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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...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health said alcohol consumption in harmful amounts has declined, while the number of people adopting a healthier lifestyle has increased. According to national surveys, more people in Kazakhstan are eating fruit and doing sports.

«A significant reduction in the consumption of alcohol in harmful amounts has been recorded. In 2015 the figure stood at 4.1%, falling to 1.6% in 2024,» the ministry’s press service said in a statement.

At the same time, the number of people participating in recreational sports is growing. The share of those who spend...

The term «bitch» is a linguistic shape-shifter, moving easily between references to animals and people, and applied to both women and men. Linguist Karen Stollznow notes that its widespread use in phrases like «boss bitch,» «perfect bitch» or «psycho bitch» has diluted any single, fixed definition.

Read also: How hip-hop is helping rural Kazakh students learn English.

For some, the word has been reclaimed and worn with pride. For others, it still lands as a sharp and deeply offensive insult.

From literal term to insult

Despite its modern edge, the word...

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has approved the principle of financial independence for the National Academy of Sciences, as well as national scientific and research organizations under the Cabinet, state agencies and universities.

According to the document, all these institutions will be granted the right to profit from scientific research, educational and consulting services, business, and other activities permitted by law.

The entities will also be encouraged to manage their income independently, using it to pay salaries and incentives and to invest in infrastructure development.

The document will take effect 10 days after its official publication. Meanwhile, the Cabinet is...

Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver and seven-time Formula 1 champion, has fallen in love with American celebrity Kim Kardashian. The couple confirmed their romantic relationship on Instagram, USA Today reported.

The announcement came in a video titled «Tokyo Drift,» in which 41-year-old Hamilton is seen racing a red Ferrari F40 through the streets of Tokyo, where he arrived for the Japanese Grand Prix. At the end of the video, as the tire smoke clears, viewers can see Kardashian, who had been sitting in the passenger seat the entire time.

«That’s insane,» she says at...

Melvin Benn, Wireless Festival’s managing director, has defended the decision to include rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, as a headliner in the festival’s program, the BBC reported.

West’s possible performance at the London festival in July has drawn criticism from British politicians, sponsors and Jewish organizations due to his past antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks. These included releasing a song titled «Heil Hitler» and selling swastika-themed merchandise.

Benn acknowledged that West’s previous comments were offensive but said he believes in offering second chances, referring to West’s apologies. He stressed that the festival is providing a platform...

South Korea’s chief of staff will visit Kazakhstan and other oil-producing countries to negotiate raw material supplies. The country is suffering difficulties due to delays in oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

Kang Hoon-sik will arrive in Astana as a special representative of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. His goal is to negotiate the supply of crude oil and naphtha. He will also visit Saudi Arabia and Oman to hold talks with government officials, oil companies, and vessel operators. The aim is to develop alternative oil supply routes.

South Korea depends on the...

Timofei, a popular Pallas’s cat at Moscow Zoo, remains without a breeding partner after multiple international zoos declined to provide a suitable mate, The Moscow Times reported.

To support healthy breeding and maintain genetic diversity, zoo officials have been searching for a genetically compatible female, according to zoo director Svetlana Akulova. However, several zoos across Europe and Asia have refused to cooperate, citing specific reasons.

Japan’s Higashiyama Zoo, for example, said its Pallas’s cats are currently on loan and cannot be relocated. The Warsaw Zoo declined to transfer its female cat, Jessie, citing her participation in the European Endangered...

TikTok has summarized the work in Kazakhstan in 2025 and revealed that some content items had to be removed due to violations. In total, the platform restricted access to over 5.5 million videos.

At the same time, the majority of these videos are blocked before users report them. According to the company, 99.9% of content is proactively identified and deleted and 98.5% of videos are removed within the first 24 hours after upload.

Similar figures are reported worldwide. In 2025, TikTok deleted more than 780 million videos that violated its regulations. The bulk of these were...