News

Kazakh ethnic designer Tilek Sultan sparked debate after receiving a custom order for a kimeshek, a traditional head covering for married Kazakh women with children.

While researching, Sultan noticed confusion between the kimeshek and the Islamic hijab. He raised the subject online, receiving swift, heated responses.

A question that sparked confusion

Sultan said a woman asked if he made kimesheks. When he asked if it was for a married woman, she said her daughter was a college student. She said her family wanted the girl to wear a “Kazakh hijab.”

The designer told her that only women who...

FC Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski has held talks over a potential transfer to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Chicago Fire FC, according to the BBC. The 37-year-old Polish footballer is open to a move, and his high salary is not expected to be an obstacle.

Lewandowski’s contract with the Catalan club runs until the summer of 2026. FC Barcelona’s management is not rushing to extend the agreement.

According to the source, the forward is also considering other options for continuing his career. Lewandowski has not ruled out staying with Barcelona for one...

Merriam-Webster chose «slop» as its 2025 word of the year, explaining that it means low-quality online content such as confusing instructional videos generated by artificial intelligence (AI), joke social media posts created by bots and books written by AI, according to CNN.

By choosing this word, Merriam-Webster joins other major dictionaries that have focused on technology-related language this year. Collins, Cambridge and Oxford, for example, have also chosen words related to digital culture and online habits — «vibe coding,» «parasocial» and «rage bait» — showing how technology keeps changing the way people communicate and discuss issues.

Moreover, The Economist...

Instagram is developing a dedicated television app that will let users watch Reels directly on their TVs. The service is expected to debut in the U.S. on Amazon Fire TV devices.

How the TV experience will work

According to Instagram, users can log in with up to five existing accounts or create a separate account specifically for TV viewing. Reels keep their vertical format rather than stretching to fit widescreen televisions, and videos run up to 3 minutes.

The app offers two viewing feeds: a personalized stream and a second feed that shows videos a user’s friends have...

The song «Seven Nation Army,» often associated by boxing fans with Gennadiy Golovkin, who famously entered the ring to its iconic riff during championship bouts, will be performed live in Almaty. Its author, rock performer Jack White, will headline the first day of the Park Live Almaty 2026 international music festival.

The event is set to take place in Almaty from Aug. 21 to 23, 2026, turning the city into Central Asia’s music capital.

The full lineup has not yet been revealed; however, organizers have already announced two major names. Along with White...

Authorities in Mississippi have arrested a Texas woman accused of tampering with packaged bread by inserting razor blades at two Walmart locations in Biloxi, The Associated Press reported.

Police identified the suspect as Camille Benson, 33, who faces a charge of attempted mayhem. She is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to the Biloxi Police Department.

The investigation began after customers reported finding razor blades inside loaves of bread purchased at a Walmart Supercenter and a nearby Walmart Neighborhood Market in early December. Following complaints, store employees examined the bread shelves and discovered multiple loaves that...

Michelle and Barack Obama were planning to meet filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, on the same day the couple was found dead at their Los Angeles home, according to remarks made by the former first lady.

During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Michelle Obama said she and her husband had known the Reiners for many years and had arrangements to see them that evening, making the news of their deaths especially devastating.

Barack Obama shared a public tribute on social media, saying that he and Michelle were deeply saddened by the sudden loss...

Singapore-based holding company Food Empire has invested 6.7 billion tenge (about $13 million) in the construction of a tea and coffee production facility in Khorgos, a key gateway city linking Kazakhstan and China. The plant will produce instant coffee under the popular MacCoffee brand.

Khorgos emerges as manufacturing hub

Speaking at a recent briefing in Astana, Beibit Issabayev, governor of Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region, which borders China, said 32 investment projects are currently underway in the Khorgos special economic zone. One of the largest is the MacCoffee beverage plant, which is being developed by Empire Manufacturing Kazakhstan.

Production capacity and...

BAE Systems, the U.K.’s largest multinational aerospace and defense company, has decided to sell half of its stake in Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s national carrier, according to Reuters.

Once the deal is completed, the British company’s shareholding will fall from 16.95% to approximately 8%. In 2024, BAE Systems had already reduced its stake from 49% following Air Astana’s IPO in London and Kazakhstan.

Even after the sale, BAE Systems will remain the airline’s second-largest shareholder after Samruk-Kazyna, which holds 41%. The Unified Accumulative Pension Fund, with a 6.51% stake, will rank third.

According to the London Stock Exchange, BAE...

Former undisputed world boxing champion in three weight classes, Terence Crawford, announced his retirement from professional boxing.

«Walking away as a great with nothing else left to prove,» he wrote on Instagram.

Furthermore, Crawford posted a video on YouTube recapping his professional boxing career.

«I gave this sport everything I had. I faced the best, moved through...

TotalEnergies has announced that Chinese firms Shanghai Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Shanghai Electric Group, along with Kazakhstan-based GCD Partner, have joined a consortium of contractors tasked with designing and building the 1-gigawatt Mirny wind farm in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region.

Project ownership and partnerships

TotalEnergies holds a 60% stake in the project operator, Aktas Energy, which was established in partnership with Samruk-Energy and Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company, KazMunayGas.

Scope of work and timeline

Under the agreement, the Chinese-Kazakh consortium will be responsible for the project’s design, equipment supply, construction and commissioning. The work...

Legendary soprano Bibigul Tulegenova — widely regarded as the brightest star of Kazakh musical art — has turned 96. A People’s Artist of both the Soviet Union and Kazakhstan, Tulegenova has left an indelible mark on the history of Kazakh music and culture.

Bringing Kazakh song to the world

Throughout her career, Tulegenova received numerous state awards and honors in recognition of her artistic achievements. She performed Kazakh folk music on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, helping introduce Kazakhstan’s musical heritage to international audiences.

Her interpretations of beloved folk songs such as «Gakku,» «Bulbul» («Nightingale») and «Zhiyrma Bes...

Australian police in New South Wales reported questioning Naveed Akram, 24, the surviving suspected gunman hospitalized following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 14, according to ABC News. Police noted that no formal charges have been filed yet.

The investigation is examining events in the months leading up to the attack. According to the country’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, cited by ABC News, Naveed Akram traveled with his father, Sajid Akram, 50 — the second alleged gunman, who was killed at the...

Gorilla Asia, the company that produces popular energy drinks, has officially announced that it has no plans to move its production out of Kazakhstan in the near future.

Earlier this month, BES.media reported that the company was considering relocating its production from Kazakhstan to neighboring Uzbekistan due to a new tax. Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, Kazakhstan will introduce a new excise duty of approximately $0.29 per liter on energy drinks. The tax will also apply to exported goods and is expected to increase gradually to $0.35 per liter.

According to Gorilla Asia, the company has no plans to...

An Air Astana-operated Almaty-Astana flight, KC-851, made an emergency landing early on Dec. 17. The flight crew issued a mayday call due to smoke in the cabin, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport. The incident involving an Airbus A321N aircraft occurred at 7:38 a.m. local time.

The aircraft landed at Almaty airport at 7:40 a.m. For safety, aircraft rescue and fire-fighting services entered the runway.

According to preliminary information, there were no injuries among passengers or crew. The transport accident and incident investigation department has launched an investigation into the circumstances of...

The recent tragedy at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where two gunmen targeted people attending a Hanukkah celebration, serves as a grim reminder of the vulnerability of public spaces. While this incident involved a shooting during a Jewish holiday gathering, the underlying psychological and sociological factors often resemble those seen in attacks on schools, shopping malls and parades.

Contrary to popular belief, prior research in the U.S. suggests that severe mental illness (like psychosis) is rarely the sole cause. Instead, a complex mix of grievance, trauma, and a desire for notoriety typically drives these individuals.

The...

In northeastern Brazil, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park stuns visitors with an otherworldly landscape: endless white dunes carved by wind and dotted with hundreds of vivid, seasonal freshwater lagoons, the BBC reported.

Driven by strong coastal winds, towering dunes rising up to 30 meters are pushed inland from the Atlantic. During the rainy season, which lasts from January to June, heavy rainfall collects in natural basins between the dunes, forming crystal-clear lagoons that persist for months, held in place by an impermeable layer beneath the sand.

Such a blend of sand and freshwater is quite rare, which is why...

Airports in Thailand have tightened border checks against the backdrop of escalating tensions with Cambodia, the Bangkok Post reported. Foreigners who could potentially serve as mercenaries are under special scrutiny.

The Thai Immigration Bureau warned tourists of possible line extensions of up to 45 minutes, compared with the usual 20 minutes. Stricter measures apply at airports in Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports), as well as in Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai.

Police noted that Cambodian citizens arriving in Thailand for work or business purposes are now required to obtain...

The Rothschild family’s long-standing tradition of privacy has been disrupted by a legal dispute over a valuable art collection housed at the Chateau de Pregny, a lakeside property near Geneva owned by the wealthy family, The Guardian reported.

The dispute follows legal action initiated by Nadine de Rothschild, 93, widow of banker Edmond de Rothschild, who is seeking ownership of artworks and historic objects kept at the estate. Her move has drawn her into a court battle with her daughter-in-law, Ariane de Rothschild, 60, the current baroness and widow of Benjamin de Rothschild, who died in...

Volkswagen Group has kicked off real-world trials for its Gen.Urban self-driving vehicle. The tests are taking place on public roads in the city of Wolfsburg under real-world conditions, including intersections, junctions and traffic jams.

The route covers almost 10 kilometers, with one ride taking 20 minutes. Notably, the vehicle is designed to have neither a steering wheel nor foot pedals, lacking conventional controls.

What Volkswagen is testing

Contrary to expectations, the emphasis is placed on people rather than autopilot technology. The Volkswagen Group Innovation team is studying:

The Mangystau region in western Kazakhstan has been approved as the primary filming location for a new international movie project, «Armor of God: Ultimatum,» starring Jackie Chan.

The decision followed a site visit by Chan and the film’s director, Robert Kun, according to the region’s public communications center.

Location scouting and selection

During the working trip, members of the film crew assessed Mangystau’s natural features and infrastructure, visiting dozens of potential filming sites and conducting detailed inspections of key locations.

Following negotiations, Mangystau was selected for its distinctive landscapes, sweeping panoramas and visual character, qualities officials...

Japan is to end up without pandas for the first time since 1972, as the two remaining twin giant pandas, male Xiao Xiao and female Lei Lei, are set to leave for China ahead of schedule, amid deteriorating relations between the two countries, The Asahi Shimbun reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

These giant pandas were born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 2021. In accordance with the lease agreement, aimed at joint research to protect the species, they were initially scheduled to depart for China in February...

Papa John’s recently announced its withdrawal from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan after losing market share to more flexible regional rivals such as Dodo Pizza, analysts at Teniz Capital Investment Banking said.

The U.S.-based pizza chain entered Kazakhstan in 2018, opening 15 restaurants but failing to keep pace with fast-growing local competitors. Some former locations have already been taken over by Bellissimo Pizza, a Uzbekistan-based chain.

Shift toward regional, tech-driven chains

«Papa John’s departure shows a profound structural shift: international franchises with traditional operating models now yield to tech-savvy, flexible, and rapidly scalable regional chains,» Teniz...

According to the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA), the S-Group financial pyramid stole about $260,950 from clients in Kazakhstan by posing as a British investment fund and promising monthly returns of 15% to 20%.

The FMA’s Astana Department is currently investigating the organization and management of Sincere Systems Group LTD (S-Group), a Ponzi scheme that operated under the guise of a British investment fund. The company allegedly claimed to manage assets on the Forex market, engage in digital mining and trade its own crypto assets, SWP and SWCT.

Each investor was promised returns of 15% to 20% per month, or...