News

Uzbekistan is increasingly setting the pace for economic growth and integration in Central Asia, with fresh data showing it outstripping its neighbours in trade expansion and structural reform, even as Kazakhstan retains its status as the region’s largest economy. The findings come from a recent report by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) on India and Central Asia’s economic ties.

Strong Growth and Rising Trade

In 2023 Uzbekistan recorded GDP growth of 5.5%, one of the highest in the region, second only to Tajikistan’s 8.3%. By contrast, Kazakhstan, which accounts for 60% of Central Asia’s total GDP, posted growth...

The market enthusiasm for Mini-Labubu, the new toy line from Chinese company Pop Mart, has cooled, raising questions among collectors about its long-term value, Bloomberg reports.

Figures from resale platforms show that prices for the latest Mini-Labubu toys dropped by 24% in just two weeks. This stands in sharp contrast to their near-instant sell-out when sales opened at the end of August. Data from one Chinese online marketplace revealed that half of users now expect Mini-Labubu prices to fall further, compared with 38% who hold the same view about the original Labubu toys.

Pop Mart Remains Optimistic

Pop...

US authorities have released photos and footage of a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, along with details of the weapon believed to have been used.

Kirk, a 31-year-old author, broadcaster and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, around 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. The attack, which Trump called a «heinous assassination», occurred in front of 3,000 people during Kirk’s campus debate series titled Prove Me Wrong.

Suspect Captured on CCTV

Officials said the...

Albania has appointed the world’s first artificial intelligence–powered minister, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Thursday.

The virtual minister, called Diella, meaning «sunshine» in Albanian, will oversee all public procurement. Rama said the move aims to make tenders «100 percent incorruptible» and ensure transparency in the use of public funds.

Unveiled at the Socialist Party assembly in Tirana, Diella is not a human official but an AI system with a digital avatar dressed in traditional Albanian clothing. She already powers the country’s e-Albania platform, which citizens use to access government services online.

Rama added that Diella would evaluate tenders...

The only son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong will begin his mandatory military service next week as a naval officer candidate, the company said Wednesday.

Lee Jee-ho, born in the United States in 2000, has given up his U.S. citizenship to serve in South Korea. His service will last 39 months, starting Monday.

Samsung said he is expected to be commissioned as a Navy ensign on Dec. 1.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to complete at least 18 months of military service.

Lee Jae-yong, often called the «crown prince of Samsung,» officially became chairman of the...

Peter Mandelson has been dismissed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States after newly leaked emails revealed the depth of his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Foreign minister Stephen Doughty told MPs the correspondence showed Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was «materially different from that known at the time of his appointment» last year. The emails also suggested Mandelson believed Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged.

The revelations prompted swift backlash in Westminster. Conservative shadow minister Neil O’Brien called it «an extraordinary error of judgement by this prime minister,» while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir...

Unfinished films, musicals and handwritten notes are among the treasures revealed in David Bowie’s archive, which opens to the public this week at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

The collection of more than 90,000 items, acquired from Bowie’s estate, includes plans for an unmade film titled Young Americans, in which his fictional astronaut Major Tom is sent to «a disgruntled America.» Curator Madeleine Haddon described it as «reflective on what it’s like to be a Brit in the U.S., and thinking about international politics and their place in the world.»

Another abandoned project, The Spectator, was a stage musical about...

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry has denied reports that it intends to hand over 57 helicopters to Afghanistan’s current authorities. The clarification followed claims published by Kabul Times, which cited Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying the aircraft would soon be delivered to Kabul.

«This is fake,» ministry spokesman Akhror Burkhanov told Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The reports came against the backdrop of a long-standing dispute over Afghan aircraft that were flown to Uzbekistan by military pilots during the fall of the previous government three years ago. At that time, 46 units of aviation equipment, including transport helicopters and...

Uzbekistan is preparing to hand over 57 military helicopters to Afghanistan that were flown into its territory by pilots of the former government after the Taliban seized power, according to Kabul Times.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the aircraft would be transferred to Kabul in the near future. Kursiv Uzbekistan has requested clarification from the Uzbek Ministry of Defence.

The news comes despite earlier remarks in July from Afghanistan’s Chief of General Staff, Fasihuddin Fitrat, who claimed negotiations on the return of military equipment had failed, without naming the countries involved.

By 2022, Uzbekistan held 46 Afghan aircraft...

Dozens of Klarna employees have become millionaires overnight after the Swedish «buy now, pay later» firm was valued at $17bn (£15bn) in its Wall Street debut.

Shares were priced at $40 ahead of Wednesday’s listing but jumped as much as 30% to $52 before closing at $45.82. More than 40 current and former staff now hold stakes worth over $1m, though most are locked in for 180 days.

Co-founder Victor Jacobsson, who left Klarna in 2012, is cashing in 3.5% of his $1.6bn holding. Chief product officer David Fock will sell $12m of stock, while operations chief Camilla Giesecke

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have stepped forward following the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, whose death shocked the nation.

Eoghan McCabe, chief executive and founder of Intercom, pledged $500,000 in $10,000 grants to fund murals of Zarutska’s face in major American cities.

«I am offering $500k in $10k grants to paint murals of the face of Iryna Zarutska in prominent US city locations,» McCabe wrote.

Those wishing to contribute or take part were urged to contact his chief of staff, Katie Brenske Tolstedt.

His announcement drew the attention of billionaire Elon Musk, who...

Uzbekistan is preparing to pilot the use of stablecoins for payments, according to Vyacheslav Pak, first deputy director of the National Agency of Perspective Projects, who spoke to Uzbekistan 24 television.

The plans also include testing the tokenisation of assets on the stock market. Pak noted that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had given instructions for the initiative, which will involve the Central Bank.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies whose value is pegged to money, commodities or digital assets. Unlike traditional crypto assets, which are highly volatile, stablecoins can be used for everyday transactions.

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump

The refreshed Zeekr 7X will feature extended driving ranges of 600 km, 620 km, 715 km, 770 km and 802 km, according to a recent filing with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This upgrade comes with stronger electric motors and bigger battery packs, although the exterior styling remains almost unchanged from the current model, CNC reports.

The present Zeekr 7X is available in three trims priced between 229,900 and 269,900 yuan (about $32,300 to $37,900), offered in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. New version retains the same dimensions at 4,825 mm long, 1,930 mm wide and...

Uzbekistan is stepping up efforts to position itself as a regional leader in financial technology. At a meeting on financial sector development chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, officials discussed the creation of a fintech office at the Central Bank and a dedicated hub to support startups.

The government expects these initiatives to transform the republic into a regional fintech hub. Singaporean experts are contributing to the national financial sector strategy. As of September this year, Uzbekistan is home to 103 fintech companies, a sharp increase from just 24 in 2018.

It was highlighted during the meeting that adopting...

Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz are set to appear together once again, this time at a high-profile exhibition event in the United States.

The two tennis stars, who teamed up for the US Open mixed doubles in New York last month, quickly became the sport’s favourite partnership despite falling to Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula in their opening match. Both champions later posted cheerful photos on Instagram of themselves smiling and enjoying their time on court.

Oracle’s shares rocketed by over 40% to a record high on September 10, fuelled by news of landmark AI-related contracts that put the tech giant within striking distance of the $1 trln valuation mark. The surge also sent co-founder Larry Ellison’s wealth soaring, narrowing the gap with Tesla’s Elon Musk in the contest for the world’s richest individual.

The company announced four multi-billion-dollar cloud agreements, with the largest reported to be a $300bn deal to provide computing power to OpenAI over the next five years. Wall Street Journal described it as one of the biggest cloud contracts in history. Oracle...

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a prominent ally of US President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on Wednesday, September 10, while addressing students at Utah Valley University. Authorities described the attack as a political assassination, launching a major manhunt for a lone sniper.

Asked about shootings before being shot

At the venue, Kirk had just been asked by an audience member about the number of mass shootings in America over the past decade. He began to reply, «Counting or not counting gang violence?» before the gunshot rang out, killing him instantly.

The 31-year-old was struck in the neck by...

Nepal is facing its worst political turmoil in decades after violent anti-corruption protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. At least 19 people were killed in clashes this week, most of them students in Kathmandu, as demonstrators stormed parliament and set fire to the Supreme Court, the prime minister’s residence and other government buildings.

The unrest erupted after the government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and X, sparking fury among young Nepalis already disillusioned with corruption and high unemployment. Army troops now patrol the capital under curfew, with burnt vehicles and debris still littering the...

Alejandro Garnacho has joined Chelsea from Manchester United in a £40 mln deal, ending a troubled spell at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old winger fell out with head coach Ruben Amorim after being benched for May’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham, later describing United’s season as «s***.»

Amorim had already warned him in training to «hope you have a good agent this summer,» according to The Athletic, while United inserted a 10% sell-on clause in the transfer.

Club captain Bruno Fernandes previously questioned Garnacho’s attitude, saying in 2022:

«On the tour he did not...

Volkswagen has announced a €1 bn (£866mln) investment in artificial intelligence, pledging to make the technology central to how it designs and builds vehicles.

The German automaker unveiled the plan at the IAA Mobility event in Munich, saying AI will be used in «vehicle development, industrial applications and high-performance IT infrastructure.»

Hauke Stars, Member of the Board of Management for IT at Volkswagen Group, called the move a milestone:

«With artificial intelligence, we are igniting the next stage on our path to becoming the global automotive tech driver. AI is our key to greater speed...

Qatar-based Al Jazeera said four of its journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Sunday, prompting international condemnation. Israel defended the attack, saying it targeted Hamas operations in the area.

The strike comes amid soaring regional tensions. According to The Washington Post, Israel recently abandoned plans to formally annex parts of the occupied West Bank after the United Arab Emirates warned such a move would cross a «red line» and jeopardize the 2020 Abraham Accords.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had considered annexing large sections of the territory, but the warning from Abu Dhabi, a key Arab...

Serbia are set to be fined after fans used a laser pointer against England players during Wednesday’s Euro qualifier, which ended in a 5-0 win for the Three Lions.

Goals from Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi and Marcus Rashford sealed Thomas Tuchel’s biggest victory since taking charge. Serbia’s Nikola Milenkovic was also sent off late on by French referee Clément Turpin.

The match was briefly halted when Konsa had a green laser shone in his face. BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Paul Robinson said:

«Ezri Konsa immediately stopped. You could see the...

Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s most populous nation, is pressing ahead with rapid modernisation of its mobile infrastructure as part of a sweeping digital transformation strategy. A new report highlights both the country’s advances and the challenges it faces in competing with regional peers.

Strong Progress in 4G and Early 5G

All four national mobile network operators, Beeline Uzbekistan, UZTELECOM, Ucell and Mobiuz, are investing heavily in expanding 4G capacity and rolling out 5G. This effort underpins the government’s Uzbekistan 2030 agenda, which aims to achieve full broadband access, mobile coverage along highways and 5G availability in all major cities.

Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma is facing accusations of taunting Israeli players after their World Cup qualifier, sparking a heated confrontation on the pitch and drawing scrutiny from FIFA. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that Donnarumma targeted Tai Baribo and Sagiv Yehezkel with mocking remarks, triggering outrage among the visiting squad.

Escalation on the Pitch

Defender Eli Dasa described the atmosphere as «very emotional,» saying Israel believed they deserved to win and were unsettled by what they considered deliberate provocation. The row escalated to the point where Donnarumma’s teammates, including Federico Dimarco and Giacomo Raspadori, stepped in to prevent...