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Thousands of worshippers braved rain and cold on Monday to welcome Pope Leo XIV to the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya, where he visited the tomb of Saint Charbel. President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Nehmat Aoun joined the pilgrimage, greeting the pontiff on his arrival alongside senior clergy from the Lebanese Maronite Order.

Crowds packed the monastery courtyard, surrounding platforms and entrances, cheering and applauding as the Pope arrived. Pilgrims from Lebanon and abroad, including visitors who say they experienced healings through Saint Charbel’s intercession, filled the site from early morning. The Lebanese Army maintained tight...

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has exceeded 70,000 since the Israel-Hamas war began, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday, as sporadic Israeli strikes and ongoing recoveries of bodies from rubble continue to add to the count despite a ceasefire in effect since Oct. 10.

Hospital officials in southern Gaza reported that two brothers, ages 8 and 11, were killed when an Israeli drone strike hit near a school sheltering displaced families in Beni Suhaila. The Israeli military said it had targeted individuals who crossed into an Israeli-controlled zone and behaved «suspiciously,» but did not mention children in its...

Bitcoin opened December under pressure after a sharp 5% weekend drop sent BTC briefly as low as $85,600, reviving predictions of a deeper slide toward $50,000. Analysts blamed thin liquidity at the November monthly close, which triggered more than $600 mln in liquidations.

Market commentators remain split on what comes next. Some traders warn that failure to reclaim the $88,000–$89,000 zone could open the door to a retest of November’s lows. Veteran analyst Peter Brandt has even suggested Bitcoin may be completing a «dead cat bounce,» eyeing levels below $40,000. Others, however, see a potential range forming between...

Ariana Grande has issued a renewed appeal against body-shaming and speculation about her health, urging fans to stop commenting on people’s appearances. In a message reshared to Instagram, the singer reminded followers that «appearance can be misleading,» reflecting on past periods when she appeared «healthy» despite struggling with her wellbeing.

The conversation resurfaced amid promotional events for Wicked: For Good, where recent images of Grande sparked fresh online scrutiny. Some social-media users went so far as to question whether the photos were genuine, fuelling rumours about drastic weight loss or cosmetic interventions. Despite the noise, the film continues...

Alena Aitova, known in Tashkent as Alena Volchica and recognised for leading mountain tours through her company Wolf Travel, has successfully climbed Island Peak in the Himalayas on the Nepal–India border. Reaching 6189 metres, she set a historic milestone as the first woman from Uzbekistan to summit the mountain.

Island Peak, also known as Imja Tse, is a key stage on the route towards Everest and ranks among the most challenging climbs in the region. It demands acclimatisation to high altitude, strong physical conditioning and advanced technical skills. The final push to the summit crosses glaciers and steep...

Dior has selected US rapper and singer Danielle Balbuena, known as 070 Shake, as its new brand ambassador, according to WWD. The fashion house said she is a unique and forward-thinking artist whose music sits between rap and alternative pop, calling her one of the most striking voices of the moment.

Balbuena was born in New Jersey on June 13, 1997 and began her music career in 2015. She became known for a distinctive blend of hip hop, R&B and experimental electronic influences. Her collaborations with Kanye West and her work within GOOD Music helped bring her global attention.

Maki Otsuki was performing the One Piece theme on Friday when lights and music cut out and she was escorted off stage by two crew members. On Saturday, pop star Ayumi Hamasaki performed to an empty 14,000-seat stadium after organisers cited “force majeure” for cancelling her concert.

The cancellations come amid rising diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi‘s remarks on Taiwan. Takaichi, a vocal critic of China, suggested that Tokyo could respond militarily if Beijing attacked Taiwan. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out force.

Otsuki’s...

A court in Bangladesh sentenced British MP and former minister Tulip Siddiq to two years in jail in absentia on Monday over alleged corruption linked to the unlawful allocation of a plot of land, prosecutors said.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Siddiq’s aunt, received a five-year sentence, while her sister Rehana was sentenced to seven years. All three were fined 100,000 taka ($820), with failure to pay adding six months to their prison terms. Siddiq, who resigned in January as the UK minister overseeing financial services and anti-corruption work following scrutiny of her links to Hasina, has dismissed the...

OPEC+ has announced that current oil production quotas will remain in place until the end of next year. The decision was made during a meeting of OPEC representatives on November 30, according to a statement published on the organisation’s website.

The cartel confirmed that committee meetings on production levels will be held twice a month. Eight member states indicated that 1.65 mln barrels per day could be gradually restored, either partially or fully, depending on evolving market conditions.

RIA Novosti reported that the total production ceiling for the current year stands at over 39.7 mln barrels per...

Kazakhstan could suffer losses of at least $1.5 bn following an attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), according to Olzhas Baydildinov in an interview with RITV. He compared the figure to the annual budgets of the country’s largest cities, Astana or Almaty.

Baydildinov stressed that there is no military necessity for the attack, noting that CPC exports oil to Europe, handling over six mln tonnes monthly, 90% of which originates from Kazakhstan. He emphasised the distinction that it is oil from Kazakhstan, not Kazakhstani oil per se.

The Ministry of Energy reported that on November 29, maritime drones...

Seventy-seven-year-old Twitch streamer Olga Ivanovna, known online as i_olga, has been nominated for the international NNYS award in the category of Best Gaming Moment of the Year.

The nomination highlights a clip from her Counter-Strike 2 stream in which she single-handedly defeats an entire enemy team on the Dust 2 map. The clip went viral on social media and reached the top of the relevant CS subreddit, drawing attention from international gaming media.

Olga Ivanovna began streaming in 2021, explaining that she wanted something to do during her retirement. Her Twitch channel, i_olga, now has over 245,000 followers.

In...

Uzbekistan’s inflation rose to 7.5% in annual terms in November, with prices increasing 0.7% over the month, according to a report by the State Committee on Statistics. Experts estimate that the average monthly price growth was 0.6%, slightly lower than 0.8% recorded in the same month last year.

Regionally, Fergana saw the highest annual inflation at 8%, while Surkhandarya and Syrdarya reported 7.8%. In the capital city, prices rose by 7.3% year-on-year.

The report highlighted notable price changes across sectors. Utilities surged by 17% over the year, food products rose by 5.7%, alcohol and tobacco increased by 6.4%, and...

Disney’s Zootopia 2 topped the Thanksgiving box office with $156 mln domestically from 4,000 cinemas since November 26, including $96.8 mln over the weekend.

It is the second-biggest Thanksgiving opening ever behind Moana 2 and ahead of Frozen II. The sequel also earned $400 mln internationally, including a record $272 mln in China, bringing its global debut to $556 mln, the fourth-biggest opening weekend in history. Disney co-chairman Alan Bergman praised its worldwide appeal and the work of the filmmakers.

This year’s Thanksgiving weekend grossed roughly $293 mln across all films, ranking as the fourth-biggest holiday frame behind...

Helmut Marko has alleged that Kimi Antonelli deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake him in the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Antonelli had been running fourth after Norris made his second stop on lap 44 of the 57-lap race and held the McLaren at bay until lap 56 when he slipped up at turn nine.

The error forced him into a tighter line for turn ten where he ran wide which opened the door for Norris to take fourth. The move secured two extra points for the McLaren driver at a key moment in the title...

Rescue teams in Indonesia are trying to locate at least 400 people still unaccounted for after rains of Cyclone Senyar triggered severe flooding and landslides nearly a week ago. Many of the missing are feared to be trapped beneath mud and debris, BBC reports.

The government says the death toll on Sumatra has climbed above 440. Aircraft and ships have delivered aid to several damaged areas yet some communities remain entirely cut off with no supplies reaching them. Reports have emerged of people taking food and water from shops as they struggled to survive.

Cyclone Senyar leaves widespread...

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen will take their title fight to the final round in Abu Dhabi after a dramatic and strategy-heavy Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail, where tyre limits, a Safety Car and bold calls on the pit wall reshaped the entire race.

Piastri leads early as McLaren dominate the opening phase

Round 23 of 24 began with Oscar Piastri on pole after winning the Sprint from the same position. The Australian made another perfect launch and held the lead into Turn 1, while Max Verstappen muscled past Norris to take second. Norris...

Households across Uzbekistan poured 30.4 trillion soums into education services from January to October 2025 – a solid 6.8% jump compared with the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Education now accounts for 3.7% of total spending on market services nationwide.

Higher education claimed the lion’s share of the budget, taking 46.6% of all education-related expenditure.

Gulshan Alimardonova claimed gold in the women’s under-50 kg category at the World Karate Championships in Cairo, delivering Uzbekistan its first-ever world title in women’s karate.

In the final, the Uzbek fighter faced Malaysia’s representative. Alimardonova dominated the bout with sharp timing, precise strikes, and complete control from start to finish, securing a clear victory.

Throughout the tournament she displayed composure, accuracy, and discipline, powering through every round to stand atop the podium.

Authorities in Namangan’s Chust district laid the foundation stone on November 29 for a major new facility that will convert household waste into electricity. China Everbright International leads the $141.5 mln project.

Once operational in 2027, the plant will process up to 1,500 tonnes of solid waste daily and generate 227.5 mln kWh of electricity annually. The development will create 150–200 permanent jobs. Under a 30-year power-purchase agreement, the government will buy all electricity produced at a guaranteed tariff.

The Namangan plant forms part of a nationwide programme to build similar waste-to-energy complexes in nine regions of Uzbekistan...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev officially launched the landmark «Five Million AI Leaders» initiative today at the opening ceremony of the International Artificial Intelligence Forum held at Tashkent’s International Congress Centre.

In his keynote address, the President outlined Uzbekistan’s strategic vision: «We aim to transform our country from a consumer of cutting-edge technologies into a nation that actively develops and exports them.»

A cornerstone of the programme is the new annual Presidential AI Competition. Starting in 2026, authorities will identify 100 of the country’s most promising young AI specialists, beginning with grassroots selection in the remotest districts and culminating at...

Authorities in Tashkent closed or halted more than 100 facilities last week after they failed air-quality checks, driving a steep drop in dangerous PM2.5 particles from 171 µg/m³ to 97 µg/m³ in just seven days.

Between November 24 and 28, special ecology commission teams inspected factories, greenhouses, and construction sites across the capital and its suburbs. Inspectors suspended 67 greenhouses and issued fines to 403 others. Nineteen farms now have deadlines to switch to natural gas. On the construction front, teams identified 53 illegal sites, stopped work on 34 projects, and fined 188 individuals. They also installed water...

Uzbekistan will launch a national payment switch under full control of the Central Bank, turning it into the mandatory gateway for all transactions in national currency.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the decree on November 27 as part of a broader fintech development package. The new infrastructure will serve both local and international payment system operators, who will be required to route every soum-denominated transaction through the Central Bank’s single switch.

Central Bank Chairman Timur Ishmetov received a tight timeline for 2025–2026. By January 2026 the regulator must complete a study of global best practices and draft technical...

Uzbekistan’s industrial sector posted robust growth in the first ten months of 2025, with total output reaching 865.8 trillion soums ($72.2 bn), according to the National Statistics Committee. This marks a solid 6.7 percent year-on-year increase and underscores the country’s continuing economic diversification drive.

On a per-capita basis, industrial production hit 22.9 mln soums ($1,910) per citizen, reflecting broader gains across the republic’s 58,600 registered industrial enterprises as of 1 November 2025.

Regionally, Tashkent city led with 167.6 trillion soums ($13.97 bn), followed by Navoi region at 155.1 trillion soums ($12.94 bn) and Tashkent region at 132.4 trillion...

Ukrainian sea drones struck one of three Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) single-point moorings in the Black Sea off Novorossiysk early on November 30.

The consortium confirmed the offshore loading terminal sustained heavy damage and has been taken out of service. Repair time remains unclear.

CPC handles roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, moving crude from the giant Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak fields to global markets via the 1,500 km pipeline that ends at Russia’s Novorossiysk port.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharp protest, calling the incident «the third deliberate attack on a purely civilian...