News

Australia’s opposition leader Sussan Ley has accepted the resignations of three Nationals MPs from the shadow cabinet after they broke ranks to vote against the government’s new hate speech laws. Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell will move to the backbench following the split, which has exposed growing tensions within the Coalition over the rushed passage and scope of the legislation.

The laws, passed by parliament this week, have been defended by the government as necessary to combat antisemitism, hate and extremism, but have drawn criticism from within the Coalition, the Greens and several community groups concerned...

Britain and China are preparing to relaunch high-level business dialogue as Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans a visit to Beijing next week, aiming to reset strained relations and revive what both sides once called a «golden era» of cooperation. According to sources cited by Reuters, the visit is expected to coincide with the revival of a UK–China business council involving senior executives from major British firms such as AstraZeneca, BP, HSBC and Rolls-Royce, alongside Chinese companies including Bank of China, China Mobile and BYD.

Starmer’s trip would be the first by a British prime minister since 2018 and...

Lucasfilm has reportedly cancelled two planned Indiana Jones projects following the poor box office performance of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is estimated to have cost Disney more than $130 mln in losses. According to The Wrap, the scrapped plans included an animated series set between the films and a live-action spin-off focused on Abner Ravenwood, Indiana Jones’s mentor and Marion Ravenwood’s father.

Despite the setbacks, the franchise is not being shelved entirely. Industry reports suggest Lucasfilm plans to let Indiana Jones rest before pursuing a full reboot with a new lead actor, potentially to...

Uzbekistan will suspend the collection of online loans from citizens who have been officially recognised as victims of fraud, according to a regulation by the Ministry of Justice.

Under the new rules, if fraudsters take out an online loan in someone else’s name and that person is formally declared a victim, the bank must temporarily stop charging interest and demanding repayment. The lender will be entitled to seek compensation from the individual who obtained the loan through fraud.

If an investigation or court later determines that no fraud took place, the bank will resume interest charges and repayment demands.

Police in Kazakhstan detained three fans of Belgium’s Club Brugge during a Champions League match against Kairat at Astana Arena, Tengri Sport reports.

Videos shared on social media after the game showed the fans changing into swimsuits resembling the outfit worn by the fictional character Borat, portrayed by actor Sacha Baron Cohen. The stunt appeared to be aimed at mocking the host country.

Astana police said the incident took place on January 20 and involved actions showing disrespect to others and disrupting public order. The three foreign fans were detained at the stadium and taken to a police station.

Uzbekistan’s gas production reached 42.3 bn cubic metres in 2025, up 2.4% from the previous year, the national statistics agency said.

However, condensate output fell, dropping from 1.18 mln tonnes to 1.11 mln tonnes over the same period.

Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov said the government aims to stop the decline in gas production this year by developing new fields. He added that new gas reserves were discovered in Karakalpakstan in 2025. As a result, Uzbekistan’s daily gas output increased by around 3 mln cubic metres.

In January, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed state oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz to boost...

The Tashkent Republican Stock Exchange suspended trading in the shares of Ipoteka Bank and SQB from January 21, the exchange said. The halt affects ordinary shares of the two banks after an «anomalous» surge in prices between January 6 and January 19.

During that period, Ipoteka Bank shares jumped nearly 132.3%, while SQB shares rose 146.2%, the exchange statement said. The trading venue added that «additional information on this matter will be published through the exchange’s official channels.»

Last week, 24 of 29 highly liquid stocks rose in value, one stayed unchanged, and four fell. The UCI index...

Tetsuya Yamagami, who pleaded guilty to killing former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, was sentenced to life in prison on January 21. The 45-year-old shot Abe at a political rally in Nara, using a homemade gun.

Prosecutors argued Yamagami’s act was «grave» and deserved the harshest penalty. The case shocked Japan, where gun violence is rare, and sparked a national debate about the motive behind the killing.

Defence claims religious abuse, court unconvinced

Yamagami’s lawyers sought a reduced sentence, arguing he was a victim of «religious abuse» linked to the Unification Church. They said his mother’s...

Netflix announced an expanded partnership with Japanese studio MAPPA, known for hits such as Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen. The deal will see the companies collaborate on new anime projects from story development through to merchandising, with Netflix streaming the resulting titles exclusively worldwide.

MAPPA’s president and CEO Manabu Otsuka said, «Japanese animation studios must proactively lead every stage, from understanding global audience needs and developing projects, to reaching viewers and expanding related businesses. MAPPA is committed to deepening our collaboration with Netflix, aiming for a long-term, win-win partnership.»

Netflix’s...

Uzbekistan launched a small supercomputer. Officials informed President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of this during a presentation on IT development.

The country is also working on acquiring and installing a high-power supercomputer. In addition, 15 universities will open AI laboratories to train local specialists.

Officials briefed the president on the expansion of public services, with the number of digital services expected to reach 900. Artificial intelligence will be introduced in 50 of those services, and a national population registry will be launched.

The presentation also covered the growth of startups. By the end of last year, more than 750 startups...

Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the Play-In qualifying tournament to book his place in the final of the Freestyle Chess World Championship, according to Dunyo.

In the final of the qualifying stage, Abdusattorov defeated India’s Pranav Venkatesh 2-0. The World Championship final will be held on February 13–15 in Weissenhaus, Germany.

Eight of the world’s leading players will compete for the title, including another Uzbek grandmaster, Javokhir Sindarov. The field also features Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Arjun Erigaisi, Vincent Keymer and Hans Niemann.

The event will be the first official Freestyle Chess World Championship organised in cooperation with...

Netflix revised its takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming assets, switching to an all-cash offer while keeping the overall value at $82.7 bn. The new proposal values Warner Bros shares at $27.75 each and replaces an earlier cash-and-stock deal.

The Warner Bros board has unanimously backed the revised offer, according to a regulatory filing released on January 20.

Rivalry with Paramount intensifies

Both Netflix and Paramount Skydance are competing for Warner Bros, drawn by its film and television studios, deep content library and franchises such as Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and DC Comics superheroes...

Gold prices surged to a record high above $4,800 an ounce on January 21, supported by strong safe-haven demand and a softer dollar.

Spot gold rose 1.2% to $4,821.26 an ounce by 02:26 GMT after reaching a session peak of $4,843.67. U.S. gold futures for February delivery gained 1% to $4,813.50 an ounce.

According to Reuters, the rally reflected growing unease over Washington’s recent actions. The rise in gold prices followed a loss of confidence in the U.S. linked to tariff threats against Europe and increased pressure surrounding Greenland.

Markets were reacting to fears of escalating global tensions. Investors...

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet up to four times in 2026, signalling a period of cautious stabilisation in relations between the world’s two largest economies despite ongoing strategic rivalry. The planned encounters include a state visit by Trump to Beijing in April, a reciprocal visit by Xi to Washington later in the year, as well as potential meetings on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen and the G20 leaders’ summit in Miami.

The expected flurry of diplomacy follows a turbulent year marked by a renewed US–China trade war...

French President Emmanuel Macron used a high-profile speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos to warn that Europe must be ready to defend its interests amid rising geopolitical tensions and trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Without naming Trump directly, Macron criticised efforts to «subordinate Europe,» calling for greater innovation, private investment and strategic autonomy, and concluding that Europe «prefers respect to bullies» and the rule of law over brutality.

The remarks come as relations between Paris and Washington have deteriorated after Trump published private messages from Macron and threatened 200% tariffs on French wine and...

OpenAI is preparing to test advertisements in ChatGPT, marking a significant shift in how the company’s most popular product generates revenue after years of resistance from CEO Sam Altman.

According to Business Insider, ads will begin appearing for free and Go users in the coming weeks, while paid subscribers will remain ad-free. Altman previously described advertising as a «last resort,» but rising costs tied to building advanced AI systems and massive data center investments have pushed the company to reconsider.

OpenAI says ads will be clearly labelled, will not influence ChatGPT’s responses, and will not involve...

Audi unveiled their first-ever Formula 1 car at a launch event in Berlin as the manufacturer prepares for its Grand Prix debut later this year.

The German brand, which announced its F1 entry in August 2022, will make its race debut in Australia with a car powered by Audi’s first Formula 1 power unit.

Audi marked its arrival as a full works team with an event at Kraftwerk Berlin, attended by CEO Gernot Dollner, Audi F1 project head Mattia Binotto, team principal Jonathan Wheatley and drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

The Audi R26 features a titanium, carbon fibre...

Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have made their first major public appearance as a couple, arriving together at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The pair were photographed walking hand in hand at the Swiss summit, confirming months of speculation about their relationship.

Romance rumours first emerged in July 2025 after Perry and Trudeau were spotted dining together in Montreal, before taking their relationship public later in the year with appearances in Paris and on social media.

Perry announced her split from actor Orlando Bloom in July 2025, while Trudeau separated from his...

Iran has warned that any attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would amount to a declaration of holy war, according to a statement cited by the Iranian Students News Agency on Tuesday.

Iran’s parliamentary national security commission said such an act would provoke a jihad decree by Islamic scholars and a response from «Islam’s soldiers» worldwide.

The warning comes amid rising tensions with the United States following a harsh crackdown on protests inside Iran, after which U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned that Washington could respond.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that French President Emmanuel Macron...

Cristiano Ronaldo has won a high-profile legal dispute against Juventus after an Italian labour court ruled that the Portuguese forward is entitled to keep £8.5 mln in deferred wages. The Turin Labour Court upheld a previous arbitration decision, rejecting an appeal by the Serie A club and confirming that Juventus cannot recover the sum already paid.

The case stems from salary deferrals agreed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when players postponed payments as Juventus faced financial pressure. Ronaldo later argued he had been privately guaranteed the full amount of his deferred wages, a claim the club disputed. An arbitration...

China’s population declined for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, underscoring a deepening demographic crisis despite government efforts to boost births. Official data released on Monday showed the population fell to 1.404 bn, around three million fewer than in 2024. Birth rates dropped to a record low of 5.63 births per 1,000 people, with just 7.92 mln babies born last year, a 17% decline year on year, marking the lowest level since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

The figures highlight the long-term impact of the former one-child policy, abolished a decade ago, and...

Brooklyn Beckham has publicly addressed months of speculation about a rift with his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, saying he does not wish to reconcile and accusing them of controlling media narratives about his life. In a series of Instagram stories, Beckham said he had remained silent for years but felt compelled to speak out to defend himself and his wife, Nicola Peltz, whom he described as «supportive.» He rejected claims that he is being controlled, adding that he is «standing up for myself for the first time in my life.»

Nicola Peltz comes from one...

The Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis approved changes to the personal data law to support Apple Pay and Google Pay.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev earlier said Uzbekistan would update legislation to enable international payment platforms to operate in the country.

The draft law sets out which categories of personal data must be stored within Uzbekistan and establishes rules for the secure processing and storage of data abroad.

The lower house of parliament said the changes are expected to help attract international payment systems, improve the investment climate, expand the digital services market and create modern payment options...

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne, claiming the move would pressure French President Emmanuel Macron to join his proposed Board of Peace.

Asked about Macron’s reported refusal to take part, Trump dismissed the French leader’s position and suggested he would soon leave office. He said the tariff threat could prompt Macron to join the initiative but added that participation was not mandatory.

A source close to Macron said France intends to decline the invitation at this stage.

Trump first floated the idea of a Board of Peace last September...