Author: staff
Uzbekistan has introduced Apple Pay and Google Pay following regulatory reforms aimed at opening its financial services market to international technology providers. In written responses to Euronews, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan confirmed that work is underway to extend the services to cards issued through the country’s domestic payment networks, Uzcard and HUMO, although no timetable has been provided. The availability of both services for locally issued cards was announced on 27 October by Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration, who had met Google Vice President Karan Bhatia in New York a month earlier to discuss technological cooperation and…
By Jonathan Benton with AFP Published on 30 October 2026 – 15:43 GMT+1 The UK’s competition watchdog has launched an investigation into whether Meta is imposing “exploitative” new terms that allow it to use publishers’ content for its own products, including AI, without giving media organisations adequate choice. The probe will examine whether the “terms and conditions” from the US technology giant “unfairly harm news publishers and other content businesses”, the Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement. The CMA said the new terms, which the Facebook and Instagram parent had planned to introduce on November 20 before putting it on hold,…
“There’s two models of behavior: one is [NATO Secretary-General] Mark Rutte and one is [Canadian Prime Minister] Mark Carney. I think Mark Carney is handling him better. The Canadian people are with him, even if it causes some level of economic hardship,” Scaramucci said. “Rutte, on the other hand, is making a big mistake. Because when you equivocate or flatter him, when you act in the manner that Mark Rutte has acted, all you’re doing is losing his respect. You’re not gaining anything,” he added. Rutte has often lauded the U.S. president: “I just like the man. I think what…
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday, Oct. 30, that two oil tankers had encountered incidents while attempting to navigate routes Tehran considers unauthorized in the eastern and western sections of the Strait of Hormuz. Both vessels were subsequently stopped in the waterway’s southern waters. According to Iranian state media, the Guard claimed the tankers had switched off their navigation and positioning systems and were attempting to leave the strait through routes opposed by Tehran, with the support of the U.S. military. The Guard said the vessels continued sailing despite repeated radio warnings before encountering trouble in what it described…
The eurozone’s four largest economies published fresh inflation data on Friday, offering an early read on what is shaping up to be another hot month for price pressures across Europe. The October’s inflation ranking was clear. Italy came out on top, with prices rising 5.4% from a year earlier. Spain followed at 4.9%, France at 3.4% and Germany at 2.8%. The more telling story, however, is the direction. Inflation accelerated sharply in Italy and France, held steady in Spain and fell in Germany, even though all four major economies are dealing with the same surge in energy costs. So, why…
Published on 30 October 2026 – 15:31 GMT+1 Paris Saint-Germain will return to Qatar in December to defend their FIFA Intercontinental Cup title, after the country was confirmed as host of the tournament’s final three matches for a third consecutive year. The French club will play in the final on 16 December at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, returning to the venue where they lifted the trophy last year. The other two matches will take place on 9 and 12 December, organisers announced on Thursday. PSG secured their place by retaining the UEFA Champions League title in the…
Police found a large amount of evidence suggesting that the man took pictures of strategic infrastructure systematically. “There were photographs of various places and important communication facilities, not only in Poland,” Łukasz Dutkowiak, a spokesperson for the Lower Silesian police, told Radio Wrocław. Prosecutors are now investigating “activities for foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland,” the regional authority added. Poland has faced multiple sabotage attacks against its military and railway infrastructure over the past year. Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Ukrainian nationals of “cooperating with Russian services” after a November 2025 attack damaged a rail line close to the…
Meerkats searched carved pumpkins for worms on Friday, 30 October, while cheetah cubs played with their own Halloween surprise and a caracal was filmed licking another. Keepers provided extra treats as pumpkins of different shapes, sizes and colours were distributed around the zoo, where 14 animal species are expected to join the celebrations. The Halloween activities are also designed to encourage natural behaviour through animal enrichment, a technique that introduces new objects, food and challenges into an animal’s environment. For the meerkats, searching for worms inside hollowed-out pumpkins turns feeding time into an opportunity to explore and forage. Cheetah and…
Published on 30 October 2026 – 13:17 GMT+1 AstraZeneca, Britain’s biggest pharmaceutical company, said on Friday that its profit after tax rose 23% to $3.12 billion (€2.79bn) for the July to September period, driven largely by its cancer treatments. That marks a sharp pick-up from the rise of just over 2% in the previous quarter. The firm also launched a plan to generate $1.5 billion (€1.34bn) in annual savings, which it intends to reinvest mainly in the drugs it has in development. Revenue grew 7% to $16.2 billion (€14.5bn). Oncology, its biggest business, accounted for 48% of the total, with…
Times Square in New York City might just be the world’s most iconic address, known for its dazzling billboards, its proximity to Broadway, and, of course, its New Year’s Eve celebrations. And in the next few years, there’s going to be a new address to know about here: The StandardX Times Square. The newly announced hotel, set to open in the second half of 2028, will offer a new perspective on the locale, with an enclosed free-fall thrill ride on its upper floors, an observation deck more than 1,000 feet above Manhattan, and a rooftop pool. The 1,800-key hotel will…