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US President Donald Trump has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of destroying his country and obstructing efforts to end the war with Russia, escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities.

On Thursday, October 15, Trump criticised Zelensky’s willingness to negotiate with Moscow and said he was more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m not a big fan of Zelensky. They’ve destroyed that country,” Trump said, according to The Telegraph.

“I think I find Zelensky to be more difficult to deal...

More than 31,300 people in Karakalpakstan’s Nukus district have gained access to clean drinking water under an Asian Development Bank (ADB) project to improve water supply systems in western Uzbekistan.

The project covers six districts of Karakalpakstan: Amudarya, Beruniy, Nukus, Karauzyak, Kungrad and Muynak. Its main objective is to bring running water directly into people’s homes.

In some villages of the autonomous republic, residents still rely on wells and carry water home using shoulder yokes.

Funding and implementation in Nukus district

A separate contract worth approximately $11.4mn has been allocated to improve water supply infrastructure in Nukus district. The...

Apple temporarily took its online store offline on Friday, October 16, ahead of pre-orders for its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, amid expectations that limited supplies could lead to longer delivery times.

Pre-orders are scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. Pacific Time (8 a.m. Eastern Time). The device will officially go on sale on October 23, with prices starting at $1,999 in the US.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple routinely takes its online store offline before major product launches. However, the iPhone Duo could face particularly strong demand relative to its initial...

Jenna Ortega has urged audiences to spend less time on their phones and focus on human relationships as her new science fiction film, Klara and the Sun, explores a future shaped by artificial intelligence.

Speaking to Variety at the film’s world premiere during the BFI London Film Festival on October 15, the actress said she hopes the story will encourage viewers to reconsider their reliance on technology.

“I think we gotta put our focus on one another and put down the computers and phones,” Ortega said.

She added that people should remember to appreciate...

Tesla‘s next-generation Roadster will not enter production until 2028, extending a wait that began nearly nine years ago when the company first announced the electric sports car and began accepting reservations.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed the revised timeline during a demonstration in Texas on October 15, where Tesla showcased a redesigned Roadster equipped with thrusters developed alongside SpaceX. The technology allowed the prototype to perform aerial manoeuvres, including turning while airborne.

The company originally promised to begin producing the Roadster in 2020, three years after its initial announcement. The new target means some early customers could...

K-pop group BTS has become the first group in Spotify history to surpass 10bn streams within a single calendar year, according to its record label Big Hit Music.

The milestone, announced on Friday, October 16, comes less than seven months after the release of the group’s fifth studio album, Arirang, which has accumulated 5bn streams since its March debut.

The album accounts for half of BTS’s total Spotify streams this year and is the most-streamed album released in 2026.

All 14 tracks from Arirang occupied the top 14 positions on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global...

Brazilian racing driver Rafael Câmara will make his Formula 1 debut with Haas in 2027, replacing Esteban Ocon and joining Oliver Bearman in an all-Ferrari junior line-up.

The 20-year-old joins the American team on a multi-year contract after an impressive rise through the junior categories, including winning the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024 and the Formula 3 title in 2025.

Câmara, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2022, has spent the 2026 season racing for Invicta Racing in Formula 2, where he has emerged as one of the championship’s...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Uzbekistan have signed a $200mn loan agreement to modernise 60 electricity substations across the country, reduce power losses and improve the reliability of electricity supplies.

The agreement was signed on 15 October in Bangkok by ADB President Masato Kanda and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov, according to the bank’s press statement shared with Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The financing will support the Modernization of Electricity Distribution Systems Program, which aims to upgrade ageing infrastructure and introduce digital technologies to improve network management.

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Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has proposed establishing an Asian partnership on climate resilience and a regional initiative on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).

He presented the proposals on 15 October at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to the presidential press service.

The proposed Asian Initiative on Technological Trust and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence would bring together experts from CICA member states to develop common recommendations and coordinate measures addressing the risks associated with AI.

Google is offering 30% discounts on its Pixel 11 smartphones to selected Google AI Pro subscribers, allowing customers to combine the promotion with trade-in offers for further savings.

The company has begun sending promotional codes by email to users paying $19.99 per month for its premium artificial intelligence subscription, according to Android Authority.

The offer covers all four devices in Google’s latest smartphone range: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

The emails, titled “Subscriber benefit: Save 30% on Pixel 11 series phones”, describe the promotion as an...

A US citizen and former Bollywood star Imran Khan has been given until 28 October to exit India after authorities deemed his presence at an anti-government rally a violation of immigration rules.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office issued the deportation notice to 43-year-old Imran Khan. Trouble began for the actor following a 10 October demonstration at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan.

Protesters converged to demand the ousting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition figures claim Kumar manipulated voter rolls to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

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Uzbekistan’s Tourism and Entertainment Group (TEG), which owns Hilton Tashkent City, has become the country’s first company to enter the US public stock market after completing a reverse takeover of American company StageWise Strategies Corp.

The transaction, announced on 14 October, allows TEG to trade in the United States under the name TEG Overseas Inc., with its shares listed on the over-the-counter (OTC) market rather than a major exchange such as Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.

According to Bloomberg, the company plans to raise additional capital by December to finance its expansion in Uzbekistan’s...

At least 34 people, including 33 children and a female teacher, were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday, 15 October, authorities said.

More than three dozen people were injured, with several in critical condition, according to hospital officials cited by the Associated Press. The children affected were aged 13 or younger.

The collapse occurred during classes at the Al-Khair Education Center in Dir Colony, a densely populated neighbourhood of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The death...

Alpine Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto has announced a break from social media, urging supporters to stop attacking other drivers and members of his team, warning that their behaviour could damage his career.

The 23-year-old Argentine published a video on Instagram on 14 October, thanking fans for their continued support while addressing the hostility directed at his colleagues, mechanics and engineers.

“Sometimes we cross the line. Instead of supporting me, we end up criticising and attacking other drivers, colleagues, teammates, mechanics and engineers, people I work with every...

Apple‘s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has appeared in an early Geekbench 7 test, showing processing performance comparable to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max ahead of its release on 23 October.

The device achieved a single-core score of 3,986 and a multi-core score of 11,067, according to a benchmark reported by MacRumors on 14 October.

Although the results fall below some of the highest scores recorded by the iPhone 18 Pro models, they remain within the range of their reported performance. The test provides an early indication that Apple’s foldable...

Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, has returned to South Korea’s K-pop industry with two new groups, A2O LITE and A2O SOUL, introducing 24 idols in a simultaneous launch that has already produced a chart-topping single and controversy surrounding one of its youngest members.

The nine-member girl group and 15-member boy group performed at a joint showcase in Goyang on 12 October before releasing their first songs the following day. Both acts belong to A2O Entertainment, Lee’s new agency, and form part of his attempt to combine traditional K-pop production with emerging technology.

A2O...

A new trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 has introduced a young protagonist armed with a video camera rather than cybernetic weapons, offering a closer look at the anime’s new characters ahead of its Netflix premiere on 20 October.

The footage debuted during IGN Fall Fan Fest on 14 October, alongside an interview with the creators about their decision to centre the story on a child and take the series in a darker direction.

Unlike the original anime, which followed David Martinez and his relationship with netrunner Lucy, the sequel introduces Roman Carax, a young boy fascinated...

Apple has revealed the repair costs for iPhone Duo, with customers facing bills of up to $1,499 for certain types of damage without AppleCare+ coverage.

According to Apple’s published repair estimates, replacing the iPhone Duo’s inner folding display will cost $999, roughly half the device’s $1,999 starting price. More extensive repairs classified as “other damage” could reach $1,499, equivalent to 75% of the phone’s original cost.

The company disclosed the prices ahead of the iPhone Duo’s pre-order launch on 16 October. The device is scheduled to go on sale on 23 October.

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Uzbekistan has introduced tougher penalties for sexual crimes against children under 14, including prison sentences of up to 25 years or life imprisonment.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed legislation amending five codes and six laws, according to Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration.

“Violence against a child is unacceptable, and punishment must be severe,” Mirziyoyeva wrote. “Anyone who harms a child’s life, health or dignity must know that they will not escape strict punishment.”

The law removes the statute of limitations for serious sexual offences against children and rules out suspended sentences or early...

Uzbekistan has registered Samarkand bread, known locally as Samarqand noni, as a trademark, strengthening legal protection for one of the country’s best-known traditional foods.

The Ministry of Justice announced the registration on October 14, saying it would help preserve the product’s identity, protect its name and increase its commercial value.

The decision follows an earlier move in February 2025, when Samarkand bread received geographical indication status, recognising its connection to the region where it is traditionally produced.

Read more: Uzbek bread named among world’s 50 best by CNN Travel

The...

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) opened ticket sales on October 14 for the 2026 World Chess Championship, where Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov will challenge reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India.

The championship will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 22 to December 12, with the opening game scheduled for November 24.

Both grandmasters will be 20 years old when the competition begins, making it the youngest world championship match in chess history.

Read more: Sindarov and Assaubayeva top updated FIDE Circuit chess rankings

Gukesh will defend the title he won...

Malaysia’s return to Formula 1 generated nearly RM950mn ($232mn) in economic activity, strengthening the country’s case for bringing the championship back to Sepang permanently.

The October 2–4 Bahrain Grand Prix, relocated to Malaysia because of the conflict in the Middle East, attracted approximately 261,000 spectators over three days, including 103,000 on race day.

Absolute cinema 🍿 #F1 #BahrainGP https://t.co/j0FaDmQIeM

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 6, 2026

Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Taufiq Johari disclosed the figures in a written parliamentary reply on October 13.

More than 97,000 tickets were sold, while over 50,000 international tourists and...

Indonesian police have named 223 people and nine companies as suspects in forest fire investigations as toxic haze spreads across Southeast Asia, disrupting schools and affecting public health in several countries.

The National Police announced on October 14 that they were investigating 273 cases involving more than 5,150 hectares of burned land. Another 25,600 hectares have been linked to cases involving nine companies.

Wildfire smoke has turned skies yellow over Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan province, as peatland fires rage near homes and farms across Borneo and Sumatra. Fuelled by slash-and-burn land clearing, the crisis...

Apple‘s new Home Collection brings smart door locks, security cameras and thermostats into one system, allowing users to manage their homes directly from an iPhone without installing separate apps.

Developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, the collection includes eight devices, with US prices ranging from $39.95 for a temperature sensor to $399.95 for an outdoor security camera with floodlights.

The accessories will become available from December 2026, with some arriving in early 2027. They work with Apple’s new HomeView display as well as compatible HomePod and Apple TV devices.

What devices are included in Apple...