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Telegram founder Pavel Durov opened his speech at the Digital Bridge forum in Astana with a playful remark about finding a wife in Kazakhstan, before turning to a major announcement on artificial intelligence.

«Many successful people told me they came to Kazakhstan to find a wife,» he said. «Well, regrettably, I haven’t come here today to find myself a wife. At least, it’s not the primary purpose of it. I came here to talk about AI.»

After the joke, Durov described artificial intelligence as a disruptive force that will reshape every sector. He praised Kazakhstan...

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has once again travelled to Kazakhstan, where he met students at IQanat school in Astana before his appearance at the Digital Bridge forum.

The school confirmed his visit, saying Durov toured the campus, observed student life and spent several hours speaking with pupils in an informal setting.

«For 500 children from rural areas it was a true celebration, better than a birthday. A year ago Pavel joined the board of trustees and contributed more than $350,000 to support the education of 12 students from Kazakh villages,» IQanat said in a statement.

Uzbekistan and the United States have reached agreements on energy projects worth between $3 and $4 bn, Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov said in an interview with O’zbekiston 24.

He explained that American company Air Products had confirmed its readiness to expand investments in Uzbekistan and diversify its operations in the country.

The Ministry of Energy has signed major deals to replace gas-powered equipment with electric motors in the national gas transport system, including at compressor and booster stations. The US Export-Import Bank has expressed strong interest in financing these initiatives, the minister added.

In the drilling sector, the ministry signed...

Afghans have poured into the streets to celebrate the return of internet and telecom services after the Taliban abruptly cut them off for two days, drawing sharp criticism at home and abroad, BBC reports.

Local journalists reported that connections were resuming, while internet monitor NetBlocks confirmed a «partial restoration» of access. A government source told BBC Afghan the decision came directly from the Taliban prime minister.

The blackout, which lasted 48 hours, halted businesses, disrupted flights and restricted access to emergency services. It also deepened fears that women and girls, already facing sweeping restrictions under Taliban rule since...

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, says his personal wealth comes mainly from Bitcoin, not from the messaging app.

In an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Durov said he bought thousands of Bitcoin in 2013 when the price was around $700. He invested «a couple of million» and held on even when the price later crashed to below $200.

«I believe in this thing. Nobody can confiscate your Bitcoin, nobody can censor you,» Durov said. He added that the investment has allowed him to «stay afloat» and pay for his lifestyle, including private flights...

Actress Emma Watson has said she still loves and «treasures» Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, even though they disagree on trans rights.

Speaking on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Watson said her personal memories with Rowling remain important to her.

«I will never believe that one negates the other,» she said. «My experience of that person I get to keep and cherish.»

Watson has often voiced support for trans rights. Rowling’s views on the subject have led to strong criticism and calls to boycott Harry Potter media.

The actress also spoke about her...

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has been named as a potential candidate for the vacant head coach role at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, according to reports from Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah.

The Jeddah-based club dismissed Laurent Blanc earlier this week and is now targeting a high-profile appointment. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is believed to be their top priority, though Emery has also been shortlisted alongside Xavi Hernández, Luciano Spalletti, and Sérgio Conceição.

Emery’s stock has risen sharply since taking charge at Villa, leading the club back into European competition and establishing them as a strong Premier League contender...

Karolina Krzyzak, a 27-year-old former Leeds University student from Poland, was found dead in her hotel room in Bali after years of adhering to an extreme «fruitarian» diet.

Krzyzak, who once weighed as little as 3.5 stone (22 kilograms), had consumed only raw fruit since the age of 19. Friends and family said she became increasingly obsessed with «clean eating» and body image, despite suffering severe health consequences including osteoporosis, nutrient deficiencies, and visible physical decline.

Found Dead in Resort Room

Krzyzak checked into the Sumberkima Hill resort in northern Bali in December 2024. Staff described her as...

Actress Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from country singer Keith Urban after nearly two decades of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

Court papers submitted in Tennessee confirm the couple have agreed on custody arrangements for their two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14. Kidman will be the primary carer, with Urban having custody for 59 days a year. No spousal or childcare support will be paid, as both earn more than $100K a month.

Attention has also turned to the pair’s prenuptial agreement, which included a clause reportedly entitling Urban to $600K per year of marriage if...

Artificial superintelligence (ASI) may arrive by 2030 but will likely only surpass humans in specific areas, according to Zhang Peng, CEO of Chinese startup Zhipu AI.

Speaking at the launch of the company’s latest large language model, GLM-4.6, Zhang said the timeline for ASI remained unclear.

«Achieving or exceeding human intelligence levels by 2030 might mean surpassing humans in one or several aspects, but likely still falling far short in many areas,» he noted.

The debate over when ASI will outpace humans has intensified. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggested it could happen before...

Apple may host another product event in October, with several updates to its hardware lineup expected before the end of the year.

The company has a mixed history with October launches. In 2021 and 2023, Apple held live events to introduce new MacBook Pro models, the iMac and AirPods. In 2022 and 2024, however, it relied on press releases and short videos to announce updated iPads, Apple TV and Mac models.

This year, analysts believe Apple could return to the event format. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that new iPad Pro models with the M5 chip are planned for...

World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro could take charge of Uzbekistan’s national team, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The former Italy captain is reportedly in discussions to replace Timur Kapadze, who led Uzbekistan to their first-ever World Cup qualification earlier this year.

Cannavaro, 51, has managed six clubs and one national side since retiring, including stints with Guangzhou Evergrande, Dinamo Zagreb, and the Chinese national team. His most successful spell came in China, where he won the Super League and FA Super Cup.

Kapadze, currently in his third term as Uzbekistan coach, guided the team to a historic second-place...

Nepal has named a new Kumari, or living goddess. Two-year-old Aryatara Shakya was carried from her family home to a temple palace in Kathmandu on Tuesday, where she was installed during Dashain, the country’s most important Hindu festival.

At just two years and eight months old, Aryatara replaces 11-year-old Trishna Shakya, who served as Kumari since 2017 and stepped down upon reaching puberty.

The living goddess tradition, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, requires girls aged two to four to meet strict criteria, including flawless features and fearlessness. During major festivals, the Kumari is paraded on a chariot, blessing...

Turkish manufacturer Anadolu Isuzu is set to purchase the state’s majority stake in the Samarkand automobile plant (SamAuto), following approval from Uzbekistan’s Agency for State Asset Management.

The investor has offered $80 mln for a 75.2% share in the company and committed to injecting a further $80 mln in development. The agreement builds on a memorandum signed in June 2024 between Anadolu Isuzu and the Uzbek authorities.

The deal is supported by SamAuto’s other joint venture partners, Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation and ISUZU Motors Ltd, who have backed the sale of their stakes to the Turkish firm.

The planned investment...

Uzbekistan is approaching near-universal internet access, with 94.2% of the population connected as of early September, according to the national statistics agency. The growth has been rapid: in 2021, just 76.6% of residents were online, rising to 83.9% in 2022, 89% in 2023 and 93.3% in 2024. In only four years, the share of internet users has expanded by almost 18 percentage points.

Telecommunication services are also on track for record figures. By the end of 2025, the value of services in this sector is expected to reach 24.1 trln soums, representing an annual increase of 12.5%.

Low-Cost...

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has been announced as the headline act for the 2026 Super Bowl half-time show, set to take place on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, northern California.

The NFL confirmed the news on Sunday alongside partners Apple Music and Roc Nation. The Grammy-winning artist follows Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking 2025 performance, which drew over 146 mln viewers.

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is enjoying one of the strongest years of his career. Earlier this month, he completed a landmark residency in Puerto Rico that attracted more than half a million fans...

Central Asia’s economies have continued to post robust growth through 2025, supported by domestic demand, infrastructure investment, and rising commodity exports, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) released in September. While all five Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — are benefitting from expansionary policies and resilient remittance inflows, risks tied to inflation and global trade tensions remain significant.

Uzbekistan: Strong Expansion Anchored in Gold Exports

Uzbekistan recorded 7.2% economic growth in the first half of 2025, driven by buoyant consumption, steady investment, and surging gold exports. From January to July, exports...

Afghanistan has been plunged into a complete internet blackout after the Taliban government imposed a nationwide shutdown of telecommunications, weeks after beginning to cut fibre-optic connections, BBC reports.

Internet watchdog Netblocks confirmed the country was experiencing a «total internet blackout», with mobile internet and satellite TV also severely disrupted. International news outlets reported losing contact with their Kabul bureaus, while Tolo News urged viewers to rely on its social media accounts as television and radio signals were expected to face interruptions.

The Taliban have not issued an official explanation but a government official said the restrictions would remain in...

Three years after the Kanjuruhan stadium tragedy that killed 135 fans, Indonesian football is on the brink of its biggest breakthrough in decades. Team Garuda has reached the final round of Asian World Cup qualifiers, just two matches away from securing a place at the 2026 finals in North America.

Indonesia will face Saudi Arabia on October 8 and Iraq on October 14 in a playoff staged in Jeddah, with the group winner earning direct qualification. Victories over China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in earlier rounds, along with a draw against Australia, have already marked historic progress.

Much of...

On September 23–24, 2025, Tashkent hosted a regional workshop on the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) for Central Asia and Mongolia. The event was organised by the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the BWC within the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in cooperation with the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan.

The workshop aimed to expand understanding of the Convention and provide updates on the work of the Working Group on Strengthening the BWC. Participants were also briefed on regional biosecurity projects that support implementation, as well...

Lewis Hamilton has announced the passing of his dog Roscoe, who passed away after being treated for pneumonia.

Roscoe was admitted to hospital last week and placed in a coma. Hamilton, who missed a Pirelli tyre test to remain by his side, revealed that his pet died in his arms on Sunday evening. The loss comes five years after the passing of his other dog, Coco.

In an emotional message posted on Monday, Hamilton said:

«After four days on life support, fighting with every bit of strength he had, I had to make the hardest...

An American Instagram blogger known as @camperghini, who is travelling the world in a Lamborghini Urus with his wife, was fined in Uzbekistan after overstaying his car’s permit.

The traveller, who began his journey in Los Angeles before driving across the United States, shipping his car to Germany and continuing through Europe, Belarus, Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, had been exploring Uzbekistan when his visa expired. He attempted to leave the country through the border crossing on his way to Tajikistan, but was stopped because the vehicle’s permit had also lapsed.

According to his own account, border officers informed him that...

American singer Jason Derulo staged a scene at his St Petersburg concert on September 28 that closely mirrored Egor Kreed’s well-known stage act. Performing at the SKA Arena, Derulo lounged on a sofa while a dancer gave a provocative routine to Kreed’s track Malo, tak malo. At the climax, she leaned in for a kiss but he pointedly refused, echoing Kreed’s signature move.

According to Fontanka, Derulo’s set included several local pop-culture references. A day earlier in Moscow, he had walked on stage to Tatiana Kurtukova’s viral hit Matushka, and in St Petersburg he cemented his «Russian programme» by...

The company showcased its latest digital solutions, emphasized its strategic role in the development of Uzbekistan’s telecom infrastructure, and received international awards for network quality, reaffirming its market leadership and contribution to the country’s digital transformation.

From September 23 to 26, the Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan (CAEx) in Tashkent became a platform for dialogue on the future of digital transformation and economic growth, as well as a venue for presenting cutting-edge solutions that shape the ecosystem of «Digital Uzbekistan.» ICT Week 2025 is the country’s flagship event in the information technology sector, annually uniting entrepreneurs, investors, IT industry leaders, and...