News

Uzbekistan’s National Investment Fund (UzNIF) has completed a landmark dual IPO in London and Tashkent, marking what analysts describe as a major milestone for the country’s capital markets and economic reform agenda.

The offering raised about $603.6 mln and valued the fund at nearly $1.95 bn, becoming Uzbekistan’s first international equity offering and the largest IPO on the London Stock Exchange so far in 2026.

UzNIF, managed by Franklin Templeton, holds stakes in 13 major state-linked companies, including Uzbekistan Airways, Uzbektelecom and national energy firms. Strong demand from global investors such as BlackRock and Redwheel reportedly...

Spanish police have arrested the son of Mango founder Isak Andic as part of an ongoing investigation into the fashion tycoon’s fatal cliff fall in December 2024, Reuters reports.

The late billionaire plummeted more than 100 metres (328 ft) to his death while on a family hiking trip near the Mediterranean city of Barcelona. While authorities initially treated the tragic plunge as an accident, Catalan police subsequently launched a homicide probe after uncovering potential foul play.

A spokesperson for the family confirmed that Jonathan Andic was taken into custody on Tuesday and is facing questioning by detectives but refused...

The Portuguese Football Federation has officially unveiled its men’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. The announcement confirms that the European heavyweights are bringing a star-studded roster to the global tournament, blending seasoned veterans with a thrilling new generation of talent.

The most notable inclusion in the squad is undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary forward continues to defy his age, heading into yet another World Cup campaign to add to his record-breaking international career. He will be supported by a world-class creative midfield featuring Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

The 2026 World...

The highly anticipated television reboot of Harry Potter is facing its first major casting hurdle before a single episode has even aired. Gracie Cochrane, the young star initially tapped to play Ginny Weasley in the first season of the HBO adaptation, will not be reprising her role going forward.

As production on the debut instalment, based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, nears completion, Cochrane’s family released a statement confirming her exit. Citing “unforeseen circumstances” as the driving factor, they announced she would officially step away from the wizarding world.

“Her time as part of...

Sony Santa Monica is reportedly crafting a new God of War spin-off for the PlayStation 5 that shifts the spotlight away from the franchise’s iconic protagonist. According to recent industry leaks, the unannounced project will instead centre on Kratos’ wife Faye and the Norse god of war Tyr.

Information circulating as of May 14, 2026 suggests a drastic departure from the series’ recent Scandinavian backdrop. The prequel will reportedly transport players to a time long before the 2018 soft reboot to explore an array of different folklore. The mythologies rumoured to be featured include Japanese, Chinese, Native American.

In addition...

Bianca Andreescu shocked the tennis world in 2019 by winning the U.S. Open. After years of injury setbacks the Canadian star is rebuilding her career on the ITF circuit with her sights set on Grand Slam success once more.

In September 2019 Bianca Andreescu stood victorious on Arthur Ashe Stadium as confetti rained down around her. At just 19 years of age she had defeated the legendary Serena Williams to capture the U.S. Open title and reach the summit of world tennis.

At that historic moment the Canadian teenager could never have predicted it would take more than...

Pop singer David “D4vd” Burke was apprehended in April in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The California teenager’s body was discovered last September inside an impounded Tesla owned by the musician.

As his trial approaches this June, various entertainment brands that previously partnered with the artist are now scrambling to distance themselves from his work and mitigate the fallout.

One major collaboration caught in the crossfire is the hit Netflix animated series Arcane, a programme based on the widely popular video game League of Legends. The show prominently features Burke’s track “Remember Me”, but it...

Despite shattering global viewership records on Disney+, the creators of the hit period drama Perfect Crown have been forced to issue a highly public apology, The Korea Herald reports. The controversy centres on a severe historical oversight that fans argue effectively downgraded the sovereign status of the Joseon dynasty.

The coronation blunders

The fierce domestic backlash reached a boiling point after Friday’s broadcast, which featured a highly anticipated coronation sequence starring Byeon Woo-seok as Grand Prince I-an. Keen-eyed viewers immediately highlighted two glaring inaccuracies that inadvertently depicted Joseon as a territory entirely subordinate to imperial China.

Firstly, court...

The chief executive of Starbucks’ South Korean operations has been abruptly dismissed following a disastrous marketing campaign that triggered widespread national outrage. Retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group, which manages the coffee franchise locally, ousted Sohn Jeong-hyun after a promotional stunt dredged up painful memories of the country’s authoritarian past.

A catastrophic promotional launch

The controversy centres on the ill-conceived “Tank Day” event launched this past Monday, which was designed to market a new range of heavy-duty reusable cups. Unfortunately for the brand, the rollout coincided exactly with Democratisation Movement Day.

This annual observance honours the victims of the May...

Javier Bardem has used his platform at the Cannes Film Festival to speak out against aggressive masculinity, Reuters reports. The Oscar-winning actor described this pervasive trait as a destructive force that he hopes society will soon eradicate, a theme he deeply explores in his latest competition entry, The Beloved.

Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, the intense drama features Bardem as a demanding filmmaker who casts his estranged daughter in his newest picture. This professional reunion unearths deep-rooted grievances driven by ego, anger and resentment. The Beloved is currently one of 22 films vying for the festival’s highest honour, the Palme...

While Aryna Sabalenka is typically seen dominating the court in athletic wear, the 28-year-old tennis champion has chosen a strikingly different look for her latest magazine appearance.

The current world number one and four-time Grand Slam winner swapped her racket for a high-fashion editorial, gracing the cover of Vogue in a daring sheer ensemble. Fans were quick to notice her bold style choice, as the athlete showcased her toned physique and golden tan in a bra top and a see-through skirt whilst posing on an oceanfront balcony.

Sabalenka’s new sparkler

Beyond her stunning photoshoot, Sabalenka used the feature to...

Two teenage gunmen opened fire outside a California mosque on Monday, claiming the lives of a security guard and two other men. According to local authorities, the suspects were subsequently discovered dead from suspected self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Scott Wahl, the San Diego Police Chief, stated that local officers and the FBI are treating the assault on San Diego County’s largest Islamic place of worship as a potential hate crime. Despite this active line of inquiry, officials have not yet released a definitive motive or identified a specific trigger for the violence.

A mother’s warning

During an evening press briefing...

Colombian pop star Shakira has secured a massive legal victory against Spain’s tax authorities. The Audiencia Nacional (National Court) has officially annulled penalties relating to the 2011 tax year and ordered the Treasury to refund the singer over €60 mln in improperly collected fines, legal fees and accumulated interest, El Mundo reports.

The landmark ruling overturns a July 2021 decision by the Central Economic Administrative Tribunal which had previously accused the artist of defrauding the state on both her Personal Income Tax and Wealth Tax.

The 183-day rule

The court ultimately concluded that the Spanish Tax Agency (Hacienda...

Could Kimi Antonelli be the next Formula 1 star to follow in Max Verstappen’s footsteps and tackle the fearsome Nordschleife? Recent rumours suggested that the young Italian was eyeing a stint on the “Green Hell” but his current employers have swiftly put an end to the speculation.

The chatter began after Antonelli featured in a recent video discussing the DMSB Nordschleife Permit (DPN). In the clip the teenager expressed his ambition to secure the licence “by the end of the year.” The footage quickly gained traction across social media platforms but Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord was quick to...

The football world is bracing for a massive managerial reunion as Jose Mourinho prepares to return to Real Madrid. According to renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the much-anticipated move is officially happening with all terms now verbally agreed between the two parties.

Romano revealed that Mourinho will sign an initial two-year contract and is scheduled to travel to the Spanish capital to formalise the paperwork following Real Madrid’s upcoming match against Athletic Bilbao.

Restoring order at the Bernabeu

The 63-year-old tactician will arrive to replace interim boss Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa took the reins in January 2026 following the...

U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered a blunt ultimatum to Iran regarding stalled negotiations to end their ongoing conflict. Taking to his Truth Social platform, the president warned that time is running out for a resolution.

“They better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” he wrote, adding that “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

This severe messaging coincided with a Sunday telephone conversation between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to reports from the Israeli leader’s office. Trump’s latest rhetoric echoes a previous threat made just before the early...

The Wanamaker Trophy was firmly up for grabs at Aronimink Golf Club on Sunday with a crowded leaderboard of 22 contenders sitting within just four shots of the lead. Ultimately it was England’s Aaron Rai who seized the moment, delivering a spectacular final round to claim the 108th PGA Championship.

The turning point at the ninth

The 31-year-old endured a shaky start to his Sunday round. After bogeying the sixth and eighth holes he found himself 1-over for the day. However his fortunes shifted dramatically on the par-5 ninth hole.

From 260 yards out in a slight downwind...

A moderately strong earthquake measuring 5.2 in magnitude has struck the southwestern Chinese region of Guangxi. The seismic event hit the industrial city of Liuzhou during the early hours of Monday morning, leaving two people dead and triggering a mass evacuation across the local area.

Casualties and structural damage

State media outlets including CCTV and Xinhua have confirmed the two fatalities and noted that rescue personnel are still actively searching for one missing individual. Four people were rushed to hospital for medical treatment following the tremors but officials have stated that their injuries are thankfully not life-threatening.

The...

Peter Jackson finally broke his silence regarding the infamous recasting of Ryan Gosling in his 2009 big-screen adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones.

Gosling was initially hired to play the father of Saoirse Ronan’s lead character but was unceremoniously dropped from the project. The actor revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in 2010 that he was sacked after gaining 60 pounds for the role without consulting the director.

Speaking recently at the Cannes Film Festival after accepting an Honorary Palme d’Or, Jackson was asked about Gosling’s previous claims and spoke openly about the situation that led to Mark Wahlberg

The online fast-fashion powerhouse Shein is preparing to expand its retail portfolio by acquiring the American clothing brand Everlane, Bloomberg reports. According to industry reports the buyout is valued at approximately $100 mln and will see the digital giant purchase the struggling retailer directly from its majority owner L Catterton.

The terms of the acquisition suggest a difficult outcome for some existing investors. Reports from Puck News indicate that those holding common stock in Everlane will not receive any financial payout from the transaction. Furthermore it remains entirely unclear whether preferred shareholders will be compensated with cash or offered...

A routine aerial demonstration quickly morphed into a terrifying spectacle on Sunday when a pair of U.S. Navy fighter jets collided mid-air. The catastrophic incident took place during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho but miraculously resulted in zero fatalities.

Thousands of onlookers watched as the two heavily modified aircraft became entangled during their routine. Within moments of the collision all four crew members initiated their ejection sequences. Eyewitness footage captured the harrowing descent of the tangled wreckage as four parachutes drifted safely away from the ensuing fireball.

A swift emergency...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has triggered its highest level of alert in response to a surging Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak. In a statement issued on May 17, 2026 the WHO Director-General officially designated the escalating situation across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern.

An unprecedented and untreatable threat

This particular strain of Ebola presents a unique peril because medical professionals currently have no approved vaccines or targeted treatments to deploy against it. The epicentre of the crisis lies in the DRC’s Ituri Province where officials have...

Uzbek law enforcement agencies have uncovered another major drug trafficking network, seizing large quantities of narcotics and psychotropic substances during a joint special operation, according to the State Security Service and Interior Ministry.

Authorities said the illegal drugs were intended for distribution across several regions of the country. Multiple suspects were detained, and criminal cases have been opened as investigators continue to identify others involved in the network.

The operation comes amid Uzbekistan’s broader campaign against organized crime and illegal drug trafficking. Earlier this year, officials warned about the growing spread of synthetic drugs and online narcotics sales...

Thousands of passengers were stranded across London airports after major flight disruptions caused more than 400 delays and dozens of cancellations affecting carriers including British Airways, American Airlines, KLM and Helvetic Airways.

According to aviation tracking data, at least 401 flights were delayed and 61 cancelled at airports including Heathrow Airport and London City Airport, creating long queues and overcrowded terminals.

British Airways was among the hardest-hit airlines, with Heathrow experiencing the majority of disruptions. Industry reports linked the chaos to a combination of adverse weather, air traffic control restrictions and operational pressures across European aviation networks.

Travel...