News

A Soyuz spacecraft successfully delivered two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut to the International Space Station on Thursday, even as damage was reported at the launch facility in Kazakhstan following liftoff, Deutsche Welle reported.

Roscosmos confirmed that several components of the launch complex at the Baikonur Cosmodrome were damaged during the morning launch. The agency said repair work would begin immediately and expressed confidence that operations could resume quickly. However, some Russian space analysts cautioned that restoring the site could take longer than officials anticipate.

According to Vitaly Egorov, a Russian space enthusiast who runs «Zelenyikot i...

Cats may be one of the most familiar animals in human homes today, but new scientific research suggests their close relationship with people began far more recently than previously thought. Instead of becoming domesticated alongside the first farming communities about 10,000 years ago, cats appear to have formed lasting bonds with humans only around 3,500 to 4,000 years ago, the BBC reported.

For many years, scholars believed that cat domestication began in the Levant, a subregion of West Asia along the Eastern Mediterranean, linked to the earliest agricultural societies. However, new genetic evidence now points to...

Kazakhstan looks into introducing crypto exchange tools into payment terminals, a move that will allow payments for goods and services in cryptocurrencies.

At the meeting of the Senate’s committee on finances and budget, Miras Zakiyev, the deputy chair of the committee of digital assets and breakthrough technologies of the Digital Ministry, stated that the development of an ecosystem allowing Kazakhstanis to pay with cryptocurrencies for goods and services is planned within the CryptoCity project.

«The team studied international experience while developing the project. The National Bank’s regulatory sandbox is planned to include...

A Kazakhstani bank with a daily transaction volume of about $9 million can spend between $400,000 and $600,000 a year on transaction verification.

The data comes from Baraiq, a developer of anti-fraud solutions for banks. Based on its data analysis, communication with financial institutions, and industry experience, the company found that banks spend about 0.15% of their total online transaction volume on fraud-prevention measures.

That translates to roughly $0.0029 spent by a bank for every $2 a customer transfers internally. When funds are sent outside the bank, verification costs rise to about $0.019.

Banks direct these expenses toward software...

Organizers of the 2025 Official Strongman Games World Championship in the U.S. have removed 28-year-old American competitor Jammie Booker from the final standings after she won the women’s title. Officials later learned that Booker is a transgender athlete who was assigned male at birth, the New York Post reported.

Tournament organizers said they were unaware of Booker’s background before the event and opened an investigation once the information surfaced.

Following a review of the results, organizers named 43-year-old British competitor Andrea Thompson — who originally finished second — the world’s strongest woman.

Thompson said that many people...

Hard rock legend Deep Purple will return to Almaty for the first time in almost 20 years — on April 22, 2026, the group will perform a major live concert at Almaty Arena. Tickets will be available soon on Freedom Ticketon.

Deep Purple is the band that set the rock tone of the 1960s and reshaped the idea of how the heavy genre should sound. In 1975, the group was recognized by Guinness World Records as the «world’s loudest band.»

Over the course of their career, the group has changed its lineup several times. In...

Two inmates escaped from the disciplinary wing of Dijon prison early Thursday. Prosecutors said they used saw blades, likely delivered by drone, to cut through the bars of their cell. The two men, aged 19 and 32, were being held on serious charges, including attempted murder, criminal conspiracy and aggravated habitual domestic violence, Euronews reported.

Initial reports say the inmates were kept in isolation with no contact with the outside world, so the tools were likely smuggled in without direct communication. After cutting the bars, the two reportedly used blankets to climb over a barbed-wire fence and left...

A 41-year-old security worker in South Korea took two snacks — a Choco Pie and a custard cake — worth 1,050 won ($0.72) at his workplace last year and was later fined 50,000 won ($34.21) for theft. On Nov. 27, the Jeonju District Court overturned that ruling and acquitted the man, Yonhap reported.

The lower court had convicted the defendant for taking and eating the snacks without permission from the logistics company in Wanju last January. However, the appellate panel noted that 39 drivers and security staff testified that taking snacks from the refrigerator had never...

According to the UN’s «World Urbanization Prospects 2025» report, Jakarta is now the world’s most populous city. It has overtaken Tokyo because of a new way of measuring city populations, according to The Guardian.

Jakarta’s population is now estimated at 42 million, putting it ahead of Dhaka, which has 37 million people. Tokyo, which the study defines as a metropolitan area including three nearby prefectures, is now third with 33 million residents. In the UN’s 2018 report, Tokyo was listed as the largest city with 37 million people.

UN officials explained that the change stems from...

On Nov. 26, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government revealed that it is set to reconsider its lodging tax, changing it from a fixed rate to a percentage-based system, while also extending its coverage to rented private accommodations, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

The current rate stands at 100 yen (roughly 64 cents) per person per night for stays costing between 10,000 yen and 15,000 yen (about $64–$96). For accommodations exceeding 15,000 yen ($96) per night, the tax is set at 200 yen ($1.30).

Under the proposed changes, a 3% tax on the total accommodation fee would be introduced...

Roughly 10% of people are believed to be naturally left-handed, yet for centuries the trait carried heavy social and religious baggage. Both the Bible and the Quran contain unfavorable references to the left side, and, long after associations with witchcraft faded, left-handedness was still treated as something that required correction.

Shifting perceptions in the West

According to the BBC, attitudes have changed significantly in much of the West in recent decades. Left-handed people are now frequently celebrated for qualities such as creativity and originality, and are sometimes portrayed as having a greater likelihood of genius than right-handed...

A new live-action Assassin’s Creed adaptation is moving forward at Netflix, but news of the project — and its newly announced casting — has already sparked debate among fans, Gamingbible.com reported.

Netflix recently confirmed that actor Toby Wallace will serve as a co-lead in the series. Many gamers initially speculated that he had been tapped to portray Ezio Auditore, one of the franchise’s most iconic characters.

However, early details suggest the show will follow an original storyline and avoid retelling established canon from the games, indicating that Wallace will play a new assassin created specifically...

Elton John is set to appear in Brazil on Sept. 7, after Rock in Rio president Roberto Medina said the British superstar would help usher in a new chapter for the festival when he performs there next year.

John said he agreed to the booking immediately, explaining that he had not been able to include South America on his farewell tour. He noted that Brazilian fans have always meant a great deal to him and that the surge of energy he gets from major one-off shows has been unmatched since he stepped back from touring. He added that...

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said he doesn’t feel on shaky ground following a devastating 4-1 home defeat to PSV.

«I am feeling safe, I am OK, I have got a lot of support from above. It would be nice to turn it around and get a victory, of course, but if you are working as a coach and not doing well then it is normal that questions are asked. I am OK with my position. It is not the first time I’ve been in a difficult position, but it is about time that we turned...

A massive fire swept through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 44 people, including one firefighter, and critically injuring dozens of residents. The blaze triggered large-scale rescue operations, with about 280 people still missing as of Thursday morning, according to The Guardian.

The fire broke out at 2:52 p.m. at the high-rise complex in Tai Po, in the northern New Territories of the city. Authorities said the fire started on external scaffolding made of bamboo and attached to Wang Cheong House and spread quickly along scaffolding and construction netting...

Kairat Almaty suffered another defeat in the UEFA Champions League, this time against FC Copenhagen, after getting into the game too late.

UEFA Champions League 2025-26

Matchday 5, Nov. 26

FC Copenhagen (Denmark) vs. Kairat (Kazakhstan): 3-2 (1-0)

Goals: Viktor Dadason 26’ (1-0), Jordan Larsson 59’ P (2-0), Robert Silva (3-0); Dastan Satpayev 81’ (3-1), Olzhas Baybek 90’ (3-2)

Kairat’s starting lineup saw minimal changes compared to the one fielded at the beginning of the match against Inter Milan at San Siro Stadium. The left back Luis...

The dispute between Katy Perry and 85-year-old Carl Westcott over a multimillion-dollar Montecito mansion is still unfolding — and the latest turn carries a hefty price tag, according to Metro.co.uk.

Void deal?

Perry reportedly bought Westcott’s home in 2020 for $15 million, joining a neighborhood that includes high-profile residents such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But the pop star’s move-in has been far from smooth.

Shortly after the sale, Westcott sought to undo the agreement, arguing he wasn’t mentally competent when he signed the contract because he had been taking pain medication. A judge rejected that...

Drew Barrymore offered some guidance to anyone expecting to spend Thanksgiving alone, sharing her thoughts in a TikTok video, Film-news.co.uk reported.

The actor said she has spent many of her past Thanksgiving holidays solo and eventually learned two things: being by herself didn’t make her feel lonely, and she genuinely enjoyed the quiet. «A moment to myself,» she said.

Barrymore added that she has also celebrated Friendsgiving — a gathering where people who can’t make it home for the holiday share a meal with friends.

@thedrewbarrymoreshow

Director James Cameron weighed in on Netflix’s ambitions during an appearance on The Town With Matthew Belloni podcast, according to reporting from the New Musical Express. Belloni had asked Cameron to comment on news that Netflix was competing with Comcast and Paramount in a bid to acquire Warner Bros.

Netflix’s “sucker bait”

Reports last week indicated that Netflix had promised to keep releasing Warner Bros. films in theaters as part of its acquisition proposal. Cameron dismissed that pledge as little more than a tactic to qualify films for awards consideration.

He argued that offering a brief theatrical run...

American FX TV channel has ordered a series based on Ubisoft’s iconic video game franchise «Far Cry.» Each season, akin to the original games, will be a separate installment with different characters and locations.

Trusted and iconic, FX producers are behind the project — Rob Mac, the creator of «It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia» and executive producer of «Welcome to Wrexham,» the sports documentary recognized with multiple Emmy Awards, as well as Noah Hawley, the creator of «Fargo» and «Alien: Earth.» Mac is also expected to appear as an actor in the show.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior will raise entry fees for international tourists at many of the country’s most popular national parks. The agency says this new «resident-focused fee structure» is meant to keep park access affordable for U.S. citizens, according to CNN.

Under this plan, non-U.S. residents will pay $250 for the annual America the Beautiful pass, more than three times the $80 fee for U.S. residents. International visitors who do not buy the pass will also pay an extra $100 per person, in addition to standard entrance fees, at 11 major parks...

On Sept. 19, 1982, Scott Fahlman, a research assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), proposed using “:-)” to mark lighthearted comments and “:-(” for serious ones on the school’s digital bulletin board.

This simple suggestion, later called the smiley emoticon, became a milestone in shaping how people communicate tone online, though its creation was a collaborative process, according to Benj Edwards, Ars Technica’s senior AI reporter.

A joke that sparked confusion

The discussion began after a humorous message on CMU’s «bboard» system was mistaken for a real warning. The misunderstanding quickly led to debate over how...

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has unveiled the pots for the 2026 World Cup, with the draw ceremony scheduled for Dec. 5 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The tournament’s debuting national teams — Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao — have been placed in Pot 4, while another debutant, Uzbekistan, has been assigned to Pot 3.

As host nations, the national teams of the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be seeded in Pot 1 out...

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has begun serving a 27-year prison sentence after Brazil’s Supreme Court upheld his conviction for leading an attempted coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. His transfer to custody on Tuesday marked a moment many Brazilians doubted would ever come, Euronews reported.

Bolsonaro had been under house arrest since August and was taken into custody on Saturday after allegedly tampering with his ankle monitor. He claimed the incident was caused by «hallucinations,» a justification the court dismissed.

Federal police say Bolsonaro is being held in an isolated 12-square-meter room at their Brasília...