News

Bangladesh has approved construction of a 220 MW solar power plant in Sonagazi, the largest photovoltaic project in the country to date.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, cleared the project on Monday with a budget of Tk 18.88 bn ($154.4 mln). The Islamic Development Bank will provide $143.28 mln in loan financing, while the government and the state-run Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB) will cover the remainder.

EGCB will develop the plant on 634 acres next to its existing 75 MW solar facility, which has been supplying...

Uzbekistan is among 12 countries that will take part in the Dota 2 finals of the Open Student Esports Tournament, according to TASS.

The final stage will be held in Moscow from December 20 to 21 and will feature teams from Argentina, Kazakhstan and India. Dmitry Smith, head of the Russian Esports Federation, said this is the fourth time his organisation has hosted the event. He noted that the federation received a record number of applications from abroad this year with 51 countries seeking to enter.

The Open Student Esports Games are held annually for university players from different...

Russian-born tennis player Kamilla Rakhimova has officially switched her sporting nationality to Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation confirmed Monday. The 24-year-old, formerly ranked as high as world No. 60, now becomes Uzbekistan’s top women’s player with a current ranking of No. 112.

Rakhimova’s decision follows family ties to the country, her mother represented Uzbekistan at youth level, and her brother was born in Tashkent. Though born and raised in Yekaterinburg, she had struggled for consistency on the Tour this season despite a strong grass-court run that included a third-round appearance at Wimbledon, where she upset last...

A supercomputer from the statistical platform Orta has calculated the chances of Uzbekistan’s national football team at the World Cup 2026. The team’s probability of winning the tournament stands at just 0.2%.

The highest odds are held by Spain at 17%, followed by France on 14.1% and England at 11.8%. Teams such as Haiti, Curacao and Jordan have a zero percent chance of lifting the trophy.

Uzbekistan was ranked 25th out of 27, with experts noting that the team faced challenges including coaching changes but still managed to secure a spot in the tournament.

Spain, Argentina and England are...

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has been granted indefinite leave from football, a week after his sending-off in the 3-0 Champions League loss to Chelsea, according to Spanish reports.

The 26-year-old Uruguay international has been given time off to focus on mental health challenges that have affected his performances this season. Araujo has featured 15 times for Barca across all competitions, with his latest appearance ending in a second yellow card before half-time for a sliding tackle on Marc Cucurella at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona initially said Araujo missed the weekend LaLiga win over Alaves due to a stomach bug, but...

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday, BBC reports. The meeting follows comments from the White House expressing optimism about reaching a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, acting as an external adviser to the talks, is also expected to attend.

The summit follows two days of discussions in Florida between Ukrainian and US officials, including Witkoff and Kushner, focused on refining a US-backed peace plan viewed as favourable to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the talks as «constructive» but noted that «some tough issues...

Samsung Electronics has launched its first multi-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, Reuters reports. The company aims to strengthen its position in the foldable market as competition from Chinese rivals intensifies.

Priced at around $2,440, the device unfolds into a 253.1 mm (10-inch) display using three panels, making it nearly 25% larger than Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Alex Lim, Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President and head of the Korea Sales & Marketing Office, said the TriFold is designed for customers specifically seeking such a device rather than as a mass-market model.

«I believe...

Hiroshima has welcomed a new Uzbek restaurant and a trade house representing Namangan region, a project aimed at promoting regional brands and strengthening trade and cultural connections, Dunyo reports.

The restaurant introduces Japanese visitors to traditional Uzbek dishes including plov, samsa, shurpa, lagman and kazan kebab, local authorities said. The Namangan trade house will serve as a hub for showcasing the region’s industrial, agricultural, textile and craft products, as well as its culinary brands.

The initiative is designed to create new export opportunities and establish direct links between entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan and Japan.

The Golden Boy 2025 ceremony took place in Turin where PSG and France winger Desire Doue claimed this year’s prize. The panel praised his consistency throughout the season and his influence on the Paris club’s success in Europe.

Doue joined PSG in the summer of 2024 after a £43 mln transfer from Rennes. He quickly established himself as a central figure in the side thanks to his pace and close control. His impact was most evident during the Champions League knock-out rounds.

The decisive factor in securing the award was his display in the tournament’s final. PSG beat Inter...

Russian tennis player Kamilla Rakhimova has officially joined Uzbekistan’s national team, the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation has confirmed.

The organisation said her move would strengthen the women’s squad. As of early December she stands 109th in the WTA rankings. Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian Tennis Federation, stressed that her switch should not be viewed as an act of betrayal. He said Rakhimova’s decision to change sporting nationality was simply a desire to play more.

He noted that Rakhimova would not have made the cut for the Russian line-up but could have a chance with Uzbekistan, though Olympic qualification remains...

Avatar director James Cameron has warned that generative AI threatens the very essence of filmmaking, arguing that AI-created actors and performances undermine the craft he values most. Speaking to CBS ahead of the release of Avatar 3: Fire and Ash, Cameron praised motion-capture as a «celebration of the actor-director moment» but drew a sharp line against fully synthetic performers.

«Generative AI can make up a character, an actor, a performance from scratch with a text prompt,» he said. «That’s horrifying to me. That’s exactly what we’re not doing.»

Cameron, who serves as a...

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart says he still wrestles with mixed emotions over his abrupt exit from the club following Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016. Hart, once a key figure in City’s rise, winning two Premier League titles and multiple domestic trophies, was dropped almost immediately when Guardiola took charge.

Guardiola selected Willy Caballero for his first league match before signing Claudio Bravo from Barcelona, signalling Hart’s demotion. The England keeper was sent on loan to Torino, then West Ham, before leaving City permanently in 2018. After several years as a backup, Hart revived his career at...

Stranger Things has begun its fifth and final season, marking the end of a nine-year run that helped define Netflix’s rise from TV disruptor to global streaming powerhouse. The long-awaited conclusion, arriving three and a half years after season four, will be rolled out in an unusual three-part format, with four episodes released now, three at Christmas, and a feature-length finale around New Year’s Day.

The show’s ending carries major weight for Netflix. Stranger Things is not only its most bankable original series, but one of the few that has grown its audience each season — a rare...

Uzbekistan has again featured prominently in UNESCO’s global «Tree of Peace» initiative, as the Philippine province of Lanao del Sur became the first in Southeast Asia to receive the prestigious Peace Statue during an unveiling ceremony in Marawi City on November 29.

The bronze monument, awarded to the provincial government in recognition of its commitment to peace and development, joins a select network of «Tree of Peace» installations across the world — including several sites in Uzbekistan. These include the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage in Samarkand, where the statue symbolizes intercultural dialogue and...

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...