Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, relocated its capital to the northern city of Astana in 1997. In recent years, Astana has seen rapid infrastructure development with the help of the Belt and Road Initiative.

This is the largest mosque in Central Asia also among the top ten biggest globally. Located in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana and built in 2022, the striking blue-domed Muslim prayer hall can hold 200,000 worshippers. The Museum of Future Energy with 80 metres long in diameter, alongside the “Tree of Life” tower and this pyramid known as the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation are among the landmarks for the Kazakh capital.

Astana’s first light rail, built by a Chinese company, stretches 22.4 kilometres, will begin trial operations this September. Astana replaced Almaty as Kazakhstan’s capital in 1997 and now boasts a population of around 1.55 million.

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The vice governor of Hiroshima Prefecture has met people in South Korea who survived the atomic bombings in Japan. Yokota Mika visited Hapcheon in the southern part of the country on Saturday. It is often dubbed "South Korea's Hiroshima," as it is home to many survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Yokota sat town for talks with atomic bomb survivors, known as hibakusha, and children of those exposed to the blasts. Some survivors shared their experiences in Hiroshima, while others said little progress has been made toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. After the meeting, Yokota said she was able to hear the South Korean survivors' experiences and thoughts for the first time.

She added that she will take what they said into consideration in an effort to promote world peace and eliminate nuclear arms.

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In the De Wijers nature reserve in northern Belgium, cyclists pedal through a 200-meter-long bike path separating two ponds. The attraction, called "Cycling through water", draws hundreds of cyclists and walkers every day and provides a chance to seek relief from the summer heat. Constructed in 2016, the route provides an unusual sensation to visitors as they find themselves at eye level with the water.

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The Embassy of Pakistan in Myanmar donated humanitarian aid to support victims of the strong earthquake that struck on March 28.

The donated items include 10,000 kg of rice and 10,000 instant noodle packs for affected communities. Pakistani Ambassador to Myanmar Mr. Imran Haider handed over the donated items to Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Myo Aung at the regional government guest hall who in turn expressed gratitude. Both sides also discussed the current situation and ongoing recovery efforts in the earthquake-affected areas.

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The annual Japan Festival has begun in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, offering visitors the chance to sample local Japanese dishes and experience the country's atmosphere. Brazil is home to the world's largest community of Japanese descendants. The festival is said to be one of the world’s largest of its kind outside Japan.

The event showcases Japanese culture, including traditional drum performances. At the food corner, about 40 prefectural associations have set up booths where people can enjoy local dishes and sweets from around Japan. The festival runs through Sunday. The organizer expects about 200,000 visitors.

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Parts of Grand Canyon National Park, a popular natural wonder in the U.S. west, were closed due to a fast-moving wildfire that reached about 8,700 acres as of Friday afternoon, authorities said.

All visitors on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, northwestern Arizona, were required to evacuate due to the advancing wildfire, dubbed the White Sage Fire, said park officials in a statement. They issued an extreme heat warning, as temperatures are expected to reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius.

The fire made a significant run on Thursday, spotting and torching due to sustained winds, extremely dry conditions and low relative humidity, according to InciWeb, an interagency all-risk incident web information management system provided by the United States Forest Service's latest update.

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Indian authorities have released a preliminary report on last month's plane crash in the western city of Ahmedabad that left at least 260 people dead. The report says the aircraft's switches for controlling fuel flow to the engines transitioned to the cutoff position and the engines began to decrease from their takeoff values.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation released the report on Saturday, exactly one month after the incident. The report says that there are no recommended actions for Boeing and engine operators and manufacturers "at this stage of investigation." The report did not reach a conclusion on what caused the crash.

It says the investigation is continuing. An Indian former air accident investigator, says inspections should be ordered for all relevant aircraft if a problem is found with the engines. He also said there will need to be "corrective actions" for any human factors behind the accident.

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A heartwarming video filmed Tuesday in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has gone viral, showing four panda cubs adorably swarming their keeper during bath time.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a world-renowned institution for the conservation of giant pandas. The base is famous for its work in protecting and breeding giant pandas, red pandas and other endangered wild animals exclusive to China as well as its educational outreach programs and its role as a major tourist attraction.

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Thirty PKK fighters destroyed their weapons at a symbolic ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan on Friday, two months after the Kurdish rebels ended their decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state.

The ceremony marked a major step in the transition of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from armed insurgency to democratic politics as part of a broader effort to end one of the region's longest-running conflicts. The PKK's disarmament also grants President Erdogan the distinction of being the Turkish leader who managed to draw a line under a conflict that has cost more than 40,000 lives and wrought havoc in Turkiye and beyond.

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The first-ever Birkin bag designed by French luxury brand Hermes for celebrity Jane Birkin sold for 8.58 million euros at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday, smashing previous price records for a handbag. The modern design classic, owned by a Paris-based handbag collector, sparked a telephone bidding war up to seven million euros, with the final sale price set at 8.58 million with commission and fees, the Sotheby's website showed.

The final buyer, who eclipsed eight other rivals, was a "private collector from Japan", the auction house added, without giving further details. The previous record price for a handbag at auction was set by a diamond-encrusted crocodile skin Hermes Kelly 28, which fetched $513,000 in 2021 at Christie's in Hong Kong.

The bag is now the second-most expensive fashion item ever sold at auction, Sotheby's said. The record was established by a pair of ruby red slippers worn by actor Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz in 1939, which sold for $32.5 million in 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

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