News

Uzbekistan will launch the U10 Flagship Global Universities programme, designed to elevate the country’s top higher education institutions. The initiative was presented to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as part of broader reforms in higher education, science and innovation.

Selection and funding of top universities

Under the programme, ten leading universities will be chosen through a competitive process and granted the status of national research universities. Each selected institution may receive up to 150 bn soums ($12.3 mln) in state funding to develop scientific infrastructure and establish research clusters.

These clusters will involve not only local institutions but also...

Centrum Air has introduced revised fuel surcharges on a number of international routes, citing a sharp rise in global aviation fuel prices.

The airline said the changes apply only to routes most affected by increased fuel costs and are designed to help manage growing operational expenses.

Centrum Air noted that base ticket prices will remain competitive, with the surcharge adjustments applied selectively rather than across its entire network. The carrier added that it is continuing efforts to optimise costs and reduce the impact on passengers.

According to the airline, the move will support stable scheduling, maintain high safety standards and...

Neymar Jr. has found himself at the centre of a fierce backlash following Santos’ recent 2-0 victory over Remo in the Campeonato Brasileiro. What should have been a celebration of his standout performance quickly turned sour when the forward made a highly controversial and sexist post-match comment about the match referee.

Although Neymar was instrumental in ending Santos’ month-long winless streak by providing a brilliant assist and dictating the tempo of the game, tensions boiled over in the closing stages. The Brazilian reacted angrily to a heavy tackle from Remo’s Diego Hernandez in the 85th minute, leading to an...

Eight people were killed and a child injured when a house collapsed in Kabul on Friday following an earthquake in Afghanistan, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences said a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region at a depth of about 177 km. Tremors were reported in Kabul, Islamabad and New Delhi, according to witnesses.

The quake was also felt across Uzbekistan. Seismic intensity reached around three on the scale in Surkhandarya, while several regions including Fergana, Syrdarya, Jizzakh and Samarkand recorded between two and three. In Tashkent, tremors of...

The American space agency has released a stunning collection of high-definition photographs of our planet, snapped by the astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission as they approach the halfway mark of their lunar voyage.

These spectacular pictures were captured by Commander Reid Wiseman shortly after the Orion capsule executed a crucial engine burn to lock in its path towards the Moon. According to official tracking data, the vessel sat roughly 142,000 miles away from Earth and 132,000 miles from the lunar surface at approximately 07:00 BST.

A spectacular new perspective

Among the newly published catalogue is a striking...

While the F1 calendar takes a brief pause in April, Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll are swapping their open-wheel challengers for high-performance GT machinery to keep their racing instincts sharp (or just to race on real engines).

If you are wondering when and where you can catch them behind the wheel during the F1 hiatus, here is exactly what to expect this month:

Lance Stroll takes on Paul Ricard

Before returning to his usual Formula 1 duties, Lance Stroll is...

Netflix has officially offered fans a sneak peek at the highly anticipated television follow-up to Peaky Blinders. It is confirmed that Jamie Bell is starring as Duke Shelby, the formidable son of Cillian Murphy’s legendary protagonist Thomas Shelby.

The cast shake-up

The character of Duke was recently brought to life by Barry Keoghan in the feature film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. However, Bell will now permanently step into the shoes of the Shelby heir for the duration of this new television programme.

Charlie Heaton was announced as the series co-lead. The duo will be supported by a...

Gennaro Gattuso has officially stepped down as the manager of the Italian national football team after a catastrophic qualification failure.

The departure comes in the wake of a bitter 4-1 penalty shootout defeat against Bosnia-Herzegovina in a crucial Tuesday play-off, a result that permanently extinguished Italy’s hopes of reaching this summer’s tournament.

A historic low for Italian football

This latest setback solidifies a remarkably bleak era for the Azzurri. As four-time world champions, Italy’s failure to qualify for a third successive World Cup is an unprecedented collapse for a nation of such historic footballing stature. Astonishingly, the team...

The Trump administration has formally requested a $152 mln budget allocation to reactivate the infamous Alcatraz prison.

Earmarked within the proposed financial plan for the 2027 fiscal year, this funding aims to transform the historic San Francisco Bay tourist attraction back into a modern maximum-security compound.

While the budget still requires congressional approval, the initial capital would enable the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin overhauling the island’s infrastructure.

This fiscal request builds upon a directive Donald Trump issued last year when he ordered the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Prisons and several other federal agencies to formulate...

Iran has vowed retaliation after a deadly airstrike destroyed a major bridge near Tehran, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict with the United States.

The strike targeted the B1 bridge in Karaj, a key infrastructure project, killing at least eight people and injuring around 95 others, according to Iranian officials.

Footage circulating online showed a large explosion tearing through the structure, which had been due to open later this year. The attack is seen as one of the most significant hits on civilian infrastructure since the conflict began.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the strike was...

A U.S. fighter jet has been brought down over Iran, with search-and-rescue teams recovering one of the two crew members who ejected, a U.S. official told Reuters. It marks the first known incident of its kind since the conflict began nearly five weeks ago.

The fate of the second crew member remains unclear, raising concerns that a U.S. serviceman could still be evading capture inside Iran.

Rescue operation under way

The aircraft is believed to be an F-15E, which carries both a pilot and a weapons systems officer. Officials have not confirmed which of the two has been recovered...

French authorities have banned the Annual Gathering of the Muslims of France in Le Bourget, citing a «major terrorist risk» amid heightened security concerns.

Police said the decision was taken due to threats from both far-right groups and Islamist extremists, as well as a tense international climate. The event, scheduled to run from Friday to Monday, typically draws large crowds.

The move follows a recently foiled bomb plot in Paris, which prompted authorities to усилить security at religious sites, diplomatic locations and key economic infrastructure.

Officials also pointed to growing global threats, including calls by the Islamic State...

Chinese company StarVision plans to launch the «Samarkand 2028» satellite as early as May, officials said at the Space Technology Conference 2026 in Tashkent.

An agreement for the hyperspectral satellite launch was signed in December between StarVision and Uzbekistan’s Uzcosmos agency. The deal also includes joint projects in satellite development, expansion of space applications, and closer scientific and technological cooperation.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the initiative would provide a strong boost to Uzbekistan’s scientific and technological progress and help advance national development.

Uzbekistan is also preparing to send its first astronaut into space. Candidates will be...

Mark of K-pop group NCT will leave the band and end his contract with SM Entertainment, both the artist and the agency confirmed on Friday.

The decision will take effect next Wednesday and follows what the company described as lengthy and thorough discussions with the singer.

Mark debuted in 2016 as part of NCT and performed across several sub-units, including NCT 127 and NCT Dream.

He also launched his solo career last April with the album The Firstfruit, expanding his work beyond group activities.

SM Entertainment praised Mark’s contributions, describing him as an exceptional artist who has shown strong...

Formula 1 is experiencing a decline in television ratings across specific European territories following the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Broadcasters in France and Spain have reported the most alarming audience slumps compared to the previous season.

The viewing figures from Suzuka paint a grim picture for two of the sport’s traditional strongholds. In France viewership on Canal+ collapsed by approximately 43%. The 2026 race drew just 404,000 viewers compared to 705,000 during the prior year.

The massive drop in Spanish viewership is heavily linked to the current on-track struggles of local heroes Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz...

Formula 1 stakeholders are set to meet next week to address the biggest problems arising under the 2026 rules, with six potential solutions reportedly under discussion, The Race reports. The first three races have exposed the strengths and weaknesses of the new regulations, prompting urgent talks ahead of the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

The yo-yo racing effect has divided fans and drivers, but Formula 1 does not see this as requiring immediate action. Paddock consensus focuses on other urgent matters that may need rule tweaks.

Safety Concerns Top Agenda

Ollie Bearman’s high-speed crash at the...

President Donald Trump abruptly dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday amidst escalating dissatisfaction with her governance at the Department of Justice.

The removal was triggered by her controversial treatment of sensitive documents relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the collapse of high-profile criminal cases opposing the president’s political rivals.

Todd Blanche, the current Deputy Attorney General, was immediately elevated to acting attorney general. In a social media broadcast, Trump commended Blanche as a “very talented and respected Legal Mind.” Speculation is now mounting in Washington that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is the frontrunner to...

American hip-hop artist Pooh Shiesty, born Lontrell Williams Jr., has been taken into custody alongside seven other individuals following coordinated police operations across Dallas, Memphis and Nashville. Law enforcement officials have confirmed that a manhunt is currently underway for a ninth suspect connected to the case.

The Dallas ambush

The arrests stem from what was supposed to be a routine business trip to Texas. Three music industry executives, a group that included the prominent rapper Gucci Mane, travelled to Dallas to finalise a contract.

However, court documents suggest the negotiations took a violent turn. The prosecution alleges that...

The wait is over for fans of the To All the Boys universe! The highly anticipated XO, Kitty season 3 just dropped on April 2, 2026, delivering all eight 30-minute episodes of chaotic drama, swoon-worthy romance and a heavy dose of sisterly love.

As Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) enters her senior year at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS) after spending the summer in New York, the stakes are higher than ever. With graduation looming, the series takes a noticeably more mature turn.

If you’re ready to binge (or already have), here is everything you need to know...

Capcom has released the original Resident Evil and its second and third instalments on Steam. Previously, these titles were only available for PC through GOG.

Each game is priced at $10, but a limited-time 50% discount reduces the cost to $5 until April 15.

The updated editions feature technical improvements, including enhanced graphics options and support for modern controllers.

At the same time, Steam saw the release of another Capcom classic, Breath of Fire IV. Originally launched in 2000 for the PlayStation, the role-playing game has received similar upgrades and is available at the same price.

In February, Capcom...

An LNG carrier navigated the volatile Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the recent escalation of armed conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, Bloomberg reports.

The vessel at the center of this development is the Sohar LNG. After weeks of holding a defensive position within the relatively safer confines of the Persian Gulf, the Omani-owned ship has actively altered its course and is currently sailing eastbound.

Key details of the transit include:

Uzbekistan placed sovereign bonds denominated in its national currency on international markets on April 1, raising the equivalent of $1 bn. The yield was set at 12.25%, marking the lowest rate the country has secured for this type of borrowing.

The terms represent a notable improvement compared with previous years. In 2024, yields stood at 16.6%, while in 2025 they reached 15.5%. The decline points to strengthening confidence among international investors. Around 50 foreign investors from across multiple regions participated, with total demand nearly four times higher than the amount on offer.

The deal became the largest local currency...

Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested in Tehran, her family said, raising concerns among activists about a renewed crackdown on civil society.

According to her daughter, Sotoudeh was taken from her home late on April 1, and her whereabouts remain unknown. Authorities reportedly confiscated her phone, laptops, and other electronic devices during the arrest.

Family members say there had been no prior summons or warning from security services. They believe the detention may be linked to recent interviews in which Sotoudeh criticized the government amid ongoing tensions involving Iran.

Activists warn that the arrest...

Ilham Aliyev has praised the support of member states of the Organisation of Turkic States in the ongoing reconstruction of Garabagh and East Zangilan.

Speaking at a meeting with senior officials from OTS countries in Baku, Aliyev thanked partner nations for their contributions to rebuilding infrastructure and supporting economic development in the region.

He noted that several social and educational projects have already been completed with international assistance. These include a school built by Uzbekistan, a children’s center funded by Kazakhstan, and another school supported by Kyrgyzstan. Companies from Turkey are also actively involved in major infrastructure projects...