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Uzbekistan revised its gross domestic product after the National Statistics Committee broadened its data coverage. The updated figures show GDP for 2024 rising from $115 bn to $121.4 bn, helped by the inclusion of an extra $6.81 bn of added value.

The changes were presented on November 27 during a meeting where President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the committee’s latest report. Officials also noted a continued reduction in the shadow economy, which has dropped from 50% in 2017 to 35% this year. Plans are in place to bring a further $6.64 bn of activity into the formal sector, which would...

The party of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday demanded immediate access to him, saying he has been held in isolation for more than three weeks without contact with family or lawyers.

Khan, jailed since August 2023 and serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges he claims are politically motivated, has not been seen by anyone outside prison staff since Nov. 4, according to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari.

«We are worried about his illegal isolation,» Bukhari told Reuters, calling on authorities to allow his family to visit and to...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has instructed employees to integrate AI into all possible tasks, calling the technology essential to the company’s future rather than a threat to jobs.

In an internal meeting, Huang criticised managers reportedly discouraging AI use, saying, «Are you insane?» He urged engineers to rely on tools like Cursor and improve them when needed, insisting automation will boost productivity, not replace workers.

The directive comes as major tech firms push staff to adopt AI in daily workflows, even as fears of job losses rise following industry-wide restructuring. Huang, however, reiterated that roles will evolve, not disappear:

France is preparing to revive national military service on a voluntary basis, nearly 30 years after abolishing conscription, as concerns grow over Russia’s aggression and the risk of a wider conflict in Europe.

President Emmanuel Macron is expected to unveil the plan today during a visit to an infantry brigade in the Alps. The announcement comes more than three and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war French officials warn could spill beyond Ukraine’s borders.

According to a presidential official, the revamped scheme will initially train 2,000–3,000 volunteers in its...

A woman in her 20s has died and a man of a similar age remains in critical condition after a shark attack at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay National Park, around 300 km north of Sydney, New South Wales.

Police and paramedics were called to the beach early on Thursday morning. A bystander applied a makeshift tourniquet to the man’s leg before emergency services arrived, an action officials said may have been life-saving.

The Department of Primary Industries stated the shark involved was likely a large bull shark, a species known to be potentially dangerous to humans.

Authorities have...

A train hit a group of railway workers at Luoyang Town station in Kunming, southwestern China, on Thursday, killing 11 and injuring two, officials said. The train was testing earthquake detection equipment when it struck workers on a curved section of track.

Normal services at the Yunnan province station have resumed, and authorities are investigating the cause of the collision.

On the same day, two maintenance workers were killed by a train in Deyang, Sichuan province, according to local media.

China operates the world’s largest rail network, covering more than 160,000 km and carrying billions of passengers each year...

Aziz Gafurov, Head of the Secretariat of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of Uzbekistan spoke to Kursiv Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the 3rd EU–Central Asia Economic Forum.

«Almost every major international organisation and development institution now chooses Uzbekistan as the venue for its regional events. This is a clear signal that interest is rising sharply, especially in the priority areas highlighted today: critical raw materials, green energy, and digitalisation,» Gafurov said.

He stressed that the real value of EU–Central Asia cooperation lies in unification of efforts across the region.

A fire at the Wang Fuk Court public housing estate in Hong Kong has killed at least 55 people and left more than 270 unaccounted for. Thousands of residents have been relocated to temporary shelters.

The blaze began on Wednesday at 14:51 local time at the 31-storey estate in Tai Po district. Seven of the eight towers were affected. The estate, built in 1983, was undergoing renovation. About 40% of residents are aged 65 or older.

Police say mesh netting, plastic sheets and styrofoam were found on the buildings and may have contributed to the rapid spread of...

World chess champion Javokhir Sindarov will receive a three-room flat as a presidential gift, following his recent World Cup triumph and his wider contribution to the growth of chess in Uzbekistan.

Alongside the flat, his coaching team will receive cash awards in recognition of their role in his success. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has also signed a decree granting Sindarov the honorary title of Honoured Athlete of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

According to the presidential press service, the award reflects his exceptional skill, determination and commitment, as well as his role in strengthening the reputation of New Uzbekistan on...

Delegates at an international conference on endangered species voted down a European Union proposal to introduce trade controls on all types of eel. The vote took place at the latest meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, held this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

European eels already fall under CITES protection, which means cross-border trade requires an official export permit. The EU and several partners sought to extend the same restrictions to every eel species, including the Japanese eel, citing concerns about declining stocks.

Japan opposed the move, warning that tighter controls could trigger sharp price rises at...

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a synthetic local-currency facility worth up to $40 mln for the Mortgage Refinancing Company of Uzbekistan (UzMRC), the country’s sole mortgage refinancing institution. The funding will help secure a stable source of medium-term finance in Uzbek soums and set up the creation of a more efficient and standardised mortgage market.

The EBRD says the loan will reinforce UzMRC’s role as a central player in the long-term development of the housing finance system. It will also improve access to affordable mortgages and encourage greater private-sector participation. A substantial share of the funds...

Investigators led by the FBI’s joint terrorism task force worked on Thursday to understand why an Afghan immigrant targeted two National Guard soldiers just blocks from the White House in what officials described as an «ambush» attack on the eve of Thanksgiving.

The soldiers, deployed as part of a militarised law enforcement operation ordered by President Donald Trump, remain in critical condition. The suspect, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was wounded during an exchange of gunfire before being taken into custody. Lakanwal, an Afghan national, had no known criminal record and resided in...

World Bank senior country economist Pinar Yasar advised Uzbekistan to allow its exchange rate to float freely while using central bank interventions solely to smooth extreme swings. Speaking at a panel on monetary policy, she stressed that maintaining credibility under an inflation-targeting framework requires clear rules, disciplined intervention and close alignment of monetary and fiscal policies.

Yasar highlighted that interventions should focus on market functioning rather than defending a specific currency level. She warned that heavy-handed attempts to fix rates, as seen in Russia in 2014 and Kazakhstan in 2015, can deplete reserves, increase volatility and reduce confidence.

A 10% rise in productivity could create almost 2 mln jobs across Europe and Central Asia, according to a new World Bank report. Experts emphasise that productivity, rather than simply expanding capital or labour, should be the main driver of economic growth.

The report highlights that sluggish economic growth following the global financial crisis was largely due to falling productivity. Reforms progressed slowly, many resources remained tied up in inefficient state-owned enterprises and development opportunities were underused. Export-focused firms, although few, remain the most productive in the region. At the same time, trade volumes are on average 45% below...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended that Uzbekistan accelerate reforms in its financial sector, noting that strong economic growth provides an opportunity to phase out preferential and targeted lending.

The IMF highlighted that the central bank’s plan to strengthen banking supervision by 2025 should be expanded into a comprehensive roadmap covering all recommendations from the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) and other authorities. This approach will help streamline reforms and secure technical assistance. FSAP is a detailed review of a country’s financial system conducted by the IMF in collaboration with the World Bank.

The reforms are expected to...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree establishing the Enterprise Uzbekistan digital technology centre, the Ministry of Justice announced.

The centre will operate as a separate territory under an English legal framework. Its main activities will include artificial intelligence development, video game production, business process outsourcing, and IT consulting services.

Enterprise Uzbekistan is expected to foster digital solutions and innovation across the country while training a skilled workforce to support the growth of Uzbekistan’s IT sector.

Uzbekistan’s economy continues to show strong performance, according to a mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that recently visited the country.

«Now is an opportune moment to advance reform programmes, implement sound policies, and build reserves to strengthen resilience against shocks,» IMF representatives said.

The fund estimated that real GDP in Uzbekistan grew by 7.6% year-on-year between January and September 2025. Growth was supported by increased investment and strong consumer demand. The IMF expects the economy to expand by 6% in the coming years, driven by sustained consumption and investment. Inflation is...

A devastating fire swept through multiple residential towers in Tai Po district of Hong Kong, leaving at least 44 people dead and 45 in critical condition. Authorities say 279 residents are still unaccounted for as firefighters continue efforts to fully contain the blaze.

Police have arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter, including two directors of a construction firm and an engineering consultant. The buildings were under renovation, and officers say mesh and plastic sheeting found on the windows may have helped the flames spread rapidly. Fire crews expect operations to last throughout the day. Four of the eight...

Japan is preparing to hold its first summit with the five Central Asian republics, with talks likely to take place in Tokyo as early as mid December, NHK reports.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have maintained ministerial dialogue with Japan for more than two decades, yet their first leaders’ meeting has never materialised.

Originally the summit was planned in Kazakhstan in August last year, but it was abruptly cancelled after Japan issued an advisory about the risk of a major earthquake.

The five nations, all former Soviet republics, retain close relations with Russia while also seeing rising engagement...

Eva Green has joined the cast of Netflix’s hit series Wednesday, taking on the role of Aunt Ophelia in Season 3. The character was teased in the closing moments of the Season 2 finale, which showed only the back of her head and prompted widespread fan speculation. Green’s casting confirms that Aunt Ophelia is not connected to Lady Gaga’s character Rosalyn Rottwood, as some viewers theorised.

Ophelia Frump is the sister of Morticia Addams, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. According to the show’s mythology, she was institutionalised at Willow Hill by the sisters’ mother, Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley), before...

A devastating fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district has killed at least 44 people, with 279 residents still unaccounted for, as emergency crews continue overnight rescue operations.

More than 800 firefighters have been battling the blaze at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex. Authorities say the fire is now under control in four of the eight apartment blocks, but intense flames and heavy smoke continue to hamper access to the remaining buildings.

The incident has been declared a Level Five fire — Hong Kong’s highest emergency rating.

Local media report that a baby and an elderly woman have been...

Aston Martin has confirmed that design icon Adrian Newey will take over as Team Principal at the start of next year as part of an expanded role as Managing Technical Partner. Newey joined the team on March 1 after nearly twenty years with Red Bull and has already been working on the 2026 car.

Under his updated remit he will lead the technical department and oversee trackside operations. Andy Cowell, who has served as both Team Principal and CEO while overseeing major structural reforms, will move into the position of Chief Strategy Officer. His new responsibilities include strengthening technical...

Sir Elton John has spoken publicly about major vision loss, calling the past 15 months «devastating» after an infection in 2024 left him blind in his right eye and with limited sight in his left. The music icon said he has been unable to watch or read anything, though recent treatments have brought slight improvement.

Elton credited friends and technology for helping him stay connected during the ordeal. Using his iPad to see faces up close, he has remained in touch with fellow musicians including Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend, who he says check in on...

A new report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission says China used the May 7–10 India-Pakistan confrontation to test its latest combat systems in real battlefield conditions, marking the first time Chinese weapons such as the J-10 fighter jet, HQ-9 air defense system and PL-15 missiles were used in high-intensity conflict.

The report, published on November 18, concludes that Beijing took advantage of the crisis, known in India as Operation Sindoor, as Pakistan relied heavily on Chinese-supplied weapons, intelligence support and command-and-control networks during the fighting. The clash followed a deadly insurgent attack in Jammu and...