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Centrum Air is exploring the possibility of launching flights between Samarkand and New York and between Tashkent and Miami, following discussions with a U.S. embassy delegation in Uzbekistan.

The meeting included Centrum Holding’s founder and CEO Abdulaziz Abdurakhmanov and co-founder Hafizjon Gafurov. The company confirmed plans to increase purchases of American aircraft, with its cargo division, My Freighter, set to acquire five Boeing planes this year.

The delegation also discussed plans to establish a university in partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which was founded in 1925 in Florida. The institution will train pilots and other aviation professionals, supporting the development...

Mutual investments between Asian and Eurasian countries have grown steadily over the past decade, reaching a record $176 bn by mid-2025, according to a report by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) cited by TASS.

Chinese investors led the way, contributing $66.1 bn to the Eurasian region’s economies, followed by Gulf states with $23.9 bn and Turkey with $12.3 bn. The bank noted that Chinese capital has a broad reach, with projects in 12 of the 13 countries across the region.

Around 90% of Chinese investment went to Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with smaller but notable activity in Mongolia and...

Russia’s second-largest oil producer, Lukoil, said on January 29 it has agreed to sell the majority of its foreign assets, worth around $22 bn, to U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group, pending approval from the U.S. government.

The deal involves LUKOIL International GmbH, the unit responsible for managing the company’s overseas operations. Analysts estimate Lukoil’s total foreign assets at roughly $22 bn. Lukoil noted that the agreement is not exclusive and is conditional on regulatory approvals, including clearance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Both Lukoil and Russia’s largest oil producer...

Comedian and social media personality Claudia Oshry was revealed as Queen Corgi on Wednesday’s The Masked Singer, which featured a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed episode. Oshry performed Sia’s Unstoppable before announcing she would leave the competition voluntarily rather than face elimination.

Panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora did not make final guesses due to the unexpected exit. Earlier in the episode, guesses included Amy Schumer, Ali Wong and Whitney Cummings. This is only the second time a contestant has voluntarily unmasked, following Mickey Rourke in Season 4.

Oshry told the Variety that the decision came...

West Ham United agreed to sell Brazil international Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo for more than €41 mln (£35.5 mln), with the midfielder set to return to his home country before the winter transfer window closes on February 2.

The 28-year-old joined the London club from Lyon in 2022 and has now been cleared to travel to Brazil to finalise the transfer. West Ham were prepared to allow Paqueta to remain on loan until the end of the season, but Flamengo opted to complete the deal immediately.

The move will see Paqueta join the Brazilian side ahead of the domestic...

South Korean automaker Kia Motors plans to increase vehicle production in the CIS region through its facilities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the company said. The announcement came from Jung Sung Kook, Kia’s executive director responsible for investor relations.

Chung noted that in the Asia-Pacific region, the focus is on reducing costs through production hubs in Malaysia and Indonesia. This year, Kia expects sales growth of 12.6% across the Asia-Pacific and 23.5% in the CIS, while forecasting a 3.5 trln won ($2.45 bn) drop in operating profit due to U.S. car tariffs.

Kia began assembling vehicles in Uzbekistan in...

Gold prices extended their sharp rally on January 29, briefly reaching a new record just below $5,600 an ounce as investors moved into safe-haven assets amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Silver also rallied, nearing the $120 level, Reuters reports.

Spot gold climbed 2.6% to $5,538.69 an ounce by 03:49 GMT after earlier hitting an all-time high of $5,591.61. Analysts say concerns over rising US debt and fractures in global trade are driving demand.

“Rising U.S. debt and signs of a fragmented global trade system are driving investors into gold,” Marex analyst Edward Meir said.

Abduqodir Husanov will start for Manchester City from the first minute. The English club has announced its squad for the eighth-round Champions League match against Galatasaray, which kicks off at 01:00.

Manchester City — starting lineup:
Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Abduqodir Husanov, Nathan Aké, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Bernardo Silva, Nico O’Reilly, Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki, Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland.

Substitutes:
Trafford, Bettinelli, Reijnders, Foden, Gray, Mukasa, Alleyn, Lewis, Mfuni.

The match against Galatasaray is of major tournament importance for City. Only a win will guarantee the team a place in the top eight and direct qualification for the next round.

From economics and politics...

The national air carrier Uzbekistan Airways has presented a new uniform for its cabin crew. The designers took into account current fashion trends as well as the wishes of the airline’s employees.

The colour of the uniform has been changed from earthy tones to blue, a symbol of the sky, while a marsala shade was added as a fashionable accent. The scarf, made in the «adras» style, symbolises the East with its traditions of hospitality and service.

In addition, the airline decided to differentiate the uniforms by colour for senior and regular cabin crew members.

Photo: Asadbek Komilov/ Kursiv Uzbekistan

Bitcoin pulled back from intraday highs on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve opted to keep interest rates unchanged, but futures market data suggests traders are still eyeing a potential push toward the $93,500 level.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency briefly climbed to around $90,600 before reversing, as markets digested the Fed’s decision. Despite the retreat, analysts say a large concentration of leveraged short positions near $93,500 could make that zone an attractive target for traders seeking to trigger liquidations.

Data from CoinGlass shows more than $4.5 bn in Bitcoin short positions clustered around the $93,500 mark. If prices...

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has urged calm and peaceful protest after two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, incidents that have sparked nationwide outrage and intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Speaking on Fox & Friends, Melania called for unity and said she opposed violence, noting that President Donald Trump had spoken with Minnesota leaders to prevent further unrest. Her remarks marked a rare public intervention on a politically sensitive issue.

The shootings included the death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse. Federal officials initially claimed Pretti approached agents with a handgun, but...

Emma Heming Willis has revealed that her husband, actor Bruce Willis, is unaware he is living with frontotemporal dementia, describing the condition as both painful and, in some ways, a «blessing».

Speaking on the Conversations with Cam podcast on January 28, 2026, Emma explained that Willis, 70, has never fully understood his diagnosis, which was made public in 2023. She said this is due to anosognosia, a neurological condition that prevents a person from recognising their own illness.

«It’s where your brain can’t identify what is happening to it,» she said, adding that her...

Two Chelsea supporters were hospitalised in Naples after being attacked by suspected Napoli ultras ahead of the club’s Champions League match on Tuesday night.

The incident took place near the Port of Naples, where a group of seven Chelsea fans were confronted by around 30 attackers in a side street. One supporter was stabbed in the leg with a screwdriver, while another had his coat slashed during the assault. The group fled for more than a mile before police intervened and called an ambulance. Both injured fans are reported to have non-life-threatening injuries.

Following the attack, Chelsea issued...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa received a red-carpet welcome in New Delhi on Tuesday as the European Union and India signed a landmark trade agreement aimed at deepening economic and strategic ties.

Standing alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, von der Leyen hailed the pact as a partnership between «two giants» and described it as the best response to global economic and geopolitical challenges. The agreement is expected to cut or eliminate tariffs on nearly 97% of EU exports, improving access to India’s 1.4-bn-strong market for European goods ranging from...

The UK government has admitted that more migrants have entered Britain under its flagship «one in, one out» agreement with France than have been returned across the Channel.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said around 350 asylum seekers have been brought to the UK from France since the scheme began in September, compared with 281 people deported in the opposite direction. She acknowledged that one of the early challenges was a lack of awareness of the new legal route among migrants in France.

Speaking to LBC radio, Mahmood said officials struggled to promote the scheme effectively, noting the difficulty...

Cisco chair and chief executive Chuck Robbins has warned that while artificial intelligence will become «bigger than the internet,» the current AI market likely resembles a bubble in which many companies will fail before clear winners emerge.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Robbins told the BBC that heavy investment will inevitably lead to losses for some firms, echoing the dotcom era. He said AI would transform industries, eliminate or reshape certain jobs, particularly in customer service, but urged workers and businesses to adapt rather than fear the technology.

His comments came amid...

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has spoken publicly about returning to China for the first time in nearly 10 years, describing the experience as deeply emotional but largely uneventful.

Ai made a quiet three-week visit to Beijing in December, his first since 2015, when authorities returned his passport after years of restrictions. He had been detained for 81 days in 2011 on tax-related charges and later lived under close police surveillance before leaving the country for Europe.

During the visit, Ai travelled with his teenage son and reunited with his 93-year-old mother, sharing images of the trip on...

Thailand has stepped up health surveillance at major airports after India confirmed two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in the eastern state of West Bengal, amid heightened regional concern over possible cross-border spread.

India’s Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that only two confirmed cases have been recorded since December, both involving healthcare workers, and no additional infections have been detected. A total of 196 identified contacts were traced, monitored and tested, all of whom were asymptomatic and negative for the virus, the ministry said.

Despite initial reports suggesting more cases, Indian authorities said enhanced...

Cha Eun Woo, one of South Korea’s most prominent entertainers, broke his silence on January 26 regarding allegations that he owes more than 20 bn won ($14 mln) in additional income taxes. The 28-year-old actor and singer, currently serving mandatory military service, posted a formal apology on social media.

“I will humbly accept the final judgment made by the relevant authorities and take full responsibility in accordance with the outcome,” Cha wrote. He added he was “deeply sorry” and pledged to “comply faithfully with all tax-related procedures going forward.”

“I sincerely bow my head...

A regional court in Hamburg on January 23 ruled in favour of Alisher Usmanov in a lawsuit against the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Kursiv Uzbekistan was told by the Russian businessman’s press office.

The FAZ article, titled On the Kremlin’s Instructions, allegedly claimed that Usmanov informally represented Russian authorities in Uzbekistan and interfered in the editorial policy of the Kommersant newspaper after acquiring it in 2006. The publication also asserted that the businessman used his wealth in the interests of or on instructions from Moscow.

The Hamburg court ruled that the claims violated Usmanov’s personal rights and banned their...

An international tourist train, Jibek Joly, will for the first time connect Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from March 20 to March 25, 2026, Kazakhstan Railways said.

The cultural and educational journey will follow key cities of the ancient Silk Road, travelling along the route Almaty, Turkestan, Samarkand, Dushanbe, Tashkent and back to Almaty, the company said in a statement.

The tour package includes rail travel, a guided excursion programme with professional guides, entrance tickets and all transfers. Organisers noted that the project carries special significance as it will take place during the Navruz holidays and shortly after the end...

Uzbekistan Airways recorded net profit of 1.3 trln soums ($107.2 mln), in 2025, the airline’s press service told Kursiv Uzbekistan.

Over the year, the Uzbekistan Airways group operated 49,300 flights, up 8.7% from 2024. Passenger traffic rose 6.5% to 6.6 mln people, while cargo volumes reached 52,000 tonnes.

The airline plans to expand its route network in 2026 by launching five new destinations and leasing four aircraft. It will also acquire 22 Boeing 787-9 planes using credit financing. In addition, a delivery schedule for 14 Airbus aircraft has been approved for 2028 to 2030 under a 4-6-4 scheme.

This year...

Spain will pay €20 mln ($24 mln) in compensation to victims of last week’s high-speed train crash in Adamuz, Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced. The disaster, which killed 45 people and injured more than 150, occurred near the southern city of Cordoba on January 18 and represents one of the deadliest train accidents in recent European history, and the worst in Spain since 2013.

Families of those killed will receive €216,000 each within three months. This includes €72,000 in tax-free government aid, a €72,000 advance from insurance, and €72,000 from mandatory travel insurance.

Puente...

Uzbekistan’s permanent population reached 38.23 mln as of January 1, 2026, the national statistics agency reports.

Of the total, 19.25 mln were men (50.4%) and 18.97 mln were women (49.6%). Urban areas were home to 19.47 mln people, while more than 18.76 mln lived in rural regions.

In 2025, the country registered 267,100 marriages and 46,900 divorces.

Net migration remained negative, with 1,100 people moving to Uzbekistan while 10,100 left the country.

Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan’s average monthly salary reached 6.38 mln soums ($527) in 2025.

From economics and politics to business, technology and culture, Kursiv Uzbekistan