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The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) strengthened its position as a key regional player at the 2025 Gabala Summit in Azerbaijan, held under the theme Regional Peace and Security. Founded in 2009 as a cultural bloc and institutionalised in 2018, the OTS now coordinates across economics, defense and education with regular ministerial meetings.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, attending as an observer, praised the Turkic world’s commitment to peace and framed Hungary as a bridge to the West. Summit outcomes included new economic cooperation tracks and proposals for joint security initiatives, signaling OTS’ growing influence across Greater Eurasia.

A headline...

Sumitomo Corporation and partners ACWA Power, Shikoku Electric (Yonden) and Chubu Electric (CHUBU) have signed project financing agreements for a landmark clean-energy project in Uzbekistan: 1,000 MW of solar power with 1,336 MWh of battery energy storage in the Samarkand and Bukhara regions.

Lenders include the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank. Private-sector loans will be covered by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) under overseas untied insurance.

The project, developed through ACWA Power Sazagan Solar 1 & 2, will sell power to JSC National...

Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said a «Palestinian party» violated the ceasefire after an Israeli soldier was reportedly killed in Rafah on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, he told interviewer Ayman Mohyeldin the attack was «a violation by the Palestinian party.» He noted Hamas claimed it was not in contact with the group involved, but said there is no verification of that claim.

Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered retaliatory strikes on Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry cited by Al Jazeera, 104 people were killed, mostly women and children...

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing. The announcement came in a brief post on Truth Social ahead of his meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. Trump cited testing by other countries and said the U.S. must act «on an equal basis.»

It is not clear if the order means a return to explosive tests. The U.S. last carried out an underground nuclear test in Nevada in 1992. Experts warned that any explosive testing would raise tensions with Russia and China and risk radioactive releases.

Beatrice Fihn of the International Campaign to...

China says it has reached a «consensus» with the United States on key economic issues after talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said both sides discussed TikTok, tariffs and rare earths, and agreed on next steps. It gave few details.

Xi urged both teams to finish follow-up work soon and turn the consensus into «tangible results» for China, the US and the global economy. He said ties have seen «twists and turns» and called on Washington to focus on long-term gains from cooperation, not a cycle of retaliation. Xi also highlighted China’s growth...

One of Bitcoin’s earliest known investors, Owen Gunden, has transferred 2,587 BTC, worth roughly $290 mln, to crypto exchange Kraken over the past 10 days, raising fears of renewed selling pressure on the market.

Gunden, among the first to hold more than 10,000 BTC during Bitcoin’s early «Satoshi-era» years, had been largely inactive for over a decade. His sudden movement of funds comes as Bitcoin struggles to hold key technical levels following repeated rejections in the $114,000–$116,000 range.

Bitcoin has slipped to around $112,000, with analysts warning that a break toward the 200-day moving average near $108,000 could deepen...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed strong satisfaction with the outcomes of his official visit to Uzbekistan, describing it as an important step towards deepening bilateral cooperation.

Speaking in Tashkent, Vucic highlighted the significance of the Joint Declaration on future cooperation signed between the two countries and said that several accompanying agreements would serve as a solid foundation for future collaboration.

«I am very satisfied with the results we have achieved so far. Yesterday, we signed a Joint Declaration on future cooperation and several documents that will form the basis of our partnership. I hope...

Russia’s oil major Lukoil has agreed to sell its international subsidiary to Gunvor, a global energy trading company, as it comes under increasing pressure from US sanctions.

In a statement issued on October 30, Lukoil said it had accepted Gunvor’s offer to purchase Lukoil International GmbH, which manages the company’s foreign assets.

Earlier this week, Lukoil announced plans to divest its overseas operations after the United States imposed fresh sanctions linked to the conflict in Ukraine. The planned sale marks one of the most significant corporate responses yet by a Russian firm since the start of the Ukraine...

In the first nine months of 2025, 73 foreign companies paid a total of 124.8 bn soums ($10.4 mln) in taxes to Uzbekistan’s state budget, a 44% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The ten largest firms accounted for 93% of the total amount collected. Leading the list were Meta, which paid 35.2 bn soums ($2.9 mln), followed closely by Apple with 35.1 bn soums ($2.9 mln) and Google with 31.2 bn soums ($2.6 mln).

Other notable taxpayers included OpenAI with 4.7 bn soums ($392,000), Booking.com with 2.9 bn soums ($242,000), and TikTok with 2.6 bn soums...

K-pop group NewJeans has failed in its legal attempt to terminate its contract with its label, Ador, after a Seoul court ruled on Tuesday that the agreement, which runs until 2029, remains valid.

The five-member group: Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle and Minji had announced last year that they were leaving the agency, alleging mistreatment and manipulation. According to local reports, the group has vowed to appeal the ruling, saying it is «impossible to return to Ador» or continue activities under the label.

Court Rules Contract Still Binding

The Seoul Central District Court rejected NewJeans’ argument that the dismissal...

Felipe Massa has revealed that his former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt, suspected immediately after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix that Nelson Piquet Jr had deliberately crashed. The Brazilian made the claim in a written witness statement released during a High Court hearing in London on October 29.

Massa is suing Formula One Management, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, and the FIA over what he says was a manipulated race that cost him the 2008 world title. He is seeking a declaration that he should have been champion and around £64 mln ($85.9 mln) in compensation.

Todt’s Immediate Suspicion...

Uzbekistan and Serbia have signed a memorandum of cooperation on labour migration, paving the way for Uzbek citizens to work legally in Serbia under official protection, the Uzbek Migration Agency announced.

The agreement outlines plans for experience exchange, the creation of a transparent employment system, and measures to prevent illegal migration. Both sides also agreed to jointly monitor compliance with labour laws and share data on the employment of Uzbek workers.

A separate protocol detailing the procedures for recruiting Uzbek citizens in Serbia will be finalised in the near future.

Kursiv also reports that Dubai Taxi Company PJSC has announced plans...

Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached 1,304 trln soums ($108.7 bn) between January and September 2025, marking a 7.6% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the national statistics agency.

The main drivers of growth were industry, construction and services. Industrial output rose by 6.8%, construction expanded by 14.2%, and the services sector grew by 8.7%. The most dynamic progress was seen in information technology, which recorded growth of more than 21%.

GDP per capita reached 34.5 mln soums ($2,880), up 5.6% year-on-year. The services sector now accounts for 49% of the economy, industry makes up...

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their highly anticipated meeting in Busan on October 30 with an agreement on a one-year trade pact designed to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

The 100-minute meeting concluded with what both sides described as «major progress» toward restoring predictability to bilateral trade. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods to 47%, in exchange for Beijing resuming large-scale purchases of US soybeans, maintaining the flow of rare earth exports, and intensifying efforts to curb the illegal...

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced the launch of Cocoon (Confidential Compute Open Network), a new decentralised platform that merges artificial intelligence with the TON blockchain. The network will go live in November, Durov revealed at the Blockchain Life 2025 forum in Dubai.

He said that in recent years, people have been losing their digital freedoms, and decentralisation is the key to protecting them. Jokingly, Durov mentioned that he had considered naming the project Private AI Network — or P.A.I.N. for short.

Cocoon will be powered by GPU miners, who will receive rewards in Toncoin (TON) tokens. Telegram, meanwhile...

FIDE and the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess have announced the return of the ChessMom Project for the 46th Chess Olympiad, set to take place in Uzbekistan in 2026.

First launched in Budapest in 2024, the initiative was widely praised for helping professional women chess players continue their careers while caring for young children.

«I think it is important that women in chess feel supported. We cannot take all the barriers for women away, but with programs like ChessMom we want to help professional chess players balance their career and personal life,» said Dana Reizniece...

As Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica this week, former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said the storm was a stark reminder of how global warming is making extreme weather both stronger and more unjust.

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Figueres said the storm, Jamaica’s most powerful in recorded history, reached Category 5 intensity because sea temperatures were three degrees Celsius above normal.

«Climate change doesn’t produce hurricanes, but it makes them more and more powerful,» she said.

Figueres, who helped broker the 2015 Paris Agreement, called the disaster «a devastating injustice,» noting...

Eurasia will play a decisive role in shaping future global security mechanisms, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta said Monday at the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security.

Speaking at the event, Sekreta argued that traditional European security structures «have failed the test of time,» blaming the «NATO-centric world order» for undermining trust and conflict prevention efforts.

«The safety mechanisms of trust and conflict prevention have failed due to the relentless pursuit of a NATO-centric world order,» he said.

Sekreta emphasised that the Eurasian continent, home to diverse cultures and centuries of coexistence...

Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani said ties between Tehran and Islamabad could evolve into a «lasting strategic partnership,» calling for deeper cooperation in security, defense and economic affairs.

Speaking in Tehran on Tuesday during a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) highlighted the geopolitical significance of both nations in shaping regional stability.

Larijani described the recent Pakistan–Saudi Arabia strategic agreement as «a wise and positive step in the face of common threats,» and urged greater coordination among Muslim countries to confront shared challenges.

He thanked Pakistan for...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow is prepared to offer «security guarantees» to the European Union and NATO, insisting that Russia harbors no hostile intentions toward Western countries.

Speaking at the International Conference on Eurasian Security in Minsk, Lavrov said Russia «has never had and does not have any plans to attack NATO or EU member states» and is willing to formalize that stance through new regional security agreements.

However, Lavrov criticized European leaders for what he called their refusal to engage with Moscow on a collective security framework.

«The...

The United States is scaling back its military footprint in Romania as part of a broader Pentagon plan to reduce force levels in Europe, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The move will end the rotation of a U.S. Army brigade to the Black Sea ally—a presence established after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine to bolster NATO’s eastern flank. The 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade, now nearing the end of a nine-month tour, will not be backfilled, officials said.

Romania called the change an expected result of «new priorities» set by the U.S. administration earlier this year. The ministry...

Renders of Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a have surfaced online — and if they look familiar, that’s because they are. The leaked images suggest the company’s next affordable smartphone will be nearly identical to the Pixel 9a, with almost no visible design changes.

The render, reportedly based on official CAD files, shows a flat back panel, dual rear cameras in a flush housing, and the same slightly chunky display bezels as the previous model. The only notable difference is a new blue color option, which may not even make it to production.

According to reports, the Pixel 10a will feature...

High-level negotiations between Pakistan and the Taliban in Istanbul have ended in failure, with both sides accusing each other of sabotaging efforts to reduce cross-border attacks and improve security cooperation.

The four-day dialogue, hosted by Turkey and Qatar, was aimed at easing months of escalating tension marked by deadly clashes, border closures, and Pakistan’s mass deportation of undocumented Afghans. Instead, the talks concluded with mutual recriminations and no joint statement.

Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, said in a statement that the meeting «failed to produce any workable solution,» blaming the Taliban for refusing to offer...

The world of work is changing faster than it has in decades. Artificial intelligence, flexible workplaces and new employee values are redefining how organisations work, collaborate and succeed. Three major 2025 studies by Gallup, Gensler and Microsoft show a global effort to balance technology with human needs.

Falling engagement, rising pressure

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report shows that only 21% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work, the lowest level in five years. The study estimates that disengagement costs the global economy $438 bn a year driven by burnout and poor workplace culture.