News

K-pop group NewJeans has failed in its legal attempt to terminate its contract with its label, Ador, after a Seoul court ruled on Tuesday that the agreement, which runs until 2029, remains valid.

The five-member group: Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle and Minji had announced last year that they were leaving the agency, alleging mistreatment and manipulation. According to local reports, the group has vowed to appeal the ruling, saying it is «impossible to return to Ador» or continue activities under the label.

Court Rules Contract Still Binding

The Seoul Central District Court rejected NewJeans’ argument that the dismissal...

Felipe Massa has revealed that his former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt, suspected immediately after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix that Nelson Piquet Jr had deliberately crashed. The Brazilian made the claim in a written witness statement released during a High Court hearing in London on October 29.

Massa is suing Formula One Management, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, and the FIA over what he says was a manipulated race that cost him the 2008 world title. He is seeking a declaration that he should have been champion and around £64 mln ($85.9 mln) in compensation.

Todt’s Immediate Suspicion...

Uzbekistan and Serbia have signed a memorandum of cooperation on labour migration, paving the way for Uzbek citizens to work legally in Serbia under official protection, the Uzbek Migration Agency announced.

The agreement outlines plans for experience exchange, the creation of a transparent employment system, and measures to prevent illegal migration. Both sides also agreed to jointly monitor compliance with labour laws and share data on the employment of Uzbek workers.

A separate protocol detailing the procedures for recruiting Uzbek citizens in Serbia will be finalised in the near future.

Kursiv also reports that Dubai Taxi Company PJSC has announced plans...

Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached 1,304 trln soums ($108.7 bn) between January and September 2025, marking a 7.6% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the national statistics agency.

The main drivers of growth were industry, construction and services. Industrial output rose by 6.8%, construction expanded by 14.2%, and the services sector grew by 8.7%. The most dynamic progress was seen in information technology, which recorded growth of more than 21%.

GDP per capita reached 34.5 mln soums ($2,880), up 5.6% year-on-year. The services sector now accounts for 49% of the economy, industry makes up...

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their highly anticipated meeting in Busan on October 30 with an agreement on a one-year trade pact designed to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

The 100-minute meeting concluded with what both sides described as «major progress» toward restoring predictability to bilateral trade. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods to 47%, in exchange for Beijing resuming large-scale purchases of US soybeans, maintaining the flow of rare earth exports, and intensifying efforts to curb the illegal...

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced the launch of Cocoon (Confidential Compute Open Network), a new decentralised platform that merges artificial intelligence with the TON blockchain. The network will go live in November, Durov revealed at the Blockchain Life 2025 forum in Dubai.

He said that in recent years, people have been losing their digital freedoms, and decentralisation is the key to protecting them. Jokingly, Durov mentioned that he had considered naming the project Private AI Network — or P.A.I.N. for short.

Cocoon will be powered by GPU miners, who will receive rewards in Toncoin (TON) tokens. Telegram, meanwhile...

FIDE and the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess have announced the return of the ChessMom Project for the 46th Chess Olympiad, set to take place in Uzbekistan in 2026.

First launched in Budapest in 2024, the initiative was widely praised for helping professional women chess players continue their careers while caring for young children.

«I think it is important that women in chess feel supported. We cannot take all the barriers for women away, but with programs like ChessMom we want to help professional chess players balance their career and personal life,» said Dana Reizniece...

As Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica this week, former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said the storm was a stark reminder of how global warming is making extreme weather both stronger and more unjust.

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Figueres said the storm, Jamaica’s most powerful in recorded history, reached Category 5 intensity because sea temperatures were three degrees Celsius above normal.

«Climate change doesn’t produce hurricanes, but it makes them more and more powerful,» she said.

Figueres, who helped broker the 2015 Paris Agreement, called the disaster «a devastating injustice,» noting...

Eurasia will play a decisive role in shaping future global security mechanisms, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta said Monday at the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security.

Speaking at the event, Sekreta argued that traditional European security structures «have failed the test of time,» blaming the «NATO-centric world order» for undermining trust and conflict prevention efforts.

«The safety mechanisms of trust and conflict prevention have failed due to the relentless pursuit of a NATO-centric world order,» he said.

Sekreta emphasised that the Eurasian continent, home to diverse cultures and centuries of coexistence...

Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani said ties between Tehran and Islamabad could evolve into a «lasting strategic partnership,» calling for deeper cooperation in security, defense and economic affairs.

Speaking in Tehran on Tuesday during a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) highlighted the geopolitical significance of both nations in shaping regional stability.

Larijani described the recent Pakistan–Saudi Arabia strategic agreement as «a wise and positive step in the face of common threats,» and urged greater coordination among Muslim countries to confront shared challenges.

He thanked Pakistan for...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow is prepared to offer «security guarantees» to the European Union and NATO, insisting that Russia harbors no hostile intentions toward Western countries.

Speaking at the International Conference on Eurasian Security in Minsk, Lavrov said Russia «has never had and does not have any plans to attack NATO or EU member states» and is willing to formalize that stance through new regional security agreements.

However, Lavrov criticized European leaders for what he called their refusal to engage with Moscow on a collective security framework.

«The...

The United States is scaling back its military footprint in Romania as part of a broader Pentagon plan to reduce force levels in Europe, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The move will end the rotation of a U.S. Army brigade to the Black Sea ally—a presence established after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine to bolster NATO’s eastern flank. The 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade, now nearing the end of a nine-month tour, will not be backfilled, officials said.

Romania called the change an expected result of «new priorities» set by the U.S. administration earlier this year. The ministry...

Renders of Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a have surfaced online — and if they look familiar, that’s because they are. The leaked images suggest the company’s next affordable smartphone will be nearly identical to the Pixel 9a, with almost no visible design changes.

The render, reportedly based on official CAD files, shows a flat back panel, dual rear cameras in a flush housing, and the same slightly chunky display bezels as the previous model. The only notable difference is a new blue color option, which may not even make it to production.

According to reports, the Pixel 10a will feature...

High-level negotiations between Pakistan and the Taliban in Istanbul have ended in failure, with both sides accusing each other of sabotaging efforts to reduce cross-border attacks and improve security cooperation.

The four-day dialogue, hosted by Turkey and Qatar, was aimed at easing months of escalating tension marked by deadly clashes, border closures, and Pakistan’s mass deportation of undocumented Afghans. Instead, the talks concluded with mutual recriminations and no joint statement.

Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, said in a statement that the meeting «failed to produce any workable solution,» blaming the Taliban for refusing to offer...

The world of work is changing faster than it has in decades. Artificial intelligence, flexible workplaces and new employee values are redefining how organisations work, collaborate and succeed. Three major 2025 studies by Gallup, Gensler and Microsoft show a global effort to balance technology with human needs.

Falling engagement, rising pressure

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report shows that only 21% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work, the lowest level in five years. The study estimates that disengagement costs the global economy $438 bn a year driven by burnout and poor workplace culture.

When Apple introduced Sleep Score at its iPhone 17 and watchOS 26 launch event, it framed the feature as a major leap in Apple Watch sleep tracking. Tim Cook’s keynote slide boasted that the Apple Watch would now «quantify your night» through a simple, scientific-looking number out of 100.

For many users, including myself, it sounded like Apple was finally getting serious about sleep science. But after a full month of testing Sleep Score every night, I’ve reached a different conclusion: the Apple Watch Sleep Score is more cosmetic than scientific. It looks useful, but it fails to measure what...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he is «hopeful» the company can re-enter China, as U.S. President Donald Trump signalled he would discuss Nvidia’s state-of-the-art Blackwell AI chips with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.

Speaking on the sidelines of Nvidia’s GTC in Washington, Huang said he had «100 per cent confidence» in Trump’s ability to strike a deal. He noted Nvidia’s China market share had slid from about 95% to zero under U.S. export curbs and a domestic downturn, adding that the company’s base case now excludes China — but any reversal would be «a huge bonus.»

Anticipation of...

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has issued a sharp warning to Moscow, declaring that any missile attack on Brussels would prompt an immediate and overwhelming NATO response.

«If Putin launches a missile at Brussels, we will wipe Moscow off the map,» Francken told De Morgen, underscoring NATO’s commitment to collective defence under Article 5.

He dismissed ongoing speculation about the United States’ dedication to the alliance under President Donald Trump.

«The bias against the American government is unbelievable,» he said. «Trump has clearly stated that America will continue to support...

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau recently visited Uzbekistan with U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor to discuss trade and investment in critical minerals and energy, as well as regional cooperation under the C5+1 framework.

Apart from business, Landau has shared his admiration for Uzbekistan’s rich hospitality culture and culinary traditions, taking to his personal X (formerly Twitter) account to post a series of enthusiastic reflections and photos.

Landau, who previously served as the US Ambassador to Mexico, described the Uzbek approach to hospitality as «like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,» praising how every...

Uzbekistan has climbed two positions to rank 81st in the latest World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, according to the organisation’s newly released 2025 report.

The country was also highlighted among those showing the strongest annual progress in strengthening legal systems and governance standards worldwide.

Within Central Asia, Kazakhstan remains the regional leader, ranking 66th, despite slipping one spot compared with last year. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, dropped to 104th place.

Globally, Denmark retained its top position, followed by Norway, Finland, and Sweden, which continue to dominate the world’s highest rule of law standards.

The World Justice Project’s annual...

The Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oracle following a productive meeting on expanding cooperation in digital education and skills development.

The agreement outlines plans to launch Oracle Academy programmes in universities and higher education institutions, providing educators with free access to training materials, software, and cloud resources. It also includes initiatives through Oracle University to expand access to professional certifications and digital learning paths, alongside efforts to promote awareness of intellectual property rights and digital compliance.

In collaboration with Uzbekistan’s Digital Education Development Centre, these projects aim to equip students...

OpenAI has completed its transition into a for-profit company, allowing it to raise new capital and potentially prepare for a stock market debut. As part of the move, Microsoft has taken a 27% stake in the ChatGPT developer, reshaping their partnership first established in 2019.

The new deal allows Microsoft to pursue artificial general intelligence (AGI) independently, while OpenAI will form an expert panel to verify any future AGI claims. CEO Sam Altman will not hold equity in the company.

Microsoft’s rights to use OpenAI’s AI models now extend until 2032, excluding hardware. Following the announcement, Microsoft’s market value...

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending $142 mln (€121 mln) in financing for two special-purpose vehicles developing Uzbekistan’s largest solar and battery energy storage system to date.

The projects named ACWA Power Sazagan Solar 1 and ACWA Power Sazagan Solar 2 are led by Saudi-based ACWA Power, with Japanese partners Sumitomo Corporation, Shikoku Electric Power, and Chubu Electric Power.

Dual Projects in Samarkand and Bukhara

The EBRD’s package includes two secured loans:

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $250 mln for the Asian Development Bank’s «Glaciers to Farms» programme, aimed at strengthening water and agricultural systems in regions reliant on melting glaciers across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan.

The GCF funds will complement $3.25 bn in ADB investments over the next decade. Projects will focus on irrigation, reservoirs, and watershed management to help farmers adapt to worsening droughts and floods.

Covering nine countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, the programme will operate in four glacier-fed basins — the Naryn, Panj, Kura, and Swat — benefiting around...