News

A French museum has filed a criminal complaint after the banana used in Maurizio Cattelan‘s famous artwork Comedian was stolen from an exhibition at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in eastern France. The conceptual artwork, which consists of a banana taped to a wall, gained worldwide attention after one edition sold for $6.2 mln at auction in 2024.

Museum officials said a security guard discovered the banana missing over the weekend. The institution subsequently alerted police and filed a complaint against unknown persons, describing the theft as an issue of respect for the artwork.

Despite the high valuation of the...

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan reduced its gold reserves by one tonne in April this year. The latest figures were published by the World Gold Council (WGC) as part of its regular monitoring of global precious metal movements.

Despite this recent sale, the Uzbek regulator remains a net buyer of the precious metal on an annual basis. Over the measured period, the central bank has added a total of 24 tonnes to its national reserves.

Looking at the wider international market, Poland emerged as the largest buyer among global central banks in April by acquiring 14 tonnes.

China followed...

YouTube star and musician KSI has confirmed that his departure from the Sidemen is genuine, addressing growing concern among fans following recent announcements that suggested he was leaving the popular content creator group.

Speaking in a video message, KSI acknowledged that many supporters were upset by the news and described the reaction as similar to a period of “grieving” among the group’s fanbase. However, he stressed that his decision was not a publicity stunt and that he remains on good terms with the other members.

The 31-year-old, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, said he felt it was...

Ivanka Trump has publicly confirmed plans to develop a luxury resort on Albania’s Sazan Island alongside her husband, Jared Kushner, as opposition to the project grows across the Balkan country. The €1.4 bn development is being led by Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, and would transform the former military island into a high-end tourism destination.

The confirmation comes as thousands of protesters gathered in the Albanian capital, Tirana, demanding that the government halt the project over environmental concerns. Demonstrators argue that construction could damage protected coastal ecosystems near the Vjosa-Narta landscape, home to flamingos, sea turtles and other...

A catastrophic fire at a hotel in the Indian capital of Delhi has resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people, Reuters reports. The tragic incident, which occurred on Wednesday, is being described by local police as one of the deadliest blazes the city has witnessed in recent years.

Eyewitnesses reported distressing scenes as desperate guests leapt from the burning four-storey building to escape the advancing flames and billowing smoke. In a frantic bid to save lives, quick-thinking residents dragged mattresses from a nearby shop and spread them across the pavement below to break the fall of those...

Sir David Beckham is officially cementing his legacy in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has announced that the global sporting icon will be honoured with the 2,849th star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday June 12, 2026 at 6819 Hollywood Boulevard. Beckham will receive his star in the Sports Entertainment category. Radio personality Ellen K will serve as the event’s emcee with guest speeches expected from Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise and his wife Victoria Beckham.

Perfect timing for a football legend

The recognition arrives at a...

Scuderia Ferrari have officially confirmed a new multi-year contract for Charles Leclerc that guarantees the Monegasque driver will continue to race in red for several seasons to come, F1 reports.

The 28-year-old first stepped up to a Formula 1 race seat with the Italian outfit in 2019 following an impressive debut campaign with Sauber. However, his deep-rooted relationship with the Maranello team actually stretches back a decade to when he joined the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016.

Chasing the ultimate dream

During his lengthy tenure with the iconic brand, Leclerc has provided the passionate tifosi with numerous unforgettable...

In a candid new cover story for GQ magazine, Tom Holland confessed that securing his role in Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated historical drama The Odyssey required some serious Hollywood diplomacy.

The British actor was forced to initiate a highly “uncomfortable conversation” with Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman after realising that the filming schedule for Nolan’s latest project directly clashed with the start date for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

When the acclaimed director offered Holland the part of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, the actor knew he could not pass up the opportunity. However, accepting the role meant convincing Sony...

Santa Monica Studio announced God of War Laufey, a brand new mainline entry in the critically acclaimed franchise. In a historic first for the series, players will step into the shoes of Faye, the wife of Kratos and mother of Atreus.

The reveal took place during the June State of Play broadcast. Alongside a cinematic debut trailer, the development team treated fans to roughly 20 minutes of gameplay footage that detailed the upcoming storyline and showcased a revamped combat system.

The narrative shifts away from the familiar Norse realms and transports players to Eternity. This enigmatic afterlife dimension serves...

Uzbekistan has maintained a rapid pace of economic expansion during the first quarter of this year. According to fresh data released by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the republic’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 8.7% year-on-year in early 2026.

Domestic demand drives expansion

The primary catalyst for this robust financial performance was a significant surge in consumer demand. A steady increase in financial remittances from abroad and rising domestic wages have directly bolstered the country’s developing services sector.

Further economic support came from other heavy-hitting areas of the economy:

Psy, the global music icon renowned for his 2012 smash hit “Gangnam Style”, has been referred to South Korean prosecutors, The Korea Herald reports. The singer is facing allegations that he instructed his manager to illegally collect psychotropic drugs on his behalf.

According to local media reports published on Tuesday, police formally transferred the case to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday. The investigation currently involves Psy, his manager, a professor at a Seoul university hospital and one other unnamed individual. All are suspected of breaching the country’s Medical Service Act.

Alleged regulatory breaches

The core...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan has firmly dismissed recent media reports suggesting that the country is in talks with the European Union to establish migration centres on its territory.

The clarification was provided directly to Kursiv Uzbekistan by the ministry’s press service. Officials categorically denied that any such diplomatic discussions are currently taking place.

“Currently, negotiations on the issue under consideration with the institutions of the European Union are not being conducted and are not planned,” a spokesperson for the ministry emphasised.

The official denial follows a recently published article by Politico...

Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov played the full 90 minutes as Uzbekistan suffered a 2-0 defeat to Canada in an international friendly, one of the team’s final preparations before its historic FIFA World Cup debut.

The match was part of a series of warm-up fixtures ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Despite the loss, Uzbekistan’s coaching staff viewed the encounter as valuable preparation against one of the tournament’s co-hosts.

Khusanov, who became the first Uzbek player to join Manchester City and the Premier League, is expected to play a...

Eco Expo Central Asia 2026 opened in Samarkand on June 2, bringing together government officials, investors, businesses and environmental experts as Uzbekistan seeks to attract financing for green development projects. The exhibition is being held alongside the Eighth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), one of the world’s largest environmental finance forums.

The three-day event is expected to attract around 10,000 participants from Uzbekistan and abroad, featuring more than 68 exhibition pavilions and 20 startup showcases from Central Asian countries. Discussions will focus on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, water management, waste recycling, green finance and climate adaptation.

Uzbekistan has shipped its first commercial consignment of fresh apricots and peaches to Malaysia, marking a new step in the country’s efforts to expand fruit exports into Southeast Asia. The shipment follows months of negotiations between Uzbek exporters and Malaysian importers aimed at opening the market for seasonal produce.

The breakthrough comes after a fruit promotion event held in Kuala Lumpur, where Uzbek officials and exporters showcased locally grown cherries, apricots and peaches to major Malaysian retailers and import companies. Several Malaysian firms expressed interest in sourcing Uzbek fruit, citing its quality and competitive pricing.

To support exports...

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has signed separate memorandums of understanding with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Central Bank to strengthen cooperation in financial reporting, auditing and professional education.

The agreements aim to expand the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), improve professional qualifications and provide greater access to internationally recognized accounting certifications for specialists in Uzbekistan.

Under the partnership with the Finance Ministry, ACCA will support the training of finance and audit professionals, accreditation of university programs and integration of ACCA qualifications into the national education system. The renewed agreement also...

A senior UK Treasury minister has said Britain’s eventual return to the European Union is “an inevitability,” marking one of the strongest pro-EU statements made by a serving member of the Labour government since Brexit.

Lord Spencer Livermore, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, made the remarks during a debate in the House of Lords. He stressed that the view was his personal opinion, arguing that rejoining the bloc would ultimately be in Britain’s economic interest.

The comments go beyond Labour’s official position. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly ruled out rejoining the EU, the single market...

A simulation testing how artificial intelligence models would govern a virtual society ended in disaster when Elon Musk‘s Grok oversaw the collapse of its world in just four days, according to researchers at Emergence AI.

The experiment placed several leading AI models in charge of separate simulated towns for 15 days, giving them tools to manage resources, create laws, communicate with citizens and maintain public order. Researchers found striking differences in outcomes depending on which model was in control.

According to the study, Grok’s society descended into chaos, recording more than 180 crimes before all inhabitants died out...

The United Kingdom has won a legal dispute with Rwanda over compensation linked to the scrapped asylum relocation scheme, with an international tribunal ruling that London does not owe Kigali more than £100 mln in additional payments.

The ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected all financial claims brought by Rwanda, which argued that Britain was still required to make payments promised under the migration partnership agreement despite the scheme’s cancellation.

The asylum plan, introduced by the previous Conservative government, aimed to send migrants arriving illegally in the UK to Rwanda for processing. Prime...

Iran has restored access to dozens of underground missile facilities damaged during U.S. and Israeli strikes earlier this year, according to satellite imagery and intelligence assessments cited by CNN and Reuters.

The report said Iranian crews have reopened at least 50 access points at 18 underground missile complexes since a ceasefire took effect in April. Heavy machinery was reportedly used to clear debris and unblock tunnel entrances that had been targeted during the conflict.

U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran’s military reconstruction efforts are progressing faster than previously anticipated. Assessments indicate that Tehran has already resumed parts of its...

Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi has pleaded not guilty to U.S. terrorism-related charges accusing him of helping plan at least 18 attacks across Europe and supporting the Iran-backed militia Kata’ib Hezbollah.

Appearing in federal court in Manhattan on Monday, Al-Saadi described himself as a «prisoner of war» and denied the allegations. During the hearing, he told the court he was not a criminal and referred to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East before being ordered to sit down by Judge Colleen McMahon. U.S. marshals approached him as the exchange unfolded.

U.S. prosecutors allege that Al-Saadi, whom...

Roodell has emerged victorious in an auction to purchase a 50% state-owned stake in the joint venture UzSungwoo. During the competitive bidding process, the value of the asset surged significantly from an initial starting price of 390.5 bn soums ($32.7 mln) to a final winning bid of 585.8 bn soums ($49 mln).

The sale took place on June 1 via the E-auksion platform and concluded in approximately 34 minutes. The transaction was structured to allow payments on an instalment basis and the final auction results are currently awaiting payment clearance.

Strategic importance and strict conditions

UzSungwoo is a...

A potent combination of human-induced climate change and a developing El Nino weather pattern is poised to trigger severe environmental chaos across the globe.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published a dire forecast warning that the collision of these two forces will likely result in devastating meteorological extremes.

High probability of disruption

According to the latest WMO data, there is an 80% likelihood that El Nino will firmly establish itself between June and August. Forecasters also calculate a 90% chance that the climatic anomaly will endure until at least November.

El Nino is a natural phenomenon that...

The coaching staff of the Uzbekistan national football team has finalised the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. The roster features a combination of players competing in the domestic league and in foreign championships.

Pakhtakor have the largest representation with four players selected for the tournament. They are followed by Neftchi with three representatives and Nasaf with two.

Goalkeepers

Defenders