TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Uzum (the "Company"), Uzbekistan's leading digital ecosystem, is pleased to announce the closing of a strategic investment exceeding $130 million, anchored by the sovereign entities of the Sultanate of Oman (the "Investor"). Uzum The transaction combines primary equity and structured capital and establishes a $2.3 billion pre-money valuation ref...
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Uzum (the "Company"), Uzbekistan's leading digital ecosystem, is pleased to announce the closing of a strategic investment exceeding $130 million, anchored by the sovereign entities of the Sultanate of Oman (the "Investor"). Uzum The transaction combines primary equity and structured capital and establishes a $2.3 billion pre-money valuation reference point, with conversion terms linked to the Company's next qualified financing round. The investment marks a significant step-up from Uzum's previous funding rounds and materially strengthens the Company's positioning ahead of its Series B. The transaction also includes participation from existing international shareholders VR Capital, Tencent, and FinSight Ventures, underscoring strong international confidence in Uzum's long-term growth and Uzbekistan's rapidly expanding digital economy. The capital will be used to accelerate Uzum's next phase of growth across its core verticals — e-commerce, digital banking, payments, and consumer lending — with a focus on expanding product depth, strengthening infrastructure, and increasing access to digital services nationwide. Uzum has built a fully integrated ecosystem combining commerce and fintech at a national scale. Its platforms — including Uzum Market, Uzum Tezkor, Uzum Bank, and Uzum Nasiya — are used by over 20 million people, representing more than half of Uzbekistan's population. Global conviction in Uzbekistan's growth story The Investor brings long-term regional expertise and a strong focus on high-growth consumer and technology markets. The partnership reflects growing international interest in Uzbekistan as one of the most attractive emerging digital economies globally. "This investment is a strong endorsement of both Uzum's strategy and Uzbekistan's digital potential," commented Djasur Djumaev, Founder and CEO of Uzum. "We are focused on building an infrastructure of national scale — technology-driven, inclusive, ...
Swiss arms shipments abroad neared an all-time high last year as European defense spending boomed, in a rebound for an industry that feared extinction over the country’s strict export rules. War material exports surged 43% to 948 million Swiss francs ($1.2 billion) in 2025 from the previous year, the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs said in a statement. The jump comes after two years of decli...
Swiss arms shipments abroad neared an all-time high last year as European defense spending boomed, in a rebound for an industry that feared extinction over the country’s strict export rules. War material exports surged 43% to 948 million Swiss francs ($1.2 billion) in 2025 from the previous year, the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs said in a statement. The jump comes after two years of declining sales, during which foreign buyers shunned the Swiss defense industry because Bern blocked the re-export of equipment to Ukraine. That meant local producers missed out on a flurry of orders as Europe rearmed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and doubts over the future of US security guarantees. Swiss arms producers feared they’d be excluded from European supply chains, with some companies shifting production elsewhere to circumvent the rules. In 2025, Germany was the main buyer of Swiss war material, spending 386 million francs, Seco said. The US was the No. 2 importer, while European countries accounted for 86% of all purchases. In December, parliament softened a law — rooted in Switzerland’s neutrality stance — that forbids the re-export of war material with more than 50% of domestically produced components to conflict zones. Industry representatives and the Swiss government have said that easing the rules was necessary to restore trust with foreign buyers. Swiss Reduce F-35 Order to 30, Mull European Air Defense System Satellite Maker SWISSto12 Said to Weigh IPO as Soon as Next Year Switzerland Plans VAT Increase for 10 Years to Revamp Military Still, it remains unclear when the amendment will enter into force as left-of-center lawmakers have said they will challenge it in a referendum. At the same time, Switzerland’s “armed neutrality” has magnified the importance of the export-dependent sector, which accounts for just over 0.2% of the country’s economic output and about 14,000 jobs. Swiss law enshrines the need to maintain an industrial capacity “adapted...
Lego A/S , best known for toys using interlocking plastic bricks, plans to step up investing in the US, undeterred by the political risks from the Iran war. Betting on resilient consumer spending in the world’s largest economy, the closely held Danish toymaker is planning on expanding its US footprint as it eyes further gains in market share there, Chief Executive Officer Niels B. Christiansen sai...
Lego A/S , best known for toys using interlocking plastic bricks, plans to step up investing in the US, undeterred by the political risks from the Iran war. Betting on resilient consumer spending in the world’s largest economy, the closely held Danish toymaker is planning on expanding its US footprint as it eyes further gains in market share there, Chief Executive Officer Niels B. Christiansen said in an interview. “There is momentum in the US market,” the executive said. “It hasn’t stalled. It’s growing. It’s more a question of who will win in that market.” There are no signs the US is in recession and consumers are continuing to spend, he said. Lego on Tuesday reported record sales and profits for 2025, with total revenue jumping 12% to 83.5 billion kroner ($12.9 billion) — more than double that of rivals Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc. Consumer sales rose 16%, driven by strong demand across all geographies and segments, the CEO said. The expansion was more than twice as fast as the global toy market, which grew by 7% last year, according to market researcher Circana. In the last few years, Lego has invested heavily in expanding its portfolio. The range of its products hit an all-time high of 868 last year, including new offers launched in a partnership with Formula 1. It is currently enlarging its US footprint by building a major new factory in Virginia, slated to open in 2027, and is pushing its retail presence beyond the largest metropolitan areas to cities such as Minnetonka in Minnesota and Broomfield in Colorado. The company also opened a new Americas head office in Boston to support additional hiring. “We’ve grown quite nicely in the US over the past three years, and I believe that can continue — both because the market is doing reasonably well, and because we’re gaining market share,” Christiansen said. He also said Lego is focused on staying flexible in an increasingly volatile global environment. While the company is closely monitoring geopolitical tensions ...
The Champions League returns with 16 of the best teams in Europe battling to be crowned European champions in Budapest on 30 May. These clubs are world famous, but how well do you know each side in the last 16?
The Champions League returns with 16 of the best teams in Europe battling to be crowned European champions in Budapest on 30 May. These clubs are world famous, but how well do you know each side in the last 16?
海關搗破葵涌私煙倉庫 檢值逾2,200萬貨 6人被捕 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】海關在葵涌搗破私煙倉庫，檢獲市值逾2,200萬元的懷疑私煙。 其中三名疑犯黑布蒙頭被海關帶走，懷疑私煙有約500...
海關搗破葵涌私煙倉庫 檢值逾2,200萬貨 6人被捕 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】海關在葵涌搗破私煙倉庫，檢獲市值逾2,200萬元的懷疑私煙。 其中三名疑犯黑布蒙頭被海關帶走，懷疑私煙有約500萬支。海關周一在葵涌一工廠大廈，搜獲大批懷疑私煙，應課稅值約1,600萬元，行動中拘捕6人，包括1名本地女子、1名非本地女子及4名非本地男子，年齡介乎33至55歲，各人負責運送私煙及管理私煙倉庫，海關會繼續追查私煙的來源及去向，不排除會有更多人被捕。
Key Points Claiming Social Security early reduces your checks on a monthly basis. While waiting to file increases your benefit payments, you get fewer monthly checks. Your total lifetime benefit may be smaller if you don't file for Social Security early. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › When it comes to claiming Social Security, you have many choices. The earli...
Key Points Claiming Social Security early reduces your checks on a monthly basis. While waiting to file increases your benefit payments, you get fewer monthly checks. Your total lifetime benefit may be smaller if you don't file for Social Security early. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › When it comes to claiming Social Security, you have many choices. The earliest age to take benefits is 62. But if you want those monthly checks without a reduction, you'll need to wait until full retirement age, which is 67 if you were born in 1960 or any year after. There's also the option to delay Social Security past full retirement age. Each year you wait boosts your benefits by 8%, until you reach age 70. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Many people assume that the optimal strategy for claiming Social Security is to delay as long as possible for larger checks. That might seem like the best way to get more money out of Social Security. But if you file at 70, you may end up sorely regretting your decision not to claim benefits earlier. The problem with waiting It's true that delaying Social Security will lead to larger monthly checks. But waiting won't necessarily lead to a larger lifetime Social Security benefit. When you file for Social Security early, you reduce your monthly payments. But you also get more monthly payments than you do if you wait. And if you don't end up living such a long life, you can easily come out ahead financially by taking benefits as soon as you can. Let's say you're eligible for a $2,400 monthly Social Security benefit at age 67. If you file at age 62, those monthly payments will be reduced to $1,680. If you wait until age 70 to file, you'll get $2,976 a month. Clearly, $2,976 is a much larger payment than $1,680. But if you only li...