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Former England captain David Beckham has been knighted by King Charles in recognition of his contribution to football and British society. The 50-year-old received the honour at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, accompanied by his wife Victoria and his parents.

Beckham said he was «incredibly proud», highlighting his patriotism and long-standing admiration for the monarchy. «I’ve always said how important the monarchy is to my family,» he said, adding that people often ask him about the Royal Family when he travels abroad.

Victoria Beckham designed her husband’s morning suit for the ceremony, inspired by archival images of the King in...

Afghan women footballers forced into exile by the Taliban have returned to the international stage, competing at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series in Morocco and symbolising resilience in the face of repression.

Among them is 22-year-old Manoozh Noori, who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban banned women from education, work and sports. Noori once played for the national team but buried her medals before escaping to Australia. «Do I want to stay in a country where women are forbidden from studying or playing football?» she said, recalling her decision to leave.

Her team, Afghan Women United — formed by refugee...

Efforts to thaw relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government are colliding with a flare-up of violence on their shared border, underscoring the fragility of any rapprochement.

Balkh governor Muhammad Yusuf Vafo paid a quiet visit to Dushanbe on 23 October, meeting Tajik National Security Committee chief Saimumin Yatimov to discuss cooperation and pledging to prevent hostile groups from operating across the frontier. The outreach followed earlier, unconfirmed security contacts and limited technical engagement on projects such as CASA-1000.

Within days, however, Tajik and Taliban forces exchanged fire near a gold-mining site across the Pyanj River on 25 October...

Uzbekistan’s National Agency of Perspective Projects (NAPP) has registered the Central Depository of Armenia (CDA) as a participant in its regulatory sandbox, the agency announced.

The inclusion of foreign institutions in the sandbox enables Uzbekistan to exchange global expertise and create a more open investment environment. According to NAPP, the presence of international companies helps adopt best practices and simplifies access for investors seeking to enter Uzbekistan’s financial market.

The CDA oversees Armenia’s securities accounting and settlement systems and operates in line with international ISO standards. It holds a BBB rating from the UK-based agency Thomas Murray and is...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday held a phone conversation with Taliban foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, offering condolences after a powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near Mazar-e-Sharif and affected Balkh, Samangan and Baghlan provinces.

Jaishankar said Indian relief supplies had been handed over to Afghan authorities, with additional medical aid on the way. He noted progress in bilateral ties since Muttaqi’s recent visit to New Delhi and welcomed strengthening people-to-people contacts.

The leaders also discussed the regional security environment amid rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad following deadly border clashes. India has publicly backed Afghanistan’s sovereignty...

Global financial markets may be facing a reality check after this year’s relentless surge, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley warning investors on October 4 to prepare for a potential market correction over the next two years.

Global Equities Reach Record Levels

Stocks around the world have climbed to record highs, fuelled by AI-related gains and expectations of interest rate cuts. In the past month, major US indexes have reached new peaks, Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi have risen to fresh highs, and China’s Shanghai Composite has hit its strongest level in a decade, helped by...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the World Summit in Doha, where he proposed the establishment of a Global Social Justice Fund aimed at combating poverty and narrowing inequality across nations.

Mirziyoyev reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to supporting international efforts for sustainable development and shared details of the country’s recent social reforms. Over the past few years, Uzbekistan has achieved a remarkable reduction in poverty levels from 35% down to 6.6%, he noted.

Key Initiatives for Global Cooperation

In addition to the proposed Global Fund, the president outlined several other key initiatives, including:

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has set strict terms for any talks with the United States, saying Washington must end support for Israel and pull its forces from the region before Tehran will consider engagement.

His remarks came a day after a CBS 60 Minutes interview in which US President Donald Trump said he had «blasted the hell out of» Iran, and claimed Tehran now has no nuclear capability.

Iran has pushed back at the comments, while analysts warn the stand-off could harden without a change in tone from either side.

The exchanges follow US strikes...

Kimberly-Clark, the American company behind Kleenex tissues and Huggies nappies, is set to acquire Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol and other household brands in a cash-and-stock deal valued at more than $40 bn (£30.5 bn). The merger would form a global consumer goods powerhouse with some of the most recognisable bathroom and medicine cabinet staples in the world.

Creating a Consumer Health Powerhouse

Kenvue, which also owns brands such as Band-Aid, Zyrtec, Benadryl, Neutrogena and Aveeno, has struggled since its spin-off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. The separation was intended to give both companies sharper focus, but...

Nintendo has reported a 110% surge in sales between April and September 2025 compared with the same period last year, reaching ¥1.1 trln ($7.26 bn). The company’s net profit rose by 83% to ¥198.9 bn ($1.3 bn), according to its latest financial report.

The impressive results were largely driven by the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which sold more than 10 mln units within four months of its June release. Games for the new console also performed strongly, with total sales hitting 20.6 mln copies. Bestsellers included Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Buoyed by the success of...

From January 1, 2026, Uzbekistan plans to reduce the average cost of 2,600 prescription medicines by 40–50%. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed new initiatives in the pharmaceutical sector and programmes supporting children with rare diseases.

All state procurement of medicines and medical devices will be conducted through a new electronic platform, farma.xarid.uz, designed to prevent low-quality products and corruption. Only companies with international GMP, ISO:13485 and GDP certifications will be eligible to participate in tenders. The system will provide open information about state purchases, certified producers, and distributors, and automatically ensure procurement prices do not exceed the set reference levels.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo posted a photo on Instagram featuring Pierce Morgan’s new book, Woke Is Dead.

Yes, the same Pierce Morgan with whom Ronaldo once gave «the most revealing interview of his life,» an interview that later triggered controversy during his Manchester United career and preceded his move to Saudi Arabia. Now, both figures are back in the spotlight.

Morgan’s book attacks woke culture, cancel culture and what he calls «toxic virtue.» In Woke Is Dead, he argues that the era of extreme political correctness is over: «The world has finally woken up.» With his usual boldness, Morgan...

Saudi Arabia has slowed its ambitious $2 trln Vision 2030 strategy, citing lower oil prices and overspending. The plan, launched in 2016, aims to diversify the economy away from oil towards tourism, technology and entertainment.

Gigaprojects Hit by Financial Reality

Riyadh invested hundreds of billions into mega-developments, including The Line, a proposed 110-mile-long futuristic city. Vision 2030 assumed oil would remain above $100 a barrel, but prices are currently around $60, creating financial strain.

Jerry Inzerillo, an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, described the adjustments as a “course correction,” noting the kingdom must now spend more...

Bianca Censori has returned to Australia, arriving in Melbourne just ahead of the Melbourne Cup.

The 30-year-old, wife of rapper Kanye West, landed at Melbourne Airport on October 4 morning after a long flight from Los Angeles. She confirmed her ongoing relationship with West by wearing her wedding ring, although he was not with her.

Censori caught attention in a striking outfit: a tight grey top over high-waisted underpants, reflective gold stockings, silver stilettos, a cropped fur jacket, and a black Hermès Birkin bag. She partially shielded her face with a khaki baker-boy cap while navigating the arrivals terminal...

Sydney Sweeney has faced strong criticism online for her German accent in the new film Eden, with some viewers describing it as «terrible» and even «AI-generated.»

The true-life thriller, released in August, follows a group of disillusioned Europeans who move to an uninhabited island in the Galapagos, only to discover that the greatest danger comes from each other.

Role of Margret Wittmer

Sweeney, 28, plays Margret Wittmer, a real German woman who settled on the island in the 1930s with her husband and later chronicled her life in the 1959 book Floreana: A Woman’s Pilgrimage to the Galápagos.

Starbucks announced on November 3 that it will sell control of its China business to investment firm Boyu Capital in a deal valued at $4 bn, marking one of the largest divestments by a global consumer brand in China in recent years.

Boyu to Take 60% Stake in Joint Venture

Under the agreement, Starbucks and Boyu Capital will form a joint venture in which Boyu will hold up to 60% of Starbucks’ retail operations in China. Starbucks will keep a 40% stake and continue to own and license its brand and intellectual property to the new entity, the companies...

A rare update has emerged on Michael Schumacher’s health, with a Formula One insider hinting at signs of improvement more than a decade after the racing icon’s near-fatal skiing accident.

French motorsport journalist Stéfan L’Hermitt of L’Équipe said there were «good signs» surrounding Schumacher’s condition, suggesting possible progress over the past year.

Speaking to Le Grand Récit, L’Hermitt said:

«I would say he’s not doing well, but he might be getting better because fundamentally we don’t know anything.»

He noted that Schumacher’s signature appeared on a helmet for a charity event earlier this year...

From January 2026, Uzbekistan will introduce a 30-day visa-free regime for citizens of the United States, according to a presidential decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, state news agency UzA reports.

The measure is aimed at strengthening trade, cultural, humanitarian, and tourism ties between Uzbekistan and the US.

Since 2021, US citizens aged 55 and over have already been able to visit Uzbekistan visa-free for 30 days for tourism purposes. The new policy extends that privilege to all American visitors, marking another step in the country’s efforts to encourage international travel and investment.

According to the National Statistics...

Former EastEnders star and current Celebrity Big Brother contestant Patsy Palmer has spoken openly about her past struggles with addiction, admitting she once smoked cannabis before doing the school run.

Palmer, 52, who recently returned to EastEnders as Bianca Jackson for the soap’s 40th anniversary, reflected on her previous dependence on drugs and alcohol in her autobiography. She revealed she used to chain-smoke strong cannabis, describing moments where she felt «edgy» and «paranoid» while trying to maintain daily routines with her children.

The actress recalled hitting a low point when she skipped professional commitments to stay home watching daytime...

The Bank of England could lower interest rates to 3.75% next week, marking the first move below 4% since January 2023, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs.

The Monetary Policy Committee kept the base rate at 4% last month, but the investment bank now predicts a narrow 5–4 vote in favour of a cut on Thursday — which would be the sixth reduction in just over a year.

Goldman said inflation has cooled faster than expected, citing an unexpected fall in food prices despite headline CPI holding at 3.8%. However, it warned that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s 26 November budget...

The 29-metre Torre dei Conti, a medieval landmark near the Colosseum, partially collapsed on Monday during renovation works, leaving one person seriously injured and two others with minor injuries, according to Italian media and emergency services. Three workers operating on scaffolding were trapped but were rescued by firefighters using a ladder truck.

The national fire service said crews deployed multiple teams and specialist units, adding that firefighters were unharmed amid a reported second collapse. Videos posted on social media showed large dust clouds billowing from the structure.

The tower had been under restoration funded through Italy’s National Recovery and...

Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan is among the countries currently conducting nuclear weapons tests, as he defended his administration’s decision to resume American nuclear trials for the first time since 1992.

In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, Trump reiterated that the United States must restart testing to keep pace with global rivals. He argued that Russia and China were already advancing their nuclear programs and «making them rapidly».

Last week, Trump said he had directed the US Department of Defense to begin nuclear testing «on an equal basis» with China and Russia, asserting both...

India’s long wait for a global women’s cricket title ended in style on Sunday in Navi Mumbai, as Harmanpreet Kaur’s team beat South Africa by 52 runs to win the 2025 ODI World Cup. The victory capped a dramatic campaign that saw India finish fourth in the league stage before knocking out defending champions Australia in the semi-finals and dominating the final.

Speaking after the win, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the focus now is on building sustained excellence.

«This is the start — we wanted to break the barrier and now our next plan is...

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized El Fasher last week, and rights groups, researchers and the World Health Organization say mass killings and widespread atrocities followed the city’s capture. Satellite imagery and on-the-ground videos analysed by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab show large-scale killings and bodies in public spaces.

The WHO condemned the reported killing of hundreds of patients and their relatives at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher, saying more than 460 people were killed and health workers abducted on 28 October.

Eyewitness videos and media reporting describe summary executions, house-to-house raids and...