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Fabio Cannavaro’s appointment as Uzbekistan’s new head coach has sparked a flurry of reactions among football supporters. Many were surprised by the announcement, though the chance to guide a nation heading to its first World Cup proved too tempting for the Italian legend to turn down.

«Big move for Uzbekistan. Cannavaro stepping in shows real ambition ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The 2006 Ballon d’Or winner bringing his experience could be massive for their project,» one fan posted on X.

Another wrote:

Uzbekistan finally showing some tekkers. Ballon d'Or winner...

Former Uzbek foreign minister and ex-secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Vladimir Norov, has become the first citizen of Uzbekistan to be honoured with China’s prestigious Friendship Award.

The ceremony took place on September 30 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Friendship Award is regarded as the country’s highest state accolade for foreign experts who have made significant contributions to national development and international cooperation. This year, 50 specialists from 27 countries were recognised.

«It is a great honour for me to be among the recipients, and I am especially...

Uzbekistan’s Central Bank purchased two tonnes of gold in August 2025, according to data from the World Gold Council (WGC).

In total, central banks worldwide acquired about 15 tonnes of gold during the month. Kazakhstan led the way with eight tonnes, while the central banks of Bulgaria, China and Turkey each bought two tonnes. The WGC noted that this year’s record-high gold prices are likely limiting the scale of central bank purchases.

«This may also lead to more tactical sales. However, the recent slowdown in buying does not necessarily mean central banks are losing interest...

Sydney Sweeney and Lauren Sanchez have become Hollywood’s newest unlikely duo after stepping out in matching silver minidresses at the Euphoria star’s space-themed 28th birthday bash in Los Angeles, The Sun reports.

Their friendship, strengthened alongside Sanchez’s husband Jeff Bezos, has ignited speculation about a close-knit trio and fuelled talk of potential projects involving all three.

The actress, who paid tribute to Britney Spears with her party look, was compared to 55-year-old Sanchez as the pair posed for a photo that quickly spread online. While Sweeney has faced criticism from political commentators over her associations, insiders say she and...

As of October 3, 2025 more than 2,700 Uzbek citizens were living in Busan, according to South Korea’s Yonhap agency.

The total foreign population in the city stood at 64,900, accounting for 2% of all residents. Vietnamese nationals formed the largest group with over 16,300 people, followed by 12,800 Chinese. Indonesians ranked third with 3,800 residents. Nepalese and Americans came next with 3,400 and 3,200 respectively.

Russian citizens numbered 2,720, placing them sixth, while Uzbeks were in seventh place.

Most foreign nationals in Busan are students, with nearly 19,900 enrolled in local educational institutions. The city is also home...

Spotify announced on October 4 that Taylor Swift’s new track «The Fate of Ophelia» became the most-streamed song in a single day in the platform’s history o October 3, 2025. The song is the opening track of Swift’s newly released album The Life of a Showgirl, which reimagines a tragic Shakespearean heroine to reflect Swift’s own story.

The Life of a Record-Breaker ❤️‍? On October 3rd, 2025, Taylor Swift’s «The Fate of Ophelia» became the most-streamed song in a single day in Spotify history. pic.twitter.com/WIPRVBaGVS

— Spotify (@Spotify) October 3, 2025

In «The Fate of...

Fabio Cannavaro, 52, is close to being named head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team with a salary package of €3.5–4 mln a year, according to Sport-Express citing a source familiar with the deal. The figure includes expenses for his coaching staff.

If finalised, the deal would make Cannavaro the fourth highest-paid coach of a national side, behind Carlo Ancelotti of Brazil, Thomas Tuchel of Germany and Julian Nagelsmann of Germany.

Former Uzbekistan striker and Spartak Moscow player Jafar Irismetov criticised the choice of Cannavaro, telling Sportmail.ru that the country needed «a coach of Klopp’s level» to...

President Donald Trump told Israel on October 3 to halt its bombing campaign in Gaza after Hamas accepted parts of a United States peace proposal, including the release of hostages. While Trump hailed the response as a sign that Hamas was «ready for a lasting peace,» questions remained over unresolved issues such as disarmament and Israeli withdrawal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the country was preparing for the «immediate implementation» of the first stage of Trump’s Gaza plan following Hamas’ response. Israeli media later reported that the military had been instructed to scale back its offensive in...

Japan is facing a shortage of Asahi beer and other beverages as the country’s largest drinks producer struggles to recover from a major cyberattack that has disrupted operations for five days.

Asahi Group, best known for its Super Dry beer, Nikka Whisky and a range of non-alcoholic drinks, suspended operations on September 29 after a cyberattack caused a system outage. The disruption halted order processing, shipping and call centre functions.

By Wednesday the company had started manually visiting customers to take handwritten orders, and on Friday it shipped its first batch of products filled by hand. For now, Asahi...

Taylor Swift has once again dominated online conversation with the release of her latest studio album The Life of a Showgirl. The record features twelve tracks that explore themes of fame, relationships and pop culture, with one lyric even referencing football powerhouse Real Madrid.

In the track Wi$h Li$t, Swift sings:

«They want that freedom, living off the grid
They want those three dogs that they call their kids
And that good surf, no hypocrites
They want it all
They want a contract with Real Madrid
They want that spring break that was f***in’ lit
And then that video taken off the...

Timur Turlov, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp., said at the Digital Bridge forum in Astana that ecosystems are beginning to play an increasingly important social role in healthcare and education.

He explained that such ecosystems help address basic needs in these two key sectors. Turlov emphasised the significance of breakthrough ideas and digitalisation as tools to accelerate the development of human capital. He added that the super-app currently being developed by the holding will integrate healthcare services, including a digital clinic.

«We want to ensure that people have access to AI assistants who can...

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan will jointly host the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2027, the Uzbekistan Football Association has confirmed.

The youth championship is among the most significant international football tournaments held under FIFA’s banner. The association noted that Uzbekistan has gained considerable experience in recent years by staging major global competitions. Notably, the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024, held in the country, was praised for its high level of organisation and recognition by the international football community.

The joint bid by Tashkent and Baku was submitted to FIFA this summer. According to the association, both countries already possess...

Elon Musk, the head of Tesla, briefly became the first person in history worth $500 bn (£370bn), according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. But only a few hours later, his wealth dropped back to $470 bn (£348bn).

The rise came as Tesla’s stock gained more than 3% on Wednesday and continued to climb in early trading on Thursday. The rally followed news that Musk bought 2.5 mln Tesla shares worth $1 bn (£744m), his first open-market purchase since 2020.

Tesla shares have jumped nearly 80% over the past year, even though the company has faced slower sales, stronger competition, and...

The European Union is reportedly considering lifting sanctions on some assets tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to compensate Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) for a €2 bn judgment imposed by a Russian court.

Drafts of the proposed measures include unfreezing shares in Austrian construction firm Strabag, which were once partially held by Deripaska and have been under EU sanctions since 2022. The assets would then be transferred to RBI under the compensation scheme.

The move, initially backed by Austria, is provoking concern among several EU member states. Critics argue it could legitimise judicial rulings from...

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has renewed calls to relocate the country’s capital from Tehran to the south, citing severe water shortages, land subsidence, and the capital’s rapid over-expansion.

Speaking during a visit to Hormozgan province on the Persian Gulf, Pezeshkian said Iran had «no choice» but to shift its political center closer to the coast, where he argued trade and development prospects were far greater.

«Tehran, Karaj and Qazvin are facing a water crisis that cannot be easily solved,» he warned, noting that the capital of more than 10 million consumes nearly a quarter of...

Uzbekistan has introduced new rules in air navigation from October 2, according to the press service of the Uzairnavigation centre.

From now on, the country’s national airspace will be designated by the code UZ, while unified parameters are applied nationwide. The absolute transition altitude is set at 13,000 feet and the transition flight level at FL150.

The centre highlighted that these changes will make flights safer and more efficient, while also strengthening the visibility of Uzbekistan’s airspace on the international aviation map.

Kursiv also reports that Allied Biofuels FE LLC Uzbekistan has signed agreements with the Khorezm regional authorities...

Prince William’s conversation with actor Eugene Levy on Apple TV+ has been described as the most open he has ever been in public. Set against the informal backdrop of Windsor, walking his dog, at the pub, even mentioning his scooter rides around the castle grounds, the interview revealed a relaxed, personal side of the future king.

Unlike the usual staged palace interviews, William seemed comfortable with Levy, even admitting he’d enjoyed the actor’s American Pie films. While no questions were asked about Prince Harry or Prince Andrew, William still offered striking insights.

A Vision for Change

William made...

For the first time in Central Asia, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) will be held in Samarkand in 2028, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov announced on his Telegram channel. The decision was made in Sydney, where this year’s congress in taking place.

The proposal to host the global space event was presented by the Uzbek delegation «Uzbekcosmos» during the IAC session from September 29 to October 3. Shermatov noted that Uzbekistan had to compete with strong bids from India and Bahrain.

«Six centuries ago, Mirzo Ulughbek established an observatory and madrasa, making Samarkand a centre of...

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has received the credentials of Ashraf Khodjaev, the new head of Uzbekistan’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria.

??His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa receives Letter of Credence from Head of Mission, HE Dr Ashraf Khodjaev of the Republic of #Uzbekistan ?? at a Credentials Ceremony held at Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.#BetterAfricaBetterWorld ? pic.twitter.com/ACUJ9FFTdJ

— The Presidency ?? (@PresidencyZA) October 2, 2025

The ceremony took place at the Sefako Makgatho residence in the capital. Khodjaev was previously appointed ambassador to Qatar in January last year and earlier served as...

A fire broke out on October 2, at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery, one of the largest facilities on the US west coast, according to the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Officials confirmed the flames were contained to a single area.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the cause of the blaze remains unclear, while broadcaster CBS said emergency services rushed to the refinery following reports of an explosion. Newsom’s office said it was working with state and local agencies to ensure public safety.

Police told CBS they had no reports of injuries or evacuations. Los Angeles county supervisor...

Israel came under heavy international criticism on Thursday after its navy intercepted nearly 40 boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and detained more than 450 foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, Reuters reports.

Live footage from the flotilla showed Israeli soldiers in helmets and night-vision gear boarding the ships at night, while passengers in life vests raised their hands. A video released by Israel’s foreign ministry showed Thunberg seated on a deck surrounded by troops.

Worldwide Protests Erupt

The operation, launched two years into Israel’s assault on Gaza, triggered demonstrations across Europe as well as in Karachi, Buenos...

Uzbekistan’s external debt stood at $72.2 bn in the first half of 2025, according to a report by the Central Bank. Public external borrowings accounted for $36.8 bn, while corporate debt reached $35.4 bn.

The regulator also highlighted a significant rise in the country’s reserve assets. By early July, reserves had increased to $48.5 bn, up by $7.4 bn since the start of the year.

«Driven by balance of payments operations and non-operational changes, Uzbekistan’s net international investment position strengthened by 23% compared to the beginning of the year and reached $16.9 bn,» the report...

Former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has agreed to take charge of Uzbekistan’s national football team.

According to football insider Fabrizio Romano, the two sides have reached a verbal agreement on the terms, with the contract expected to be signed within 48 hours. An official announcement is likely to be made on Monday.

??? EXCL: Fabio Cannavaro verbally agrees to become new Uzbekistan head coach as part of World Cup 2026.

Agreement in place on contract terms with formal documents expected to be reviewed and signed in 24/48h.

Cannavaro, ready to accept as revealed on Monday. ?? pic.twitter.com/0qdy6GSdEf

...

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok praised his country’s scientific achievements and stressed the importance of responsible technological development during his speech at the opening of a forum in Astana.

Sulyok is in Kazakhstan from October 1–3 at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In his remarks, the Hungarian leader underlined Hungary’s long tradition of innovation and its ambitions in fields such as artificial intelligence and large-scale language models.

«Thank you for this day. We celebrate it and give thanks for the efforts that allow us to pass laws and move forward,» Sulyok said. «Hungary has great opportunities...