News

Sergio Perez has opened up about his time at Red Bull and the challenges of racing alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen.

The Mexican driver joined Red Bull in 2021 after stints with Force India, Racing Point, McLaren and Sauber. He initially performed well, finishing fourth in the drivers’ championship in 2021, third in 2022 and second in 2023. However, he struggled as the car became increasingly tailored to Verstappen, leaving him eighth in 2024. Perez was replaced for 2025 by rookie Liam Lawson, who was then replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. For 2026, Isack Hadjar takes the seat.

The United States could attempt to assert control over Greenland in the coming months, according to sources cited by Politico. Washington may time such moves to coincide with the midterm congressional elections in November or the U.S.’s 250th Independence Day on July 4.

Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of Eurasia Group’s European division, told the publication that the U.S. is likely to pursue a different approach than in Venezuela. He suggested Washington could launch a political influence campaign to shift the current balance of power.

Rahman did not rule out the possibility of bribing local politicians to expand U.S. military...

Uzbek chess grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov has secured a spot in the FIDE Candidates Tournament, which will be held at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Cyprus.

Sindarov earned his place through a strong showing at the 2025 Chess World Cup. He will compete alongside Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum, Wei Yi, Andrey Esipenko and Hikaru Nakamura. Participants qualified via the FIDE Circuit, the Grand Swiss tournament and world rankings.

In the women’s section, top players include Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru, Tan Zhongyi, Vaishali R., Kateryna Lagno and Bibisara Assaubayeva. Qualification was...

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice has registered a resolution setting out the criteria for organisations deemed to be of public significance. The category includes stock exchanges, banks and microfinance institutions.

The status also applies to companies whose shares are publicly traded, factoring firms, mortgage organisations and payment systems. Enterprises with state participation are included as well, provided their assets exceed 1 million base calculation units and their annual net income is above the same threshold.

The list further covers organisations that meet at least one of the criteria over a two-year period, including assets of no less than 1 million...

Uzbekistan national team striker Igor Sergeev will continue his career in Iran after signing a contract with Tehran-based club Persepolis, the team announced.

«Igor Sergeev is with us. Welcome to Persepolis,» the club’s press office wrote.

The 32-year-old had a standout season in the Uzbekistan Super League with Pakhtakor, scoring 20 goals and providing three assists in 29 matches. According to Transfermarkt, Sergeev was named the country’s best player in 2025, with an estimated market value of $1.2 mln.

Sergeev previously played in Kazakhstan from 2021 to 2023 for Aktobe and Tobol, winning a...

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are set to begin testing a multimodal transport corridor that will connect Central Asia with China and Europe, Anadolu Agency reports.

The pilot project will start with a convoy of ten loaded trucks travelling from Uzbekistan, through Tajikistan, to China. The initiative was agreed by the transport ministers of both countries, who committed to jointly opening the Chinese route and introducing electronic permits for international shipments.

Plans are also in place to expand the capacity of the Dzhartepa–Sarazm border crossing. A logistics centre will be built at the border to handle up to 100 trucks per...

Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy human-like robots in its factories starting in 2028, as companies worldwide compete to adopt the technology, BBC reports.

The South Korean automaker showcased Atlas, a humanoid robot developed by Boston Dynamics, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Monday. Hyundai said it «plans to integrate Atlas across its global network», including a plant in Georgia, which was the site of a large immigration raid in 2025.

Other firms adopting humanoid robots include Amazon, Tesla and Chinese carmaker BYD. Hyundai said Atlas will gradually take on more tasks. The company owns...

Arab investment fund No Limits Sport is assessing the potential purchase of football clubs in Uzbekistan, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan, Vadim Andreev, head of the organisation’s Eurasian operations, told TASS.

«We plan to analyse 10 to 12 clubs soon and prepare a detailed report for the fund’s investors to identify the most promising opportunities in terms of asset growth and return on investment,» Andreev said.

The fund has already expressed interest in acquiring Russian club Rotor, which currently competes in the First League. As of January 5, Rotor is in seventh place, with...

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...