News

Oil and gas services firm Petrofac has announced plans to appoint administrators after the collapse of restructuring talks, threatening more than 7K jobs worldwide, including around 2K positions in Scotland.

The company told investors on Monday that it has applied to the High Court for administration following the termination of a major contract by Dutch electricity grid operator TenneT, which effectively ended efforts to stabilize its finances.

Petrofac said the move affects its main holding company, while trading operations will continue as the firm explores alternative restructuring or merger options with creditors. Corporate finance firm Teneo is expected to...

A new slang trend known as «67» is sweeping U.S. classrooms, and driving teachers to the brink. The phrase, a call-and-response where one person says «six» and others yell «seven,» has become so disruptive that schools nationwide are banning it.

The trend stems from rapper Skrilla’s song «Doot Doot (6 7)», which went viral on social media alongside memes featuring NBA star LaMelo Ball, according to Merriam-Webster. The joke has evolved into an in-class chant often paired with a «juggling» hand gesture.

Frustrated educators have resorted to creative punishments. Michigan teacher Adria Laplander now makes offenders write 67-word essays

On October 26, Uzbekistan’s National Canine Centre under the State Customs Committee hosted one of the country’s largest dog festivals. The event featured the international Dog Festival 2025 and the national dog exhibition Anor 2025, drawing dog lovers, breeders, and handlers from across Uzbekistan and beyond.

The programme included the Speciality Hunting Breeds competition, a German Shepherd championship titled Club Cup: Autumn 2025, and impressive demonstrations by customs handlers and their service dogs. Across five show rings, professional handlers presented the best examples of 40 breeds to experts and spectators.

Exotic Breeds Steal the Show

The highlight of...

Former Crystal Palace investor John Textor has lodged a £400 mln offer to buy Wolverhampton Wanderers, as pressure grows on current owners Fosun after the club’s winless start left them bottom of the Premier League.

The proposal is understood to comprise around £150 mln in cash and £262.6 mln in shares. Club sources maintain Wolves are not for sale, saying they are exploring outside investment instead.

Sunday’s injury-time defeat to Burnley sparked loud protests at Molineux, with chants aimed at both Fosun and head coach Vítor Pereira. Wolves are the only side across England’s top six divisions yet to...

The first Airbus A321XLR for Uzbek private airline Qanot Sharq has been seen leaving the paint shop at Airbus’s Finkenwerder facility near Hamburg, Germany, ahead of its planned delivery later this year.

Photos shared on social media show the jet in Qanot Sharq’s blue and white livery, complete with a logo promoting Uzbekistan. The aircraft, still bearing a temporary Airbus registration (D-AYAB), is expected to enter service before the end of 2025, marking the first A321XLR to be operated in Central Asia.

It is also the first of three A321XLRs leased by Qanot Sharq from Air Lease Corporation in...

FIFA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have announced the creation of a new regional football tournament, the FIFA ASEAN Cup, as part of a broader partnership to strengthen football development across Southeast Asia.

The agreement was signed during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Modelled after FIFA’s Arab Cup, the new competition will feature national teams from all ASEAN member states.

«This will be a great addition to the regional...

A lion from Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve has become an online sensation after a wildlife photographer captured his perfectly curly mane in breathtaking close-up shots.

The lion, named Nzuri — meaning «beautiful» or «good» in Swahili — has attracted global attention for his rare, wavy coat that looks more like a professional blowout than something shaped by the African savannah.

According to photographers, Nzuri’s tight curls are likely the result of a mix of genetics, humidity, and the way a rain-soaked mane dries naturally in the wind. The striking texture is unlike anything typically seen in the wild, making the...

Prince Andrew is being pressed to vacate the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, with sources saying he has signalled willingness to leave if both he and his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, are allocated new residences on the Windsor estate.

Andrew has reportedly asked for Frogmore Cottage, while Sarah Ferguson is said to prefer Adelaide Cottage, currently occupied by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are expected to relocate to nearby Forest Lodge next month. A friend of the couple cautioned that palace reaction to the proposal remains uncertain.

Pressure on the Duke intensified after revelations...

Montenegro will temporarily suspend its visa-free regime for Turkish citizens following a violent incident in Podgorica that has fuelled public unrest, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić announced on Sunday evening.

«Tomorrow, through an urgent procedure, we will decide on the temporary suspension of visa-free entry for Turkish citizens,» Spajić wrote on social network X. He added that the government would soon begin intensive discussions with Turkey to «find the best model in our mutual interest, in the spirit of good cooperation and alliance,» stressing the need to protect both economic activity and bilateral relations.

An effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen hanging from a construction crane in the Turkish city of Trabzon has triggered strong condemnation from Israel.

Images published by the pro-government daily Yeni Safak showed a dummy resembling Netanyahu suspended from a crane, with a banner reading «Death penalty for Netanyahu.» The identity of those responsible remains unclear.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X that a Turkish academic was behind the stunt, allegedly «aided by a state company,» and criticized Ankara for not denouncing the act.

«In Erdogan’s Turkey, hatred and antisemitism aren’t condemned...

The Supreme Court on October 27 ordered the chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, except West Bengal and Telangana, to appear before it on November 3 for not submitting compliance affidavits in the ongoing stray dogs case.

A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria noted that only the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, along with the governments of West Bengal and Telangana, had followed its earlier instructions. The bench criticised the remaining states and UTs for ignoring the court’s August 22 directive, which had clearly detailed the required steps to manage...

Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical market is undergoing a structural transformation, with dietary supplements rapidly gaining ground. According to a new report by DATFO Analytics, biologically active additives (BAAs) made up 9.5% of total pharmacy turnover as of September 2025.

Compared with 2024, sales of supplements rose 1.7 times in value and 1.4 times in volume, even as other pharmaceutical segments remained stagnant.

Growing Consumer Confidence

The surge has been driven mainly by imported supplements from the United States. Analysts note that the key factor behind their popularity is consumer trust and word-of-mouth recommendations, rather than aggressive advertising.

Responding to the growing...

Ferrari is venturing deeper into digital finance with plans to introduce a new crypto token that will give its wealthiest fans the chance to bid for a Ferrari 499P, the endurance car that secured three consecutive Le Mans victories.

The initiative, though limited in scope, reflects Ferrari’s strategy to engage younger, tech-savvy investors and entrepreneurs who have benefited from the global surge in artificial intelligence and data-driven markets. It also builds on the company’s growing openness to digital payments, after it began accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDC for vehicle purchases in the United States in 2023, later extending the option...

After a tense and dramatic week inside La Granja VIP, the reality show saw its second elimination as Sandra Itzel was voted out of the competition. Her departure, announced on October 26, sparked mixed reactions among viewers and marked a turning point in the show’s evolving dynamics.

The elimination night pitted comedian Alfredo Adame, singer Sandra Itzel, and actor Eleazar Gómez against each other after a week of heated nominations and growing pressure among contestants. Physical challenges and farm duties added to the tension, testing both endurance and teamwork.

Adame was the first to be saved, leaving Sandra and...

Austin Reaves delivered a sensational performance with a career-high 51 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 127-120 on Sunday night, despite missing injured stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Reaves took charge after Doncic was ruled out late with finger and leg injuries, surpassing his previous best of 45 points. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and nine assists, falling just short of his fourth career triple-double. Deandre Ayton added 22 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura scored 18 as the Lakers secured an impressive road win.

Zach LaVine led Sacramento with...

Argentina’s President Javier Milei has claimed a landslide victory in Sunday’s midterm elections, strengthening his mandate to pursue radical economic reforms and deep spending cuts.

His party La Libertad Avanza secured nearly 41% of the vote, taking 13 of 24 Senate seats and 64 of 127 lower-house seats.

«We must consolidate the path of reform we have embarked upon to turn Argentina’s history around once and for all… to make Argentina great again,» Milei told cheering supporters in Buenos Aires.

Before the vote, his ally Donald Trump linked a $40 bn US financial lifeline to...

Kyrgyzstan has taken a major leap into the digital finance era with the launch of its national stablecoin, the KGST, and a pilot project for a digital version of the som. The twin initiatives mark a significant milestone in the country’s ambition to become Central Asia’s leading blockchain innovation centre.

KGST Stablecoin Debuts on BNB Chain

The KGST stablecoin, pegged 1:1 to the Kyrgyzstani som, has gone live on the BNB Chain. It represents one of the first government-backed blockchain initiatives in the region. The move was confirmed by Changpeng Zhao, former Binance CEO and now strategic advisor...

French authorities have arrested suspects linked to the audacious jewellery robbery at the Louvre, with one of them apprehended just as he was about to leave the country, the Paris prosecutor confirmed on October 26.

According to Le Parisien, two men in their thirties from Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris known for its economic challenges, were detained on October 25 evening. Both men were already known to police, and one of them was intercepted at Charles de Gaulle Airport while preparing to board a flight to Algeria.

So far, there has been no indication that any of the stolen...

US Special Envoy Sergio Gor and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau arrived in Tashkent on October 25. Their visit aims to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals, energy and regional initiatives under the C5+1 framework.

According to the US Embassy, discussions centred on opportunities to boost trade and investment between Uzbekistan and the United States. The visiting diplomats also held talks with local business representatives, exploring prospects for joint growth and a stronger strategic partnership.

As part of their trip, Gor and Landau travelled to Samarkand on 26 October, where they toured historic landmarks alongside Uzbekistan’s Foreign...

Lando Norris produced a flawless performance at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to claim a dominant victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, his fourth win of the season, and move into the lead of the Formula 1 World Championship by a single point.

Starting from pole for the first time since July, the McLaren driver executed a perfect launch and controlled the race from start to finish, crossing the line well clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after 71 laps of high drama and soaring temperatures.

«It was one of those days...

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of the global mining and engineering sectors. According to ATK+ Consulting, the global AI market in industry and engineering is expected to grow nearly fivefold, reaching around $400 bn by 2030.

In Russia, the overall AI market is projected to increase by 20–30% by the end of 2025, reaching 1.9 trillion rubles (approximately $24 bn). Within the industrial sector, companies anticipate an 80% growth in AI adoption by 2030.

Analysts note that AI applications are shifting from experimental to practical use, helping optimize production, improve safety, and reduce costs across industrial operations.

Kyrgyzstan is getting ready to test its national blockchain platform. The pilot project will run for nine months. The announcement came from Farhat Iminov, head of the Secretariat for the Development of Virtual Assets and Blockchain Technologies under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

According to Iminov, the blockchain infrastructure is already complete. The next stage will test solutions for the country’s digital som (CBDC) and a national stablecoin.

He said the project also creates new opportunities through cooperation with the global crypto exchange Binance. Kyrgyz citizens will be able to open crypto wallets, buy and convert assets directly...

American pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made their first confirmed public outing as a couple on October 25, 2025, in Paris. The pair were spotted holding hands and smiling as they left the cabaret venue Crazy Horse Paris during Perry’s 41st-birthday celebration. 

Their relationship had been the subject of speculation since July 2025, when they were seen together in Montreal and later photographed aboard a yacht off the California coast.

Perry had recently ended her engagement with actor Orlando Bloom, while Trudeau formally separated from his wife in 2023 after 18 years...

A portrait of Dora Maar, one of Pablo Picasso’s most famous muses, has been sold for €32 mln ($37 mln) at the Hôtel Drouot auction house in Paris, according to the Associated Press.

The painting, titled «Bust of a Woman in a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar)», was created in July 1943 during the German occupation of Paris. It remained in the possession of one French family for over 80 years and had never been publicly exhibited. Until recently, its existence was known only through a black-and-white photograph. The buyer, who attended the auction in person, has not been identified.

Auctioneer Christophe Lucien described...