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Mongolian carrier Hunnu Air plans to start direct services to Tashkent in 2026, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer Torbold Tserenkhuu confirmed.

The airline also intends to operate new routes to Delhi, as well as destinations in Vietnam and the Philippines, using Embraer E195-E2 jets. Hunnu Air aims to leverage Mongolia’s strategic location to establish the country as a transit hub connecting Central and East Asia.

Founded in 2011, Hunnu Air is based in Ulaanbaatar and currently offers both scheduled and charter flights across Mongolia and other Asian countries.

Kursiv also reports that Iraq is planning to streamline visa...

A new investigation into Swiss bank Credit Suisse has identified 890 previously undisclosed accounts with potential links to Nazi organisations, U.S. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said February 3. The probe aims to shed light on the bank’s role during World War Two.

According to Grassley, the wartime accounts were held by entities including the German Foreign Office, the SS paramilitary group, and a German arms manufacturer. He did not provide details on the amounts held or the current status of the accounts. These organisations were part of the Nazi system that enabled the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of...

Walt Disney has named Josh D’Amaro, the leader of its amusement park business, as its new chief executive.

D’Amaro, a 28-year veteran of Disney, will take over from Bob Iger on March 18.

The appointment places the company’s focus on the division that has provided the most consistent profits in recent years, even as Disney navigates the competitive streaming industry.

The decision concludes a long-running succession question for the entertainment giant. Iger has led Disney for roughly two decades, apart from a brief period that ended in 2022 when his successor was removed and Iger returned to steer the...

K-Pop supergroup BTS announced a Netflix stream of their first performance since their comeback.

The concert is scheduled for March 21 and will take place live from Gwanghwamun Square, one of Seoul’s most iconic landmarks.

The event will celebrate the release of their highly anticipated fifth studio album, ARIRANG, set for March 20.

Netflix confirmed the performance will be followed by a documentary titled BTS: The Return on March 27, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the group’s return after completing their military service.

The streaming deal comes alongside announcements of BTS’s new album and a world...

Walmart has become the first traditional retailer to achieve a market valuation of $1 trln, placing the U.S. retail giant among a select group largely made up of technology companies.

The milestone highlights the rapid expansion of Walmart’s e-commerce business and its ability to attract price-sensitive shoppers during a period of easing job growth and persistent inflation. Investors have also welcomed the company’s growing focus on artificial intelligence.

Walmart now joins firms such as Nvidia and Alphabet in the $1 trln valuation club. Its shares climbed more than 3% on February 3, extending a strong rally in recent months.

Kazakhstan’s pipeline operator KazTransOil will increase tariffs for oil transportation through its pipeline network starting March 1, the company said.

The transit fee for crude shipped from Russia to Uzbekistan will rise by 0.4% to $28.02 per tonne, excluding VAT.

Charges for pumping oil into railway tank cars at the Shagir facility will also increase. For Russian crude, the tariff will go up by 14% to $0.96 per tonne. Fees for loading Kazakh oil for export will see a much sharper rise of 84%, reaching 517 tenge, or about $1, per tonne.deminpanCharges for pumping oil into railway tank cars at...

U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor is travelling to the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan from February 3 to 7 as part of efforts to deepen cooperation with Central Asian partners.

While in Bishkek, Gor is set to attend the B5+1 Business Forum, bringing together senior business figures and policymakers from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, alongside representatives from the United States. In meetings held on the sidelines of the forum, he is expected to underline the importance of private sector involvement in strengthening ties between the United States and Central Asia.

During...

U.S. comedian and TV host Jon Stewart has responded with satire and criticism after being casually mentioned in a newly released batch of files linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Millions of documents made public on January 31 detail Epstein’s contacts with powerful figures, including Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Bill Gates. Stewart’s name appears in a 2015 email exchange between Epstein and film producer Barry Josephsen, discussing a hypothetical comedy project unrelated to Epstein’s crimes.

Addressing the reference on air, Stewart joked about being «offended» by the vague mention, before turning serious. He described the repeated release...

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will hold the first meeting of a newly created Council of Heads of Regions in 2026, aiming to turn bilateral plans into concrete economic and infrastructure projects.

The new platform is designed to enable direct cooperation between regions, with a focus on industrial partnerships, investment attraction, logistics links and agro-industrial development. Officials say the goal is to move beyond framework agreements toward projects that can be implemented quickly at the regional level.

Bilateral economic ties have deepened steadily, with trade turnover reaching nearly $5 billion by the end of 2025, up more than 11% year...

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has rejected claims that Afghan migrants were involved in operating drones during the recent conflict with Israel, saying rumours of Afghan arrests were unfounded.

Hossein Nejat, a senior IRGC commander, said those involved in activities linked to the 12-day conflict were primarily Iranian nationals. While a small number of foreign nationals, including Afghans, were present in some cases, he stressed they played no role in flying drones.

Nejat also dismissed reports about the discovery of tunnels or organised large-scale actions by migrants, saying such claims had not been confirmed. He said between...

The Taliban have dismissed concerns voiced by Russia over security threats allegedly originating from Afghan territory, insisting that no country has faced danger from Afghanistan in recent years.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said it was unclear on what basis Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks, stressing that the Taliban exercise full control over the country.

«In the past four or five years that the Islamic Emirate has governed Afghanistan, no threat has been directed at any country from Afghan soil,» Mujahid said.

Lavrov stated on Monday that security challenges linked...

Pakistan will confer the Nishan-e-Pakistan, its highest civilian honour, on the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during their official visits, underscoring Islamabad’s deepening ties with Central Asia.

President Asif Ali Zardari will formally present the awards at separate investiture ceremonies at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The decoration is traditionally bestowed on visiting heads of state in recognition of exceptional services to Pakistan and as a symbol of strong bilateral relations.

On Tuesday, President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at Nur Khan Airbase, marking his first state visit to Pakistan from February 3–4. Tokayev arrived with a high-level...

Vietnam and the European Union have agreed to upgrade their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a major diplomatic step as both sides navigate global trade and security uncertainty.

The announcement was made during a visit to Hanoi by Antonio Costa, who was welcomed by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong. Cuong described the move as a «historic milestone» reflecting the depth of cooperation between Vietnam and Europe.

Costa said the partnership underlined the EU’s commitment to Southeast Asia and Vietnam’s growing international role, adding that «reliable and predictable partners» are increasingly vital as the rules-based global order comes...

A fashion designer to Hollywood stars has been robbed of an ultra-rare £2 mln Richard Mille watch in London’s exclusive Mayfair district, police said.

Romania-born designer Catalin Botezatu, 59, was attacked in Berkeley Square at around 11.50pm on Thursday, January 29. The incident adds to growing concerns over organised gangs targeting luxury watch owners in the area.

The stolen timepiece is believed to be part of the highly coveted Sapphire Series by Richard Mille, with models carved from solid sapphire crystal and considered among the rarest watches in the world.

Police have charged Younes Djoudim, 33, of Slough...

Gold and silver prices surged on Tuesday as investors returned to precious metals following their steepest two-day slump in decades, putting bullion on track for its biggest daily gain since November 2008.

Spot gold jumped 5.3% to $4,913.59 an ounce by midday trading, rebounding from Monday’s low of $4,403.24. U.S. gold futures rose 6.1% to $4,936.20. Silver climbed 9% to $86.60 an ounce after suffering a record 27% one-day drop last Friday.

Analysts said the rebound followed heavy selling triggered by Donald Trump’s move to nominate Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair.

An uncontrollable Chinese rocket caused alarm across Europe on Friday after trajectory predictions suggested a small chance it could strike parts of the UK, prompting Britain to prepare its emergency alert systems.

The rocket, Zhuque-3, ultimately crashed harmlessly into the South Pacific Ocean at 12:39pm GMT on January 30, around 1,200 miles southeast of New Zealand. A UK Government spokesman said it was «extremely unlikely» any debris would reach Britain, but mobile networks were nonetheless placed on standby as a precaution.

Concerns grew as the rocket rapidly lost altitude and prepared to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, with early...

France has fallen below the European Union average in per-capita wealth for the third consecutive year, raising fresh concerns about the country’s economic trajectory. According to data from Eurostat, France’s per-capita wealth now stands below the EU benchmark of 100, trailing Germany (111) and slipping behind the UK (99–98).

Economist and former senior civil servant Nicolas Baverez warned that France is caught in an «infernal spiral,» describing it as the «Argentina of Europe» in a commentary for Le Figaro. He cautioned that prolonged fiscal imbalance and weak growth could lead to long-term impoverishment.

The warning comes as President...

Samarkand will host the 59th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from May 3 to 6. Themed «Crossroads of Progress: Advancing a Connected Future for the Region,» the forum will bring together leaders to discuss development priorities across Asia and the Pacific.

Delegates will review ADB initiatives to strengthen sustainable capital markets in the region. The forum will also include a seminar on critical materials and a session on May 3 highlighting the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway project, which aims to connect 1.5 bn people through secure and environmentally friendly digital corridors.

On May 5, representatives from civil society...

French police specialising in cyber-crime, with support from Europol, have searched the offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X as part of an ongoing investigation.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the inquiry initially focused on how X’s recommendation algorithms operate and has since been expanded to include the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok.

Prosecutors added that Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to appear at hearings scheduled for April. X has previously characterised the investigation as an attack on free speech.

Expanded Probe and Potential Charges

The probe began in January...

Gold prices surged more than 5% on February 3, putting the metal on course for its biggest single-day gain since November 2008, while silver also posted sharp gains as precious metals rebounded from their steepest two-day decline in decades.

Analysts said the broader uptrend remains intact and expect gold and silver to reach new record highs later this year. Spot gold rose 5.8% to $4,935.56 an ounce by 08:18 GMT. The metal had fallen to $4,403.24 on February 2, two sessions after hitting a peak of $5,594.82. U.S. gold futures for April delivery climbed 6.6% to $4,958.50 per ounce.

Iraq is planning to streamline visa procedures for citizens of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry reports. The matter was discussed during a business dialogue held in Baghdad.

Iraqi authorities are also considering the introduction of direct flights to Uzbekistan. The move is expected to make business travel easier and strengthen economic and trade relations between the two nations.

In early January, Davron Vakhabov, head of the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce, noted that Uzbekistan has the potential to increase exports to Iraq to $500 mln in 2026. He added that Iraq imports around $93 bn worth of...

Uzbekistan will acquire a fleet of Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft, the Brazilian manufacturer announced, though the exact number of jets has not been disclosed. The move will make Uzbekistan the first country in Central Asia to operate this type of aircraft.

Officials said the C-390 Millennium will be used for transport and humanitarian missions. Bosco da Costa Junior, CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, described the decision as a «great honour» and pledged close collaboration with Uzbekistan to ensure the aircraft operates flawlessly. He also confirmed that the first batch is expected to be delivered within the...

China has become the first country to ban hidden door handles on electric vehicles, a design popularised by Elon Musk’s Tesla. The move comes amid growing scrutiny of EV safety worldwide, following several fatal incidents in China, including crashes involving Xiaomi EVs where power failures reportedly prevented occupants from opening the doors.

The new regulations, effective January 1, 2027, require all passenger doors, except the boot, to feature a mechanical release accessible both inside and outside the vehicle. Each exterior handle must be set within a recessed space at least 6cm by 2cm by 2.5cm, while interior instructions must...

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken over his artificial intelligence start-up xAI, the company behind the Grok chatbot, further consolidating the billionaire’s business holdings. SpaceX confirmed the acquisition by posting a memo from Musk on its website, describing the merger as an «innovation engine» uniting AI, rockets, space-based internet and media.

Financial terms were not officially disclosed, but a source familiar with the deal said xAI is valued at $125 bn and SpaceX at $1 trln, making SpaceX the most valuable private company ever. Last month, Tesla also invested $2 bn into xAI.

AI and Robotics at the Core