News

Ookla, a global leader in mobile and broadband network analysis, has released its report for the first half of 2025. In Uzbekistan, the “Best Mobile Video Experience Award” goes to Beeline Uzbekistan, which represents the international VEON Group in the country. 

Ookla’s reports draw on millions of tests performed every day by fixed and mobile users through the Speedtest app. The company also processes billions of background measurements that reflect real-world performance across network quality, signal strength, video streaming, gaming, and web browsing. This comprehensive analysis delivers an objective map of connectivity in each market, forms the basis for national...

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to file a $15 bn lawsuit against the New York Times for defamation and libel, following the paper’s reporting on his connections with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters reports.

The move comes days after the newspaper published articles referencing a sexually suggestive note and drawing given to Epstein. Writing on Truth Social, Trump declared:

«Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a 15 bn Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times.»

The NYT has not yet issued a response.

Trump accused the outlet...

The UzLiDeP party discussed a draft law on Islamic banking in Uzbekistan on September 15, the party’s press service reports.

The proposed legislation is designed to tackle the shadow economy, regulate Islamic windows and banking operations, and create conditions for attracting overseas investment. Adoption of the law would also establish a legal basis for Islamic banks in Uzbekistan, drawing on international standards.

Citing a UNDP survey, UzLiDeP noted that 60% of Uzbek businesses avoid traditional banking for religious reasons, while the figure stands at 68% among the wider population.

According to forecasts by the Eurasian Development Bank, assets...

A significant gas field has been discovered at a depth of 6.5 kilometres on the Ustyurt Plateau, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev revealed during a meeting with university staff.

Until now, Uzbekistan’s oil and gas exploration was limited to depths of 2.5 to 3 kilometres. The president stressed that this was the first time in the country’s industrial history that drilling had reached beyond six kilometres.

Mirziyoyev also underlined the growing global demand for lithium and other metals, noting that Central Asia holds an estimated 15% of the world’s reserves of tungsten, molybdenum, zinc and titanium.

Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Vladivostok has filed a formal protest with Russia’s Foreign Ministry after Uzbek nationals were attacked in the city, consul general Yusup Kabulzhanov confirmed.

Footage of the incident, showing unidentified individuals assaulting Uzbek citizens and making ethnic slurs, spread online earlier this week. The victims sought help from the Uzbek diplomatic mission, where they received legal support.

«These events are under the special supervision of Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Vladivostok and Russian law enforcement authorities,» Kabulzhanov said in a statement.

The victims have also submitted complaints to local law enforcement...

Xiaomi has officially announced the launch of its new flagship line, the Xiaomi 17 series, skipping the Xiaomi 16 generation. Company president Lu Weibing confirmed on Weibo that the unveiling will take place in October 2025, a month earlier than the brand’s usual release schedule.

The series will feature three models: the standard Xiaomi 17, the Xiaomi 17 Pro and the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. All devices will be equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.

According to leaks, the Xiaomi 17 Pro will include a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and a 1/2.51-inch sensor...

Former US ambassador Daniel Rosenblum has warned that Washington has «surrendered» the information war in Central Asia, leaving the field to Russia and China.

Speaking at Yale University, Rosenblum, ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2019 to 2022 and to Kazakhstan until 2025, described relentless Russian disinformation, including claims he opened a NATO base in Kazakhstan. In reality, he had inaugurated a peacekeeping institute conference centre.

Rosenblum said US embassies once countered such narratives with visible aid projects, but many programmes and media outlets have since been dismantled.

«Eight months into the second Trump administration, it seems...

Vice President JD Vance has announced that he will host today’s edition of The Charlie Kirk Show in memory of the far-right political commentator who was killed last week.

In a post on X on Sunday evening, Vance said he would present the programme to «pay tribute to my friend». The broadcast will air at 12 p.m. ET on the video platform Rumble.

Tomorrow, I will have the honor of hosting the Charlie Kirk Show. Please join me as I pay tribute to my friend.

12:00PM EThttps://t.co/oemvxJ18Mq pic.twitter.com/eSMpx8xE3X

— JD Vance (@JDVance) September...

Israeli national Simon Leviev, widely known as the ‘Tinder Swindler’, has been detained upon arrival at Batumi airport in Georgia.

Leviev, born Shimon Yehuda Hayut, rose to notoriety after being featured in the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, which detailed how he tricked victims through elaborate scams. Over several years, he is believed to have defrauded individuals and banks of up to one billion US dollars through a ponzi scheme. Posing as a relative of diamond magnate Lev Leviev, he also used Tinder to lure women.

Following the release of the documentary, Leviev denied wrongdoing in an interview...

Uzbekistan has secured tenth place in the global ranking of gold producers for 2024, according to figures released by the World Gold Council (WGC).

Last year, worldwide gold output reached 3,661 tonnes, up 0.5% on 2023. Of this, Uzbekistan accounted for 129 tonnes, or 3.5% of the global total.

The jewellery industry remains the leading consumer of gold. In 2024 it used 2,003.5 tonnes, down 9% year-on-year. Overall demand for gold dropped 11% to 1,877.1 tonnes, largely due to rising global prices. Despite weaker demand, spending on jewellery increased by 9%, hitting $144 bn.

China topped the list of...

The National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan has released new data on enterprises with foreign investment, showing that China, Russia and Turkey remain the leading contributors to the country’s business landscape.

As of September 1, 2025, Uzbekistan was home to 16,946 active enterprises with foreign investment, of which 4,144 were joint ventures and 12,802 were fully foreign-owned. Compared to the same period in 2024, the number of such enterprises grew by 2,384, driven mainly by expansion in trade, industry and construction.

China in first place

China continues to play the dominant role, accounting for 4,420 enterprises or 26.1% of...

From January to July 2025, International Foodchain (KFC), Mak Food Servis (Evos) and Oqtepa Food Service (Oqtepa Lavash) topped the list of food service companies paying the most taxes in Uzbekistan, according to the State Tax Committee.

In total, 20,100 catering organisations transferred 963.3 bn soums ($77.5 mln) in taxes. Of this amount, 20 companies alone accounted for 184.2 bn soums ($14.8 mln), or 19.1%. Their combined turnover reached 2.4 trln soums.

Tax contributions from the leading 20 companies were broken down as follows:

Xpeng Motors has officially launched local production in Europe with the rollout of its G6 and G9 SUV models at Magna’s facility in Graz, Austria. The announcement was made on September 15, CNC reports.

The Graz plant, run by Magna Steyr, is one of Europe’s best-known contract manufacturing facilities. It has previously assembled vehicles for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota. Known for its flexible low- to medium-volume production, the site allows automakers without their own factories in Europe to localise manufacturing. Xpeng plans to expand output to additional models beyond the G6 and G9.

Strong European...

Back in the late 1960s, Pontiac introduced the Grand Prix SJ to meet the growing demand for personal luxury cars with real performance credentials. Fitted with a potent 428 cubic-inch V8 and offered with a four-speed manual gearbox, the model combined muscle car strength with upscale comfort. Only a few hundred were produced with a manual transmission, making it a rare machine.

In a new episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the legendary presenter climbs behind the wheel of a well-preserved example. Nicknamed the «banker’s hot rod,» the car wears its original brown paint with a vinyl roof and comes...

India, Iran and Uzbekistan have held their first trilateral dialogue at the level of foreign ministries, agreeing to create a mechanism to strengthen cooperation in tackling extremism and terrorism while also facilitating Uzbekistan’s access to Chabahar Port for trade with India.

The meeting, which took place in Tehran on September 9, highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in connectivity and logistics, making greater use of strategic ports and advancing the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC), an official confirmed.

Participants reviewed progress on decisions adopted at the third session of the Chabahar Working Group, held in Mumbai in November 2024. They...

The 2025 Emmy Awards celebrated a diverse mix of television, with major prizes shared across drama, comedy and limited series. See the full list of winners including The Pitt for best drama, The Studio for best comedy and Adolescence for best limited series.

Winners List:

The Igor Savitsky Museum in Nukus continues to rank among Uzbekistan’s most prominent tourist destinations, drawing more than 100,000 international visitors every year, according to Bayram Kusekeyev, deputy head of the Karakalpakstan Tourism Department, speaking to Kursiv Uzbekistan.

«This museum is attractive because it receives visitors throughout the year. While most landmarks open their season from spring to autumn, guests come to our gallery regardless of the time of year,» Kusekeyev noted.

The museum currently holds around 100,000 items. Its collection includes Russian avant-garde masterpieces, works from the Soviet period and artefacts reflecting the traditions...

Japanese star Naoya Inoue has successfully defended his status as the undisputed world champion in the bantamweight division (55.22 kg), defeating Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Championat reports.

After 12 rounds, all three judges scored the contest heavily in favour of the home fighter — 118:110, 117:111, 118:110.

Inoue controlled the bout almost from start to finish. Akhmadaliev looked for openings and tried to land a knockout punch, but the Japanese champion proved too quick. In the closing seconds, the Uzbek managed to land a heavy shot, yet it was not enough to alter the outcome.

This marked Inoue’s sixth defence...

The World Boxing Championships in Liverpool have concluded, marking one of the most successful chapters in the history of Uzbek sport. In the final session, the national team added two more golds and two silvers to their tally.

Abdumalik Khalokov (-60 kg) became world champion after a commanding 5:0 win over Brazil’s Luis Oliveira.

In the women’s -65 kg category, Navbakhor Khamidova earned silver, losing 0:3 in the final to Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeeva.

Akmaljon Isroilov (-85 kg) claimed another gold for Uzbekistan with a decisive 5:0 victory against home favourite Teagan Stott.

In the +90 kg division, Jahongir Zokirov

Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory over rivals Manchester United at the Etihad in the fourth round of the Premier League. Erling Haaland was the star of the show with a second-half brace, while Abdukodir Khusanov delivered a composed performance across the full 90 minutes.

Recently back from injury, Khusanov was assured on his flank, cutting out several dangerous crosses and preventing United from creating clear chances against Gianluigi Donnarumma. His decisive tackle on Dorgu drew applause from the stands, underlining his importance to City’s defensive line.

Phil Foden opened the scoring in the first half with a...

Up to 150,000 people joined a march in central London on Saturday, organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. A counter-demonstration against racism was also held in another part of the city.

The march, under the slogan Unite the Kingdom, moved through Whitehall, the area housing key UK government institutions. Speakers included US political figure Steve Bannon and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who addressed the crowd via video link.

At the same time, around 5,000 people took part in the March Against Fascism. The event was organised by the group Stand Up To Racism.

London police reported that the day began largely peacefully...

Clemson University has suspended a faculty member after social media posts made following the death of political commentator Charlie Kirk.

The suspension was announced after South Carolina officials and students raised concerns over the professor’s remarks. They argued that the comments were inappropriate in the context of Kirk’s assassination.

State Attorney General Alan Wilson called the remarks «vile» and said they appeared to celebrate and justify the killing. He urged the university to take disciplinary measures.

Clemson confirmed the suspension in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. The university said an internal investigation into the incident has begun.

The...

Jay Wynne, a former BBC Weather presenter, has died aged 56 after a long illness. His family confirmed the news on September 12.

His brother, Matthew Wynne, paid tribute to him, highlighting his clarity in explaining complex forecasts. He also described him as generous, wise, and remembered for his dry sense of humour.

Wynne joined the BBC in 2000 and became a regular forecaster on BBC News at Ten. He studied Environmental Geography at the University of Aberdeen and later earned a master’s in Applied Meteorology from the University of Reading.

Before his broadcasting career, he worked in civil...

American boxer Terence Crawford defeated Mexico’s Saul «Canelo» Alvarez to become the undisputed super middleweight champion. The fight lasted 12 rounds and ended with a unanimous decision.

Fight Progress

From the start, Crawford adopted a long-range tactical plan. He moved around the ring, using jabs and precise counterpunches. Canelo tried to apply pressure, advancing and targeting the body, but repeatedly ran into Crawford’s defence and counters.

In the middle rounds, the American increased his activity and took control of the fight. Canelo responded with combinations, but his accuracy remained low. Crawford maintained control and did not allow Alvarez to...