News

China may face difficulties mounting a military campaign against Taiwan as President Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge of senior officials continues to reshape the country’s armed forces, analysts say.

A new report from the China Power Project found that around 101 senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers have disappeared from public view since 2022, part of a broader anti-corruption drive that has intensified in recent years. The removals have included high-ranking figures reportedly close to Xi, raising questions about the military’s readiness.

Bonny Lin, director of the Washington-based research initiative, said the scale of the purge could undermine China’s near-term operational...

The United Kingdom will host the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for a historic summit in London on February 26, 2026, according to the press release shared with Kursiv Uzbekistan.

This gathering, hosted by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, marks the first time since these nations gained independence in 1991 that such a joint meeting has taken place in this format.

The summit represents a strategic pivot for the UK as it seeks to deepen ties with the rapidly growing economies of Central Asia. The British government aims to bolster regional resilience and economic growth through...

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has cemented its reputation as a record-breaking supercar, setting the fastest lap ever at Car and Driver’s annual Lightning Lap 2026, GM reports.

At Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course, the ZR1 clocked a 2:34.2, outpacing a field of elite production cars. This run extended the Corvette’s dominance at VIR, where driver Aaron Link had already set the Grand Course production-car record last year. The ZR1 also holds production-car lap records at Watkins Glen’s Long Course, Road America, and Road Atlanta, and previously posted a 1:47.7 on VIR’s Full Course.

Link...

Sony Pictures is preparing to relaunch its live-action Spider-Man universe with a new reboot and a fresh cast, the studio’s chief executive Tom Rothman has confirmed.

Speaking on Matthew Belloni’s The Town podcast, Rothman dismissed suggestions that Sony’s broader Spider-Man universe was finished. When asked whether the studio would return to those characters, he replied «Yes,» and confirmed the next iteration would be a full reset featuring new faces.

Rothman suggested that scaling back output could help revive interest. «Scarcity has value,» he said, arguing that audiences need time away from characters before enthusiasm can return.

Sony has controlled...

South Korean authorities have reportedly obtained intelligence indicating that the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, previously believed to be named Kim Ju-ae, is in fact called Kim Ju-hae.

According to senior government sources, intelligence agencies are also assessing reports that she has been assigned the role of «missile general director» within North Korea. Officials are closely watching developments at the ongoing 9th Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang.

Kim Jong-un has frequently appeared with his daughter at nuclear and missile test sites. Intelligence assessments suggest he may have positioned her in a senior role linked to missile oversight...

Russian historian and Korea specialist Andrei Lankov was detained in Riga on Tuesday and expelled from Latvia.

Lankov had travelled to the Latvian capital to deliver a public lecture titled «North Korea: What the Elite Wants and Fears.» However, the event never took place as municipal police officers arrived and escorted him to the immigration service.

It later emerged that Latvia’s Foreign Ministry had declared Lankov persona non grata on February 20, though the reasons for the travel ban have not been disclosed.

In a statement on his Telegram channel, Lankov said he was taken to the...

Finnish delivery service Wolt has announced it will cease operations in Uzbekistan from March 5, 2026.

Wolt launched in Uzbekistan in October 2024 through its local entity Wolt Texnologiyalari, owned by Wolt Enterprises Oy. The service initially operated in Tashkent and expanded to Samarkand a year later. By June 2025, it featured around 1,400 restaurants and over 200 shops in the capital.

The platform allows users to order food and goods online from restaurants and stores for home delivery or pickup via its mobile app or website. Wolt operates in multiple European and Central Asian countries, having entered Kazakhstan...

Insomniac’s highly anticipated Marvel Wolverine game now has an official release date: September 15, 2026 for PS5.

The studio, known for its successful Spider-Man games on PlayStation and PC, continues its collaboration with Sony and Marvel with this new title. Wolverine launches a few months ahead of GTA 6, due November 19, 2026, and the next Call of Duty game, expected later in the year.

The game follows Wolverine as he hunts for answers about his past, using vicious claw attacks, intense rage, and unyielding determination to uncover the mystery of the man he once was.

Wolverine’s last solo...

Katherine Short, the eldest daughter of actor and comedian Martin Short, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 42.

Law enforcement sources told U.S. media she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police were called to her home in the Hollywood Hills shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday.

In a statement, a representative for Martin Short said the family was grieving.

«It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,» the statement read. «The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time...

The United States has imposed sanctions on Uzbek citizen Azizjon Mamashoev, accusing him of acquiring and distributing cyber tools that posed a threat to U.S. national security.

The U.S. Treasury Department also added Mamashoev’s company, Advance Security Solutions, based in the United Arab Emirates, to its sanctions list. According to the department, the firm paid for exploits, or software vulnerabilities, in American programmes.

Washington alleges that Mamashoev worked alongside Russian national Oleg Kucherov in cooperation with the Russia-based company Operation Zero, which specialises in purchasing vulnerabilities in various software systems.

U.S. authorities claim Kucherov is linked to the hacking...

Ed Skrein joined the cast of Amazon Prime Video’s live-action adaptation of God of War, taking on the role of Baldur. The series is in pre-production in Vancouver and has already been commissioned for two seasons.

Skrein will appear alongside Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus. Other cast members include Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn as Brok, Jeff Gulka as Sindri and Teresa Palmer as Sif.

The drama will follow the storyline of the two most recent God of War...

Authorities in Fergana have opened a criminal investigation after children at three state kindergartens were hospitalised with suspected food poisoning, the city police department said.

On February 21, officials received reports that pupils at state preschool institutions No. 58, 2 and 61 had fallen ill. The children showed symptoms including fever, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. All were taken to the Fergana Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital, where they are receiving treatment. Doctors said their condition is under control.

The Fergana regional prosecutor’s office, regional police and other relevant agencies are investigating the incident. A criminal case has been launched under...

Uzbekistan has taken a step toward bringing flying cars to Central Asia after AIR Tashkent signed a memorandum of understanding with US aviation firm Samson Sky to introduce the Switchblade flying car to the country.

The agreement was announced during the opening of AIR Tashkent’s Easy to Fly Academy, a new training centre aimed at developing aviation professionals. Under the deal, the parties will explore the sale of at least 300 Switchblade vehicles in Uzbekistan, with a potential value exceeding $60 mln.

AIR Tashkent plans to make a bulk purchase of the hybrid road-air vehicles for pilot training and potential...

Fresh scrutiny of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has intensified after a royal biographer claimed the disgraced royal’s downfall was the culmination of years of overlooked concerns about his conduct and lifestyle.

Author Andrew Lownie, whose recent biography examines the Duke of York’s rise and fall, argues that the controversies now engulfing Andrew were long foreshadowed by warnings from officials, diplomats and insiders. According to Lownie, concerns about behaviour, finances and associations were repeatedly raised but failed to trigger meaningful accountability.

“We’ve been paying for happy endings for Andrew for years,” – said biographer.

The biographer portrays Andrew as having led...

Global markets are bracing for renewed volatility as U.S. President Donald Trump steps up rhetoric on trade after the Supreme Court struck down his emergency tariff powers, raising uncertainty over existing agreements with key partners.

The ruling dealt a significant blow to Trump’s trade agenda, prompting warnings from the president that foreign governments should not «play games» by revisiting deals negotiated under the now-invalid tariffs. The issue is expected to dominate his upcoming State of the Union address, where he may also criticise the court’s decision.

The legal setback has left U.S. allies seeking clarity. Japan is reportedly...

Fresh scrutiny over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s position in the royal family has reignited debate about the future roles of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as pressure mounts over whether he could be removed from the line of succession.

Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties following longstanding controversies, is reportedly facing renewed calls to be formally excluded from the order of succession. While any such move would be unprecedented in modern times, the discussion has intensified amid ongoing political and public scrutiny.

The Duke of York is currently eighth in line to the throne. Any change to...

Wellness author Deepak Chopra has denied any criminal wrongdoing after newly released U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein reignited scrutiny over past email exchanges attributed to the pair.

The DOJ said it published roughly 3.5 mln pages of material under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, describing the move as part of a broader transparency effort. The disclosure has triggered renewed reporting and online analysis, with public figures mentioned in the documents facing heightened attention.

Some of the most widely circulated material involves emails allegedly exchanged between Epstein and Chopra in 2016 and 2017. The...

Jeffrey Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, has claimed that a forthcoming report will argue the disgraced financier was murdered, contradicting the official ruling that his death was a suicide.

Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored, Mark Epstein said he now believes «even more so» that his brother did not take his own life. He said a group of pathologists are reviewing the autopsy findings and preparing a peer-reviewed report that will be released soon.

«They are concluding… it couldn’t have been a suicide as they had claimed,» he said, adding the findings would «conclusively show it...

TBC Bank Group has outlined ambitious expansion plans for its Uzbekistan business after hosting its first Strategy Day for investors in New York, highlighting the country’s growing appeal to global capital, said in the press realise.

The event marked the first time a financial ecosystem from Uzbekistan has held a strategy presentation in the U.S. financial hub, reflecting rising international interest in Central Asia’s largest economy. Senior officials from Uzbekistan’s government attended, alongside major global investors including BlackRock, Vanguard and Fidelity.

The group presented its medium-term strategy for TBC Uzbekistan, a digital banking ecosystem that has grown rapidly in recent...

Microsoft has announced the retirement of long-time gaming chief Phil Spencer, with Xbox president Sarah Bond also stepping down. Spencer will be replaced by Asha Sharma, an executive previously involved in the company’s artificial intelligence initiatives.

The leadership change follows a difficult year for Xbox marked by layoffs, weaker sales and rising development costs. Matt Booty has been promoted to chief content officer, with Microsoft stressing there are no wider organisational changes planned for its studios.

Sharma’s appointment has divided fans, with some questioning her lack of gaming background. Others suggest her experience in AI and technology could help...

Singapore-based Bitcoin miner Bitdeer sold all of its Bitcoin holdings, Yahoo Finance reports. The move comes as falling profitability pressures the company to restructure debt and accelerate its expansion into artificial intelligence.

On February 20, Bitdeer disclosed that it held no Bitcoin in its corporate treasury, excluding customer deposits. The company said it had sold its most recent production of 189.8 Bitcoin and recorded a net reduction of 943.1 Bitcoin, signalling a significant shift in strategy amid tightening margins.

Mining Profitability Under Pressure

After a brief respite earlier this year when winter storms in the United States disrupted...

Formula 1 fans are gearing up for the return of Netflix’s hit docuseries “Drive to Survive” after the sport’s official Instagram account revealed the episode titles for season eight.

The highly anticipated new season is set to launch globally on the streaming platform this Friday, February 27. The official post ends weeks of anticipation, and while the eight episode titles are now confirmed, speculation is already mounting over the exact events each instalment will cover.

Rookies and Red Bull drama

The series will kick off with an episode titled “New Kids on the Track.” Fans expect this opener...

Boxing icons Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have agreed to face each other again in a professional rematch scheduled for September 19, at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The bout will be broadcast live on Netflix.

Mayweather, 48, confirmed last week that he would return from retirement for a fourth time. It will mark his first professional contest since his 10th-round technical knockout victory over Conor McGregor in 2017. Since then he has taken part in several exhibition bouts.

Pacquiao, 47, stepped away from boxing in 2021 to pursue a political career but returned to the ring last July...

Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and producer Michele Reiner, pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his parents at their West Los Angeles home.

During a brief hearing, Nick Reiner appeared alert but spoke minimally, only confirming he waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle scheduled the preliminary hearing within 30 days of April 29 to allow prosecutors to present evidence supporting probable cause for trial. Reiner, who has struggled with substance abuse, remains in custody without...