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King Felipe VI of Spain has acknowledged abuses committed during the country’s colonial era, though the Spanish monarchy has never formally apologized to former colonies, Reuters reported.

During a visit to Madrid’s Museum of Archaeology on Monday, the king addressed Spain’s colonial legacy. He discussed the gap between the aims of colonial laws and their outcomes, noting that while the laws «wanted to protect,» in practice, «things didn’t work out as they were originally intended and there was a lot of abuse.»

The remarks referred to Spain’s colonial period between the 16th and 18th centuries, when it ruled one...

Christian Berçaïts, the mayor of the French commune of Viodos-Abense-de-Bas in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, was found dead after losing the first round of municipal elections, according to Le Figaro.

Disappearance after results announced

Berçaïts reportedly disappeared on the evening of March 15, shortly after the election results were announced. According to first-round results, his opponent received 55.5% of the vote.

Read also: The human cost of NAFTA: New study links trade shocks to US deaths.

After learning of his loss, Berçaïts left the polling station and did not respond to calls...

Kazakhstan is experiencing a dynamic surge in food and beverage production. Government forecasts anticipate food production volume to hit a remarkable 4.7 trillion tenge (approx. $9.7 billion) by the end of 2026.

Beverage sector expansion

Coca-Cola Almaty Bottlers is poised to drive growth in the beverage sector. The company plans an ambitious increase in soft drink production — from 4.3 billion liters to 6.7 billion liters, marking a 55% surge.

The company is investing 42 billion tenge ($84 million) in a state-of-the-art plant in western Kazakhstan to power this expansion.

Coca-Cola Almaty Bottlers is owned...

After winter, some people complain of fatigue, dry skin, brittle hair and general weakness. Certain vitamin deficiencies may indeed be more common at the end of winter.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common worldwide. The vitamin is produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, and ultraviolet radiation levels drop significantly in winter, especially in northern regions.

Read also: Curdled pre-workout? The science behind the viral energy drink yogurt hack.

Low vitamin D levels can cause fatigue, muscle weakness and bone pain.

About...

We hope that women will have a better chance than men of being elected UN secretary-general this year. At least for now, there are more female candidates in the race.

Three more nominees have joined the first two candidates we reported on earlier.

Argentina’s Virginia Gamba was formally nominated by the Republic of Maldives on March 11, 2026. A veteran strategist, Gamba recently served as the UN Under-Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (2017-2025) and previously led the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism in Syria.

Her vision statement, “Rebuilding Credibility Through Action,” emphasizes transforming the UN...

Kazakhstan has not abandoned its neutral and peace-oriented stance regarding the conflict in the Middle East and views dual power as a dangerous factor that can undermine stability, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said March 15 during a briefing for domestic and international media following the national referendum on a draft new Constitution.

«We have always advocated that all conflicts be resolved through peaceful, diplomatic means. This position of ours remains unchanged,» Tokayev said.

He noted that the conflict in the Middle East has multiple causes and said he had recently...

A remarkable incident in China resembled news reporting from the future. Police had to intervene in a conflict between a human and a robot.

The incident took place in Macau, near a residential complex in the Patane district, according to the South China Morning Post. Authorities said an elderly woman was standing on a sidewalk, looking at her phone, when she suddenly noticed a humanoid robot behind her. It frightened the resident, and in response, she started shouting and waving a bag at the offender.

The woman can be seen arguing with the robot in a...

Kazakhstanis who attempt to sell their organs most often do so through social media platforms and messaging apps, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in response to an inquiry from Kursiv.media.

«Most cases involve attempts to illegally sell kidneys, since this organ is frequently in demand for transplant operations,» the ministry said.

Penalties for illegal organ trade

The agency noted that coercion to remove human organs or tissues, as well as their illegal removal, is a serious criminal offense under Article 116 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code.

Read also:

InDrive CEO Arsen Tomsky said the company’s revenue grew by 31% last year compared with 2024, reaching $601.6 million.

In an interview with Reuters, Tomsky said profitability per ride has improved after several years of rapid expansion. The privately held U.S.-based company is now seeking to expand its business in developing markets through new acquisitions. Over the past two years, InDrive has acquired online grocery delivery services in Pakistan and Kazakhstan, he added.

«Gradually, through these purchases, we are entering this new sphere,» Tomsky said.

Unlike Uber and Grab, InDrive allows drivers and passengers...

«Interstellar» and «Miss Sloane» star Jessica Chastain unexpectedly drew the attention of Kazakhstani social media users after posting a video to Instagram using the track «GO!» by Kazakh rapper Alikhat Tanatarov, who performs under the name hatikoali.

In the video, the actress poses in a gown while the song plays in the background. The post was dedicated to Chastain’s styling team. «Shout out glam team for doing the lord’s work,» she wrote.

The fleet of electric vehicles continues to grow in Kazakhstan. Currently, more than 21,000 EVs are registered in the country. In the last year alone, their number increased significantly, 24KZ reported, citing Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics.

Electric cars are getting more popular

According to the latest data, the number of electric cars in Kazakhstan increased by roughly 80% over the past year. Several years ago, even in major cities, electric vehicles were a rare sight, but interest in them is now steadily growing.

Experts note that since 2019, Kazakhstan imported around 1,000 EVs annually...

Abiqua Falls, a popular Oregon waterfall, may soon become public land after state lawmakers agreed to fund its purchase from a private nonprofit, The Associated Press reported.

The 28-meter waterfall is located about 30 miles east of Salem and 50 miles south of Portland. It can be reached by driving along an unpaved road and then hiking a steep trail. Mount Angel Abbey purchased the site in 1908, and in 2002, it was transferred to the Abbey Foundation of Oregon, a nonprofit that supports the Benedictine monastery.

Although the organization had long allowed visitors to access the landmark...

Kazakh economist Rassul Rysmambetov said the tenge could remain in the range of 490-510 per U.S. dollar if global oil prices stay above $100 per barrel amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

Read also: How $100 oil could pay for Kazakhstan’s nuclear future.

According to Rysmambetov, Iran has previously signaled that it would welcome oil prices rising as high as $200 per barrel — a scenario that, from a purely economic perspective, could benefit oil-exporting countries such as Kazakhstan.

«At the policy level, Astana could...

“Scream 7” has set a franchise record at the box office. Kursiv LifeStyle takes a look at how much the new installment of the iconic slasher has grossed.

According to Paramount, the global box office has reached $176.9 million, allowing the latest movie to surpass the franchise’s previous record holders. “Scream” (1996) generated $173 million and “Scream 2” (1997) earned $172 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Of the total, $106.5 million came from domestic box office sales in the U.S., with $70.4 million earned internationally. According to the online ticketing platform Freedom Ticketon, the movie earned...

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but key allies, including Japan and Australia, say they have no plans to deploy naval vessels to the region, Reuters reported.

Trump said countries that rely on energy supplies from the Persian Gulf should help protect the narrow shipping route, which carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments. His request comes as tensions in the Middle East remain high amid the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. has...

Paul Thomas Anderson’s film «One Battle After Another,» starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, won best picture at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday. It is the director’s first Oscar after many years of critical acclaim, the Associated Press reported.

The film, which tells a multi-generational American story about political resistance, won six awards overall. These included best director and best adapted screenplay for Anderson, best supporting actor for Sean Penn and the Academy’s first award for best casting. DiCaprio, despite playing the film’s lead role, did not win any awards this time.

Michael B. Jordan won best...

Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission has announced preliminary results from the referendum on the new Constitution — 87.1% of voters supported the proposed amendments, committee chairman Nurlan Abdirov stated.

At the same time, 898,099 citizens voted against the amendments.

Overall, 9,127,192 people participated in the referendum, with 7,954,667 voting in favor of the new Constitution.

On March 16, 2026, representatives of the CIS Observer Mission and heads of delegations of the central election authorities of foreign countries, who monitored the voting process at the referendum, will speak at the Central Election Commission.

Context

According to an exit poll by the...

Overall, 86.7% of Kazakh citizens supported the adoption of a new constitution in the national referendum, according to an exit poll conducted by the Institute of Eurasian Integration. The institute reported voter turnout at 75.3%.

A separate exit poll by the Amanat Party’s Institute of Public Policy found that 88.6% of voters backed the new constitution.

Tokayev meets with youth activists

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met Sunday with representatives of youth organizations who actively participated in the referendum campaign.

The president emphasized the significance of what he called a historic day and expressed gratitude to the young people for...

Kazakhstanis continue to draw attention with creative appearances at polling stations during the March 15 referendum on the new Constitution. Across the country, some voters arrived in unusual costumes, turning the voting process into a colorful spectacle.

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

In Astana, a young woman came to vote wearing a white robe and slippers and brought along a robotic dog. The mechanical companion accompanied her through the entire process, from registration to casting her ballot.

In Uralsk, a local resident appeared...

The Chinese company Xiamen Tungsten Co., Ltd. has established a subsidiary in the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) — Xiamen Tungsten Hanyuan Resources Co., Ltd. — according to Finmentor.kz author Arman Batayev.

Previously, Xiamen Tungsten sought to gain control of the largest tungsten deposit in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region.

Operations and capital

The company specializes in the production of tungsten and molybdenum. Registered on March 12, the new subsidiary will oversee the activities of Xiamen Tungsten’s affiliated companies in Kazakhstan in the mining and metallurgical sectors.

The company’s charter capital is...

A new trend among Gen Z and millennials is turning routine tasks into a social event. The format is known as «Admin Night.»

The idea is simple: friends get together — but not for a loud party. Instead, they bring their laptops and phones, order food or pour a glass of wine, and focus on everyday adult responsibilities.

Read also: Growth over loyalty: Why Gen Z won’t wait for a promotion.

During these meetups, people pay bills, deal with taxes, clear out hundreds of emails, update their résumés, schedule appointments, and...

It appears that Kyrgyz rap is being taken seriously not only by listeners but also at the state level. Kyrgyz Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy Mirbek Mambetaliev met with artists from the local hip-hop scene to discuss the genre’s future in the country.

Well-known local performers, including Begish, Freeman 996, Bakr and Bayastan, were invited. The rappers explained how the scene is developing today, shared the difficulties young musicians face and discussed what could help the genre grow.

The talks focused not only on supporting the artists but also on how the music scene could develop in...

Female infertility is discussed more often than male infertility. However, in about 50% of cases, difficulties with conception are linked to men’s health.

What causes male infertility?

Male infertility is most often associated with changes in sperm quality, including a low sperm count, reduced motility (movement), or abnormal sperm structure. In some cases, the problem is not with the sperm cells themselves but with a disruption in how they are transported.

There can be many underlying causes, including:

Yerbol Khamitov, a Kazakhstani Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete, won gold in the men’s 4.5-kilometer biathlon pursuit at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy.

Khamitov completed the race in 9:39.0, with one miss at the second shooting stage. Taras Rad of Ukraine took the silver medal, finishing 21.5 seconds behind the Kazakh athlete, while China’s Liu Zixu claimed bronze (+32.5 seconds).

Two other Kazakhstani biathletes — Yuriy Berezin and Sergey Usoltsev — finished the race in 19th place (two misses, +3:30.4) and 23rd place (five misses, +4:43.9), respectively.

Earlier, on March 10, Khamitov won Kazakhstan’s first medal of the...