News

US country songwriter Brett James has died in a small plane crash, industry officials have confirmed. He was 57.

Although he released a solo album in the 1990s, James was best recognised for his prolific songwriting, penning hundreds of country hits. His most acclaimed work was Jesus, Take The Wheel for Carrie Underwood, which earned him two Grammy awards in 2007 for best country song and best female country vocal performance

Tributes From the Country Music World

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame said James was on board a single-engine plane when it went down on September 18.

The United States is working to retake Bagram airbase from the Taliban, Donald Trump has said, signalling Washington’s intention to reclaim a key strategic foothold lost during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.

The US president indicated that negotiations with the Taliban were under way for American forces to once again occupy the airfield, which was previously the largest US military site in Afghanistan. He stressed its importance as a regional outpost given its location just an hour’s flight from Chinese nuclear weapons facilities.

Speaking alongside Keir Starmer at Chequers on September 18, Trump remarked:

«One of...

Ned Fulmer has announced his separation from his wife, Ariel, just hours after publicly claiming their marriage had grown stronger.

The former Try Guys member, who left the YouTube comedy group three years ago following allegations of an affair with a colleague, told People earlier this week that he and Ariel had worked through their issues in therapy and rebuilt trust. Ned, once widely known online as a devoted «wife guy,» described the process as painful but said their bond had become «stronger than before.»

However, TMZ revealed only hours later that the couple have in fact ended their 15-year...

Prabir and Sanjukta Mitra, a Bengali couple based in the UK, embarked on a 100-day, 27,000km overland expedition from King’s Lynn to Kolkata to raise awareness about diabetes. The journey, designed to follow the ancient Silk Route through 20 countries, took an unexpected turn when a navigational error pushed them 430km off course in Uzbekistan.

The couple, travelling in their Toyota Hilux nicknamed ‘Chetak’, arrived at Kyzyl Kala, a remote village far from their intended stop at Karakalpakstan’s Qizil Qala fortress. Instead of frustration, they found themselves warmly embraced by locals who regarded them as guests from «the land of...

DBS, Franklin Templeton and Ripple have signed a memorandum of understanding to introduce tokenised trading and lending products for institutional investors on the XRP Ledger. The initiative will use tokenised money market funds and stablecoins to provide a flexible way to shift assets during volatile market conditions.

According to the announcement, the project will allow investors to move funds between yield-generating assets and stablecoins, supporting round-the-clock rebalancing. Lim Wee Kian, CEO of DBS Digital Exchange, said tokenised securities offer «efficiency and liquidity» to global markets while catering to the demands of digital asset investors.

DBS Digital Exchange will list sgBENJI...

The first US exchange-traded funds linked to XRP and Dogecoin have made a striking market debut, generating $54.7 mln in trading volume and leaving analyst forecasts in the dust.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted that most new funds manage around $1 mln in their first session, but these crypto products proved far more active. «No slouch,» he said on X, pointing out that the numbers signalled strong appetite for upcoming digital asset funds awaiting regulatory clearance.

$XRPR traded $37.7m on Day One, which edges out $IVES for the biggest day one (natural) $ volume...

Karoline Leavitt has drawn attention after sharing a religious post that tied a Utah earthquake to the killing of Charlie Kirk.

The White House press secretary reposted a message on Instagram that described a 4.1 magnitude tremor striking Utah on the same night as Kirk’s death, presenting it as a sign of divine anger. The post highlighted the symbolism of numbers in scripture, noting that 40 represents trials while 41 signifies change. It also referred to Acts 7:57, which describes the stoning of Stephen, Christianity’s first martyr.

The earthquake was recorded near Vernal, around 150 miles from Orem, where...

In a sport defined by precision, speed, and high-stakes drama, it was a whiskered wanderer, not a world champion, who captured hearts at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Meet the “Paddock Cat,” the stray feline who turned the Baku circuit into her personal runway and became Formula 1’s most unexpected viral star.

From Track Intruder to Internet Icon

The F1 paddock cat in Baku was pawsitively adorable. (Meow) 😻 pic.twitter.com/dKMhZwVCeP

— Motorsport (@Motorsport) September 18, 2025

It all started with a few curious sightings: a sleek, streetwise cat weaving through the paddock, brushing past mechanics...

The first benchmark results comparing Xiaomi’s new 17 Pro with Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro have surfaced, highlighting a clear leader in processing power, GSMarena reports.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 16 GB of RAM, recorded 3025 points in single-core and 9178 points in multi-core tests on Geekbench. In contrast, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, equipped with the A19 Pro processor built on a 3-nanometre process, achieved around 3650 points in single-core and 11,500 in multi-core performance, placing it ahead on raw computing strength.

Despite this, Xiaomi is expected to compete...

Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Centre (AntAC) has reported that the family of National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov holds eight real estate properties in the United States.

According to the organisation, the assets include three apartments in Florida, one in New York and four villas near Miami. In his 2024 asset declaration, Umerov stated that his wife Leila and their three children live in the United States.

The AntAC said the information was verified using open and paid databases, as well as sources in the US with access to property records. For security reasons, the organisation did not disclose...

Flamengo secured a 2–1 win over Estudiantes in their latest Copa Libertadores fixture at the Maracanã. The Brazilian side took control early when Pedro converted a well-timed pass from Giorgian De Arrascaeta after 12 minutes.

Estudiantes responded before the break, as Mauro Méndez headed in from a corner to level the score. The second half saw Flamengo dominate possession and press higher up the pitch, restricting the visitors to counterattacks and set pieces.

The decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute when Gerson struck from distance, restoring Flamengo’s lead. Despite some late pressure from Estudiantes, the hosts held on to...

Uzbekistan produced 5.9 mln tonnes of wheat in the first six months of 2025, an increase of 4.3% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data from the national statistics committee.

Fergana region delivered the largest harvest with 709,400 tonnes, followed by Surkhandarya with 674,300 tonnes and Kashkadarya with 600,100 tonnes. Samarkand contributed 531,700 tonnes, Andijan 480,300 tonnes and Bukhara 457,600 tonnes. Jizzakh, Tashkent and Khorezm each exceeded 400,000 tonnes of output.

The smallest harvests were recorded in Namangan with 400,500 tonnes, Syrdarya with 375,100 tonnes, Navoi with 207,100 tonnes and Karakalpakstan with 137,100 tonnes.

Kursiv...

Uzbekistan’s men’s national football team have moved up one place to 54th in the updated FIFA world rankings, marking the highest position among Central Asian nations.

Tajikistan is placed 102nd, Kyrgyzstan 106th, Kazakhstan 118th and Turkmenistan 138th. Uzbekistan’s closest ranking neighbours are Qatar in 53rd and South Africa in 55th.

At the top of the table, Spain lead the way, followed by France, with Argentina completing the top three.

Football outlet Goal.com recently assessed Uzbekistan’s prospects at next year’s FIFA World Cup, ranking them 25th out of 27 likely contenders. The report noted that the team’s chances of progressing...

Cole Palmer voiced his frustration after Chelsea’s return to the Champions League was spoiled by costly errors in their 3–1 defeat to Bayern Munich.

Trevoh Chalobah’s own goal, a penalty conceded by Moises Caicedo and a slip from Malo Gusto handed Harry Kane two goals at the Allianz Arena, despite Palmer’s impressive strike offering the Blues hope.

«We played well and proved we belong here,» Palmer said. «But all three goals were down to us. We had chances and deserved more. Early on we could have scored, but when you make mistakes at the back...

Charlotte Church shot to fame as an 11-year-old soprano, selling more than 10 mln records and earning millions from global tours and royal performances. Yet at 39, the Welsh singer admits she is «not a millionaire anymore,» after years of lavish spending and bold investments.

Downsizing and new priorities

Last year, Church sold her six-bedroom home The Spinney, making £1 mln profit but choosing to «massively downsize» to a semi-detached house. She explained the property had once served as a community school and studio but no longer made sense to keep.

Her biggest financial gamble came in...

At the International Forum «Road to Prosperity» held in Namangan on September 17–18, 2025, experts underlined that Uzbekistan must prepare to review its social policy following the country’s long-awaited national census next year. Correspondent of Kursiv Uzbekistan attended the event and shared opinions of the experts.

The discussions highlighted how demographic shifts, from a growing youth population to a rising number of elderly citizens, will reshape the nation’s development priorities.

Florence Bauer, Regional Director for UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia, stressed that Central Asia is at a unique demographic crossroads.

«One third of the population...

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a formal mutual defence pact on September 17, reinforcing a security partnership that has spanned decades as regional tensions intensify.

The agreement reflects mounting unease among Gulf Arab states over the reliability of the United States as their traditional security guarantor. Concerns have grown following Israel’s strike on Qatar last week.

A senior Saudi official told Reuters that the pact represented the culmination of years of talks.

«This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two...

Afghan authorities have started to curb the use of fibre-optic internet, according to Tasnim News. In Balkh, access to the network has already been cut under Taliban orders.

Local officials justified the decision as part of a campaign against what they called «sins.» The shutdown has disrupted services including passport offices and customs operations.

In response, six ministers travelled to Kandahar to assess the impact. Reports suggest the restrictions could be extended to other provinces.

Journalist Bilal Sarwari noted that a final decision on a nationwide ban has not yet been made. He said a dispute has emerged in...

The US Federal Reserve, the country’s main financial regulator, has lowered its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points following its September 16–17 meeting. The rate now stands at a range of 4–4.25% per year, according to the central bank’s official statement.

This marks the first change since five consecutive meetings where the rate was held steady at 4.25–4.5%. The next policy review is scheduled for October 28–29.

In its press release, the Fed noted that economic growth slowed sharply in the first half of the year. Job creation has become less robust, and unemployment has inched higher, though it...

Meta Platforms on September 17 introduced its first consumer-ready smart glasses equipped with a built-in display, expanding on the success of its Ray-Ban line that has become one of the early hits of the artificial intelligence era.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg presented the Meta Ray-Ban Display and a new wristband controller at the company’s Connect event in Menlo Park, California. The audience applauded despite a few glitches during the live demonstration. Zuckerberg hailed the glasses as the ideal gateway to what he called «personal superintelligence.»

«Glasses are the ideal form factor for personal superintelligence, because...

ABC, owned by Walt Disney, announced on September 17 it was taking Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air after remarks by the late-night host about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk led to threats from the head of the top US communications regulator.

Donald Trump, who has long pressured broadcasters to curb content he dislikes, welcomed the suspension in a social media post. Democratic lawmakers, however, condemned the move, calling it an attack on free expression. The removal of Kimmel’s show is the latest in a series of actions against media figures, academics, teachers and employees whose...

On September 27, 2025, Tashkent will host Web Summit Spotlight — a special edition of one of the world’s most influential technology forums — marking the first event of its kind in the history of Central Asia. The event is organized by IT Park Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in partnership with Web Summit.

The flagship Web Summit, held annually in Lisbon, brings together more than 70,000 participants — including startup founders, executives of leading global corporations, investors, and researchers shaping the international technology agenda. The arrival of Web Summit Spotlight in Tashkent expands the global reach...

The World Bank’s project portfolio in Uzbekistan now exceeds $14 bn, according to figures shared during a meeting between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the institution’s Global Director, Luis Felipe López-Calva.

The Bank has played a key role in helping Uzbekistan develop poverty measurement methodologies and continues to support poverty diagnostics across the country. At the meeting, proposals were put forward for a new joint initiative under the From Poverty to Prosperity programme. The project is expected to include practical measures to create jobs for women and young people, modernise urban and rural social infrastructure and expand tourism.

Uzbekistan...

A major controversy has broken out in Turkey surrounding the popular television drama Cranberry Sorbet (Kızılcık Şerbeti), aired on Show TV and consistently ranking among the nation’s most watched programmes. The uproar was triggered by a storyline in episode 104, where two central characters engage in an affair.

The plot revealed that Doga, wife of Fatih, begins a secret relationship with Firaz, who is married to Fatih’s sister, Nursema. Depiction of an illicit relationship within the same family provoked a particularly sharp reaction from Turkish audiences. The episode ended with the pair exchanging text messages, a revelation that shocked viewers.