News

The death toll from the fire that swept through Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping centre has risen to 67, police have confirmed.

Seventy-seven people are still listed as missing by their families after the blaze began on Saturday evening, officials said. The fire took more than 24 hours to bring under control, and the scale of the damage has slowed recovery efforts as teams search through the remains of the 6,500 square metre complex.

Some of the bodies recovered are only partial remains. Authorities have counted 67 skulls and identification is ongoing. So far, 15 victims have been identified.

Gul...

Alpine revealed its 2026 Formula 1 car, the A526, during a launch event in Barcelona ahead of next week’s shakedown.

The new car was shown just two days after it completed its first track running during a filming day at Silverstone. Fans were given their first full look at the A526 and its livery for the coming season.

The Enstone-based team has kept its familiar blue and pink colour scheme as it prepares for a season shaped by sweeping new technical regulations. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto will continue as Alpine’s drivers.

Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan rose by 30% in 2025, reaching 7 bn cubic metres, according to the International Energy Agency report cited by TASS. The fuel was transported through the Central Asia–Centre pipeline.

Uzbekistan’s national statistics agency reported that the country spent $1.6 bn on imported gas last year, a 1.2% decrease from 2024. At the same time, Uzbekistan exported around $773 mln worth of pipeline gas to China.

Russia also boosted gas exports to China in 2025, with deliveries rising 25% to 39 bn cubic metres.

Moscow plans to raise gas supplies to Uzbekistan to...

Ferrari revealed its new Formula 1 car for the 2026 season, the SF-26, which was built to comply with extensive new regulations. The team will retain Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as its drivers, while Fred Vasseur stays on as team principal.

Ferrari is hoping the SF-26 can finally end a title drought that has lasted nearly 20 years. The team last won the Constructors’ Championship in 2008, and its last Drivers’ title was claimed by Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Frederic Vasseur described 2026 as a major turning point for the sport. He said the new regulations represent...

Music from some of the world’s most popular video games, including The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, will be performed live by a full orchestra at a special concert in Liverpool.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Robert Ames, will present a programme featuring scores chosen in part through social media polls among gaming fans.

Marek Smagala of the Liverpool Game-Dev Network said developers and players alike share a deep attachment to the music associated with their favourite titles. He added that Liverpool has a strong gaming heritage and a revitalised community, noting the city’s role...

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that China would stand by Latin America’s largest economy and support the broader Global South, as both leaders called for strengthening the role of the United Nations amid growing global tensions.

According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi made the remarks during a phone call on Friday, urging Beijing and Brasília to safeguard shared interests and uphold the UN in what he described as a turbulent international environment.

Brazil’s presidency confirmed the 45-minute call, saying both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the UN as...

Vietnam’s top leader To Lam was unanimously reappointed as head of the ruling Communist Party for another five-year term.

In the one-party state, all 180 members of the newly formed central committee backed Lam at the close of the party’s five-yearly congress, which sets policy priorities and leadership appointments.

Lam promised to pursue double-digit growth and said governance should be based on integrity, talent, courage and competence, with performance judged by concrete results.

Party Congress Sets Targets

The congress approved a resolution calling for annual economic growth of at least 10% through the decade and appointed the 19-member...

Turkey and Uzbekistan have launched a new «4+4» strategic cooperation mechanism, bringing together their foreign, defence, interior and intelligence institutions in a single framework, as the two countries seek to deepen coordination on security and regional strategy.

The fourth meeting of the Joint Strategic Planning Group was held in Ankara on January 20, co-chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bahtiyor Saidov.

During the meeting, the sides signed an Action Plan for 2026–2027, formalising cooperation across security, defence, intelligence sharing and internal affairs. Officials said the mechanism reflects a shift toward institutionalised, long-term coordination amid...

The World Bank approved a decade-long programme to develop electricity markets and integrate power systems across Central Asia, the organisation said. In the first phase, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will receive $143.2 mln.

Of that total, the World Bank’s International Development Association will provide $140 mln, while $3.2 mln will come from the Central Asia Water and Energy Programme. The REMIT initiative will be implemented in three stages and aims to expand regional electricity trade and integrate renewable energy sources.

The programme is designed to use the region’s complementary energy resources, including hydroelectric power in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, thermal generation...

Intel said on January 22 it struggled to meet demand for server chips used in AI data centres and forecast quarterly revenue and profit below market estimates. This sent its shares down 13% in after-hours trading.

The forecast highlights Intel’s difficulty predicting global chip demand, as current products reflect decisions made years ago. The company recently launched a long-awaited laptop chip aimed at regaining its PC lead, even as a memory chip shortage is expected to hit sales in that market.

Intel executives said demand for server central processors used alongside AI chips surged unexpectedly. Even with factories running...

Housing purchase and sale transactions in Uzbekistan rose by more than 15% in 2025, reaching about 295,000 nationwide, according to CERR.

The strongest growth in transaction activity was recorded in Bukhara region at 25.7%, followed by Syrdarya at 23.3% and Samarkand at 19.7%. Tashkent accounted for around 30% of all housing deals, with sales in the capital up 18.2% to roughly 84,000 transactions.

Prices in the secondary housing market increased by an average of 8% nationwide, up from 6.2% in 2024. The highest price growth, at about 17%, was seen in Surkhandarya and Fergana Regions and in the Republic of...

Ubisoft cancelled six video games, including the long-awaited remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, as part of a major operational reset aimed at restoring growth.

The French publisher has also shut studios in Stockholm and Halifax, delayed seven projects and begun restructuring parts of the business. Chief executive Yves Guillemot said the measures were needed to build a more focused and sustainable organisation.

Shares in Ubisoft fell about 33% after the announcement. The company did not name all the cancelled titles but said they include four unannounced games, most based on new intellectual property, and one...

A pair of aviator sunglasses worn by French President Emmanuel Macron triggered a sharp rally in the shares of their maker, Italy’s iVision Tech, highlighting the power of viral moments on financial markets.

«This certainly created a wow effect on the stock,» iVision Tech chief executive Stefano Fulchir told Reuters.

The surge has added about 3.5 mln euros to the Milan-listed group’s market capitalisation.

Macron’s appearance fuelled a wave of memes and speculation online, with frequent comparisons to the 1986 film Top Gun starring Tom Cruise. Even U.S. President Donald Trump joined the online...

Wolverhampton Wanderers are considering a move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips as they look to strengthen their squad amid a relegation battle.

According to reports, Wolves have revived their interest in the 30-year-old, who has struggled for regular playing time at the Etihad since joining City from Leeds United in 2022.

Phillips, once an England regular and the national team’s Player of the Year in 2021, has made just one appearance this season under Pep Guardiola, with injuries and competition for places limiting his opportunities.

Wolves see his experience as a potential boost to their...

A fan-led campaign to send Victoria Beckham’s long-overlooked 2001 solo single Not Such An Innocent Girl to number one is rapidly gaining momentum, days after her public fallout with son Brooklyn Beckham.

The song has surged to number one on Ireland’s iTunes chart and climbed to number two in the UK, fuelled by a viral social media drive framing the effort as a way to correct the fact that Victoria remains the only Spice Girl without a solo chart-topper.

The renewed interest follows Brooklyn’s public statement this week accusing his parents of controlling behaviour and confirming he...

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were unveiled on Thursday, kicking off the final phase of the 2026 Oscars race. Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners emerged as the most nominated film of the year with a record-breaking 16 nominations, while Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another followed with 13. Chloe Zhao’s Shakespeare-inspired drama Hamnet earned eight nominations, securing its place among the Best Picture contenders alongside titles such as F1, Frankenstein and Marty Supreme.

The nominations were announced by Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman, with the ceremony set for 15 March at the Dolby Theatre in...

Geologists have identified what is being described as the world’s largest-ever iron ore deposit in Western Australia, a discovery that could significantly influence global commodity markets. The find, located deep beneath the remote Hamersley region in the Pilbara, is estimated to contain around 55 bn metric tons of high-grade ore with iron content exceeding 60%, potentially valuing the resource at about £4.5 trillion.

Researchers, including scientists from Curtin University, say the unusually high purity of the ore would allow more efficient extraction with less waste than typical deposits. Beyond its economic significance, the discovery has also prompted a...

Senior figures in Venezuela’s ruling elite secretly assured US officials they would cooperate with Washington after the removal of President Nicolas Maduro, according to sources cited by The Guardian. Delcy Rodriguez, who was later sworn in as acting president, and her brother Jorge Rodriguez, head of the national assembly, are said to have conveyed through intermediaries that they would accept Maduro’s departure, though they stopped short of actively helping to topple him.

The backchannel contacts, which also involved Qatari officials, took place months before the U.S. military operation that led to Maduro’s capture earlier this month. Sources said...

France’s navy has seized a suspected Russian «shadow fleet» oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea following intelligence provided by the UK, authorities said on Thursday.

The vessel, named Grinch, was intercepted in a commando-style operation off the southern coast of Spain and is suspected of operating under a false flag to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports.

French officials said the tanker is linked to Moscow’s sanction-busting network used to keep oil revenues flowing despite restrictions imposed over the war in Ukraine. The ship is now being escorted to port for inspections.

President Emmanuel Macron

Uzbekistan formally joined the Board of Peace on Gaza after President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed an accession agreement. The initiative was launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The agreement was signed in Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum.

According to CNN, representatives from fewer than 20 countries attended the ceremony, despite earlier reports that 35 participants were expected.

«We have a great group of people and incredible young people that are leading it from within,» he said during the announcement of the board in Davos.

The U.S. president added that the new organisation...

World leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos have warned that the global order is «in the midst of a rupture,» amid growing fears that international law is being undermined and great-power politics are returning. The comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed push to annex Greenland, alongside tariff threats and rhetoric over Venezuela’s oil, dominates discussions in Switzerland.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the world was shifting toward an era «without rules,» where economic tools such as tariffs and supply chains are increasingly used as weapons. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that «imperial ambitions are...

Mercedes released the first images of its 2026 Formula 1 car, the W17, which sports a revised silver and black livery.

The team, which climbed back to second in last year’s Teams’ Championship, will retain George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for the upcoming season.

Like its rivals, the W17 is smaller, narrower and lighter than its predecessor, built to meet sweeping new aerodynamic rules introduced for 2026.

«Formula 1 will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition,» said team principal and CEO Toto Wolff.

He added that the...

French food group Lactalis announced a global recall of six batches of Picot baby formula amid concerns they may contain a toxin.

The recall affects products sold in Australia, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Greece, Kuwait, Madagascar, Mexico, Monaco, Spain, Peru, Taiwan and Uzbekistan.

Lactalis said the batches were being withdrawn because tests found cereulide in an ingredient supplied by a third party. The company did not identify the supplier.

Cereulide, a toxin produced by bacteria, can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, the statement said. Lactalis provided a list of six lot numbers and insisted...

Uzbekistan’s gold exports reached $9.9 bn in 2025, marking a 32.3% increase compared with the previous year, according to the country’s foreign trade report.

In November, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan became one of the world’s top three buyers of gold, purchasing 10 tonnes in a single month. Only Poland and Brazil bought more, with 12 tonnes and 11 tonnes respectively. By early December, central banks globally had acquired more than 290 tonnes of the precious metal. Although this was below the record highs seen in previous years, demand for gold remained strong.

Uzbekistan’s foreign exchange and gold reserves also...