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  On the steppe, a place of prayer: Astana's grandest mosque In the heart of Astana, rising from the vast Kazakh steppe, stands the Hazrat Sultan Mosque, one of Central Asia's largest Islamic sanctuaries. Completed in 2012, the mosque is difficult to miss. Four slender minarets rise high above its gleaming white facade, framing an enormous blue dome that seems to float against Astana's broad, open sky. On a clear afternoon, sunlight washed across the white stone, making the mosque almost luminous. From the edge of the vast p August 27, 2026
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  People of Kazakhstan vote for future ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Aug. 23 (AJP) — Kazakhstan is holding its first parliamentary election today for the newly launched unicameral legislature, the Kurultai, which replaces the country's former bicameral parliament. The morning in Astana, Kazakhstan, looked much like any other. But outside polling stations scattered across the capital, an unusual tension hung in the air. It was Aug. 23, election day for the Kurultai. A group of young athletes in mat August 23, 2026
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  August 15, again — at Seodaemun prison SEOUL, Aug. 15 (AJP) — On the afternoon before Liberation Day, visitors made their way through the gates of Seodaemun Prison History Hall in western Seoul. Beyond the red-brick walls, Korean national flags hung in the summer air. People entering through the main gate seemed instinctively to slow their steps. Aug. 15, 1945, was the day Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule. Koreans call it Gwangbokjeol — literally, "the day the light returned." August 15, 2026
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  When Seoul melts, its children splash back SEOUL, Aug. 6 (AJP) — South Koreans have joined Europeans and Americans in sweating through one of the world's hottest summers. But to borrow an old saying, if you can't beat the heat, join it. Across Seoul, children have declared war on the thermometer. Instead of hiding indoors as temperatures flirted with 40 degrees, they cannonballed into pools, sprinted through fountains and chased water jets across the city. Under a relentless sun, the season that often feels u August 6, 2026
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  Seoul finds relief from summer heat between bookshelves SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - As record-breaking heat and sudden downpours alternate throughout the summer, people across Seoul are increasingly retreating indoors. Instead of traveling to the mountains or the sea, some are choosing a “bookcation” — a blend of “book” and “vacation” — spending time reading and resting inside the city’s air-conditioned libraries. Upon entering Seoul Metropolitan Library in central Seou July 29, 2026
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  One ordinary workday, one task at a time SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - At 10 a.m., an hour before the first customers arrive, the lights flick on inside a modest Kimchi stew restaurant tucked into Hyehwa neighborhood, southwestern district on Seoul. Three aprons are tied almost simultaneously. One employee wipes tables. Another arranges bowls into neat stacks. In the kitchen, vegetables are trimmed and ingredients portioned for the lunchtime rush. Before opening, everyone gathers around one table to eat together &mdas July 23, 2026
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  Istanbul purrs with beloved cats SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - They sleep on the warm hoods of parked taxis and in the display windows of carpet shops. They wait outside fish restaurants with the patience of regulars. They stroll into mosques, curl up on prayer rugs, and no one moves them. In Istanbul, a city of some 16 million people, the cats behave less like strays and more like citizens who happen to have four legs, and the city, for the most part, treats them accordingly. Nobody knows exactly how many there are. Es July 20, 2026
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  Grounded by silence: Waiting for Korea's flying future INCHEON, July 15 (AJP) - The future of Korean aviation spent Wednesday sitting quietly on a launch pad. It was supposed to rise above Songdo's skyline at 10 a.m. Instead, it never left the ground. Long before the scheduled demonstration, spectators, engineers, investors and journalists gathered outside the INU Innovation Center at the University of Incheon. A steady drizzle swept across the flight zone as umbrellas dotted the viewing area, prompting quiet speculation over whe July 15, 2026
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  Korea's first AI-dedicated channel ABC kicks off ...with the help of robot SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) -Artificial intelligence was not just the subject. It was the host. A humanoid robot shared the stage with an ABC news anchor Wedneday as Aju Media Group officially launched ABC (AI Business Channel), South Korea's first television network dedicated to artificial intelligence. The robot co-hosted the ceremony, exchanged remarks with its human counterpart and capped its appearance with a kung fu demonstration, turning the laun July 8, 2026