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Con Pederson, one of four special effects supervisors on Stanley Kubrick’s landmark film 2001: A Space Odyssey, died on December 2 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund residence in Woodland Hills after complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 91.

Pederson was a central figure in the creation of the 1968 science fiction classic, working alongside Douglas Trumbull, Wally Veevers and Tom Howard. Their collective efforts earned Kubrick the Academy Award for best visual effects in 1969.

On set, Pederson ran what was known as the war room, where visual effects shots were designed, scheduled, tracked and assessed. Each...

Uzbek citizens who report corruption will be eligible to receive protection orders under a presidential decree, the Justice Ministry says.

To encourage public participation in preventing and combating corruption, authorities have also introduced a special badge to recognise citizens who assist in such efforts.

In addition, a digital information and software system known as Digital Compliance will be launched on a trial basis from July 1. The platform will move internal oversight procedures into a digital format through the E-Compliance module.

Internal control units within central government bodies will be empowered to issue mandatory compliance notices aimed at preventing...

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday to U.S. narcotics charges, hours after his capture by American forces sent shockwaves through Caracas and beyond.

Speaking through an interpreter in a Manhattan federal court, the 63-year-old said he was innocent and insisted he remained Venezuela’s president before a judge cut him short. His wife Cilia Flores also entered a not guilty plea. The next hearing was scheduled for March 17. Supporters and opponents of Maduro gathered outside the courthouse during the brief proceedings.

Maduro, who said he had been kidnapped, listened to the charges through headphones...

Just days after the sci-fi phenomenon reached its emotional finale, Netflix revealed One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, a feature-length documentary set to premiere globally on 12 January. The film will chronicle the creation of the show’s fifth and final season.

The documentary promises unprecedented access to the cast, creators and crew of Stranger Things, charting the years of work that went into concluding the Duffer Brothers’ generation-defining story. The series finale aired on New Year’s Eve, closing a decade-long journey that began in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.

Directed by Martina Radwan, the...

Bjork shared a strongly worded statement on Instagram on Monday, urging Greenlanders to follow Iceland’s example and break away from Danish rule. Her comments come after Donald Trump reiterated his interest in Greenland, telling The Atlantic that the U.S. «needs it for defence».

Greenland, home to around 57,000 people, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark but remains dependent on Copenhagen for defence, foreign policy and roughly half of its public budget. While the island has the legal right to hold a referendum on independence, no vote has yet been scheduled.

Bjork referenced Denmark’s colonial history...

Nicolas Maduro, 63, was filmed in handcuffs being escorted by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration from a Brooklyn jail to Manhattan federal court, where he is expected to face charges of narco-terrorism. Maduro denies all allegations.

His arrest followed a dramatic US Special Forces operation in Caracas over the weekend, during which American troops reportedly captured Maduro and his wife from a secure location in the Venezuelan capital. The operation marks the most significant US intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

The move has drawn mixed reactions in the UK. Home Office minister...

The shutdown followed a collapse in radio frequency systems at air traffic control centres in Athens and northern Greece, making communication with aircraft impossible. Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers said all frequencies were lost, forcing authorities to suspend flights nationwide while the issue was investigated.

Hundreds of flights to, from and within Greece were affected, with airlines including Aegean Airlines, British Airways and Ryanair cancelling or delaying services. Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports, while some aircraft were diverted to neighbouring countries such as Italy and Albania.

Athens International Airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, saw...

The 67-year-old singer spent the night with footballer Akeem Morris and her children Rocco, Mercy and twins Stella and Estere, enjoying a festive evening that included a luxury dinner, live music and traditional entertainment in the desert. Madonna shared moments from the celebration on Instagram, posting photos of the family raising glasses and exploring the city’s famous souks.

Her eldest daughter Lourdes and son David were not present at the gathering. Madonna has frequently visited Morocco over the years and previously marked her 60th birthday in the country.

The New Year celebration comes just weeks after Madonna reunited...

Yanis Varoufakis said he first became aware of the problem after a colleague congratulated him on a YouTube talk he never gave. Watching the video, Varoufakis realised it showed a convincing AI-generated version of himself delivering geopolitical commentary he had not recorded.

Since then, hundreds of similar deepfake videos have appeared across YouTube and social media platforms, some repeating views he might plausibly hold, others attributing statements he strongly rejects. Supporters have contacted him seeking clarification, while critics have used the videos to attack his credibility.

Varoufakis said attempts to have the videos removed by major technology companies...

According to recent media reports, Callum Turner, 35, has emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Daniel Craig, who bowed out of the role in 2021. Unverified claims suggest Turner’s name is already circulating widely within industry circles, fuelling talk that the long search for a new 007 may be nearing its end.

Turner, who is engaged to pop star Dua Lipa, has steadily built his career with roles in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Emma and The Boys in the Boat. While well known, he is not yet a global superstar — a balance many...

On Monday, judges found eight men and two women guilty of making malicious online comments targeting Brigitte Macron, including unfounded allegations that she is transgender and offensive remarks about the age difference between her and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron.

The defendants, aged between 41 and 60, were sentenced to a range of penalties, including mandatory cyberbullying awareness training, suspended prison sentences and, in one case, a six-month jail term. The court ruled that the remarks were «particularly degrading, insulting and malicious».

Ms Macron did not attend the trial but said she launched legal action to «set an...

The YouTuber-turned-boxer was knocked out by former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their bout, after being dropped twice before a decisive right hand ended the fight. Paul later revealed that his jaw was fractured in two places and required surgery.

Speaking after the fight, Jake Paul said the recovery has been difficult. «I’ve got four plates in my jaw. It’s hard to sleep because when I lie down my jaw shifts and wakes me up,» he explained, adding that the injury was «part of the sport».

Despite the setback, the 28-year-old insists he...

Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea FC in 2022 under the condition that proceeds from the deal would be directed towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. However, the money remains frozen amid ongoing legal disputes.

Campaigners and politicians have criticised Abramovich for blocking the transfer of the funds while simultaneously contesting the freezing of billions of pounds in assets held in Jersey. The case has drawn particular controversy after it emerged that Lord Wolfson, a Conservative peer and Shadow Attorney General, is part of Abramovich’s legal team.

Critics argue that the legal battle comes at a time when...

A giant bluefin tuna sold for a record 510.3 mln yen, about $3.2 mln, at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market on Monday during the first auction of the year.

The 243 kg fish was purchased by Kiyomura Corp, the operator of the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, which has outlets across Japan and overseas. Company president Kiyoshi Kimura said the first tuna of the year is believed to bring good fortune.

Kimura, often dubbed the «Tuna King,» is known for placing high bids at New Year auctions. He told reporters he was surprised by the final price, saying he had expected to...

Cadillac has confirmed Zhou Guanyu as its reserve driver ahead of the team’s debut season in Formula 1.

Zhou, who raced for Alfa Romeo and later Kick Sauber between 2022 and 2024, becomes the latest addition to the American outfit’s line-up. Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have been named as race drivers, while former IndyCar competitor Colton Herta will serve as test driver.

During his three seasons in Formula 1, Zhou contested 68 Grands Prix and scored points seven times, including on his debut at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. The 26-year-old also secured Kick Sauber’s only points...

The Ministry of Energy reports that an oil leak at the M-25 field in Boysun district has been contained. Additional protective ponds were constructed around the site to prevent the spill from spreading beyond the area.

Collected oil is regularly transported to a specialised facility, where it is safely stored in two isolated ponds of 5,000 cubic metres each and prepared for future use.

«All work is carried out in full compliance with current industrial and environmental safety standards,» the ministry said.

Authorities also confirmed that some oil entered a water channel, and clean-up operations...

In 2025, Uzbekistan fully renovated 787 km of main power transmission lines, the Ministry of Energy reports.

The country also repaired 29,500 km of distribution networks, nine transformers at main substations and 10,200 transformer units. As part of broader modernisation, 8,600 km of power lines, 2,300 transformer units and 28 substations were upgraded, improving electricity supply to more than 800,000 households.

Alongside these infrastructure improvements, electricity consumption grew 14% over the year, reaching 77.1 bn kWh.

Uzbekistan also continued developing green energy, launching small solar installations with a total capacity of 2 GW and achieving electricity savings of...

Ahn Sung-ki, one of South Korean cinema’s most respected and long-serving actors, has died at the age of 74. His career, lasting over 60 years, included more than 130 films, featuring major hits such as «Silmido» and «Radio Star.»

His death was confirmed by his agency, Artist Company, and Seoul’s Soonchunhyang University Hospital, which said Ahn had been fighting blood cancer, according to the Associated Press. He began acting as a child at age five, debuting in 1957’s «The Twilight Train,» and appeared in around 70 films before taking a break during his teenage years.

After graduating with...

From January to November 2025, Uzbekistan exported $2.3 bn worth of textiles, down 11.5% compared with the same period in 2024, the State Statistics Committee reports.

More than half of these exports (52%) came from finished textile products, while yarn accounted for 28% and knitted fabric 11%. The remaining 9% included fabrics, socks and carpets.

Overall, Uzbekistan’s total exports during the first eleven months of 2025 reached $30.9 bn, an increase of 26.2% year-on-year. The country’s total foreign trade turnover amounted to $72.8 bn.

Kursiv also reports that from January to October 2025, Kyrgyzstan delivered 17,600 tonnes of...

Lando Norris will pay the largest FIA super license fee ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season after scoring the most points in 2025.

For the past four years, Max Verstappen had held this position, but Norris overtook him after finishing two points ahead.

All F1 drivers must hold an FIA super license, which permits them to compete at the top level of motorsport. The cost of the license exceeds €1 mln for the season’s highest-scoring drivers.

The fee includes a flat rate of €11,842, which applies to all drivers. This will be paid by returning competitors such as Valtteri...

From January to October 2025, Kyrgyzstan delivered 17,600 tonnes of sugar to Uzbekistan, marking a 39% increase compared with the previous year, Tazabek reports.

In value terms, exports rose from $8.7 mln to $12 mln. Kyrgyzstan also supplied smaller quantities to Tajikistan and Afghanistan, shipping 108 tonnes and 15 tonnes respectively.

According to Uzbekistan’s State Statistics Committee, by early November 2025 the country’s food imports had surpassed $3.5 bn, an 18% increase year-on-year.

Bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan reached $787.3 mln over the first ten months of 2025, up from $674.4 mln during the same period in 2024.

Samsung Electronics plans to double this year the number of its mobile devices equipped with artificial intelligence features powered by Google’s Gemini, its co-CEO said, a move that could strengthen the U.S. tech firm’s position as competition in AI accelerates.

The South Korean company had deployed Gemini-based AI functions across about 400 mln devices including smartphones and tablets by last year and aims to raise that total to 800 mln in 2026.

«We will apply AI to all products, all functions and all services as quickly as possible,» T M Roh told Reuters in his...

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States could launch another military strike on Venezuela after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro if remaining officials do not cooperate with Washington’s plans for the country.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump also suggested Colombia and Mexico could face U.S. military action if they fail to curb illicit drug flows. He said Cuba, a close Venezuelan ally, could collapse without U.S. intervention.

Maduro is being held in New York ahead of a court appearance on drug charges, an action the U.S. has described as a law enforcement operation...

BTS will release their fifth studio album on March 20, 2026, marking the group’s first full-length release in three years and nine months, their label BIGHIT MUSIC announced.

The album signals a new chapter for the global K-pop group and offers a glimpse into the musical direction they plan to take going forward. All seven members were closely involved in writing and producing the songs, drawing on their personal experiences, emotions and challenges from recent years.

The record features 14 tracks and is described as a deeply personal project aimed at fans who have been waiting for BTS to...