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The U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is moving toward waters off Venezuela in a display of American military power not seen in Latin America for decades.

The deployment is part of Operation Southern Spear, a Trump administration mission the White House says is aimed at combating drug trafficking. Once the Ford arrives, the operation will involve nearly a dozen U.S. Navy ships and about 12,000 sailors and Marines.

Officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, insist the focus is on «narcoterrorist» networks moving cocaine toward the U.S. Critics...

At a recent session of the State Duma, lawmakers were debating changes to funding for the «Native Toy» competition when an unexpected claim appeared.

One deputy said that the popular Soviet character Cheburashka was «Jewish,» arguing that Israel was supposedly the only country sending oranges to the USSR when the original animated film was made.

Cheburashka first appeared in a book by Eduard Uspensky and later became famous through the Soyuzmultfilm cartoon series.

During the discussion, deputies also mentioned concerns about modern collectible toys, including the popular figure Labubu, which has recently drawn attention from Russian officials...

France has fully lifted the judicial supervision measures on Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, allowing him to leave the country and removing his obligation to report to the police in Nice, according to French judicial sources.

The Russian-UAE-French national had been under judicial control since August 2024, facing an investigation into Telegram’s alleged role in permitting illicit activity on the platform. He was initially barred from leaving France and required to check in regularly.

Sources told Reuters and other media that Durov’s compliance with the supervision terms was deemed «ideal,» which contributed to the decision to lift...

Photo: Uzbek president’s office

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has highlighted the joint construction of the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant as a key milestone in strengthening cooperation among Central Asian states.

In his article «Central Asia on the Threshold of a New Era,» Mirziyoyev described the agreement between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on the project as «a vivid example of fraternal partnership.» He added that collaboration with Tajikistan on the Yavan and Fandaryn hydropower plants along the Zarafshan River is also progressing steadily.

Kambarata-1, set to become the largest energy facility on Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn River, will feature a 5.4-billion-cubic-meter reservoir and a...

Uzbekistan’s mixed recurve team delivered a historic performance at the 24th Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka, reaching the finals for the first time after a dramatic upset of top-seeded Korea.

Amirkhon Sadikov and Ziyodakhon Abdusattorova rallied from a set down to defeat Korea’s Seo Mingi and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Jang Minhee, shooting an X, 10 and 10 in a decisive final set. The pair, who previously won mixed team bronze at the 2022 Asia Cup in Sharjah, will face Chinese Taipei in the gold-medal match on November 14.

Uzbekistan’s breakthrough comes as part of a strong showing by...

Uzbekistan will make its long-awaited debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming one of several so-called «footballing minnows» set to give the expanded tournament a fresh look — and new storylines.

For the first time, the World Cup will feature 48 teams instead of 32, opening the door for debutants such as Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cape Verde, as well as returning outsiders like Qatar, who have qualified on sporting merit rather than as hosts. The new format, with 12 groups and an enlarged knockout stage, has sparked debate over quality and competitiveness, but it has also widened access...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 mln policy-based loan, including $100 mln on concessional terms, to help Uzbekistan expand access to finance for underserved micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), especially those led by women, and to strengthen the country’s microfinance sector.

The funding supports Subprogram 2 of the Inclusive Finance Sector Development Program, which builds on earlier reforms to create a stronger legal and institutional framework for inclusive finance. Measures include raising the maximum microloan size, updating microfinance regulations, joining the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code, and drafting rules for Islamic microfinance.

The new subprogram will...

Uzbekistan and India have agreed to deepen regional trade connectivity through the joint development of new multimodal transport routes linking South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe.

The partnership was formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Uztemiryulkonteyner, Uzbekistan’s national rail container operator, and India’s ABS Logistics during an international transport and logistics exhibition.

Under the deal, both sides will work to expand container traffic, open new transit routes, and modernize logistics infrastructure across Uzbekistan’s strategic transport network. The initiative also aims to diversify cargo flows and introduce digital technologies to improve efficiency along key multimodal corridors.

Officials said...

French renewable energy developer Voltalia has begun supplying power to Uzbekistan’s grid from its new 126MW solar PV plant in the western Khorezm region.

The Sarimay Solar project, which broke ground in May 2024, is now in its final phase of construction and is expected to be fully commissioned soon. The site will later be expanded with a 50MW/100MWh battery energy storage system and a 100MW wind power facility, creating one of the country’s first large-scale co-located renewable energy hubs.

The project marks another step in Uzbekistan’s push to rapidly scale up clean electricity generation and diversify its energy...

At the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan’s weightlifters continue to add to the national medal tally.

In the over-86 kg category, Tursunoy Jabborova claimed three bronze medals. She lifted 116 kg in the snatch and 138 kg in the clean and jerk. Her combined total of 254 kg earned her bronze in all three events.

Another medal came from Sharofiddin Amriddinov, competing in the over-110 kg category. He took third place in the snatch with a lift of 188 kg.

By the end of the day, Team Uzbekistan had secured four bronze medals in weightlifting events.

Uzbek weightlifter Akbar Juraev delivered an outstanding performance at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Representing Uzbekistan, Juraev dominated the competition in the under-110 kg weight class, winning three gold medals and becoming the absolute champion.

Competing in the –110 kg category, Juraev showcased exceptional form. He lifted 193 kg in the snatch and 227 kg in the clean and jerk. His combined total of 420 kg was the best of the tournament, reaffirming his status as one of the world’s strongest weightlifters.

With this victory, Juraev secured the sixth gold medal of his career at...

At the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan’s swimming team continues its strong performance, adding two more gold medals to the country’s tally.

In the 400m freestyle event, Ilya Sibircev secured a decisive victory, earning the gold medal — his second medal of the tournament.

Shortly after, Eldor Usmonov reinforced the team’s success by taking first place in the 100m butterfly. Usmonov outpaced his closest competitors, bringing home another gold for Uzbekistan.

The Uzbek swimming team added two gold medals in a single day, further strengthening its position in the overall medal standings of the Islamic...

At the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan’s swimmers capped off their performance with a bronze medal in the men’s 4×100m freestyle relay.

The national team, Eldor Usmonov, Ilya Sibircev, Ablulazizbek Abdumajidov and Mikhail Kleshko, delivered a strong result, finishing behind Iran and Turkey to take third place and add another medal to Uzbekistan’s tally.

The achievement marks an important conclusion to the swimming program for the Uzbek delegation, which reached the podium multiple times throughout the tournament.

Result:

Kursiv...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in his article «Central Asia on the Threshold of a New Era,» emphasised that regional cooperation must remain voluntary, pragmatic and focused on tangible results.

He noted that Central Asian countries must address issues that determine the region’s stability and reiterated his support for continued regional collaboration.

Mirziyoyev called for deeper coordination in security, including regular meetings between national security secretaries, intelligence agencies, and defense and law enforcement structures.

In the economic sphere, the Uzbek leader highlighted the need to accelerate intra-regional trade, simplify border crossings and improve conditions for investment.

Newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein are reviving scrutiny of Donald Trump’s past ties to the disgraced financier, even as the White House dismisses the disclosures as a partisan attack.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday published three emails referencing Trump, including a 2011 message in which Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had «spent hours» at his house with Virginia Giuffre, a central accuser in the Epstein scandal. In a separate 2019 email to journalist Michael Wolff, Epstein wrote that Trump «knew about the girls,» though the context and meaning of that claim remain unclear.

The...

Global carbon pollution from burning coal, oil and gas rose again in 2025, dashing hopes that emissions had finally peaked and would start to fall, scientists reported Wednesday at U.N. climate talks in Brazil.

For the second year in a row, fossil fuel emissions increased by 1.1%. It is a relatively small rise by historical standards, but still the opposite of what negotiators at the COP30 climate summit in Belem say is needed to keep global warming in check.

«It’s disappointing that we haven’t brought down carbon dioxide emissions,» said University of Exeter scientist Stephen...

Women riding motorbikes through the streets of Tehran have become a striking new symbol of Iran’s slow but visible social transformation, challenging decades of conservative restrictions.

For Merat Behnam, 38, commuting to her café on a yellow scooter once seemed unthinkable. Riding without a motorcycle license, which Iranian law grants only to men, she expected harassment or arrest. Instead, she says, public reactions have largely been supportive.

«Gradually, the way people treated me encouraged me a lot,» she told the Associated Press.

Police still warn that women riding motorcycles is illegal, and hard-line...

A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane crashed in eastern Georgia near the Azerbaijani border, killing all 20 personnel on board, Turkey’s Defense Minister Yasar Guler confirmed on Wednesday.

The aircraft was en route from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Turkey when it went down in Sighnaghi municipality on Tuesday. Officials said contact was lost shortly after the plane entered Georgian airspace and that no distress signal was issued.

The victims were returning from Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations, marking its 2020 victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said investigators have recovered the flight data recorder, and a 46-member...

Top diplomats from the G7 met in southern Ontario as tensions with Washington flared over tariffs, NATO spending, and uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Host Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign minister, said ties with the U.S. must «continue across a range of issues» as she welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine were also invited.

Agenda items include shoring up a Gaza ceasefire, Ukraine support, maritime security, Haiti...

The Kremlin has confirmed that Britain’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell held contact with Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, but said the talks failed to develop due to a lack of interest from the UK side in hearing Russia’s position on the war in Ukraine.

«There were indeed contacts. A dialogue took place, but it did not continue,» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. «There was an acute desire of the interlocutor to talk about the position of the Europeans and a lack of any intention to listen to our position.»

The Financial Times...

Israel’s Knesset has advanced a bill that would make execution mandatory for those convicted of killing Israelis for political or nationalist motives, marking a major shift in the country’s approach to capital punishment.

The proposal, introduced by ultranationalist lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech, passed its first reading 39–16. It defines eligible offences as murders committed «due to racism» and «with the aim of harming the State of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people,» and would allow military courts in the West Bank to impose death sentences by majority rather than unanimous verdict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the...

Mercedes Formula One team boss Toto Wolff is reportedly in advanced discussions to sell a small portion of his 33% ownership in the team at a valuation of around $6 bn. Sources close to the matter say the potential deal would set a record for an F1 team’s value, surpassing the $4.7 bn price tag attached to a recent McLaren stake sale.

Despite the planned sale, Wolff is expected to continue in his dual role as CEO and team principal. The transaction involves a mid-single-digit percentage of the team through an investment in Wolff’s holding company. The identity of...

Apple has removed the gay social network Blued and dating app Finka from its China App Store after an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, extending a fresh wave of online censorship.

«We follow the laws in the countries where we operate,»

Apple said, confirming the removals apply to the China storefront only. Both services, used by tens of millions, were launched in China (Blued in 2012; Finka is Beijing-based).

The move follows earlier actions in China, where Threads and WhatsApp were delisted in 2024 on national security grounds, Apple News remains...

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has threatened to confiscate more than 1,000 Lithuanian trucks stranded in Belarus following Lithuania’s recent border closures, said The Independent.

Vilnius shut two crossings with Belarus on 29 October, citing repeated airspace violations by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes, which disrupted civilian flights. Lithuanian authorities say the incidents are part of broader hybrid operations by Belarus, a close ally of Russia, aimed at destabilising the region.

Lukashenko condemned the closures as a «mad scam» and a form of «hybrid war,» demanding the border be fully reopened to avoid the seizure of the vehicles. The escalation...