News

Red Bull has rebuffed an unsolicited takeover approach worth up to $3 bn (£2.3 bn) from Abu Dhabi-backed investors looking to acquire its Racing Bulls Formula 1 operation.

The high-profit transaction was spearheaded by U.S.-based investor Dean Attew alongside financier Andrew Harriott, with financial backing routed through several sovereign investment funds based in Abu Dhabi. Attew is well-known in motorsport financial circles as a former investigator and close confidant to former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Despite the staggering valuation, corporate insiders indicate that Austrian executives dismissed the proposal almost immediately without entering formal negotiations.

Protecting the driver development...

Crime groups across the Asia-Pacific have been harnessing AI, exploiting corruption and providing online infrastructure for hard-to-detect scam operations, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned. 

South-East Asia’s expanding cyber scam industry cost victims across East and South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand an estimated $88.3 bln to $114.1 bln in 2025, the last reporting year in the UNODC release.

UNODC said criminal groups that once specialised in separate activities have become part of interconnected networks, sharing infrastructure used for cyber fraud, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and financial crime.

«Their operating model...

Uzbekistan will launch $600 mln worth of water supply and sanitation projects this year to overhaul municipal infrastructure and expand regional resource access, officials announced during a presidential briefing.

The capital injection will fund the construction of 1,600 kilometres of water pipelines alongside 387 kilometres of sewerage networks nationwide. Planners will also erect 80 distinct water supply facilities and 29 modern wastewater treatment plants. Government estimates indicate these capital works will grant direct drinking water access to 310,000 residents across more than 100 remote mahallas while significantly upgrading supply reliability for an additional 2.5 mln citizens.

During the presentation...

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has registered amendments to eight key regulatory documents designed to establish a comprehensive operational framework for Islamic banking institutions.

The regulatory overhaul follows legislative measures introduced earlier this year to formally legalise and integrate Sharia-compliant financial services into the national banking sector. Under the revised guidelines, existing prudential rules that traditionally governed conventional lenders will now extend directly to commercial banks and microfinance organisations operating under Islamic finance principles.

The updated legal instruments cover a broad spectrum of banking operations, including liquidity management, corporate governance, internal audits, external statutory checks, capital adequacy requirements and...

Minutes after Spain’s extra-time win over Argentina landed La Roja their second World Cup title, Lamine Yamal heard a word from Lionel Messi he said was as valuable as his hard-fought gold medal. 

As the celebrations got underway in New York, Yamal did not rush towards his teammates or the World Cup trophy. Instead, the Barcelona and Spain star went straight to Messi, whom he has admired since childhood.

The emotional moment quickly went viral on social media. With La Albiceleste and their fans left heartbroken, Messi stood up, and the two...

Uzbekistan international Eldor Shomurodov has been nominated for the FIFA World Cup Goal of the Tournament following his early strike against DR Congo.

The governing body shortlisted 12 goals from the global competition. Shomurodov secured his place on the list after finding the net in the 10th minute during Uzbekistan’s 3-1 defeat to the African side at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 28.

Fans can cast their votes for their favourite finish on the official tournament platform between July 20 and July 27. The Uzbek forward faces strong competition for the award from prominent international stars. Other notable...

Spain is preparing to co-host an unprecedented iteration of the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside five partner nations, bringing both celebrated historic milestones and growing administrative controversies to the international football stage.

Kursiv Uzbekistan compiled 10 key facts and emerging controversies defining the tournament:

Multi-continental setup and logistical shifts

The fourth developer beta of iOS 27 contains hidden code referencing an iPhone equipped with multiple internal batteries, MacRumors reports.

The discovery, initially reported by Macworld and verified by MacRumors, includes new system strings within the Battery Health menu that specifically use plural phrasing. Current iPhone models explicitly refer to a single battery within the Settings app.

The updated diagnostic messages include phrases such as, “The batteries in this iPhone are performing as expected.” Additional alerts warn when the health of the batteries has degraded or if one of the components cannot be verified as a genuine Apple part...

Chinese tech manufacturer Xiaomi plans to unveil its upcoming Xiaomi 18 smartphone series in India this December, significantly shifting the company’s traditional release schedule.

The information comes from prominent technology insider Yogesh Brar, who noted the December 2026 timeline specifically for the Indian market. Historically, Xiaomi has reserved its major flagship product launches for an early spring global release. The latest leak did not clarify whether this early Indian rollout will coincide with a simultaneous international debut.

Brar also outlined a major restructuring of the upcoming product lineup. The new generation will reportedly consist of the standard Xiaomi...

Following a closed-door screening for CinemaCon attendees this past April, Disney has distributed the initial theatrical preview for “Avengers: Doomsday”. The upcoming blockbuster acts as the climax to the overarching multiverse storyline built by Marvel Studios over the previous seven years.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the crossover event gathers almost every prominent figure from the expansive film franchise to tackle an unprecedented threat. Robert Downey Jr. makes his franchise comeback, swapping his legendary Iron Man identity to play the primary antagonist, Doctor Doom.

While exact details surrounding his character are still under wraps, fans speculate the masked...

South Korean singer IU has cancelled her upcoming September concert and postponed the release of her sixth studio album due to a worsening chronic ear condition.

On July 20, the artist shared a letter with her supporters on the fan platform Berriz to explain the sudden schedule changes. She was originally slated to perform at Goyang Stadium in September as part of a broader domestic tour. The entire concert series has now been cancelled because of severe complications from patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction.

The condition causes the Eustachian tube to remain open, which can lead to autophony where a...

Afghan and Uzbek officials have held talks on expanding bilateral cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector, with discussions focusing on medicines, medical equipment, health products and food safety. The meeting took place during an official visit by an Afghan health delegation to Uzbekistan.

The Afghan delegation, led by Deputy Minister for Food and Medicine Mawlavi Hamdullah Zahid, met with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Health Minister and head of the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency, Abdullah Azizov. The two sides discussed strengthening trade ties, exchanging expertise, transferring technical knowledge and enhancing technical capacity in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

Uzbek officials also presented...

There were three other strikes by Iranian forces against U.S. military facilities in Jordan before the Friday attack, which saw two service members killed and one missing, according to The New York Times.  

Dozens of troops have been injured in the earlier Iranian strikes, the NYT report said, citing an American official who requested anonymity. In addition to the injuries, several U.S. helicopters were damaged.

The Pentagon chose not to withhold information about the attacks, the casualties, and the damage.

Another U.S. military official told the newspaper that releasing such a detailed report could provide intelligence that Iran...

A prominent technology insider has revealed early specifications for the upcoming Oppo A7 Pro Max, pointing to a budget-friendly smartphone dominated by an unusually large power unit, Rozetked reports.

According to details shared by the reliable tipster Digital Chat Station, the standout feature of the unannounced handset will be a massive 10,000 mAh battery. Despite the substantial power capacity, the device will reportedly support 80W fast charging to minimise time spent connected to a wall socket.

Historically, smartphones equipped with battery capacities approaching the 10,000 mAh mark have been marketed exclusively as rugged devices with thick, cumbersome exteriors built...

Foreign tourists travelling to Uzbekistan can now spend less money to claim a VAT refund, the government has announced. Eligible purchases include all goods purchased locally and taken home, except whole and processed foods.  

Uzbekistan’s government added more incentives for foreign shoppers visiting the country, it emerged. Under the updated Tax Free scheme, the minimum purchase required to claim a VAT refund was cut from 1 million sums ($83) to just 300,000 sums ($25). 

Expanding the narrower list of eligible purchases, the refund will now also apply to almost all local goods, with meat, fish, dairy, fruits and vegetables...

Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at New York mayor Zohran Mamdani after he said his team was finding out whether the Israeli prime minister could face an arrest during his visit for the UN General Assembly in September.

«I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,» Mamdani said on The New York Times’ «The Interview» podcast on Saturday, referring to the Dutch capital where the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) has its seat.

«He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is...

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has set a new standard for global sporting events by drawing a record 6,810,966 fans to stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The unprecedented turnout nearly doubles previous tournament figures, reflecting the massive scale of the first-ever 48-team competition. Supporters flocked to 16 host cities over a 39-day period to witness the expanded 104-match format. For context, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar recorded just over 3.4 mln spectators for its 64 fixtures, while the 1994 edition hosted entirely within the U.S. held the previous record with 52 matches.

The official figures...

Spain has claimed the number one position in the FIFA men’s world rankings following their narrow 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final on July 19.

The latest rankings update reflects the dramatic conclusion to the month-long tournament. Spain earned an additional 30.27 points from their championship victory, propelling them to the top of the global standings with a total of 1995.88 points. The result dethroned the previous leaders, Argentina, who slipped to second place with 1970.37 points after failing to defend their world title.

The 1-0 triumph in New Jersey secured Spain their second...

The number of enterprises operating with foreign capital in Uzbekistan reached 20,500 by early July, marking a 1.4-fold increase over the past five years.

Data from the National Statistics Committee shows that fully foreign-owned companies dominate the market, accounting for 15,800 of the total figure. The remaining 4,600 businesses operate as joint ventures.

China currently leads the national registry with 6,000 active enterprises. Russia ranks second with 3,500, followed by Turkey and Kazakhstan.

Other notable contributors include Afghanistan (685), Azerbaijan (473), Tajikistan (455), the United Arab Emirates (440) and India (426).

The Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade reported...

Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee has published a draft resolution proposing the introduction of a summer siesta across the country’s major historical cities. The initiative aims to adapt the local hospitality sector to extreme seasonal heat and protect both industry workers and international visitors.

The pilot project, currently open for public discussion, would be implemented annually from June 1 to August 31, aligning with the highest recorded temperatures in the region. The proposed operational changes would primarily affect tourist facilities located in the capital city of Tashkent, alongside the popular historical destinations of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, which draw the highest...

Two tankers were targeted by drones while loading crude from Kazakhstan’s oil fields on Sunday, prompting a strong condemnation from Astana.

The attack saw the Liberia-flagged ASIA and the Marshall Islands-flagged NISSOS IOS hit during loading operations at the Caspian ​Pipeline Consortium (CPC) offshore terminal near Russia’s port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.

​A fire broke out on board the ASIA, but was extinguished by the CPC emergency response team. Oil loadings were suspended shortly afterwards.  

​Both tankers were chartered to carry crude from Kazakhstan-based energy companies Tengizchevroil, Kashagan BV and Maten Petroleum.

​Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign...

Director Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of “The Odyssey” secured a massive international debut, collecting $264.1 mln in global ticket sales during its opening weekend, Universal Pictures confirmed Sunday.

The launch included $124.5 mln across cinemas in the U.S. and Canada. The production, which translates Homer’s ancient Greek poem to the screen, features Matt Damon as the legendary hero Odysseus during his hazardous return voyage from the Trojan War. The feature marks Nolan’s first theatrical release since his 2023 biographical drama “Oppenheimer”, which secured multiple Academy Awards including best picture and best director.

The film topped both the domestic and...

U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, have confirmed the arrival of their fourth child, a boy named Alec Neel Vance.

The infant was delivered on Sunday morning at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre located in Bethesda, Maryland. Through a social media update, the couple extended appreciation to both the military medical personnel and the White House Medical Unit while confirming that the mother and newborn are doing well.

“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” the statement read.

The...

Entertainment conglomerate HYBE has announced the upcoming debut of a new seven-member girl group named Tuide. The act will launch later this year and serves as the inaugural artist for the company’s newly established subsidiary label ABD.

The group’s name derives from the phrase “Tune the tide”. Agency representatives stated the moniker reflects an ambition to blend each member’s individual characteristics into a cohesive musical identity.

Veteran producer Han Sung-soo from Pledis Entertainment will spearhead the project. Han brings extensive industry experience to the new roster, having previously overseen production for successful pop acts including Seventeen, After School, Iz*one...