News

Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi faced pointed questions on women’s rights during a rare press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, attended by several female journalists.

Muttaqi, a senior Taliban leader under UN sanctions, insisted that women’s education was not «haram» under Islamic law but claimed it had been «postponed» pending a decision by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.

«We have not declared it religiously forbidden,» he said, adding that «necessary changes will come with time.»

Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where women and girls are barred...

Global warming is accelerating faster than scientists had anticipated, with the world’s coral reefs now approaching an almost irreversible collapse, according to a major international report released on October 13. The findings mark what researchers describe as the first tipping point in the breakdown of climate-linked ecosystems.

The Global Tipping Points report, compiled by 160 scientists from around the world, assesses the critical thresholds beyond which environmental damage becomes permanent. Warning comes just weeks before the COP30 climate summit, which will take place on the edge of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, itself now approaching its own point of collapse.

On Sunday, October 12, Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva, the youngest daughter of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, turned to Instagram to ask for help finding her family’s missing cat.

She said the pet had lived with the family for many years and was especially beloved by the children. Her post quickly gained attention as many social media users shared the missing cat’s details and offered assistance.

A short while later, the cat was found. Mirziyoyeva expressed her gratitude to everyone who had helped in the search.

«Thanks to your kindness and responsiveness, our pet is back home. Every message and...

Seven Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza by Hamas on Monday, according to officials involved in the operation, Reuters reports. Their release marks a key moment in ongoing mediation efforts supported by Qatar, Egypt, and other regional partners.

A total of 1,966 prisoners expected to be freed have now boarded buses, officials confirmed. Of these, 250 are set to be released to the West Bank, Jerusalem and other destinations, while 1,716 will be freed at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.

Joy and Relief in Israel

In the northern town of Lavon, well wishers gathered before...

Uzbekistan’s pavilion at the World EXPO in Osaka has been awarded the gold medal in the category of Best Thematic Presentation, according to Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration.

The concept, titled «Garden of Knowledge: A Laboratory for the Society of the Future,» embodies a balance between tradition and innovation. Mirziyoyeva noted that the project received wide international recognition and expressed gratitude to the entire team and partners for their professionalism and dedication.

The pavilion’s design, centred around the tumar, a traditional Uzbek amulet symbolising protection and wisdom, has previously earned praise from German experts at ATELIER BRÜCKNER...

US President Donald Trump has stated that America’s intention is to help China rather than damage its economy, even amid rising trade tensions between the two nations.

Posting on TruthSocial, Trump wrote: «He doesn’t want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!»

His comments came as Washington prepares to introduce new tariffs on Chinese goods starting in November. In addition, the US plans to impose tighter controls on exports of critical software to China. Trump explained that the new duties were a...

Dozens of soldiers were killed overnight in clashes along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, officials from both sides confirmed on Sunday. The fighting is being described as the most serious since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.

Pakistani military reported that 23 of its soldiers were killed, while the Taliban claimed nine deaths on its side. The renewed violence comes amid rising tensions following Islamabad’s demand that the Taliban act against militants it says are staging attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory. Taliban denies the presence of Pakistani militants on its soil.

Both governments issued conflicting casualty figures. Pakistan...

A Russian e-commerce platform has purchased the government’s stake in UzPost, according to Gazeta.uz, which cited industry sources.

As of October 13, it remains unclear which Russian marketplace acquired the share in Uzbekistan’s postal operator. However, several reports indicate that Wildberries may have taken part in the privatisation.

Kursiv Uzbekistan has sent inquiries to the State Asset Management Agency (UzSAMA) and to Wildberries’ press office for clarification.

According to data from the Unified State Register of Enterprises (USREO) as of October 13, 100% of UzPost’s shares are now distributed among various shareholders, although no detailed breakdown has been disclosed.

For the first time in history, representatives of the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) have been appointed to FIFA committees, according to a statement from the UFA press service.

Uzbekistan has strengthened its cooperation with FIFA in recent years, hosting major international tournaments. In 2024, the country welcomed the Futsal World Cup for the first time, and in 2027, it will host the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

UFA First Vice President Ravshan Irmatov has been named Deputy Chair of the FIFA Committee on Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation in Football. The committee oversees the development of technological solutions such as VAR...

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy has called for increasing the level of capital investment in the country’s GDP, according to the National Development Program presented on October 10 at the 11th «Life in Kyrgyzstan» Conference.

The updated strategy outlines economic goals through 2030, following the current program that runs until 2026. The new framework aims to expand the national economy by 1.7 times within six years, requiring an annual growth rate of 6–7%. Between 2014 and 2019, Kyrgyzstan’s GDP grew at an average of 4.2% per year.

Officials noted that unlocking the investment potential of the economy will be...

China’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $16.5 bn in September, reaching $3.339 trillion — the highest level since November 2015, according to the People’s Bank of China.

Reserves Continue to Grow

This marks the eleventh consecutive month of growth in the country’s gold and foreign currency holdings. The volume of gold reserves increased to 74.06 mln ounces, with their total value climbing to $283.3 billion.

Currency Trends

Over the same period, the yuan strengthened against the U.S. dollar by 0.1%, while the greenback’s position relative to other major currencies remained largely unchanged.

The steady rise in reserves reflects Beijing’s ongoing efforts to stabilize the national currency...

Oscar-winning American actress Diane Keaton has died at the age of 79 in California, her family confirmed. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Career Beginnings

Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton studied acting in New York at the Neighborhood Playhouse and began her career on Broadway, appearing in Hair and later in Play It Again, Sam. Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination.

Film Career

Keaton achieved international recognition for her role in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also starred in The Godfather trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Her other notable...

Tajikistan and Russia have agreed on a detailed roadmap to expand cooperation in the transport sector over the next five years. The agreement was reached during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Dushanbe, signaling a new stage in bilateral infrastructure development.

The roadmap, signed by Tajikistan’s Transport Minister Azim Ibrohim and Russia’s Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, outlines steps to boost freight movement, enhance connectivity, and modernize transport systems between the two countries.

One of the main priorities is to increase cargo volumes across rail and road routes while testing multimodal delivery models to optimize logistics efficiency.

The plan also...

Turkmenistan has signed a new agreement with UNICEF to purchase vaccines and immunization supplies for the period 2026–2028. The deal underscores the country’s long-term commitment to strengthening its public health system.

The signing ceremony took place on October 10 at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, coinciding with the National Day of Healthcare Workers, according to the country’s International Information Center.

UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan Jalpa Ratna said the agreement reflects the government’s consistent investment in building a sustainable and resilient healthcare system.

Since 2006, Turkmenistan has been financing vaccine procurement through UNICEF, with annual purchases exceeding $17 mln...

Overnight clashes have reignited long-simmering tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghan forces reportedly struck several Pakistani military positions, which Kabul claims were used to launch drone attacks and support ISIS operations inside Afghanistan.

Afghan officials said the offensive was a response to repeated violations of the country’s airspace and recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistan. The Ministry of Defense in Kabul described the assault as a «retaliatory operation» that was «successfully completed.»

Pakistan has yet to issue an official statement. However, according to Geo News, Pakistani forces have since taken control of 19 Afghan border posts in response to the...

The European Union has accused Tajikistan of failing to comply with its obligations under the Rome Statute by not enforcing the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement, the EU said that as a member of the ICC, Tajikistan was required to cooperate with the Court’s decisions. «The EU continues to support the ICC’s investigations in Ukraine and calls on all countries to ensure full cooperation,» the message said.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023. Both are accused of involvement in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia from territories occupied during the war.

The criticism...

Norwegian officials are investigating a potential leak from the Nobel Peace Prize Committee after an unusual surge in online betting accurately predicted the 2025 laureate just hours before the official announcement.

Bets on Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado spiked on the Polymarket gambling platform shortly after midnight Thursday, Norwegian time — soaring from 3.75% to 72.8% within two hours. Hours later, Machado was officially awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy activism in Venezuela, becoming the country’s first recipient of the honor.

«It seems we have been prey to a criminal actor who wants to earn money on...

The rise of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, the process of turning physical assets like property, bonds, and commodities into blockchain-based tokens—has sparked new opportunities for global finance. But industry leaders warn that innovation without proper oversight could lead to widespread fraud and loss of trust.

In an opinion piece for Cointelegraph, Vincent Kadar, CEO of Polymath, said that recent scandals, including a Detroit firm selling tokenized real estate it didn’t actually own, highlight the urgent need for regulatory guardrails.

«Tokenization doesn’t guarantee transparency or investor protection,» Kadar wrote. «Bad actors can move as fast as...

Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek has urged regulators to launch a full investigation into cryptocurrency exchanges following a record-breaking $20 Bn in liquidations that wiped out traders’ positions within 24 hours — the largest loss in crypto history.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Marszalek questioned whether major exchanges had slowed trading, mispriced assets or failed to maintain fair market practices during the crash.

«Regulators should look into exchanges that had the most liquidations,» he said, calling for a «thorough review of fairness and compliance.»

According to data from CoinGlass, Hyperliquid led with...

Uzbekistan will transform 33 cities and districts into model urban areas as part of its «New Uzbekistan» initiative. According to a presidential decree signed by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the government will allocate 7 trln soums ($576.5 mln) from the state budget to support the large-scale modernisation programme.

Of this funding, 2.3 trln soums ($189.4 mln) will go to towns and settlements that will receive the official status of New Uzbekistan. Each designated area will be granted 100 bn soums ($8.2 mln) for infrastructure and social improvements. In addition, they will receive $100 mln in financing from the Islamic...

Uztemiryulkonteyner JSC has completed another stage of multimodal cargo deliveries to Eastern Europe, advancing its strategy to expand container transport along the Uzbekistan–Europe route.

The company dispatched urea containers from the Sergeli logistics centre to Italian, Greek and Bulgarian seaports. The 39-container train is travelling via the CASCA+ route, transiting through the port of Poti in Georgia before reaching Burgas (Bulgaria), Piraeus (Greece), and Naples and La Spezia (Italy). Average transit time is around 25 to 30 days.

These shipments enhance Uzbekistan’s export capacity and promote sustainable logistics cooperation with European partners. The project aims to make Uzbek goods...

Ms Uno Kimi, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan, visited remote areas of Karakalpakstan to meet residents whose lives have improved under the UNDP project «Supporting Self-Reliance through Climate-Resilient Agriculture in the Aral Sea Region», funded by Japan.

«I am delighted to see how the project has changed people’s lives for the better. We look forward to continuing our cooperation,» said Ms Uno Kimi.

During her meeting with Mr Farkhod Ermanov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan, both sides praised the project’s impact and reaffirmed cooperation.

Clean Water...

Figure skaters from Uzbekistan took part in the Pyongyang International Festival, held in the North Korean capital on October 7 and 8, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The festival brought together athletes from China, North Korea, Russia and Uzbekistan, celebrating international friendship through sport. At the end of the event, all participants received diplomas in recognition of their performances.

Participants and Guests

While KCNA did not disclose the names of the Uzbek skaters, it reported that Russia was represented by Veronika Yametova, Eduard Karartinyan, Makary Solodnikov and others. The festival was also attended by...

Kai Madison Trump, granddaughter of the US President Donald Trump, has gone viral after posting a short video of her grandfather playing golf, set to a track by Kazakh rapper Skriptonit.

The clip, featuring part of Skriptonit’s song Don’t Relax, quickly gained traction online, amassing more than 130,000 likes within 24 hours.

«1 on 1 with my Grandpa,» Kai captioned the post.

Social media users from Kazakhstan and...