News

A study in Kazakhstan links the gut microbiome to emotional health and suicide risk.

According to Alibek Kossumov, a senior researcher at the National Laboratory Astana (NLA), diet may influence not only physical health but also brain function — and in some cases, even the likelihood of suicidal thoughts.

Inaugural study

The research, the first of its kind in Kazakhstan, analyzed gut microbiome samples from people who had died by suicide. It involved 71 individuals aged 30 to 42, including a healthy control group.

Kossumov explained that the team set out to clarify whether and...

Kazakhstani professional Counter-Strike 2 player Danil «molodoy» Golubenko received an exclusive computer mouse designed after Kazakhstan’s flag from Logitech.

The gift marks the esports athlete’s triumphs on the international stage. Golubenko has already shown off the new device to his teammates, who duly appreciated it.

This fall, molodoy, playing for the Brazilian team FURIA, won the...

The Swiss government nominated yodeling for UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This move acknowledges the centuries-old singing tradition as a vital part of Switzerland’s cultural identity, according to Euronews.

Alpine herders originally used yodeling to communicate across the mountains, but it is now widely embraced as a popular singing style rooted in Swiss folk music. The Swiss Yodeling Association reports that about 12,000 people perform in 780 groups across the country. Some people even want to introduce yodeling in primary schools to highlight its role in Swiss heritage and identity.

UNESCO’s list aims...

Saudi Arabia is leveraging its low-cost energy and Aramco’s investment drive to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a future international hub for AI, CNBC reported, citing Aramco CEO Amin Nasser.

According to Nasser, the Kingdom’s low-cost energy gives it an edge in AI data infrastructure: «If you want renewable energy or gas, you’ll find the lowest cost here. Energy and land are available for development.»

In October, Aramco announced plans to acquire a significant minority stake in Humain, a new Saudi AI company backed by the sovereign wealth fund...

Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman, at 15 years and 308 days, became the youngest footballer ever to play in a Champions League match, the UEFA press service reported.

UEFA Champions League

Matchday 4, Nov. 4

Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal: 0-3

Goals: Bukayo Saka 32’ (P), Mikel Merino 46’, 68’

Dowman replaced Leandro Trossard in the 72nd minute of the match, thus becoming the youngest footballer to play in the Champions League. Moreover, he is also the first player under the age of 16 to appear in the competition.

The headline Freedom Holding Corp. PMI Business Activity Index posted below the neutral mark of 50.0 that separates expansion from contraction for the first time this year in October. A reading of 49.3, down from 50.8 in September, highlighted a modest reduction in service sector activity, which was the most pronounced in a year.

The headline index has now edged down in each month since June, when activity was rising at a marked pace.

According to Erlan Abdikarimov, director of the Financial Analysis Department at Freedom Finance Global PLC, Kazakhstan’s services sector entered a transitional phase in October, following a...

Sikhs around the world are preparing to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti, one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism, which is observed this year on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.

The festival, also known as Gurpurab or Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav, commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The date varies annually as it is based on the lunar Nanakshahi calendar, falling on the full moon day of the month of Kartik.

Festivities begin two days prior with an Akhand Path, a 48-hour...

On Nov. 4, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham played his 50th match in the Champions League. He became the youngest footballer in the tournament’s history to reach this benchmark, Opta reported. The English player has outperformed legendary Iker Casillas.

UEFA Champions League

Matchday 4, Nov. 4

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: 1-0

Goal: Alexis Mac Allister 61’

Bellingham was in the starting line-up against Liverpool at the age of 22 years and 128 days, thus surpassing the previous record held by Real Madrid’s former goalkeeper Casillas. The 2010 FIFA World Cup title...

King Charles III officially knighted former England football captain David Beckham during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, CNN reported. The retired athlete described it as his «proudest» moment.

Recognized for his contributions to sport and charity, Beckham was made a Knight Bachelor. Among the other honorees were Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro and stage performer Elaine Paige.

«I’ve been very obviously lucky in my career to have won what I’ve won and done what I’ve done,» Beckham said after the ceremony. «But to receive an honor like this, of...

Influencer Barbara Borges died in Rio de Janeiro after being caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs while riding in a taxi on one of the city’s main streets, Marca.com reported. A stray bullet struck her in the head, killing her instantly.

Borges was rushed to Bonsucesso General Hospital, where doctors were unable to save her, according to local reports.

The taxi driver told authorities he heard what sounded like an explosion and urged Borges to duck for safety. However, it was too late — she had already been hit.

The incident has shocked Brazil...

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, one of Tesla’s largest investors, said it will vote against Elon Musk’s new compensation package, which could be worth up to $1 trillion over a decade, according to the Associated Press.

The fund, which manages Norway’s Government Pension Fund and holds about 1.16% of Tesla’s shares, cited concerns about the size of the package and the company’s heavy reliance on a single individual.

Tesla shareholders are set to vote on the proposal during the company’s annual meeting on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Baron Capital Management, which owns about 0.4% of Tesla stock, said it plans...

“Voice Beyond Horizon” music show, organized by Kazakh superstar Dimash Qudaibergen in cooperation with China’s Hunan Broadcasting System, will take place in 2026. This international event will bring together eight performers from six countries. Qudaibergen will serve as the producer.

Kazakhstan will be represented by singer and musical theater actor Nurzhas Sadyrbai.

Sadyrbai was born in 2000 in Uchkuduk, Uzbekistan. He graduated from the State College of Culture and Arts in Navoi with a major in Academic Vocal Performance, and later from the Kazakh National University of Arts, where he trained under Askhat Mayemirov.

In his...

Elected as New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani is not only the youngest leader in more than a century but also the first Muslim mayor and the first to be born in Africa, according to the BBC.

Starting his campaign with limited funds and few allies, Mamdani still managed to defeat well-known opponents like former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Blending left-leaning economic ideas with a focus on working-class issues, his message especially appealed to younger, more progressive voters.

For example, he supports free childcare, improved public transit and greater government...

British actor Jonathan Bailey, known for his role as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in Netflix’s «Bridgerton» and the upcoming film «Wicked: For Good,» has been named People magazine’s 2025 Sexiest Man Alive.

For the magazine’s cover shoot, Bailey posed off the coast of southern England — first taking a dip in the chilly ocean and later wrapping up in a cozy sweater and requesting a glass of Bordeaux.

Bailey said he was deeply honored and incredibly flattered by the recognition. He revealed that the only one he shared the secret with ahead of the announcement was his dog, Benson.

The UPS Flight 2976, operated by a three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, near the Louisville International Airport, shortly after takeoff at around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2025, while en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, according to CBS News. At least seven deaths have been reported so far.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a post on X that the number is expected to rise, and that work is underway to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation.

A total of 112 dead seals were discovered along the Caspian Sea coast in the Tupkaragan district of the Mangystau region, local officials said. Residents of Bautino reported the carcasses, prompting environmental teams to respond immediately.

On Nov. 3, 2025, specialists from the regional Department of Ecology collected seawater samples near Fort Shevchenko and Cape Bautino. Together with the fisheries inspectorate and the wildlife protection service, they inspected the...

A law banning smoking for anyone born after January 2007 has taken effect in the Maldives, making the island nation the first in the world to implement a «generational ban» on tobacco.

The measure aims to protect public health and create a tobacco-free generation. Under the new rules, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2007, is prohibited from purchasing, using or possessing tobacco products. The restriction also applies to tourists visiting the Indian Ocean archipelago of 1,191 coral islands, known for its luxury resorts.

Notably, local retailers are now required to verify customers’ ages. Selling cigarettes to...

The client base of Freedom Broker continues to grow. As of Oct. 1, 2025, the company had 310,500 active accounts, which is 80,600 more than a year earlier. The growth in new accounts from January to September amounted to 23.6%, and the total number of securities transactions reached 27.2 million.

Most popular stocks

Among Freedom Broker’s Kazakhstani clients, Halyk Bank shares were the most popular stocks, with transactions totaling $38.3 million, followed by shares of Bank CenterCredit ($34.2 million) and Kazatomprom ($26.2 million).

On the American market, the leaders in terms of transaction volume were Petrobras ($3.2 billion), Newmont Corporation...

On Nov. 5, Kairat Almaty will face Inter Milan in matchday four of the UEFA Champions League. Yegor Sorokin, defender of the Kazakhstani club, shared his expectations for the upcoming match.

The 30-year-old footballer said that Kairat is approaching the game in high spirits after winning the domestic Kazakhstan Premier League title.

«We won the tournament, and after several days of rest, immediately resumed training for a match against Inter. We aren’t doing anything special — this is the same training process as before any match: first theory, then practice on the pitch,» Sorokin...

Australia will offer households at least three hours of free solar electricity each day starting in 2026, even for those without rooftop panels. The Solar Sharer program will help households use excess daytime energy more effectively and ease pressure on the national grid, Reuters reported.

The scheme will launch in New South Wales, South Australia and southeast Queensland, then expand nationwide. Energy Minister Chris Bowen aims to encourage people to shift their electricity use to midday, when solar generation peaks and costs drop.

For those who want to take part in the program and benefit from running appliances...

For the first time ever, Chinese astronauts have cooked food in zero gravity using a real oven aboard China’s space station, Tiangong. Crew members of the Shenzhou 21 and 20 missions baked chicken wings and steaks, China Daily reported.

In the video, space engineer Wu Fei is seen marinating the wings, threading them onto skewers, and placing them in a mini oven. Twenty-eight minutes later, he takes out a golden-brown dish — New Orleans-style «space» wings.

He and his colleague Wang Jie also cooked steaks seasoned with black pepper. The dinner, enjoyed with smiles and joy...

The official Instagram account, with more than 696 million followers, published a video by Kazakh videographer Dastan Mukhamedrakhim and followed him.

The footage shows a young man running through endless fields of flowers. Mukhamedrakhim’s videos often feature the Zailiysky Alatau mountains, the Assy plateau, the cosmic landscapes of Mangystau, Lake Borovoye and other popular locations in Kazakhstan. So far, the post has garnered over 30 million views.

This time, the...

Chess is becoming a popular new social activity for young people in the U.K., as bars and cafés reimagine the classic game, according to the Guardian.

In London, Knight Club has become one of the city’s go-to Tuesday night venues, offering a mix of cocktails, DJ sets and chessboards for socializing. Founded by Yusuf Ntahilaja in 2023, the club aims to make chess more accessible and engaging for a diverse, younger audience.

The format has quickly attracted hundreds of players and inspired similar events elsewhere. In Birmingham, Chesscafé now brings together over 100 participants for relaxed chess nights...

An old town built as a set for the movie «Nomad: The Warrior» (2005) will undergo restoration and become part of a tourist zone.

According to the Almaty region’s governor’s office, a large tourism cluster development project has begun on the banks of the Ili River. Local authorities aim to restore the significantly worn “Nomad” movie set, build a pedestrian bridge to the Tanbaly Tas area and enhance the surrounding landscape. The plan also includes the creation of recreational and glamping areas, as well as cafés.

The region’s governor, Marat Sultangaziyev, said that approximately 500 tourists...