News

The European Union has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, ending years of internal division over the issue in response to Tehran’s violent repression of protesters.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the move sent a clear message that «repression cannot go unanswered,» accusing the Iranian regime of using the IRGC as a key instrument to crush dissent. The designation carries legal consequences across the bloc, including asset freezes and criminal liability for providing financial or material support.

Alongside the listing, the EU imposed sanctions on 15 Iranian officials and six...

World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urgently called on Iranian authorities to stop assaults on hospitals and medical personnel during Tehran’s deadly suppression of nationwide protests, quoting «multiple reports» of violence against health facilities and workers.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Dr Tedros said that Khomeini Hospital in Ilam was attacked earlier this month, with violence inside and around the facility following the transfer of injured civilians. He added that dozens of paramedics have been hurt and more than 200 ambulances damaged in recent weeks, and tear gas was reportedly used inside Sina Hospital in Tehran.

Human...

AstraZeneca said it will invest $15 bn in China by 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development, marking its largest-ever investment in the country. The announcement was made during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing, underscoring efforts by London to deepen economic ties with China amid strained relations with Washington.

The UK drugmaker said the investment would strengthen its long-term presence in China, its second-largest market, where it has operated for more than three decades. Chief executive Pascal Soriot described the plan as a milestone for the company, which has already invested billions in Chinese research...

Uzbekistan’s Transport Ministry has held talks with Austrian officials on the potential launch of direct flights between Tashkent and Vienna, the ministry said.

The discussions also covered joint construction of bridges and the development of railway infrastructure. A ministry statement said both sides highlighted the strong potential for cooperation and expressed mutual interest in strengthening collaboration in transport and logistics.

The two countries have previously worked on agreements related to organised labour migration. Three years ago, Tashkent and Austria discussed opening a centre to train Uzbek workers for employment in Austria and Germany.

The talks underscore ongoing efforts to...

Margot Robbie made a striking appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of Wuthering Heights, wearing Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary Taj Mahal diamond necklace, valued at around $8 mln. The rare heart-shaped jewel, which dates back to 17th-century Mughal India, was famously gifted to Taylor by Richard Burton in 1972 and bears the inscription «Love is Everlasting.»

Robbie paired the historic necklace with a custom Schiaparelli couture gown featuring a black lace bodice and a dramatic black-to-red ombre skirt, echoing the gothic romance of the film. The look marked the opening of a carefully curated press tour styled by Andrew...

Honda’s factory MotoGP team has secured Fabio Quartararo on a two-year contract beginning in 2027, bringing an end to the French rider’s long association with Yamaha.

The 26-year-old, who made his MotoGP debut with Yamaha in 2019, will depart the manufacturer after the 2026 season. Quartararo delivered Yamaha its most recent riders’ championship in 2021 and has since collected 11 wins, 32 podium finishes and 21 pole positions with the team.

However, Yamaha’s competitiveness has declined in recent seasons and, despite increased investment, performance gains have not met Quartararo’s expectations. His last contract renewal in 2024 was described as...

Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft are in discussions to invest up to $60 bn in OpenAI, according to a January 28 report by The Information.

The report says Nvidia, already a key investor supplying chips that power OpenAI’s models, is considering an investment of up to $30 bn. Microsoft, a long-time partner of the company, is reportedly discussing a contribution of less than $10 bn. Amazon, which would join as a new investor, is said to be exploring an investment exceeding $10 bn and potentially surpassing $20 bn.

OpenAI is reportedly close to receiving formal investment commitments from the companies...

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...