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More than 22,000 people crowded the streets of Buñol, Spain, on Wednesday for the 78th edition of La Tomatina, the world-famous tomato-throwing festival. Over the course of an hour, participants hurled 120,000 kilos of overripe tomatoes, transforming the town center into a sea of red pulp, according to the Associated Press.

The event, nicknamed «Tomato Therapy» this year in reference to recent flooding in the region, combined loud music, laughter and the sight of trucks unloading bushels of tomatoes for the crowd.

First staged in 1945 as a spontaneous prank, La Tomatina has since grown into a major...

South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter Park Jae-sang, aka PSY, well-known for the viral hit “Gangnam Style,” is under police examination for allegedly breaking medical law by acquiring prescription medication without the legally required face-to-face visits, according to Yonhap.

Authorities confirmed that both PSY and a university doctor are under investigation on suspicion of having prescriptions for restricted drugs obtained through intermediaries, including the artist’s manager.

According to investigators, PSY had been prescribed Xanax and Stilnox — drugs typically used to treat anxiety, insomnia and related disorders — by a Seoul-based university hospital without visiting the facility in person since...

Chinese toy sensation Pop Mart just can’t keep their adorable Labubu dolls in stock. The latest batch of these rabbit-eared collectibles vanished from online stores in mere minutes after dropping Thursday night on WeChat and Tmall, according to The Business Times.

Fans scrambled to snag the 4-inch figures, which retail for 79 yuan (about $12). Those who missed out online will have another shot when physical stores stock up tomorrow. Die-hard collectors also rushed to grab the premium version at 499 yuan ($69.75), along with various Labubu accessories.

This surge in demand is unsurprising, as Pop Mart recently posted...

In the first half of 2025, Tajikistan’s banking sector saw double-digit growth in assets, loan portfolios and profits among leading banks. The boom is also attracting new players to the market.

Monetary policy and the financial sector

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Return on equity

Market events

Monetary policy and the financial sector

Background factors continue to support Tajikistan’s banking sector. Earlier, Kursiv Research highlighted signs of monetary policy easing in the country, which continued in Q2 2025. Since the start of the year, the National Bank of Tajikistan has lowered the refinancing interest...

South Korea’s National Assembly has given the green light to a bill restricting students’ use of smartphones and other digital devices in classrooms, The Korea Times reported, citing Yonhap.

According to the outlet, the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act, passed on Aug. 27, prohibits elementary, middle and high school students from using smartphones and similar devices during class starting March 1, 2026. Officials pointed to concerns about the potential negative effects of device use.

The country’s Ministry of Education had been preparing such restrictions since 2023 amid growing worries over digital addiction among youth, with the law now...

The final of the national chess tournament «Senat Open,» which brought together more than 3,000 participants, kicked off in Astana. The opening ceremony featured a musical program and speeches by Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev and Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess).

Turlov emphasized that the tournament has become a platform for honing skills and strengthening friendships.

«This tournament holds special significance for me. It has its own style, spirit and most importantly, a clear social mission. It has become a place where professional connections and personal friendships grow stronger. This tournament has also...

Denmark has summoned a senior U.S. diplomat after reports claimed individuals tied to President Donald Trump attempted to influence politics in Greenland, according to the Associated Press.

As some media outlets reported, at least three Americans with Trump connections sought to track local sentiment, build ties with politicians and business leaders, and undermine Greenland’s relationship with Denmark.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called in Mark Stroh, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, for talks. The State Department confirmed the meeting but said it does not comment on the actions of private citizens, stressing Washington’s respect for Greenland’s...

Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has been hit with a hefty fine following a wild first-round loss in New York, the BBC reported.

The 29-year-old Russian, once the world’s top-ranked player, crashed out against France’s Benjamin Bonzi after losing his cool when a photographer stepped onto the court at a critical moment.

Tournament officials fined Medvedev nearly $42,500 in total — $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for smashing his racquet against a chair. That’s about 40% of the prize money he earned for reaching the first round.

«I’m getting a big...

The number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Kazakhstan continues to grow rapidly, though their overall share of the national car fleet remains small. According to Energyprom, as of early August 2025, 19,100 EVs were registered in the country, a 79% increase compared to a year earlier.

In the first seven months of 2025 alone, Kazakhstanis registered 6,900 new EVs, representing just 0.7% of all cars registered during that period. By comparison, gasoline-powered passenger cars accounted for 88% of the market, while diesel vehicles accounted for approximately 1.5%.

Where EVs are most common

Almaty leads the country in electric vehicle...

Health officials are reporting an increase in infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a rare but potentially deadly bacterium once mostly confined to the Gulf Coast. Scientists say warming oceans and rising sea levels are enabling the pathogen to spread farther north, with new cases appearing along the U.S. East Coast, as reported by CNN.

The bacteria, found in warm brackish water and raw shellfish, can cause mild illness but sometimes lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that destroys soft tissue. About one in five severe cases is fatal, according to the CDC.

Louisiana has seen more than double...

A morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School turned tragic on Wednesday when a shooter opened fire, killing two young students and leaving 17 others injured in what Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called an act of “sheer cruelty and cowardice,” Al Jazeera reported.

The victims, just eight and 10 years old, were among dozens of students attending the service when bullets tore through the church windows. Fourteen children were among the wounded, with two fighting for their lives but expected to pull through.

Police identified the shooter as Robin Westman, who fired multiple rounds from outside the church before...

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced the launch of an underground gold mining project at Kumtor, Central Asia’s largest gold mine, as reported by Interfax Kazakhstan.

«The underground gold mining project is set to operate for 17 years, with geological reserves of 147 tons of gold officially added to the national balance,» Japarov said at the ceremony.  

Japarov stated that underground mining would help reduce the volume of waste rock. He added that the transition from open-pit mining to underground ore extraction will be proceed gradually.
 
The tailing pit, which contains more than 100 tons of...

Kazakhstan plans to launch direct flights to New York in 2026, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced following a meeting on preparations for an upcoming ICAO aviation security audit.

The committee noted that the start of flights depends on the results of the ICAO audit, scheduled for Sept. 2-14. The findings will determine whether Kazakhstan can organize flights to the United States.

«Negative findings from the audit could hinder the country’s strategic goals to expand international air travel and strengthen Kazakhstan’s image as a reliable aviation partner,» the CAC said.

Air Astana is expected...

Japan’s Suzuki Motor has rolled out its first battery electric vehicle, the e Vitara, at its Indian subsidiary, according to NHK World.

The commemorative ceremony was held on Aug. 26 at the company’s facility in Gujarat, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. Modi highlighted that the India-made EVs are to be exported to 100 countries and underlined the significance of strengthening economic ties with Japan.

The car model is manufactured at a production facility in Gujarat, where EV production was launched earlier this year through Maruti Suzuki, Suzuki’s subsidiary. The automaker says the SUV is capable of traveling...

Meta says Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s joint Instagram post announcing their engagement has set a new platform record, reaching 1 million reposts in under six hours and more than 14 million likes in the first hour, as reported by Fox News Business.

According to the company, the announcement is now among the most-shared posts in Instagram’s history. It also sparked a surge in activity on Threads, Meta’s rival to X, where Swift’s name quickly became the top trending topic.

The milestone highlights Swift’s global cultural influence, Kelce’s growing popularity beyond the NFL, and Meta’s effort to position Instagram...

The already-strained U.S.-India trade relationship took another hit yesterday when President Donald Trump slapped a crushing 50% tariff on Indian imports. This comes on top of an earlier 25% penalty imposed over India’s ongoing oil and weapons deals with Russia, according to BBC reports.

These steep tariffs have pushed India into an uncomfortable position alongside other nations facing the harshest U.S. trade restrictions. The timing couldn’t be worse, as India had been making real progress in becoming a key trading partner with America.

Indian reaction

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi isn’t backing down. He’s doubling down on his «Make in...

Matt and Maria Raine, parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in the Superior Court of California on Aug. 26, alleging that the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT pushed the teenager to commit suicide, marking the first accusation of wrongful death against OpenAI, the BBC reported.

The Raines enclosed chat logs between Adam, who died in April, and ChatGPT, containing messages in which he expressed suicidal thoughts. The family claimed that the chatbot reinforced the teenager’s «most harmful and self-destructive thoughts.»

In response, OpenAI told the media it was reviewing the filing and expressed its...

Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty and Scotland’s Celtic played the return match of the playoff round in Almaty, which ended 0-0, just like the first leg in Glasgow. However, the penalty shootout went in Kairat’s favor, with goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov saving three kicks and paving the way to the main Eurocup.

Among the highlights by the Almaty team was an indirect free kick near Celtic’s goal in the 52nd minute, thanks to a mistake by Celtic’s defender Cameron Carter-Vickers. However, the opportunity was wasted, as forward Jorginho’s shot lacked power. The episode concluded with the ball striking a Celtic defender’s hand...

On Aug. 6, 2025, the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York found Ilyas Khrapunov in contempt of court. The ruling was in favor of the city of Almaty and BTA Bank JSC, which brought the case.

Judge John G. Koeltl ruled that Khrapunov had violated a previous order requiring him to regularly provide information about his assets. This is not his first violation — in an earlier case, he was also found guilty of contempt and ordered to pay $221,285.31.

Under the new ruling, Khrapunov must provide full and regular reports on his finances and activities...

Azerbaijan has announced a temporary visa-on-arrival program to facilitate entry for international visitors attending the 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Baku.

From Aug. 25 to Sep. 30, 2025, travelers holding an official race ticket, FIA accreditation, or documentation from the Baku City Circuit will be able to obtain a visa directly at the country’s international airports. The measure removes the need for prior embassy appointments or standard visa applications.

The initiative is designed to streamline access for fans, media representatives, and race staff ahead of the Grand Prix, which will take place in Baku from Sep...

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and his Japanese counterpart Iwaya Takeshi met in Kazakhstan on Aug. 25. They agreed to accelerate preparations for a summit between Japan and the Central Asian countries, as reported by NHK World.

The media outlet noted that this meeting had initially been planned for last August, with then-Prime Minister Kishida Fumio expected to attend. However, it was canceled at the last minute due to a special advisory issued after a major earthquake in Japan.

At the meeting, Iwaya pledged that Japan would provide about $6.8 million in grant aid to supply Kazakhstan with the...

Oscar-winning director Woody Allen has found himself in hot water after participating remotely in Moscow Film Week, drawing sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials who view any engagement with Russian cultural events as tacit support for the ongoing war.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry didn’t mince words, calling Allen’s participation “a disgrace” that dishonors Ukrainian film professionals who’ve become casualties of the conflict. The controversy deepened when Ukraine’s Mirotvorets database, which tracks individuals deemed hostile to Ukrainian interests, added Allen to their watchlist.

During the online event, Allen chatted with Russian filmmaker Fyodor Bondarchuk, a vocal supporter of Moscow’s military campaign, and...

Uzbekistan’s media has been abuzz with an unusual gastronomic trend — dishes made from sparrows. A blogger filmed a video at a restaurant in the Bukhara region showing soup and kebabs prepared from the birds’ meat, even sharing the address. The post sparked a heated debate, dividing opinion between those who claim such meals are healthy and others who see it as nothing more than a marketing gimmick.

Since Aug. 15, the country has allowed the hunting of certain birds, including pigeons and sparrows, but only with licenses and in limited numbers. However, the rules do not justify large-scale killing...

The flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline, Korean Air, has announced it plans to acquire over 100 Boeing aircraft, along with spare engines and 20-year engine maintenance, for a total value of $50 billion, Associated Press reported.

The deal covers 103 Boeing aircraft — 20 Boeing 777-9s, 25 Boeing 787-10s, 50 Boeing 737-10 passenger jets and eight Boeing 777-8F freighters — worth $36.2 billion, along with $690 million for 19 spare engines from GE Aerospace and CFM International and a $13 billion, 20-year engine maintenance contract with GE Aerospace, according to the airline.

The deal was...