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The latest Freedom Holding Corp. PMI indicated a renewed decline in service sector activity across Kazakhstan midway through the first quarter of 2026. Companies attributed the drop in new orders to January’s value-added tax (VAT) increase, which led to further sharp rises in both input costs and output prices in February. In response, firms reduced staffing levels, reversing the marginal job gains recorded in the opening month of the year.

The headline Freedom Holding Corp. PMI Business Activity Index fell below the neutral 50.0 mark midway through the first quarter. A reading of 48.0, down from 50.5 in January, signaled...

BTS, the globally recognized K-pop band, revealed the tracklist of its upcoming album «Arirang,» the group’s first in six years, scheduled for release on March 20, Billboard reported.

The album will consist of 14 songs. BTS posted the list on Instagram and Weverse. The release opens with «Body to Body.» Then follow «Hooligans,» «Aliens,» «FYA,» «2.0,» «No. 29» and «SWIM.» The second part of the album will bring fans «Merry Go Round,» «NORMAL,» «Like Animals,» «they don’t know ’bout us,» «One More Night» and «Please.»

Fans have already...

«Love Story» star Sarah Pidgeon, who portrayed Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, has been named the new face of the Rhode brand.

Read also: Asian models steal the spotlight on the Louis Vuitton and Dior runways.

The actress appears in the company’s first beauty campaign and introduces new spring makeup shades.

Focus on Rocket Blush

The launch centers on Rocket Blush. The line debuts...

Kazakhstan’s population reached 20,518,005 as of February 2026. Since the beginning of the year, the country has added 18,100 residents.

Natural increase remains the primary driver of growth. More than 15,800 babies have been born in Kazakhstan since Jan. 1. Net migration has also remained positive, totaling more than 2,300 people.

Read also: Meet Constitution: The unusual Kazakh names reflecting a nation in transition.

Urban areas are accounting for most of the growth. The urban population increased by 21,200 and now exceeds 13 million residents.

Meanwhile, the rural population declined by 3,000 people...

Chinese electric compact crossover SUV BYD Atto 3 ended up at the epicenter of a missile strike in Jerusalem, Israel, on March 1. The vehicle’s cabin remained structurally sound, and the high-voltage battery did not catch fire, despite being close to the explosion and the resulting crater, CarNewsChina reported.

According to Israeli emergency services, five people were in the car. The driver sustained moderate injuries, while the passengers escaped with minor injuries and shock.

Body intact, battery remains safe

The hit was not direct; as military experts note, most civilian vehicles would likely not survive a...

Moschino, the Italian luxury fashion brand, has once again surprised the public. This time, the brand unveiled a handbag shaped like a roll of toilet paper.

In a video showcasing the unusual accessory, fashion blogger Malu Borges demonstrated the bag, which resembles a real toilet paper roll. It features a blueprint and a long handle made of silver beads. The video quickly went viral on social media, drawing thousands of comments.

The U.S. military has joined Ecuador’s police to target what officials describe as «designated terrorist organizations» in the country, opening a new phase in a broader U.S. campaign against drug trafficking, CNN reported.

U.S. Southern Command said the effort reflects «a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.» The command said both countries are taking «decisive action» against groups it says have spread violence and corruption across the region.

Last September, the U.S. State Department designated Los Lobos and Los Choneros, two of Ecuador’s largest criminal...

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next supreme leader, according to Iran International.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the ayatollah’s second son, has long been viewed as a potential successor. He is widely seen as closely associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces.

Interim leadership established

On March 1, following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran established an interim leadership council and declared a 40-day mourning period. Alireza Arafi was appointed acting supreme leader.

As...

Due to the escalating situation in the Middle East, Kazakhstan is repatriating its citizens on an emergency basis. Currently, 946 nationals have returned.

Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee reported that four flights carrying Kazakh citizens returned on March 4.

Air Astana carried out the following flights from Saudi Arabia:

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of AI and Digital Development, in partnership with domestic mobile operators, has introduced free mobile service packages for Kazakh citizens in the Middle East. However, the terms offered by Tele2 and Altel are more limited than those provided by Beeline Kazakhstan.

Read also: Kazakhstan to share Starlink internet with neighbors.

Beeline is offering 1 GB of mobile data and 30 minutes of calls within Kazakhstan for 10 days, including calls to local numbers and incoming calls. The support package is available to Kazakh citizens in...

Rising cancer rates among women are linked to a move away from traditional home bread baking, according to comments made by Zoyir Mirzayev, governor of Uzbekistan’s Tashkent region, in a video that sparked heated debate on social media last year. The footage was filmed in the city of Bekabad during a meeting between the governor and local residents, UzDaily reported.

Read also: Can we truly end cancer as we know it?

Mirzayev suggested that one contributing factor to cancer trends is the decline of traditional tandoor

Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas announced he will not seek reelection to a fourth term in the U.S. House. However, his identical twin, Trever Nehls, is now running to succeed him, CNN reported.

Troy Nehls said he made the decision after spending extended time at home during last year’s government shutdown. After deciding to step aside, he approached his brother about running for the seat. Trever Nehls agreed to run and later secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

The brothers, who live next door to each other in Fort Bend County near Houston, share similar backgrounds...

Startup Anthropic, the developer of the chatbot Claude, has made one of its main features available to all users. Memory is now accessible for free-plan users, whereas it was previously exclusive to paid plans.

The feature allows the service to remember details from previous conversations with the chatbot. When enabled, Claude takes into account past prompts, preferences and topics to generate more personalized and informed responses.

The feature was introduced last year, with flexible settings added later. Memory can be paused or reset, with erased data never stored on servers.

The update dropped soon after Anthropic...

Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector continued to contract in February, weighed down by a further decline in new orders and the lingering effects of January’s VAT increase, which pushed up input costs. In response, companies reduced staffing, purchasing activity and inventory levels.

The Freedom Holding Corp. Kazakhstan Manufacturing PMI fell from 49.8 in January to 48.1 in February. The reading remained below the 50.0 threshold that separates expansion from contraction for the second consecutive month, signaling a modest deterioration in operating conditions. Business performance worsened at the fastest pace since August of last year.

A key driver of the downturn was...

Apple unveiled a new iPhone in its 2026 affordable line — the iPhone 17e. Like its predecessor, the iPhone 16e, it features a 6.1-inch display, but adds more storage, MagSafe and satellite features.

The smartphone comes with an OLED display offering a resolution of 2,532 by 1,170 pixels and up to 1,200 nits of brightness. The refresh rate remains a standard 60 Hz. Performance is powered by the A19 chip — the same as in the regular iPhone 17 — providing more than enough power for daily tasks, social media, and gaming.

Minimum storage starts at 256 GB, with a 512 GB...

Actor Jim Carrey’s appearance at France’s César Awards last week prompted widespread online speculation after social media users questioned whether it was really him on stage, CNN reported.

Photos and video from the ceremony circulated online, with some commenters claiming Carrey looked noticeably different. Some social media users suggested the possibility of a lookalike impersonating him.

Fueling the speculation, drag artist Alexis Stone — known for elaborate celebrity transformations — posted images referencing Carrey’s appearance, including photos of prosthetics resembling the actor. Stone did not publicly confirm any impersonation.

Observers also noted that Carrey delivered his acceptance...

In Austin, the U.S., a Waymo-operated driverless taxi blocked the path of emergency vehicles during a mass shooting near a bar, Autoevolution reported. Multiple casualties were reported.

Ambulance was unable to get through

The robotaxi got stuck across the road while making a U-turn, occupying two lanes at once. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a minor irritation; however, at that moment, an ambulance was rushing to the shooting scene. A video of the incident circulated online.

A police officer approached the car and contacted a Waymo operator via the integrated...

UNESCO has voiced concern about the safety of cultural landmarks in the Middle East following reports that Iran’s Golestan Palace sustained damage amid recent military strikes in Tehran, Euronews reported.

According to Iranian state media, debris and shockwaves from a U.S.-Israeli airstrike near Arg Square on Monday caused damage to parts of the historic palace complex, including windows, doors and decorative elements.

Golestan Palace, located in central Tehran, is one of the city’s oldest historic complexes. Originally established during the Qajar dynasty in the late 18th century, the site later evolved into a royal residence and the...

The latest installment of the “Scream” slasher franchise has delivered a record-setting box office debut in the U.S. and overseas.

Read also: From page to scream: Stephen King on Hollywood’s obsession and our need for horror.

According to Variety, the new «Scream» posted the strongest opening weekend for the franchise since the original film’s 1996 debut. The movie grossed $64.1 million domestically and $33.1 million internationally in its first weekend, for a global total of nearly $100 million.

The previous franchise record was set by “Scream 6,” which earned...

According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, temporary measures have been implemented to support foreign tourists stranded in the country amid the escalating situation in the Middle East.

Thai Examiner, a Thai news outlet, reported that visa overstaying fines will be lifted, accommodation discounts will be provided, and a daily payment of 2,000 baht (roughly $63) will be granted, limited to 20,000 baht (around $633) per person.

The Thai Immigration Bureau stated that foreign nationals unable to leave the country due to airspace closures may apply for an extension of their stay. Visas can be...

Iranian authorities were prepared for the possibility of conflict and the force majeure scenarios that could arise, according to Kazakh political analyst Mukhit Assanbayev. Below are excerpts from an interview with Assanbayev conducted by a correspondent for Kursiv.media.

Leadership after Khamenei

— Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other officials were killed. Reports say 48 officials died in a single strike. Has Iran been left without leadership?

— No. Khamenei had already outlined power transfer arrangements after last year’s «12-day war» against Iran, led by Israel and the U.S. In other words, procedures for governing in a force...

The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan (ARDFM) is preparing to simplify investor access to initial public offerings (IPOs). As part of its 2026 supervisory agenda, the regulator announced plans to eliminate the requirement to pre-fund IPO applications.

According to a policy document outlining the development priorities of Kazakhstan’s securities market, the agency intends to remove the requirement to pre-deposit cash and securities when submitting IPO orders. This means prospective investors will no longer need to reserve or «freeze» funds in brokerage accounts for the duration of the bookbuilding period.

The initiative...

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have issued a statement addressing the situation in Iran, condemning the use of force in the Middle East and military strikes against Iran as unacceptable. The bloc called for a strictly peaceful resolution to the ongoing disputes.

«The SCO member states underscore the need to ensure the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Iran and call on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that could aggravate the situation,» the statement said.

The SCO also urged the United Nations to...

Kazakhstani DJ Arkadiy F performed on the cult Berlin-based stream HÖR Berlin, featuring remixes of Kazakh tracks, including those containing explicit language. A profanity-laced track with humorous lyrics in Kazakh was aired on one of the world’s most recognizable online platforms for DJs.

This is not the first appearance of Kazakhstani artists on the platform; however, this set sparked a particularly strong reaction on social media. Listeners discussed the bold track selection and the cultural context. The local underground scene unexpectedly found itself on a global stream.

Musically, the set was rich in genres, spanning trance, bass and vintage garage...