Rare planetary alignment of Venus, Saturn, Moon at the close of April
Images | NASA/JPL-Caltech
A rare 'smiley face' triple conjunction is coming to Earth's morning skies around April 24th and 25th when Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon form a celestial smirk near the horizon, WAM reports.
That's when a rare celestial spectacle called a triple conjunction will occur. On the morning of Friday, Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon will appear close together in the predawn sky, forming a triangular formation reminiscent of a smiley face, according to NASA.
The arrangement of Venus, Saturn and a slender crescent Moon may create a unique visual phenomenon resembling a smiling face in the sky, NASA Solar System Ambassador Brenda Culbertson said.
The two planets will act as the "eyes" of the "smile," with the delicate crescent Moon forming the "mouth," Culbertson added. Venus will be the brighter of the two planets.
This alignment will be visible to anyone who has a clear view of the eastern horizon before sunrise on 25th April.
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Kazakh soldier breaks record at U.S. military competition
Images | The Kazakh Ministry of Defense
Kazakh sergeants are taking part in the prestigious international Best Warrior Competition in the USA, with one of them already setting a new record, Kazinform News Agency cites the Kazakh Ministry of Defense.
The Kazakhstan Armed Forces team is participating in the annual Best Warrior competition at the Camp Navajo military base in Arizona.
Kazakhstan is represented by sergeants Aslan Darkhan from the 54835-A battalion and Rauan Tokhtarbekov from the 18404 Guard company, both of whom earned top prizes in last year’s competition.
The competition, which runs until May 18, features service members from seven U.S. states, as well as participants from Fiji, Guam, Tonga, and the Philippines. Hosted annually by the Arizona National Guard, the Best Warrior competition identifies the top non-commissioned officers in military applied disciplines.
The competition includes 10 main events: an army combat fitness test, combat training tasks, a night patrol, map reading, terrain assessment, movement by azimuth, area patrolling, tactical medicine, shooting with an M-240V machine gun, M-4 assault rifle, and M-17 pistol, as well as a 22 km forced march in full gear with a 12 kg load.
Despite the tough competition and performing exercises with U.S. Army weapons and equipment, the Kazakh servicemen are achieving outstanding results. Darkhan Aslan set a new record in the 800m run, completing it in 2 minutes and 5 seconds. His time is now the fastest in the history of the Arizona National Guard competition.
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Kazakh National Bank issues banknote on occasion of 80 years since Great Victory
Images | The National Bank of Kazakhstan
On May 9, 2025, the National Bank of Kazakhstan released a commemorative 1,000 tenge banknote marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The banknote will be issued in a limited run of 5 million copies.
May 9 is a significant date for the entire world, and Kazakhstan played an important role in securing the Victory. Around 1.2 million people were mobilized from our republic - nearly 20% of the total population at the time. Our compatriots fought bravely in the infantry, tank divisions, aviation, and naval forces. To honor their courage and heroism, the National Bank is issuing a commemorative banknote in our national currency, said the bank’s press service.
The color of the banknotes is brown-beige.
The front side features the Glory Memorial at the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, honoring the heroes who gave their lives for their homeland, along with a micro-optical security strip that reveals a dynamic 3D effect when tilted - showing the eternal flame and flying cranes in motion, whose silhouettes symbolize goodness, hope, and life.
The reverse side displays a map of Kazakhstan overlaid with fragments of historical archival photographs, provided by the Central State Archive of Film and Photo Documents and Sound Recording of the Ministry of Culture and Information, along with the Order of the Patriotic War - a powerful symbol of courage, resilience, and bravery.
The commemorative 1,000 tenge banknote is legal tender across the Republic of Kazakhstan and must be accepted at face value for all types of payments, as well as for deposits, transfers, exchanges, and transactions in all banks throughout the country.
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Kazakhstan marks 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War
Kazakhstan is commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War with nationwide celebrations, honoring the heroism of those who fought and worked on the home front during World War II, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
A grand military parade took place on May 7 in Astana's Independence Square, featuring over 4,000 servicemen, more than 200 pieces of modern and historical military equipment, and 66 aircraft. The event was attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who paid tribute to the country’s wartime heroes.
Our people made an immense contribution to the Great Victory," President Tokayev said. "More than 1.2 million Kazakhs were drafted to the front, and half of them died heroically for the bright future of the next generations. Their bravery is a vivid testament to the courage of the Kazakh nation."
He also praised the efforts of civilians who supported the frontlines: "Home front workers showed great resilience. From Kazakhstan, 1,500 wagons of food and clothing were sent to the front. Hundreds of factories were relocated or built here, producing weapons and uniforms. Nine out of ten bullets were cast from Kazakh lead."
To mark the anniversary, about 500 streets across the country will be renamed in honor of Kazakh soldiers. On May 9, the capital will host a memorial march, "Batyrlarğa taǵzym" ("Tribute to Heroes"), with descendants carrying portraits of WWII veterans.
In an age of global instability, our main task is to protect national interests," Tokayev stated. "Kazakhstan follows a peaceful yet firm path, guided by the principle: ‘Honor is worth more than life.’"
The celebrations will culminate with a fireworks display on May 9 at 10:00 p.m. in Astana, launched from two sites: the Botanical Garden and near the Atyrau Bridge.
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Eta Aquarid meteor shower to light up Kazakhstan's skies on May 6
Images | Depositphotos
On the night of May 5-6, residents of Kazakhstan will be able to observe one of the brightest meteor showers of the spring, the Eta Aquarids, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The shower has been active since April 19 and will last until May 28, but the peak is expected on the night of May 6, with up to 50 meteors per hour.
The Eta Aquarids are formed from dust particles left in space by Halley's Comet. Although the comet itself appears near the Earth approximately once every 76 years, its trail still causes meteor showers. The next visibility of Halley's Comet is expected to happen only in 2061.
The best conditions for observation, according to astronomers' recommendations, are from 3:00 to 5:00 in the morning. By this time, the moon will have already disappeared behind the horizon and will not interfere with its light.
Experts also advise choosing dark, open places outside the city. In good weather, the meteor shower will be visible in both hemispheres and throughout Kazakhstan.
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Kazakh schoolboy shines at 2025 Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad
Images | The Ministry of Enlightenment of Kazakhstan
Kazakh school student Ramazan Butantayev has won a gold medal of the 2025 Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the Ministry of Enlightenment, APLO is a prestigious intellectual competition gathering around 500 participants from 12 countries, such as China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Iran, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
Team Kazakhstan has demonstrated a record-breaking result with 5 medals and 3 certificates of honor obtained.
The medal winners of the event are:
Ramazan Butantayev - 10th grade student of IT Specialized Lyceum, Mangistau region;
Samir Sarbassov - 12th grade student of Astana-based Nazarbayev Intellectual School;
Timur Kantayev - 11th grade student of Arystan Specialized Lyceum, Almaty;
Zere Serikova - 11th grade student, No 9 Zerde School, Astana;
Temirlan Seitbattal - 11th grade student, Bilim-Innovation Lyceum, Akmola region;
Certificates of honor were awarded to:
Islam Sipattalov - 10th grade student of Aktobe -based Bilim-Innovation Lyceum;
Shyngys Karassayev - 11th grade student of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School, Uralsk;
Aron Khassanov - 11th grade student, Bilim-Innovation Lyceum, Atyrau;
Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad is an international intellectual linguistics competition for high school students, enabling the winners to get a ticket to the International Linguistics Olympiad. The competition aims at developing the school students' logical thinking, language intuition and intercultural competence.
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Kazakh surgeons removed three-month-old baby’s giant brain tumor
Images | Kazakh Healthcare Ministry
Surgeons of the National Brain Surgery Center performed one of the challenging operations, Kazinform News Agency reports.
A three-month-old baby girl underwent surgery to remove a giant brain tumor.
As doctors say, the baby was born healthy. When she turned two months old, she developed alarm signs such as frequent regurgitation, breast refusal, and anxiety with her skin appearing blue. The MRI detected a tumor in the parietooccipital part of the baby’s brain.
The doctors successfully performed the high-risk surgery thanks to teamwork and microsurgical approaches.
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