News

Following reports suggesting that granite slabs from the Big Almaty River embankment in Kazakhstan’s largest city were diverted to gravestone workshops, residents quickly turned the news into online humor.

Almaty resident Mukhtar Yerlan posted a satirical video titled «When I was walking along the Big Almaty River and chose a gravestone for myself.» In it, he tests slab durability, taps them, lies down and washes one before selecting his «future gravestone.» He scrawls his name and birthdate, omitting the date of death.

A lawyer and two sisters of the late Argentine football player Diego Maradona have been found guilty of fraud, La Nacion reported.

Sources familiar with the matter told La Nacion that Maradona’s lawyer Matías Morla and two sisters Rita and Claudia illegally managed the footballer’s brand. The court ruled to seize $1.34 million from them without custody.

Following Maradona’s death in November 2020, his daughters Dalma and Gianinna demanded that the late player’s management designate to them as his heirs. However, the company Sattvica SA, controlled by Morla, declined the claim, stating that it is the owner of the...

SoftBank Group’s Vision Fund will reduce its global workforce by nearly 20% as it shifts its focus to large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) projects in the U.S. With over 300 employees, the fund confirmed these layoffs as part of a broader restructuring, according to Reuters.

This restructuring follows Vision Fund’s strongest quarter since 2021, fueled by gains in Nvidia and Coupang rather than losses. The change shifts the Vision Fund from a broad startup portfolio to a concentrated focus on AI investments.

Central to SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son‘s strategy is the proposed $500 billion «Stargate» project, which aims...

Eric Cantona, a former Manchester United star, has urged football officials to bar Israel’s national team and clubs from international competition over the war in Gaza. He made these remarks on Thursday at a «Together for Palestine» charity event in London, according to Haaretz.

Cantona, 59, cited the ban on Russian teams after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and accused governing bodies of double standards. He urged national teams and clubs to refuse to play against Israeli sides even before regulators act.

Similar calls have come from politics. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued...

Looking to prevent cows from being bitten by insects, a team of Japanese researchers — including Tomoki Kojima from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization — took inspiration from the effects of zebra stripes and experimented by painting black-and-white stripes on Japanese Black cows, an approach that won them the Ig Nobel Prize in Biology, NHK World reported.

The awarding ceremony for the satirical version of the Nobel Prize took place on Sept. 18 at Boston University.

The researchers discovered that non-painted cows attracted more than twice as many biting flies as painted cows. Another finding was...

India’s Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) has rejected allegations of stock manipulation and financial misconduct against the Adani Group, initially raised by U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research in 2023, stating there is no evidence to support the claims, according to the BBC.

SEBI stated that its investigation revealed no violations of disclosure rules, no improper related-party transactions and no evidence of funds being diverted, affirming the Adani Group’s compliance with regulations. The regulator also noted that loans taken by Adani companies had been repaid before the probe’s initiation.

This decision clears the company of the claims that led...

In mid-August, Beijing hosted the 10th World Robot Conference, where Shenzhen-based UBtech showcased how humanoid robots can be applied in real-world industrial settings, according to Lianhe Zaobao.

The company demonstrated robots that not only handle tasks like sorting, material transfer and quality checks, but can also swap out their own batteries without human assistance.

Potential applications

At the event’s opening, the Chinese Institute of Electronics unveiled 10 potential applications for humanoid robots. Industrial uses include automobile manufacturing (loading, unloading, assembly support), shipbuilding (grinding, polishing), and inspections in petrochemical plants and power stations. Consumer uses include household help...

South Korea’s low-cost carrier Eastar Jet has reported bringing in three new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, expanding its fleet to 18 units, according to Yonhap.

The move comes as part of the company’s effort to further grow its fleet with two more of the same model by the end of 2025. According to the airline, the newly introduced jets will be used to extend its route map.

Eastar Jet also offers direct flights to Kazakhstan — from Seoul and Busan to Almaty.

Kazakh boy band Ninety One has released a new track, «Iya Iya,» along with a music video.

The video premiered on YouTube on the evening of Sept. 17 and quickly delighted fans. Within hours, it had drawn tens of thousands of views and hundreds of comments.

The comeback was highly anticipated. The group had not released new material for nearly a year and had been on a creative hiatus while members pursued solo projects and personal milestones. For example, in September 2024, Alem (Batyrkhan Malikov) became a father.

On Sept. 1, the group, founded in...

Berlin authorities evacuated thousands Thursday after two WWII-era bombs were found in the city, as reported by DW.

In central Mitte, a bomb was found in the Spree River, prompting the evacuation of about 10,000 people. With ship traffic and subway service suspended, emergency shelters were opened overnight for those affected. Early Friday, police reported that the device was safe and did not require defusal, allowing residents to return home.

Another bomb, weighing about 100 kilograms, turned up in the Spandau district. Before a planned defusal on Friday, roughly 12,400 people were evacuated. Since its discovery, the area has...

On Sept. 18, the legendary pop group Backstreet Boys arrived in Almaty, where their concert is taking place this evening, Sept. 19. While the performers are preparing for the show and resting after the flight, curious local fans have tried to find out their place of stay.

A user on Threads seems to have found the holy grail for Kazakhstani fans. The event organizers accommodated the musicians at the InterContinental Almaty hotel, located just 10 minutes on foot from Central Stadium — the venue where the concert will be held. This aspect appears to have been pivotal in choosing...

The Trump administration is considering ways to retake Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Located an hour north of Kabul, the base has been under Taliban control since the Afghan government fell and U.S. forces left in 2021.

President Donald Trump addressed the topic this week at a joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying his team is working to secure the airfield, which was the center of U.S. military operations during the 20-year Afghan war. U.S. forces left in July 2021 after dismantling equipment and facilities

The work of world-renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is now on view in Central Asia. The newly opened Almaty Museum of Arts has quickly captured the city’s attention, dominating social media feeds and sparking widespread conversation.

Impressive in scale, the space is more than an exhibition hall — it’s a city within the city, where architecture becomes art.

Several galleries feature works by world-renowned artists, including Richard Serra, Anselm Kiefer and Bill Viola.

The museum is an open platform for exhibitions and projects. It supports contemporary art in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, broadens...

Kairat Almaty started in the Champions League group stage with three goals conceded in three minutes and a penalty successfully saved by the team’s young third-choice goalkeeper. The match between Kairat and Portugal’s Sporting on Sept. 18 in Lisbon ended 4-1 (Sporting: Francisco Trincão 44’, 65’; Alisson Santos 67’; Geovany Quenda 68’; Kairat: Edmilson 86’).

Although the Kazakhstani debuting team did not manage to replicate the recent sensation of Azerbaijani Qarabağ defeating Benfica 3-2 as visitors, Kairat looked quite solid at times. Nevertheless, the Almaty club has no prior experience in the Champions League, whereas the Azerbaijani team...

Denmark will acquire the Franco-Italian Surface-to-Air Missile Platform/Terrain (SAMP/T) system for long-range air defense, opting against the U.S.-made Patriot due to higher costs and longer delivery times, the defense ministry said. The purchase is part of a roughly $9 billion plan to develop a layered, ground-based air defense system, according to Business Insider.

For medium-range coverage, Denmark plans to choose one or more European systems, considering Norway’s NASAMS, Germany’s IRIS-T and France’s VL MICA. In total, eight long- and medium-range systems are slated for procurement, complementing the acquisition of the SAMP/T.

«It is not a...

Thirty-eight years ago, in late August 1987, American actor Tom Cruise arrived in the Soviet Union with his then-wife, Mimi Rogers.

The couple was hosted by Igor Kokarev, a film scholar and founder of the American-Soviet Film Initiative. Recently, rare photos from Kokarev’s archive and his recollections surfaced online, offering a glimpse into the trip.

Cruise was already internationally famous for «Top Gun,» and locals in Moscow recognized him.

At Mosfilm studios, he posed for playful photos in a fake mustache and beard.

Meals were often at Kokarev’s home, featuring Ukrainian borscht, Russian...

China’s technology giant Huawei has unveiled its long-term chip strategy and pledged to release some of the world’s most powerful computing systems, breaking years of secrecy around its chip-related business. Huawei also presented timelines for its Ascend artificial intelligence chips and Kunpeng server chips, highlighting China’s push to reduce its reliance on imported semiconductors, such as those made by Nvidia, Reuters reported.

Among other breakthroughs, Huawei’s current rotating chairman Eric Xu said the company has developed its own high-bandwidth memory. He announced that the Ascend 950 artificial intelligence chip — a successor to the Ascend 910C

On Thursday, the U.S. tennis team clinched a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan, earning a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals for the first time since 2021, according to ESPN.

Emma Navarro opened the day with a tight win over Yulia Putintseva, prevailing 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (6). However, Elena Rybakina responded by beating Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 to level the tie. In the decisive doubles match, Pegula and Taylor Townsend then secured the U.S. victory, defeating Putintseva and Rybakina 6-2, 7-6 (1).

Saturday’s semifinal will see the Americans take on either Japan or Britain. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces...

U.S. tennis player Taylor Townsend has apologized after facing criticism for remarks about local dishes offered during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Townsend, the world’s top-ranked doubles player, had posted videos on Instagram showing foods such as bullfrogs, turtles and sea cucumbers, describing them unfavorably. The posts were later removed after sparking backlash on Chinese social media.

In a follow-up video, Townsend said she was «sincerely sorry,» acknowledging her privilege as an athlete who travels the world and experiences different cultures. «The things that I said...

Kazakhstani musician and DJ Imanbek Zeikenov, better known as Imanbek, has once again been nominated for a Grammy — this time at the Latin Grammys.

The track «Ella Quiere Techno,» a collaboration with Argentine singer Taichu, has been selected in the Best Latin Electronic Music Performance category, alongside competitors such as «Orión (Sistek Remix),» «Qqqq,» «Rulay En Dubai» and «Veneka.»

The winners will be announced on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas, with final voting scheduled for Oct. 1.

Tesla will redesign its electric door handles after U.S. regulators raised safety concerns, according to Reuters.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating the matter after reports surfaced that Tesla’s electronic handles fail if the low-voltage battery dies, potentially trapping occupants during emergencies.

Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, told Bloomberg News podcast that the company is working on a design that would merge the electronic and manual release into a single button.

On Sept. 16, families of four passengers who died in the June 12 Air India flight 171 crash filed a lawsuit against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and parts supplier Honeywell, the BBC reported.

According to the outlet, the suit accuses the corporations of negligence — «doing nothing» despite alleged knowing the risks linked to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s design.

A preliminary inquiry determined that fuel access to both engines was cut off seconds after takeoff, prompting investigators to focus on the aircraft’s fuel cutoff switches. The families cite a 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory that recommended — but...

Artificial intelligence may be reshaping industries, but it is not yet ready to replace stock market analysts, according to Erlan Abdikarimov, head of research at Freedom Finance Global.

«The stock market is too complex to hand over entirely to algorithms,» Abdikarimov said.

He explained that effective use of AI requires high-quality training data, clearly defined goals and continuous feedback.

«The stock market is not a physical object that can simply be modeled,» he added. «It is driven by human emotions and is reflexive: participants’ decisions directly alter the market...

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC), a commercial broadcast television and radio network and the flagship property of the Walt Disney Company, stated that «Jimmy Kimmel Live!» is off the air and will be replaced by other programming. The move followed Nexstar and Sinclair, two major station owners, who announced they will not air the show, The Guardian reported.

Earlier this week, during his monologues, Kimmel criticized how Republicans responded to Kirk’s death. Following these remarks, several prominent political leaders in the U.S. and media executives expressed backlash. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr then warned stations that...