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The boxing bout between boxers Dmitry Bivol and Arthur Beterbiev will take place on 22 February next year in Riyadh, said the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia Turki Al al-Sheikh.

Recall that Bivol lost to Beterbiev on 13 October due to a decision made by the judges. Then, many spectators considered the victory of the champion unconvincing, and Bivol immediately started talking about a possible rematch on the team.

Analysts predict that boxers have equal chances to win. Despite the October defeat, Bivol is six years younger than his opponent. For him...

The Jogorku Kenesh Committee has approved a draft law on naming an unnamed mountain peak as UN Peak, as reported by the Kyrgyz Parliament’s press office.

The 5,500-metre-high mountain peak is located in the area of the South Inilchek glacier in Kyrgyzstan. The area of the glacier is 567 square kilometres. The ice thickness is estimated at 150-220 metres.

The parliamentary committee also approved a draft law on renaming settlements in several districts of Kyrgyzstan.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the Turkish authorities will rename Central Asia as Turkestan.

Following the parliamentary elections, Uzbekistan’s Legislative Chamber has retained the first place in Central Asia in terms of the number of female MPs, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said during a speech in the lower house of parliament.

The proportion of women increased to 38%. Fifty-seven women have received parliamentary mandates, up from 48 in the last convocation of the Parlament. Uzbekistan has thus consolidated its leadership in Central Asia in terms of gender equality in the legislature.

In Kazakhstan, women hold only 27% of seats in the lower house of parliament. In Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, 26.6% and...

The British BBC has included Uzbekistani woman Dilorom Yuldosheva in its ranking of 100 women worldwide for 2024.

The Uzbek woman lost her legs in a harvesting accident two years ago.

After the accident, she decided to learn the basics of entrepreneurship and resource management. With this knowledge, she trained 40 women in sewing.

The company she founded was awarded contracts to sew uniforms for labourers and schoolchildren.

The BBC ranking also includes American actress Sharon Stone, Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, singer Ray and others.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan retained its leadership...

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) opens an official representative office in Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Ministry of Ecology, as reported by th Environmental Protection and Climate Change.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Ecology Aziz Abdukhakimov and IUCN Director General Gretel Aguilar on the margins of the UN conference on combating desertification in Riyadh.

Opening an IUCN office in Tashkent will create new opportunities for the Union to cooperate with Central Asian countries.

IUCN works to protect nature, restore ecosystems and mitigate the effects of climate change. It maintains an international list of endangered animals and plants...

Uzbekistan will no longer host the 2025 Asian Youth Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced. The National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan informed the OCA that construction of the Olympic Village in Tashkent will not be completed in time for the Games, which were scheduled for September 2025.

As a result, Bahrain will now host the Games next year, despite Uzbekistan being the original host.

In November, Uzbekistan’s National Olympic Committee reported completing the finishing works on the Olympic Village in Tashkent. The next step was to install equipment in the sports complex.

Construction of the complex began...

The Olympic Council of Asia cancelled the Youth Asian Games, originally planned for Uzbekistan in 2025. The announcement appeared on the organisation’s official page on X (formerly Twitter).

Bahrain will now host the Games in 2024, according to the council.

Uzbekistan’s National Olympic Committee recently reported completing finishing works at Tashkent’s Olympic Village. The next step involved installing equipment in the sports complex.

The construction of the facility cost nearly $290 mn.

The number of Uzbek-Turkish enterprises has tripled over the past five years, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan (CCI) approved it during a meeting with investors from Turkey.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 300 firms with Turkish capital have opened in Uzbekistan, and the total number has grown to 1.9 thousand. By the end of 2023, Uzbekistan had absorbed $1.2 bn of Turkish investments.

The meeting with investors gathered the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Uzbek Industry and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that...

Uzbekistan has completed negotiations with the Philippines for joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), as reported by Azizbek Urunov, the President’s special representative, on his LinkedIn page.

The two sides signed the protocol in Geneva in early December. The ceremony was attended by Zhang Xiangchen, WTO Deputy Director-General.

In the past two months, Tashkent also concluded membership talks with China, El Salvador, and the United States. In early November, Tiago Klaar, the European Union’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, confirmed that Brussels would support Uzbekistan’s WTO accession.

Uzbekistan aims to complete the WTO membership process by the bloc’s summit in...

Smoking prevalence in Uzbekistan will decrease by 4.6% over the next five years. Despite this, tobacco-related mortality will continue to be a major issue, according to an international research team. Kursiv Uzbekistan has obtained the report.

In 2021, 18.8% of men and 0.5% of women in the country smoked. Projections suggest that between 2020 and 2025, the total number of smokers will fall by 4.6%.

However, smoking will still pose a significant threat to public health. It leads to deaths from conditions like oral and lung cancer, as well as heart disease. In Uzbekistan, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death.

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan reported incidents of phone scammers claiming to be its staff, the regulator’s press service announced.

Scammers also created a fake Telegram channel to steal money from the bank cards of Uzbek citizens.

The Central Bank reminded the public that it does not issue loans or provide financial services to individuals.

Officials urged citizens to protect their bank card details and avoid clicking on suspicious links.

Minister of Justice Akbar Tashkulov announced during a forum for Civil Society Week that by December 2024, Uzbekistan would have over 10,000 non-governmental non-profit organisations (NGOs).

Tashkulov stated that these organisations employ more than 70,000 people across the country.

“NGOs are actively providing social support at the local level. They serve as a vital link between citizens and the government,” he highlighted.

Civil Society Week will continue until December 6, bringing together 40,000 international organisations.

Swiss prosecutors have accused Lombard Odier Bank of money laundering with aggravating circumstances, according to the Financial Times.

The Swiss government states that the bank played a crucial role in concealing the criminal activities of Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan’s first president, over several years.

In September 2023, prosecutors charged Karimova with embezzling a large sum of money and laundering it through a Swiss organisation known as the Office.

Karimova has denied the allegations made by Swiss authorities.

The prosecutors have also charged a former Lombard Odier employee. They have been investigating the case since 2016.

Protests in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi have been ongoing for three consecutive days. During the latest protests, Kommersant reported that a fire broke out in the country’s parliament building.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday when demonstrators fired fireworks at the building. This caused a fire to break out in one of the rooms, which was later extinguished.

Additionally, a large bonfire was lit near the parliament during the demonstration.

The current wave of protests was sparked by the Georgian government’s temporary decision to suspend its bid to join the European Union.

The Syrian army has reported losing dozens of soldiers in the largest attack in recent years by the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). On the day before, the group stormed Aleppo. By Sunday morning, it became clear that HTS forces had seized control of the local airport, Reuters reported.

Troops loyal to the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, have relocated from the city. In support of the Syrian army, Russian military forces carried out strikes against HTS positions.

The United States has issued a statement saying it is closely monitoring the situation in Syria. A representative from the U.S...

On the day before, 31 Uzbek citizens were detained at Abu Dhabi Airport. They had arrived on a Wizz Air flight from Tashkent, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the UAE reported.

The embassy did not specify why the passengers were denied entry to Abu Dhabi. However, they contacted airport officials to ensure the citizens received food and, if needed, medical assistance.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) announced the host cities for the 2025–2027 World Championships. Uzbekistan will host the 2027 Senior Fencing World Championships, an important event for Olympic qualification.

FIE Secretary-Treasurer Salhi Ferial Nadira revealed the following host cities:

The 2027 Senior World Championships will be critical for athletes seeking Olympic qualification, as points earned at the championship will directly affect their rankings for the 2028 Games.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that...

FIE Secretary-Treasurer Salhi Ferial Nadira highlighted the federation’s key goals under Alisher Usmanov’s leadership at the 2024 FIE Election Congress in Uzbekistan. The FIE aims to drive global growth, advance technology and promote inclusivity across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Speaking to Kursiv Uzbekistan’s correspondent, Nadira emphasised Usmanov’s landmark achievement in securing 12 medal events for fencing at the Olympic Games, an increase from the previous 10. She stated that no one, except Usmanov, had been able to achieve this in fencing’s history, cementing the sport’s place in the Olympics.

The FIE is committed to expanding fencing’s reach and ensuring...

Uzbekistan aims to host the 2027 Senior Fencing World Championships in July 2027. This event will play a crucial role in Olympic qualification, with athletes earning points that will determine their eligibility for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

FIE Secretary-Treasurer Salhi Ferial Nadira, speaking to Kursiv Uzbekistan, emphasised the critical role the championships will play.

«The points athletes earn at the Senior World Championships will directly affect their Olympic qualification,» she said.

This decision reinforces Uzbekistan’s role in hosting major international sporting events and highlights its growing importance in the fencing world.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that businessman Alisher Usmanov...

Alisher Usmanov, a businessman, won the election for President of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) today in Tashkent, TASS reports.

Usmanov secured 120 votes, defeating Otto Drakenberg, President of the Swedish Fencing Federation, who received 26 votes.

“I thank the international fencing family for their trust and support. It confirmed my decision to run for the FIE presidency! I couldn’t ignore the 103 national federations that backed my candidacy. I deeply appreciate every federation that voted for me,” Usmanov said after his victory.

He also addressed the sanctions imposed against him, which he challenged in court.

“I have always...

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has helped Uzbekistan raise $1 bn in green financing, reports the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.

With GGGI’s support, partner banks launched two green bond issuances on the London Stock Exchange. A large portion of the funds will support sustainable agriculture projects.

The Aral Sea GRIP project, launched with GGGI and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), will help eco-friendly businesses in Karakalpakstan attract and manage green investments.

Farmers have access to training and consultations on climate-smart agriculture.

Project participants are also working with banks and credit institutions in Uzbekistan...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a new law on railway transport. The document was published on the Lex.uz portal.

The Legislative Chamber approved the law in September, and the Senate ratified it the same month.

The new law defines various types of railway services, including domestic, international, transit, and mixed transport.

The state will regulate tariffs for railway infrastructure, locomotive services, and passenger transport. However, this does not apply to high-speed train services.

The law also states that no discounts will apply to domestic freight transport. For international freight, discounts will be set based on contracts.

Additionally, the law...

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has raised its base rate by one percentage point to 15.25%. This move follows the sharp drop in the tenge and rising inflation, the regulator reported.

Inflation in Kazakhstan reached 8.5% in October, driven by higher tariffs and faster price increases for services and non-food goods. The National Bank also noted the failure to meet budget revenue targets and the volatility of inflation expectations.

The tenge’s weakening played a key role in the decision to tighten monetary policy. The official exchange rate against the US dollar fell nearly 3.7% in one week. This...

Uzbekistan Airways has started regular flights on the Tashkent-Lahore route from 29 November, according to the airline’s press service.

The flights will operate every Friday on an Airbus A320 Neo. Ticket prices begin at UZS 2 mn.

Uzbekistan and Pakistan are working on launching additional routes. The Uzbek authorities have also simplified the visa application process for Pakistani citizens.