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Russia has introduced its first pharmacies specifically adapted for Chinese customers in the Far East, with three facilities in the Amur region receiving the China Friendly certification as Moscow seeks to accommodate growing cross-border traffic.

The pharmacies, located in the region bordering China, have added Chinese-language signs, translated information materials and Chinese versions of drug categories. Staff can also use specialised software to translate between Chinese and Russian at the counter, according to Russia’s quality watchdog Roskachestvo.

Three pharmacies received the certification: Social Pharmacy and two branches operated by Tvoyaapteka.rf. Roskachestvo said the designation is intended to ensure that...

A passenger jet operated by Kazakhstan’s low-cost carrier FlyArystan caught fire during scheduled maintenance at Almaty International Airport on 28 August, injuring one ground staff member.

Air Astana Group, FlyArystan’s mother company, confirmed the incident, describing it as a workplace accident involving a «localised blaze.»

«During the [maintenance] works, a localised fire broke out and was promptly extinguished by the airport’s emergency services,» the company said.

The injured employee in question received medical attention and was later released from hospital, according to another statement quoted by Kazinform. Footage of the incident emerged on social...

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, stated that the escalation of armed conflicts and political confrontations around the world, which are now spilling over into neighbouring regions, causes serious concern. This reality necessitates that citizens value peace in their country, unite even more, and live harmoniously.

“Our path is that of peace, friendship and cooperation. Uzbekistan will never deviate from this path,” the president said.

Mirziyoyev made these remarks on Friday at the Shohidlar Xotirasi memorial complex (‘Memory of Martyrs’ in English) ahead of Uzbekistan’s 35th Independence Day. The gathering brought together government officials, senior clergy...

Over the course of eleven years, adults in the United States consistently linked heavier social media use to self-reported depression (SRD), with a statistically significant shift occurring at 150 minutes per day. 

Researchers examined 11 annual surveys conducted between 2014 and 2024, covering about 183,000 adults aged 18 to 70. Unlike studies focused on teenagers or total screen time, the paper published in Mental Health Research looked specifically at social media use.

In the researchers’ model, social media use began to push predictions of depression at around 150 minutes a day. The pattern appeared in...

For decades, researchers have identified hundreds of genes associated with autism spectrum disorder. However, a fundamental question has lingered: how do these genetic changes actually alter brain development?

A landmark study published in the journal Science has finally provided answers, mapping the complex protein interactions that drive the condition. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have created the largest molecular map of autism to date.

Their findings suggest that while the genetic causes of autism are incredibly diverse, they often converge to disrupt the exact same biological machinery.

By looking past the genes themselves and focusing...

Two men broke into a display case at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and stole a diamond necklace believed to have belonged to an Egyptian queen. The Van Cleef & Arpels jewel was sold for $4.3m at auction in 2015, but police have not revealed what it is worth now, German media reported.

The men entered the museum, known as the MAK, during opening hours at about 2pm on 27 August. They broke the glass case, took the necklace and fled before officers could catch them, according to Vienna police. 

The theft occurred during Glanzstücke, an...

Nepal‘s death toll from a devastating flash flood has risen to 469 as rescuers search through debris for nearly 1,000 people still missing and authorities warn that newly formed lakes could trigger another wave of flooding.

The disaster struck on August 26, when a mass of ice, mud and rock surged into rivers in northern Nepal near the border with China. The resulting flood swept away roads, bridges, buildings and vehicles, leaving communities cut off and forcing emergency crews to work in difficult mountainous terrain.

Nepalese authorities said that by Friday, they had confirmed 469 deaths, while hundreds...

King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89 after being hospitalised with a rare blood condition. The royal palace confirmed the monarch died peacefully on Friday at Oslo University Hospital with his family by his side.

Europe’s oldest head of state had been receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia over the past week. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, had stepped in as regent during his father’s medical leave and now assumes the throne.

Harald ruled the Scandinavian nation for 35 years. He ascended to the throne in 1991 following the death of his father, King...

Narendra Modi is arriving in Uzbekistan this Saturday, with critical minerals emerging so far as the most consequential item on a crowded two-day agenda. Kursiv Uzbekistan examines other potential deliverables that may shape the Indian PM’s visit. 

Modi will hold delegation-level talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his state visit on August 29-30, which will be his fourth visit to Uzbekistan. The official programme, announced by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), includes trade and investment, defence, digital links, energy, education and people-to-people relations. 

The pre-visit briefing also identified critical minerals, healthcare, space and technology as areas for...

The US government has issued a mandate tightening the rules for international student internships, warning that noncompliant universities could lose their ability to enrol foreign scholars.

An August 24 federal memo from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program noted a rise in Curricular Practical Training authorisations that allegedly violate regulations. The agency, part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stressed that CPT is only permissible when it serves as an integral part of an established curriculum.

Failure to follow the directive could result in institutions losing their certification to host international students. The Department of Homeland Security stated that...

South Korean police are examining the work records of an officer accused of mishandling missing-person cases on Jeju Island, as the scandal widens and authorities move to strengthen procedures for finding missing people.

The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said Friday it was reviewing a night-shift report prepared by the officer in May, when a woman in her 30s was reported missing. Investigators suspect the report omitted key information and that the case was not passed to senior officers as required.

Police normally escalate missing-person reports involving women because of the possibility that they could be linked to a...

Venezuela is considering leaving OPEC, the oil cartel it helped create 66 years ago, as Caracas deepens its energy ties with Washington, Bloomberg reports. The idea has been discussed with US officials, but no final decision has been taken.

A withdrawal would sever one of OPEC’s most historic bonds and wipe out a country with the world’s largest proven crude reserves. Its short-term impact on oil supply may be limited, but the political blow to an already weakened cartel could be far more difficult to contain.

Venezuela is closely examining an exit, according to people familiar with the private...

Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić has died aged 84 while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes, Serbian media report. The UN tribunal had not publicly confirmed his death at the time of publication.

According to Informer TV, Mladić died on Thursday at the UN detention unit in The Hague. Reuters carried the report, but Serbia’s NIN magazine said the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals had yet to release an official statement.

His family and lawyers had repeatedly sought his early release on humanitarian grounds, as he had been in poor...

Months before Jason Arday’s death, professors at Ghent University in Belgium warned that Nathan Cofnas was not intellectually capable of accusing the late Cambridge professor of plagiarism.

The warning appeared in a 19-page statement approved by Ghent University’s philosophy department in May and reported by The Guardian on Thursday. It questioned Cofnas’s qualifications, his appointment and what academics described as his «far-right agenda».

The disclosure does not settle the allegations made against Arday. He denied plagiarism but acknowledged mistakes in his doctoral work. However, it redirects scrutiny towards the credentials and institutional authority of the...

The Alpine Formula 1 team has finalised its 2027 driver roster by retaining Franco Colapinto for a second full-time campaign. The Argentinian driver will continue his partnership with Pierre Gasly.

Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore initially delayed the decision in May, waiting to see if a top-tier driver such as Max Verstappen might become available. Following Verstappen’s recent contract extension with Red Bull ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, the Enstone-based squad moved rapidly to secure Colapinto’s seat for a second full-time campaign.

«I am very pleased to remain with this team in...

Foreigners can buy apartments and houses in Uzbekistan, but the rules vary by nationality, residence status and property value. Kursiv Uzbekistan explains who can buy, how renting works and what buyers and tenants should check before signing paperwork. 

Disclaimer: Kursiv Uzbekistan verified the legislation and procedures as of August 2026. This article provides general information and is not a substitute for legal, tax or immigration advice on an individual transaction.

Can foreigners buy property in Uzbekistan?

How...

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has stated that a historical lack of political will previously forced the entire population into cotton slavery. Speaking at the launch of new projects ahead of Independence Day, he highlighted how the country was once consumed entirely by the relentless cycle of ploughing and harvesting the crop.

“But everyone has already forgotten about that slavery. Due to a lack of political will, we were indeed all slaves to cotton. We spent 24 hours a day, 12 months a year, ploughing, topping, defoliating, and harvesting. We did nothing else,” said the president.

Norway’s royal family has gathered at an Oslo hospital after the palace said the health of King Harald V had become «very serious.» Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon cancelled their engagements as the 89-year-old monarch continued treatment for a bacterial infection in his blood.

The Norwegian royal court announced the monarch’s deterioration on Thursday in a stark, one-sentence statement. It gave no prognosis or further details about the King’s treatment.

«His Majesty the King’s health condition is very serious. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Regent and Her Majesty the Queen are cancelling all...

Toho and Gkids have unveiled a new behind-the-scenes clip for “Godzilla Minus Zero,” the highly anticipated sequel to Yamazaki Takashi’s Oscar-winning “Godzilla Minus One.”

The footage arrives ahead of the film’s worldwide rollout. It will make its global debut as a Spotlight Gala selection at the 64th New York Film Festival on September 26. A Japanese theatrical release follows on November 3 before it hits North American cinemas on November 6.

Set in 1949, the sequel rejoins the Shikishima family two years after the devastating events of the first film. Just as a fragile peace begins to settle over a...

Food insecurity in Uzbekistan is on track to vanish within the next decade. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Global Food Assessment 2026-36, the proportion of the population unable to access adequate nutrition will drop to 0% by 2036.

This positive trajectory comes despite projected demographic expansion. Analysts expect the national population to swell from 37.5mn to 41.5mn over the same period. Rising incomes will outpace this growth, with real gross domestic product per capita forecast to climb from $3,081 in 2026 to $4,796 a decade later. This represents an average annual growth rate of 4.5%.

Uzbekistan...

BTS member Jin has demonstrated his commercial pull in luxury fashion after the black Gucci leather jacket featured in his latest campaign for the Italian house sold out across Europe in less than 24 hours.

The jacket, priced at $9,900 in the United States, was unavailable in all sizes across several European markets, including Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, shortly after the campaign was released. Only two of the nine available sizes remained in stock in South Korea and the United States, according to reports on August 27.

Read more: BTS singer...

Samsung is reportedly expanding its upcoming flagship smartphone lineup to include four devices in the first quarter of next year. Recent leaks suggest the tech giant will launch the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27+, Galaxy S27 Pro and the top-tier Galaxy S27 Ultra simultaneously.

While the official launch is still months away, early computer-aided design renders and industry rumours have provided a clear view of the next generation. The upcoming lineup appears to balance familiar form factors with substantial internal upgrades, targeting battery life, processing power and photography.

Ultra model embraces a camera plateau

The Galaxy S27 Ultra...

Kazakhstan Railways is taking its popular women-only carriage scheme across an international border for the first time. Starting October, women taking the daily overnight train between Almaty and Tashkent will soon be able to book a coach reserved for and staffed entirely by female attendants.

The railways operator will add one designated coach to the daily Almaty–Tashkent service, according to Rail News Kazakhstan. It will be part of the existing train, rather than a separate service or premium class.

Only women will be given tickets for the dedicated coach, and all attendants will also be women. The model keeps...

The trial of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been scheduled for June 2028, nearly 27 years after the attacks and less than two years after the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

A military judge at Guantanamo Bay ruled Wednesday that proceedings against Mohammed and three alleged co-conspirators will begin on 5 June 2028. The decision comes as the United States prepares to mark 25 years since the attacks next month.

The ruling extends a legal saga that has lasted more than two decades, with questions over evidence, interrogation methods and the handling of plea negotiations repeatedly delaying...