News

Fintech company Alif Uzbekistan is preparing to apply for a banking licence, with the necessary documents to be submitted soon to the Central Bank, the firm told Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The board of directors of UK-registered Alif Capital Holdings Limited has approved the creation of a new banking entity in Uzbekistan. The aim is to broaden financial services and provide greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises. Alif Uzbekistan also confirmed that it has already secured major investment and is actively working on launching the new bank.

Founded in Tajikistan in 2014, Alif entered the Uzbek market in 2019. Its first...

Tottenham have unveiled their 25-man squad for the 2025/26 Champions League league phase, with manager Thomas Frank leaving out six notable names.

Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Mathys Tel have all been omitted from the squad list for Spurs’ return to Europe’s top competition.

Maddison’s exclusion comes as little surprise after the England midfielder suffered a serious knee injury during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle in August, which could keep him sidelined for the entire campaign.

New summer arrival Takai is also out with a plantar fascia problem and no set recovery date, while...

Portuguese manager Paulo Bento has declined an offer to take charge of Uzbekistan’s national football team. The Football Association had put forward a contract designed to prepare the squad for its first ever World Cup appearance in 2026.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Bento rejected the approach as the terms presented by the Uzbek side did not match his expectations at this stage of his career. The 62-year-old coach has been without a club since leaving his role as head coach of the United Arab Emirates in March 2025. Under his leadership the UAE remained in...

German international Ilkay Gundogan has departed Manchester City to join Turkish champions Galatasaray, the two clubs confirmed on Tuesday, September 2. The transfer remains subject to international clearance.

The 34-year-old midfielder featured in 358 matches during two separate spells at City, scoring 65 goals and collecting 14 trophies. Among his honours was the historic treble in 2023, when he captained the side to the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles.

Gundogan first arrived in Manchester from Borussia Dortmund in 2016 before leaving for Barcelona in 2023. He returned to City for the 2024–25 season, where he recorded...

The National Statistics Committee reports that as of early August 2025 the number of active family businesses in Uzbekistan exceeded 37,800. Since the beginning of the year more than 1,500 new businesses have been established.

Trade accounts for the largest share with 15,100 enterprises, followed by industry with over 8,500 and services and catering with 7,200. The lowest numbers were recorded in transport with 339 enterprises, while construction and communications registered 299 and 244 respectively. Other sectors together account for 2,700 enterprises.

Under the family entrepreneurship programme, Uzbek women received loans totalling 1.2 trln soums ($97 mln) during...

The Centre for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) has begun adapting aspects of China’s poverty reduction model to Uzbekistan’s socio-economic context, the centre shared with Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The approach was outlined at the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network meeting in Tashkent in August 2024 and is being implemented in 2025 under a presidential decree on employment and poverty reduction.

Agricultural and Ecological Projects

Initiatives inspired by Chinese examples include agricultural cooperatives where low-income families lease land, supported by subsidies and supply chain integration. Similar schemes promote fish farming, beekeeping and livestock rearing. A project for specialised crop production on...

Uzbekistan’s Minister of Energy, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, told national broadcaster Uzbekistan 24 that the country will receive mobile substations from China. The equipment will be used to ensure stability during the repair of stationary facilities.

The minister also noted that training in renewable energy will be provided through cooperation with China Datang Corporation. In addition, Tashkent has agreed with Chinese partners on the development of pumped storage power stations and on assistance in building and commissioning power transmission lines.

Mirzamakhmudov underlined that China remains the largest investor and partner for Uzbekistan in the energy sector, contributing not only through financial resources...

Uzbekistan’s presidential aide Saida Mirziyoyeva has shared her impressions of Andrea Bocelli’s concert held in Samarkand on September 1, describing the event as a significant cultural milestone.

According to Mirziyoyeva, the performance demonstrated Samarkand’s growing reputation as a hub of international cultural exchange. The world-renowned Italian tenor was accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan.

«The event took place under the auspices of UNESCO, which highlights its special importance for global culture,» she noted in her Telegram post.

International cultural exchange in Samarkand

The concert was organised by the Art and Culture Development...

A video of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif fumbling with his translation headset during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing has circulated widely on social media.

The incident took place on September 2, when Sharif attempted to put on the earpiece but faced difficulty, prompting Putin to smile and demonstrate how to wear it correctly. Clips of the exchange quickly spread online, drawing comparisons with a similar episode in 2022.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Uzbekistan that year, Sharif had also struggled with his earphones during a bilateral meeting with Putin, leaving the Russian leader amused.

Daniela has been named champion of the 12th season of MasterChef Brazil. The lawyer overcame fellow finalist Felipe Bruzzi in the grand final, broadcast live from São Paulo on Tuesday September 2, and lifted the 2025 trophy.

To claim victory, the amateur cook had to present a full menu — starter, main course and dessert — to the programme’s panel of three judges. The final result was revealed live on Band television.

In an interview with Band, Daniela expressed her delight:

«It is wonderful. It is much more than I imagined it would be. It...

If you have ever imagined a desert meeting the horizon of the sea, Barsa Kelmes is that place. On August 30 and 31, the vast salt plains that once lay beneath the waters of the Aral Sea hosted the third international UNG – Barsa Kelmes Marathon.

Running through past and future

Dozens of participants from different countries gathered in a location that today symbolises both beauty and loss. To run across the white salt flats of Barsa Kelmes was to move through the pages of history. Each step recalled a place where life once flourished but where nature now...

On September 3, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the First Lady attended a grand military parade on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Second World War.

The event brought together leaders and representatives from more than 20 countries, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Vietnam.

The parade featured 45 units of the People’s Liberation Army of China as well as the latest defence technologies, including advanced missiles, tanks, aircraft and drones developed by China’s military industry.

Military parades of this scale have been held in Beijing since 1949. The last...

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has invested $5 bn directly into Uzbekistan, according to figures announced during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s meeting with the company’s leadership in Beijing.

Talks focused on strategic projects such as the construction of underground gas storage facilities and the modernisation of energy infrastructure across the country. One of CNPC’s major undertakings in Uzbekistan is the upgrading of the Bukhara oil refinery, a key facility in the national energy system.

CNPC is China’s largest state-owned oil and gas enterprise. Its activities cover exploration, production, refining and sales of oil and natural gas, alongside the development...

Junior middleweight contender Brian Mendoza is no stranger to overcoming size disadvantages. In 2023 he produced one of the year’s biggest shocks by knocking out Sebastian Fundora, despite being nearly eight inches shorter. The result has gained even greater significance since Fundora went on to defeat Tim Tszyu twice and claim the WBC 154-pound title, which he will defend against Keith Thurman in October.

Mendoza, who later lost to Tszyu, is now turning his attention to the upcoming contest between WBA junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) and undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs). The...

Victoria Beckham has shared family holiday photographs that appeared to underline her son Brooklyn’s absence, as the rift between him and the Beckham family continues, The Sun reports.

The fashion designer, 51, posted a series of images on Instagram showing her family enjoying a summer break aboard their £16 mln yacht. Photographs included David Beckham, 50, spending time with sons Cruz, 20, and Romeo, 23, as well as daughter Harper, 14. The images were captioned «Perfect end to summer».

Brooklyn, 26, was not present in any of the photographs, having spent the summer with his wife Nicola Peltz and...

Liverpool are set for fresh talks with Marc Guehi and Crystal Palace later this month, just weeks after a £35 mln move for the defender collapsed on deadline day.

The Reds had agreed a fee for the England international, who has just 12 months left on his Palace contract, but the deal fell through when the Eagles failed to secure a replacement in time.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner explained:

«We had an agreement that Marc could leave if we found the right replacement before the season. That didn’t happen, so we couldn’t sell him.»

Gucci has officially announced Stray Kids member Lee Know as its latest global brand ambassador, marking a new chapter for both the Italian fashion house and the K-pop star.

Since his debut in 2018, Lee Know has gained recognition not only for his stage presence and dance ability but also for a distinctive fashion sense that blends refined tailoring with experimental streetwear. Whether in minimalist elegance or layered, bold ensembles, his confident approach to style has made him a standout figure in the fashion world.

His connection with Gucci has been gradually strengthening. In 2024, he appeared at the...

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the ongoing decline of the Caspian Sea as a dire situation and called for joint action.

He proposed establishing a specialised Centre for Water Analysis in Astana under the auspices of the organisation, according to Akorda.

Water levels in the Caspian have been falling since the mid-1990s and, Tokayev stressed, the trend has now reached a critical point.

«I want to draw your attention to a very delicate but serious matter. This dire situation around the Caspian Sea is approaching an environmental...

Redland City Council in Queensland has put forward its region as a possible wedding location for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce following their recent engagement announcement.

The couple, both aged 35, confirmed the news on Instagram with a series of photographs from the proposal. Swift captioned the images, «Your English teacher and gym teacher are getting married.»

Council’s Proposal and Online Reaction

In response, the council shared a post on its official social media page, presenting images of the pair against local landmarks such as the Redlands Memorial Hall and Cleveland Point Recreation Reserve.

Supercars has announced new multi-year broadcast agreements with Foxtel and the Seven Network, ensuring extensive coverage of the Repco Supercars Championship for years to come.

Under the Foxtel deal, every round of the championship, along with the Bathurst 12 Hour, will be broadcast live, ad-free, and in ultra-high definition across Kayo Sports and Foxtel. This will total more than 350 hours of live action. Foxtel has held the rights to Supercars since 2015.

Seven will continue to air key events live on its free-to-air channels and 7plus Sport, including the Repco Bathurst 1000, the opening round, the Boost Mobile...

According the The Telegraph, man climbed the 100ft clock tower at London’s King’s Cross Station on Tuesday morning, unfurling a large flag that read:

«Iran belongs to its people» and «Freedom for Iran.»

The protester, who brought his dog with him, appeared to secure the flag by attaching it to a backpack before lowering it over the edge. Crowds gathered below as emergency services cordoned off the area. Fire crews deployed an aerial ladder platform in case they needed to intervene.

Witnesses expressed mixed reactions, with some concerned for the safety of the...

A vessel from the Ghaznavid period, previously exhibited at the Orpheus Gallery in London, is set to return to Uzbekistan, according to the Centre of Islamic Civilisation.

The organisation noted that very few such objects are preserved in the country. Vessels of this kind were once used in ceremonial rituals as well as decorative items in homes. The centre emphasised that it is working to collect and showcase Uzbekistan’s historical artefacts to the wider world.

The Ghaznavid dynasty ruled between the mid-10th century and 1186, controlling territories that now include parts of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and India.

Kursiv also...

Cholera outbreaks have been reported in 31 countries this year, with more than 400K cases and nearly 5K deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The crisis is being fuelled by conflict, poverty and climate change, leaving millions at risk.

WHO said the situation is «very high risk» and could spread further without urgent action. The worst-hit countries include Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan and the Republic of Congo.

Seven countries now have fatality rates above 1%, showing gaps in medical care and access to clean water. Cross-border migration due to trade, conflict and...

Back in 2005, BMW shocked fans with the E60 M5 — a super-saloon powered by a screaming 5.0-litre V10 engine. The S85B50 unit produced 500 horsepower, revved to 8,250 rpm, and weighed 240kg. It was inspired by BMW’s Formula 1 projects of the early 2000s.

At launch, the car divided opinion. Critics found the new iDrive system frustrating, the seven-speed gearbox clunky, and the lack of low-end torque impractical for daily use. Still, the M5 could hit 0–62mph in just 3.4 seconds and became one of the fastest sedans of its era.

Despite being dropped after one generation, the...