh is becoming the new norm for many of them, Deutsche Welle reported in a recent article.

A shifting linguistic landscape

For many years, there was a clear hierarchy between Russian and Kazakh.

«In the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan was one of the most Russified republics,» Kamila Smagulova, a doctoral candidate specializing in history and language research at Leiden University, told Deutsche...

Kazakhstan may begin exporting meat to South Korea, Japan and Turkey later in 2026, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Agriculture Amangaliy Berdalin said.

«We want to gain access to the markets of South Korea, Japan and Turkey as early as this year… Most of our meat exports go to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan,» Berdalin told reporters.

He noted that Kazakhstan exported 84,000 tons of meat in 2025, up 43% from 2024. Berdalin added that the number of importing countries is gradually increasing.

In particular, Kazakhstan exports mutton to 14 countries and beef to eight. Berdalin believes that...

Two Miami-Dade police officers are suing Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for defamation, saying their film «The Rip» uses real-life details that damage their reputations, according to the Associated Press.

Sgts. Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana filed the lawsuit in federal court in Miami against Artists Equity, the production company owned by Affleck and Damon, asking for compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and a public retraction and correction.

The movie tells the story of two South Florida police officers who find millions of dollars in a house. It was partly inspired by a real 2016 case in which...

British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million claim against Samsung over the unauthorized use of her image on the company’s TV packaging boxes. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Euronews reported.

The singer’s legal team claims Samsung placed a large photo of Lipa on boxes for several TV models distributed nationwide. The lawyers say the box design was intended to promote the company’s products by linking them to the artist’s achievements.

According to the filing, the photo was...

A painting stolen from Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikker during World War II has been found in the home of Hendrik Seyffardt’s descendants, according to the BBC.

The painting, «Portrait of a Young Girl,» by Dutch artist Toon Kelder, is believed to have remained with the Seyffardt family for decades. One descendant learned about his family’s history and contacted art detective Arthur Brand. He said he was «disgusted» to find out the painting had been kept by his relatives and felt it should be returned to Goudstikker’s heirs. Goudstikker owned over 1,000 artworks and died while escaping the...

A restaurant has opened at a resort in Shymkent, with dining tables set within a pool beneath a roof, creating the impression that the tables are floating. Guests reach each table by descending a staircase. The pool is stocked with fish that swim past diners throughout their meal.

However, experienced travelers may find the restaurant not particularly original, since many restaurants around the world are fully submerged, with large marine fish swimming above diners’ heads. In Shymkent, only the seating area is surrounded by water. Nevertheless, in the summer heat, the restaurant will likely become one of the city’s most...

Oil supply disruptions amid the Iran conflict are affecting a wider range of businesses, Japanese Calbee, the country’s largest potato chip producer, announced it would temporarily switch to a black-and-white palette for several of its products, Reuters reported.

Reportedly, new package versions for 14 products will hit shelves on May 25. The company’s move aims to preserve a reliable product supply flow despite disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

According to Reuters, Japan relies on imports of naphtha — required for ink production — from the Middle East for...

The U.S. Department of Defense has publicly described mysterious objects captured in photographs taken during the Apollo program as «physical» objects rather than film defects or lens flare, according to a report by Naked Science.

For decades, unusual anomalies in lunar images were widely attributed to technical artifacts. However, a recent publication posted on the Pentagon’s website presents a different interpretation. The images are accompanied by recordings of astronauts’ radio communications, and the objects are described as having a physical presence.

Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 images draw attention

Particular attention has focused on images...

Japanese animation studio ELF-IN will open a branch in Uzbekistan and support the development of the country’s animation industry, according to the press service of the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan.

As part of the partnership, the sides plan to launch animation training programs focused on the Japanese market. More than $700,000 in grant funding will be allocated to train specialists in the field.

Japanese experts will also participate in the project.

Uzbek authorities said they expect the partnership to help create high-paying jobs for young people and boost exports of digital services.

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Qazaq Electric Ltd. plans to develop a network of electric vehicle charging stations in Kazakhstan in collaboration with the S. M. Kirov Machine Building Plant and defense firm Aselsan Engineering. Company Director Renat Zheksembayev announced the plans in an interview with Kursiv.media.

«We produce stations ranging from 22 kW to 90 kW, suitable for charging in residential areas and office buildings,» Zheksembayev said.

He noted that similar charging stations are already available in Russia under the Touch brand, a major Russian player in the production and development of charging station networks.

A young man in Astana prompted a police response after posting a suggestive image on social media featuring the city’s popular tourist attraction — the Baiterek Monument.

The police department said that during routine monitoring of social media platforms, the photo was found demonstrating evident disrespect for the city’s significant cultural landmark.

Police officers promptly identified the offender, who turned out to be a 19-year-old Astana resident. The young man was taken to a police station.

«The offender has been imposed liability for petty disorderly conduct. The case has been submitted to the court for review...

Breaking up with someone you love is difficult for almost everyone. Now, a new method of coping with heartbreak is gaining popularity in China — AI chatbots designed to imitate former partners.

According to the South China Morning Post, users are creating «virtual copies» of their exes using artificial intelligence. These AI-generated personalities mimic a person’s speaking style, favorite phrases and even small communication habits, allowing users to recreate parts of past relationships in digital form.

How «digital exes» are created

To build an AI version of a former partner, users upload chat histories, social media posts...

Straight, white teeth are about more than appearance — they are an investment in your health, confidence and future. Here’s why affluent people spend heavily on dental care, and how anyone can maintain healthy teeth without overspending.

Why taking care of your teeth matters

Your oral health affects your entire body

Poor dental health can become a constant source of infection and inflammation. Harmful oral bacteria have been linked to heart disease, joint problems and gastrointestinal issues.

Healthy teeth help preserve a youthful appearance

Your teeth support the structure of your face. Missing teeth or...

Hybrid vehicle sales in the U.S. have jumped as rising fuel prices lead more consumers to look for efficient cars, Reuters reported.

Hybrid sales rose 37% in the two months after the Iran war began on Feb. 28. This growth was faster than the overall car market, which grew by 15%. Gas prices climbed above $4 per gallon in late April, hitting a four-year high.

Interestingly, fully electric vehicles have not seen as much demand. EV sales grew 11% during the same period, which is less than the overall market. Sales are still lower than last year because...

Evgeny Chebotarev, a stuntman and content creator from Rostov-on-Don, has once again drawn attention with his extreme stunts. His Instagram Reel showing the demolition of an old brick chimney garnered more than 30 million views within the first day.

Chebotarev used five GAZon trucks and spent around $19,000. The footage shows the content creator jumping off the vehicle seconds before it crashes into the structure at high speed. It took five attempts to destroy the chimney.

Dozens of viewers watched the process live as the video quickly went viral and sparked strong reactions online.

Sir David Attenborough has just turned 100, marking a career that has developed alongside the rise of modern television. For many years, he has played a major role both in front of and behind the camera, helping shape the BBC and bringing the beauty of nature to audiences around the world, The Guardian reported.

Attenborough joined the BBC in the early 1950s, when television was becoming more common. He started out producing shows like «Coelacanth» and soon began appearing on screen. His first wildlife series, «Animal Patterns,» marked the beginning of his long journey in nature broadcasting.

He...

North Korea has revised its constitution to include a new definition of its territorial boundaries while removing all language related to reunification with South Korea, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Under the updated document, North Korea describes its territory as extending from its borders with China and Russia in the north to South Korea in the south.

Pyongyang originally adopted its constitution in September 1948. The document was amended five times before the country introduced a socialist constitution in 1972. Following 12 additional revisions, authorities amended the constitution again in March and removed the word «socialist» from its...