News

Both McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix after their cars failed post-race technical inspection, creating a dramatic shift in the Drivers’ Championship.

The Stewards found that the plank assembly on both cars was worn below the minimum 9mm thickness breaching Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Technical Regulations. Despite McLaren arguing mitigating circumstances such as accidental damage and porpoising the standard penalty of disqualification was applied.

The ruling has a significant impact on the title race. Norris is now confirmed on 340 points but the removal of...

Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have agreed on a new framework for collaboration in the water and energy sectors. The agreement was finalised on November 22 during a meeting in Almaty, chaired by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy, Yerlan Akkenzhenov. Uzbekistan’s Minister of Energy, Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, signed on behalf of his country.

Amid challenges at the Toktogul Reservoir, the three countries decided to support one another during the winter months. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan confirmed they will supply electricity to Kyrgyzstan during the cold season. This will allow Kyrgyzstan to reduce water use for power generation and conserve resources in the Toktogul...

President Donald Trump has clarified that his administration’s 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine and Russia is «not my final offer.» Speaking to reporters, he stressed the urgency of ending the war, adding that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects the plan, «then he can continue to fight his little heart out.»

The proposal has sparked controversy. It suggests allowing Russia to keep more Ukrainian territory, limits the size of Ukraine’s military, and bars the country from joining NATO. Ukrainian lawmakers and some U.S. senators have criticized the plan, arguing it concedes too much to Russia and could leave Ukraine...

Tajik investors have opened 357 enterprises in Uzbekistan, according to data released by Tajikistan’s Statistics Agency.

Of these companies, 89 are joint ventures, while 268 are fully owned by investors from Tajikistan. The main sectors attracting Tajik capital include industry, energy, logistics and agriculture.

In return, more than 70 enterprises with Uzbek investment now operate in Tajikistan. These include yarn manufacturers, home appliance producers and other industrial facilities.

Economic cooperation between the two neighbouring countries has been expanding steadily in recent years, supported by improved political dialogue and cross-border investment initiatives.

Max Verstappen stormed to victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after seizing the lead at the very start and never letting it go, keeping his faint title hopes alive with two races remaining. The Dutchman launched past pole sitter Lando Norris when the McLaren man ran wide at Turn 1 and from there delivered a near faultless drive.

Behind him, Norris salvaged second despite late fuel concerns and tyre wear while George Russell nursed a steering issue to secure third.

It's a DRAMATIC first corner in Las Vegas 😱

Here's how the race start unfolded...

The US Embassy in Uzbekistan announced that Sergio Gor, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and a native of Tashkent, will co-chair the new US–Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council. The US State Department shared the update earlier this week.

Gor will work alongside Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan.

According to the US side, the new council will give bilateral relations a more active, practical momentum. It aims to help companies find partners more quickly, boost mutual investment and open new high-tech avenues for cooperation.

This initiative follows the agreements reached during President...

Uzbekhydromet released a preliminary forecast for the upcoming winter in Uzbekistan. December is expected to be slightly warmer than average, with mean temperatures 1–1.5° above normal. Early in the month, nights will range from 0 to +5°, while daytime highs reach +10 to +15°.

In the second half of December, temperatures will become more variable. Night-time readings could range from +2…+7° down to 0…–5°, and daytime temperatures from +12…+17° to +2…+7°. Precipitation is expected to be near or slightly below average.

January is predicted to be close to long-term averages, though some regions may experience slightly colder conditions. During...

A court in Missouri has been left unsettled after a judge resigned following disciplinary action for wearing an Elvis Presley wig and at times playing the singer’s music during hearings.

Matthew EP Thornhill, the longest-serving circuit judge in St Charles County, openly described himself as an Elvis enthusiast. His fondness for the performer, however, led to a formal complaint as investigators said he often made «irrelevant» references to Elvis while on the bench.

In a letter to the Missouri Supreme Court dated November 12, Judge Thornhill said he had tried to «add levity at times when I thought it...

Kazakhstan has sharply increased its exports of tobacco sticks to Uzbekistan, sending 321.8 tonnes valued at $9.7 mln between January and September.

Uzbekistan has become the primary buyer, accounting for 82% of Kazakhstan’s total exports by volume. Previously, shipments to Uzbekistan were negligible, with only 0.3 kilograms exported during the first nine months of 2024. Tobacco sticks were officially categorised in EAEU statistics in early 2022, meaning earlier figures mostly reflect re-exports.

The surge is likely linked to the launch of Kazakhstan’s first production line for Philip Morris IQOS sticks, announced in April 2025, after which exports increased significantly.

Trade between Uzbekistan and China reached $14 bn last year, with around 5,000 joint ventures operating in the country, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Since the start of 2025, Uzbekistan has attracted almost $15 bn in Chinese investment, while the portfolio of joint technology projects has approached $90 bn. Leaders also discussed the Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan–China railway project and its future connection to international routes.

The talks covered initiatives in green and nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, transport, infrastructure, and agriculture.

It was also announced that Chinese Culture Days will be held in...

An Indian Air Force pilot has been killed after a Tejas fighter jet crashed during a display at the Dubai Airshow, BBC reports.

The IAF expressed condolences, saying it “deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family”. A court of inquiry is being established to determine the cause of the accident.

The crash occurred at around 14:10 local time (10:10 GMT), according to reports. Dubai emergency services responded swiftly, with firefighters and first responders managing the situation on-site. Footage from the scene showed black smoke rising into the sky.

India’s Chief of Defence Staff...

Japan is moving closer to restarting the world’s largest nuclear power plant for the first time since the Fukushima disaster, BBC reports. Niigata governor Hideyo Hanazumi has backed a partial restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, which has been idle since 2011.

His decision will be debated at a prefectural assembly meeting in December, where he will seek formal approval. The plan covers the restart of reactor No 6, followed later by No 7, but must also be cleared by Japan’s nuclear regulator.

It would be the first time Tepco is allowed to operate a nuclear reactor since the meltdown...

Lando Norris delivered the fastest lap in the dying moments of a frantic qualifying session to take pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The strip had been soaked for hours after intermittent rain hit the circuit from late afternoon. Although the skies eased somewhat, the surface remained wet throughout, and with temperatures low there was little hope of natural drying. Drivers wrestled their cars through standing water, slipping off-line and struggling for consistency as the track evolved by the minute.

Q1: Big Names Fall as Weather Creates Chaos

Teams faced immediate dilemmas, with Aston Martin and Kick...

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has taken centre stage at the Golden Joystick Awards after securing seven titles including the top honour of Ultimate Game of the Year. The acclaimed role-playing game, created by a core team of around 30 at Sandfall Interactive in France, drew praise for its narrative, combat system and performances.

Guillaume Broche, the studio’s chief executive and creative director, said the success had been overwhelming and thanked both voters and staff as he accepted the main award. The game also earned Best Soundtrack, Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design, while Sandfall Interactive was named Studio of...

World Cup qualifiers Australia and Uzbekistan will host FIFA-supported intercontinental friendly tournaments in March as part of their preparation for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA announced Friday.

The «FIFA Series,» launched two years ago to give developing national teams more opportunities to face opponents from other continents, will expand next year to include women’s events in Brazil, Ivory Coast and Thailand — ahead of Brazil hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Australia and debutant Uzbekistan are among 42 teams already qualified for the expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Six more places will be...

Postdoctoral fellow Gina Wang at Harvard’s Wyss Institute is helping to develop a first-of-its-kind device that could one day transform how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is monitored and potentially diagnosed.

As part of the NERVE Validation Project, Wang is working on ultra-sensitive technology to detect abnormal RNA molecules inside extracellular vesicles – tiny particles in blood and other body fluids that carry proteins and RNA linked to disease. Because current diagnostic tools cannot «see» ALS-related RNA splicing defects, drug developers lack a precise way to tell whether their treatments are hitting the right targets.

Wang’s device aims to fill...

All mention of fossil fuels has been removed from the draft agreement at the COP30 UN Climate Summit in Belem, Brazil, sparking criticism from countries pushing for stronger commitments to phase out oil, gas and coal.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, along with nations such as the UK, had sought a roadmap for reducing fossil fuel use. Earlier versions of the text outlined three possible pathways, but those provisions were deleted following resistance from oil-producing states. Negotiators say Saudi Arabia and several Arab countries are leading the pushback.

A group of countries, including the UK, issued a...

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. has unveiled its latest electric vehicle, the Model A, at the opening of Hon Hai Tech Day in Taipei, confirming Japan as the car’s first target market.

Chairman Young Liu said the Model A was jointly developed by Taiwanese and Japanese teams and is also being presented to potential buyers in Southeast Asia as the company looks to expand its regional EV footprint.

Jun Seki, Hon Hai’s chief strategy officer for electric vehicles, introduced three industry-specific configurations of the Model A. The model features a slim battery pack that can fully charge in...

Spanish prosecutor Ignacio Stampa has revealed the strained relationship he maintains with State Attorney General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz, during testimony in the case investigating former Socialist Party member Leire Diez for an alleged bribery attempt.

According to Stampa’s account, Diez and businessman Javier Perez Dolset summoned him on 7 May to the office of Luis del Rivero, where they allegedly offered to help reinstate him in the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. In return, they asked him to provide compromising information on Anti-Corruption chief Alejandro Luzon and on Antonio Balas, the UCO officer leading investigations into Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s family.

Bitcoin has fallen around 24% since 11 November and could be headed toward – or even below – the $80,000 mark, pressuring much of the crypto market. But analysts highlight three altcoins that may hold up better thanks to strong chart structures and negative correlation with BTC: Zcash (ZEC), Pi Coin (PI) and Tensor (TNSR).

Zcash is described as one of the «cleanest» setups in a weak market, with a one-month correlation of –0.87 to Bitcoin, meaning it has often moved in the opposite direction. ZEC is holding above a flag breakout from 14 November, with buyers defending dips...

Usman Khawaja was prevented from opening Australia’s first innings in the opening Ashes Test in Perth after spending too much time off the field during England’s innings.

The 38-year-old left-hander, who missed a significant portion of play due to what Cricket Australia initially described as «toilet breaks and stretching», was later confirmed to be dealing with back stiffness and a brief back spasm. His delayed return meant he exceeded the allowable time off the field under ICC rules.

Under ICC Regulation 24.2, any player off the field for more than eight minutes cannot bat until their team’s innings has...

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is extending a loan of up to €10 mln to MaxCopper, a newly formed copper pipe producer in Uzbekistan. The funding will cover working capital as the company establishes and increases its production capacity, and will also go towards securing raw materials such as copper cathodes.

MaxCopper plans to manufacture copper pipes and fittings mainly for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Its output will include lightweight coils, straight pipes and pancake coils. The firm expects to export most of its products to European markets and countries in the region.

The project will...

American troops briefly landed on a beach in northern Mexico in what the Pentagon has described as a «mistaken» operation, escalating tensions just days after President Donald Trump threatened military action against the country.

According to witnesses, a group of US personnel identified as «contractors» arrived by boat at Playa Bagdad on Monday, near the mouth of the Rio Grande. The men drove six warning signs into the sand, declaring the area a restricted zone belonging to the US Department of Defense.

The signs, written in English and Spanish, stated that unauthorised access or photography was prohibited and that...

Cole Palmer will miss Chelsea’s next three matches after breaking a toe in an accident at home, Sky Sports reports. The forward fractured the little toe on his left foot after hitting it against a door, ruling him out of fixtures against Burnley Barcelona and Arsenal.

Palmer had been close to returning after a long spell on the sidelines with a groin problem that has limited him to only three Premier League appearances this season. He last featured in September and has not played for Chelsea or England since being forced off early during the match at Manchester United.