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A devastating earthquake rocked eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, leaving communities shattered and families torn apart. The 6.0-magnitude quake has claimed at least 800 lives and left thousands more injured, with the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar bearing the brunt of the destruction. Entire villages crumbled while residents slept, giving them no chance to escape.

The aftermath has been chaos, with rescue workers battling against nature itself. Torrential rain and blocked mountain passes have hampered relief efforts, while desperate survivors claw through debris with bare hands searching for loved ones and neighbors. Medical helicopters weave between peaks, rushing the...

ChatGPT’s developer, OpenAI, is likely to build an AI data center with a capacity of at least 1 gigawatt in India, India Today reported, citing Bloomberg sources familiar with the matter.

According to these sources, OpenAI has already been in early-stage talks with potential local partners in India. However, neither a timeline nor a location has been disclosed. The company has declined to comment on the matter. The outlet also noted that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is expected to visit the country later this month and may share more information then.

Previously, Kursiv.media reported that OpenAI became...

In 2013, an accident occurred at Kashagan, the largest oil and gas field in Kazakhstan, which was widely ignored by local media. However, some independent outlets pointed to contractors’ mistakes and the role of Ersai Caspian Contractor, a company linked to the country’s political elite, according to “Energy Analytics,” a Telegram channel focused on the oil industry, citing a study published in “Energy Research & Social Science.”

The research, conducted by Dr. Julia Schwab, analyzed how Kazakhstani media shaped narratives around the 2013 Kashagan oil spill, which delayed commercial production until 2016.

The study found that Kazakhstani media...

BlackRock, the world’s largest investment management company, has invested nearly $89 million in Freedom Holding, whose majority shareholder is Kazakhstani businessman Timur Turlov. As a result, it has emerged as the company’s second-largest shareholder by number of shares held.

BlackRock increased its stake in Freedom Holding Corp. to 0.85% in the most recent reporting period. According to Bloomberg, the investment amounted to about $89 million. Over the quarter, BlackRock added 443,965 shares, bringing its total holdings to 520,565 shares.

Other shareholders of Freedom Holding include global investment giants such as State Street Corp., which has an investment of $31.9 million...

To honor the Constitution Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a charity event was held in the village of Targyn in the Ulan district of the East Kazakhstan region. During the event, modern musical equipment was donated to the village club, while a Chevrolet Captiva was presented to the local medical clinic.

The initiative was sponsored by KAZ Critical Minerals LLP, owned by American company Cove Capital. On behalf of the company, the keys and equipment were handed over to the recipients by KAZ Critical Minerals CEO Alibek Kazbekuly.

«Today, an important event took place in...

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office following a damaging leaked phone call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen. The conversation, which Hun Sen later made public, showed Paetongtarn speaking casually with him and criticizing Thailand’s military during a period of heightened border tensions, according to the BBC.

The court considered Paetongtarn’s reference to Hun Sen as ‘uncle’ and questioned whether she was prioritizing Cambodia’s interests over Thailand’s. The ruling marks another dramatic turn in Thai politics and continues a pattern of judicial intervention against the powerful Shinawatra family.

This isn’t the first time a Shinawatra...

The Backstreet Boys concert in Almaty scheduled for Sept. 19 has sold out, according to Kino.kz, the platform responsible for ticket sales. However, fans are now facing uncertainty.

The issue is that the show is set to take place at the local Central Stadium, which is also expected to host Kairat Almaty’s Champions League fixtures between Sept. 16 and 18 during the first matchday of the league phase. This timeline overlaps with preparations for the show. As a result, fans worry whether organizers can ready the venue in time — or if the concert could be canceled altogether, as...

Google is rolling out new features in its Google Translate app that could intensify competition with Duolingo, one of the most popular language-learning platforms, Lifehacker.com reported.

As early as this week, Google will begin deploying AI-powered language-learning features in beta on Android and iOS. The new practice sessions require users to listen and speak along, and are designed to adapt to each learner’s proficiency level.

Before starting, Google Translate will ask users to select their current proficiency level — «basic,» «intermediate» or «advanced» — and to state their motivation for learning the language. The language practice feature will...

UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Thursday that UFC 322 on Nov. 15 in New York will feature two major title fights, including Islam Makhachev’s bid to become a two-division champion, as reported by ESPN.

Makhachev (27-1), the former lightweight champion, will challenge reigning welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (18-2) in the main event at Madison Square Garden. Makhachev vacated his 155-pound belt earlier this year to move up in weight after four successful defenses. Della Maddalena, unbeaten since 2016, claimed the welterweight title in May with a decision win over Belal Muhammad.

In the co-main event, ex-strawweight champion Zhang...

South Korean prosecutors on Friday indicted former First Lady Kim Keon Hee and ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, widening investigations tied to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to AP.

Kim faces charges of bribery and violating laws related to political funding and financial transactions. Han was indicted for abetting Yoon’s brief martial law declaration, falsifying records and perjury.

Yoon, impeached in April after his failed attempt to impose martial law, is already in custody. Prosecutors say the crackdown has also implicated former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun and dozens of others.

The indictments mark the first time a...

UBS Investment Bank predicts that China’s robotaxi fleet in the country’s four top-tier cities could expand to 300,000 vehicles by 2030, driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the highly competitive electric vehicle (EV) market, the South China Morning Post reported.

According to Paul Gong, head of China automotive research at UBS, the total number of driverless taxis on the Chinese mainland could reach 4 million by the late 2030s, fueled by strong consumer interest in new technologies.

Gong highlighted the potential profitability of robotaxis, noting that replacing the current fleet of 2 million taxis and 5 million...

More than 22,000 people crowded the streets of Buñol, Spain, on Wednesday for the 78th edition of La Tomatina, the world-famous tomato-throwing festival. Over the course of an hour, participants hurled 120,000 kilos of overripe tomatoes, transforming the town center into a sea of red pulp, according to the Associated Press.

The event, nicknamed «Tomato Therapy» this year in reference to recent flooding in the region, combined loud music, laughter and the sight of trucks unloading bushels of tomatoes for the crowd.

First staged in 1945 as a spontaneous prank, La Tomatina has since grown into a major...

South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter Park Jae-sang, aka PSY, well-known for the viral hit “Gangnam Style,” is under police examination for allegedly breaking medical law by acquiring prescription medication without the legally required face-to-face visits, according to Yonhap.

Authorities confirmed that both PSY and a university doctor are under investigation on suspicion of having prescriptions for restricted drugs obtained through intermediaries, including the artist’s manager.

According to investigators, PSY had been prescribed Xanax and Stilnox — drugs typically used to treat anxiety, insomnia and related disorders — by a Seoul-based university hospital without visiting the facility in person since...

Chinese toy sensation Pop Mart just can’t keep their adorable Labubu dolls in stock. The latest batch of these rabbit-eared collectibles vanished from online stores in mere minutes after dropping Thursday night on WeChat and Tmall, according to The Business Times.

Fans scrambled to snag the 4-inch figures, which retail for 79 yuan (about $12). Those who missed out online will have another shot when physical stores stock up tomorrow. Die-hard collectors also rushed to grab the premium version at 499 yuan ($69.75), along with various Labubu accessories.

This surge in demand is unsurprising, as Pop Mart recently posted...

In the first half of 2025, Tajikistan’s banking sector saw double-digit growth in assets, loan portfolios and profits among leading banks. The boom is also attracting new players to the market.

Monetary policy and the financial sector

Assets

Loans

Deposits

Return on equity

Market events

Monetary policy and the financial sector

Background factors continue to support Tajikistan’s banking sector. Earlier, Kursiv Research highlighted signs of monetary policy easing in the country, which continued in Q2 2025. Since the start of the year, the National Bank of Tajikistan has lowered the refinancing interest...

South Korea’s National Assembly has given the green light to a bill restricting students’ use of smartphones and other digital devices in classrooms, The Korea Times reported, citing Yonhap.

According to the outlet, the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act, passed on Aug. 27, prohibits elementary, middle and high school students from using smartphones and similar devices during class starting March 1, 2026. Officials pointed to concerns about the potential negative effects of device use.

The country’s Ministry of Education had been preparing such restrictions since 2023 amid growing worries over digital addiction among youth, with the law now...

The final of the national chess tournament «Senat Open,» which brought together more than 3,000 participants, kicked off in Astana. The opening ceremony featured a musical program and speeches by Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev and Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess).

Turlov emphasized that the tournament has become a platform for honing skills and strengthening friendships.

«This tournament holds special significance for me. It has its own style, spirit and most importantly, a clear social mission. It has become a place where professional connections and personal friendships grow stronger. This tournament has also...

Denmark has summoned a senior U.S. diplomat after reports claimed individuals tied to President Donald Trump attempted to influence politics in Greenland, according to the Associated Press.

As some media outlets reported, at least three Americans with Trump connections sought to track local sentiment, build ties with politicians and business leaders, and undermine Greenland’s relationship with Denmark.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called in Mark Stroh, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, for talks. The State Department confirmed the meeting but said it does not comment on the actions of private citizens, stressing Washington’s respect for Greenland’s...

Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has been hit with a hefty fine following a wild first-round loss in New York, the BBC reported.

The 29-year-old Russian, once the world’s top-ranked player, crashed out against France’s Benjamin Bonzi after losing his cool when a photographer stepped onto the court at a critical moment.

Tournament officials fined Medvedev nearly $42,500 in total — $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for smashing his racquet against a chair. That’s about 40% of the prize money he earned for reaching the first round.

«I’m getting a big...

The number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Kazakhstan continues to grow rapidly, though their overall share of the national car fleet remains small. According to Energyprom, as of early August 2025, 19,100 EVs were registered in the country, a 79% increase compared to a year earlier.

In the first seven months of 2025 alone, Kazakhstanis registered 6,900 new EVs, representing just 0.7% of all cars registered during that period. By comparison, gasoline-powered passenger cars accounted for 88% of the market, while diesel vehicles accounted for approximately 1.5%.

Where EVs are most common

Almaty leads the country in electric vehicle...

Health officials are reporting an increase in infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a rare but potentially deadly bacterium once mostly confined to the Gulf Coast. Scientists say warming oceans and rising sea levels are enabling the pathogen to spread farther north, with new cases appearing along the U.S. East Coast, as reported by CNN.

The bacteria, found in warm brackish water and raw shellfish, can cause mild illness but sometimes lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that destroys soft tissue. About one in five severe cases is fatal, according to the CDC.

Louisiana has seen more than double...

A morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School turned tragic on Wednesday when a shooter opened fire, killing two young students and leaving 17 others injured in what Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called an act of “sheer cruelty and cowardice,” Al Jazeera reported.

The victims, just eight and 10 years old, were among dozens of students attending the service when bullets tore through the church windows. Fourteen children were among the wounded, with two fighting for their lives but expected to pull through.

Police identified the shooter as Robin Westman, who fired multiple rounds from outside the church before...

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced the launch of an underground gold mining project at Kumtor, Central Asia’s largest gold mine, as reported by Interfax Kazakhstan.

«The underground gold mining project is set to operate for 17 years, with geological reserves of 147 tons of gold officially added to the national balance,» Japarov said at the ceremony.  

Japarov stated that underground mining would help reduce the volume of waste rock. He added that the transition from open-pit mining to underground ore extraction will be proceed gradually.
 
The tailing pit, which contains more than 100 tons of...

Kazakhstan plans to launch direct flights to New York in 2026, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced following a meeting on preparations for an upcoming ICAO aviation security audit.

The committee noted that the start of flights depends on the results of the ICAO audit, scheduled for Sept. 2-14. The findings will determine whether Kazakhstan can organize flights to the United States.

«Negative findings from the audit could hinder the country’s strategic goals to expand international air travel and strengthen Kazakhstan’s image as a reliable aviation partner,» the CAC said.

Air Astana is expected...