Uzbekistan has introduced Apple Pay and Google Pay, opening access to two major international digital payment platforms as the country moves to modernise its financial services sector.

The rollout follows regulatory changes to personal data laws and discussions between Uzbek officials and technology companies. The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has also confirmed that work is underway to extend the services to cards issued through domestic payment networks Uzcard and HUMO, although no launch date has been announced.

Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, announced the availability of the services for locally issued cards on October 27. She had met Google Vice President Karan Bhatia in New York a month earlier to discuss technological cooperation and the conditions needed for international payment providers to operate in the country.

Banks included in the rollout

Before the launch, customers in Uzbekistan could use domestic mobile and contactless payment services, including HUMO Pay and UZCARD PAY, as well as QR code systems.

The introduction of Apple Pay and Google Pay gives eligible cardholders access to international platforms for mobile payments.

Apple Pay initially supports Visa and Mastercard cards issued by eight local banks and financial institutions: Uzum Bank, Orient Finans Bank, the National Bank of Uzbekistan, Kapitalbank, Hamkorbank, Ipak Yuli Bank, TBC Bank and Octobank. Uzum Bank and Hamkorbank currently support Visa cards only.

Google Pay is available for eligible cards from nine banks: AVO Bank, Octobank, Uzum Bank, TBC Bank, Aloqabank, Kapitalbank, Ipak Yuli Bank, the National Bank of Uzbekistan and Orient Finans Bank.

Customers have been advised to contact their banks to confirm which cards can be added to the services.

The Central Bank told Euronews that both platforms protect customers’ card information during transactions. Cashback offers and other benefits will depend on the conditions set by individual banks.

Changes to data protection rules

The launch follows amendments to Uzbekistan’s personal data legislation in March 2026, which eased restrictions on the processing and storage of certain types of personal information outside the country.

During her September meeting with Google’s Bhatia, Mirziyoyeva linked the regulatory changes to the arrival of international payment systems, saying they were creating wider opportunities for their use in Uzbekistan.

The discussions also covered cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity training and support for the country’s technology industry.

The development forms part of Uzbekistan’s broader efforts to strengthen its financial technology sector. In September, the Central Bank approved a National Fintech Strategy covering the 2026-2030 period.

The strategy aims to attract investment, expand cross-border payments, introduce Open Banking and improve connections between financial systems.

The planned inclusion of Uzcard and HUMO would extend access to the international payment platforms beyond customers using Visa and Mastercard, bringing more locally issued cards into the expanding digital payments market.

AstraZeneca reported a 23 per cent increase in third-quarter net profit, supported by strong sales of its cancer medicines, as the British pharmaceutical company announced plans to save $1.5 billion annuAstraZeneca Third-Quarter Profit Jumps 23% as Drugmaker Plans $1.5 Billion in Annual Savings

ally and reinvest the funds in developing new treatments.

The company said on Friday that profit after tax reached $3.12 billion for the July to September period, compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The increase marked a stronger performance than the previous quarter, when net profit rose just over 2 per cent.

Revenue increased 7 per cent to $16.2 billion, while core earnings per share rose 17 per cent to $2.79. The earnings figure excludes certain items, including restructuring costs and the amortisation of acquired medicines.

Oncology remained AstraZeneca’s largest business, accounting for 48 per cent of total revenue. Sales in the division increased 17 per cent to $7.8 billion, supported by demand for lung cancer treatment Tagrisso and immunotherapy Imfinzi.

The company’s new cost-saving programme, named Reshaping for Sustainable Growth, is expected to generate $1.5 billion in annual savings. AstraZeneca said the funds would mainly support its research and development pipeline, which includes more than 180 projects.

The restructuring is expected to involve one-off charges of up to $2 billion and is scheduled to be largely completed by the end of 2029. The company did not announce any job cuts, although the changes could affect its workforce as resources are redirected across the business.

Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said AstraZeneca remained on course to achieve its long-term growth ambitions, pointing to late-stage drug candidates and the expansion of new technologies.

Pressure from generic medicines and China

The company’s growth came despite declining sales of some established medicines. Revenue from Farxiga, used to treat diabetes, heart and kidney disease, fell 25 per cent to $1.6 billion after generic alternatives entered the US market. Blood thinner Brilinta has also faced competition following the loss of patent protection.

AstraZeneca is also dealing with China’s volume-based procurement system, under which state purchasing programmes secure large orders from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for lower prices.

The drugmaker maintained its 2026 financial outlook, forecasting revenue growth in the mid-to-high single digits and an increase in core earnings per share in the low double digits, excluding currency movements.

It also reaffirmed its ambition to generate $80 billion in annual revenue by 2030, compared with nearly $59 billion in 2025. The company expects the US market to account for half of that target.

AstraZeneca has expanded its focus on the US, adding a direct share listing in New York in February, while also pledging to invest $15 billion in China by 2030.

The company said it had recorded 12 positive late-stage clinical trial results so far this year. Its development programme also includes a weight-loss treatment intended to compete with products such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.

AstraZeneca shares rose more than 4.5 per cent in early trading on Friday following the results.

South Korea has fined Google and Apple a combined 63.7 billion won (€42.7 million) for allegedly pressuring app developers to use their payment systems and delaying app reviews, adding to regulatory challenges facing the US technology companies over their app store practices.

The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) announced the penalties on Wednesday following an investigation launched in August 2022. Google was fined 42.9 billion won (€28.7 million), while Apple received a penalty of 20.8 billion won (€13.9 million).

The regulator found that both companies had violated a 2021 South Korean law prohibiting app store operators from forcing developers to use specific payment systems. South Korea was the first country to introduce such a rule.

Although Google and Apple allowed developers to offer alternative payment options within their apps, the commission said the companies charged a 26% commission on those transactions, only slightly below the 30% charged for payments through their own systems. The regulator also found that restrictions on certain features limited developers’ ability to use alternative payment services effectively.

Payments made through external websites were blocked altogether, according to the commission.

The investigation also found that both companies delayed app reviews without providing developers with adequate explanations or clear information about when the reviews would resume.

Apple was separately found to have charged South Korean developers more than developers in other markets between 2015 and January 2023. The commission said Apple calculated its commissions using prices that included value-added tax, increasing the amounts charged to local developers.

Under the latest ruling, both companies must allow South Korean developers to include links to external payment options in their apps and improve their app review procedures. They have one month to submit compliance plans and three months to implement the required changes.

Commission chairman Kim Jong-cheol said he hoped the sanctions would bring meaningful changes to the market. He added that South Korean law would be enforced equally against domestic and foreign companies.

Neither Google nor Apple had publicly commented on the decision at the time of the announcement.

The penalties follow similar regulatory action in the European Union, where the Digital Markets Act (DMA) restricts major online platforms from preventing developers from directing customers towards alternative purchasing options.

In April 2025, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million for breaching the DMA by restricting developers from steering users to cheaper offers outside its App Store. Apple appealed the decision.

The company subsequently announced revised terms for its European operations, effective October 1, reducing its standard commission on in-app purchases to 26% from 30% and introducing a 15% rate for purchases completed elsewhere after users were directed outside the app.

Google also faced a €890 million fine from Brussels in July, including €430 million linked to restrictions on developers using Google Play to direct customers towards cheaper purchasing options. Google has appealed the penalties and revised some of its fees and terms, which the European Commission is still assessing.

The South Korean decision underscores growing international scrutiny of app store business models, particularly the fees and restrictions imposed on developers seeking alternatives to platform-owned payment services.