News

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...

The death toll from severe flooding across Afghanistan has risen to 51 after days of heavy rainfall, authorities said on Thursday.

According to the Taliban’s disaster management agency, at least three people were killed and 16 injured in the past 24 hours alone, as flooding continued to affect large parts of the country.

Spokesperson Yousuf Hammad said the floods, triggered by persistent rain, have impacted 18 provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Nangarhar.

The disaster has caused widespread destruction, with 348 homes completely destroyed and 798 others damaged. Infrastructure has also been hit, with 244 kilometres of roads...

The 2026 Great Silk Way International Boxing Tournament has officially kicked off in Baku, bringing together top athletes from across multiple continents.

The opening ceremony featured a traditional parade of participating teams, marking the start of the competition. Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan Boxing Federation advisor Samir Huseynov underlined significance of the tournament and noted the strong international lineup. The event was formally declared open following the national anthem.

Boxers from Azerbaijan, Australia, Algeria, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Türkiye and Uzbekistan are taking part in the tournament, which will run through April 7.

A total of...

Uzbekistan significantly increased both exports and imports of oil and petroleum products in the first two months of 2026, according to data from the National Statistics Committee.

Exports of oil and petroleum products reached $81.8 mln in January–February, marking a 22.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025, when exports stood at $66.8 mln.

At the same time, imports rose more sharply. Uzbekistan imported $404.5 mln worth of oil and petroleum products, up 39% year-on-year from $291.1 mln.

Notably, gasoline imports surged more than fourfold to $341.1 mln, compared to $78.8 mln a year earlier.

Overall, Uzbekistan’s...

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, LEGO has teamed up with some of football’s biggest names to launch a new minifigure collection.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr have all been turned into LEGO figures as part of the ‘Editions’ series, which shifts the focus from trophies to the players who define the sport.

The sets are designed to celebrate creativity in football, allowing fans to build and display models inspired by their heroes.

In a new promotional video, the four stars compete to assemble a LEGO World Cup trophy before a young fan steps in...

A man has died near the Greek capital as a severe weather front dubbed Storm Erminio batters the country, unleashing torrential rain, gale-force winds and a thick blanket of Saharan dust that has severely disrupted daily life.

Emergency responders discovered the victim trapped beneath a vehicle in the coastal town of Nea Makri in East Attica early on Thursday. Local fire department officials confirmed the fatality but have not yet released the man’s identity or the exact circumstances surrounding his death.

Flash floods and infrastructure damage

The fierce weather system has wreaked havoc across the region. Flash floods...

Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll will use a gap in the F1 calendar to take part in his first GT race.

The Canadian racer is listed for the opening round of the GT World Challenge Europe at Paul Ricard on April 11-12. He will pilot an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for Comtoyou Racing, sharing driving duties with ex-Manor F1 driver Roberto Merhi and Formula 3 winner Mari Boya.

Stroll, 27, has some experience in sports car racing, having competed in two Daytona 24 Hours events in the mid-2010s before focusing on his Formula 1 career with Williams and later Aston...

The long-awaited teaser for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana was released, giving offering a first look at Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. The teaser shows scenes from the coronation to the exile in Panchavati, as Kapoor embodies his character with grace, serenity, and divine presence.

Fans also get a brief look at Raya (Ravan) played by Yash at the teaser’s end. Before the teaser premiered, Alia Bhatt shared a video on social media, encouraging viewers to support her husband Ranbir Kapoor’s passion project.

She said: «The Ramayana unit is going to be out tomorrow. It is the...

Actress Lili Reinhart has disclosed that an unnamed male director instructed her to suck in her stomach during a film shoot, sharing the uncomfortable encounter in a recent video interview with Cosmopolitan magazine.

The 28-year-old American star was appearing alongside Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti and Alexandra Shipp to promote their project “Forbidden Fruits” when asked about the most impactful acting note she had ever received. Reinhart recalled the incident without hesitation.

«When I had a male director come up to me and silently lean over and say, ‘Just suck in your stomach a little bit,’» she...

Comedian and voice actor Eugene Mirman sustained serious injuries after his car collided with a toll plaza in Bedford, New Hampshire, on Tuesday. He was rescued from the burning vehicle by a state trooper assigned to Governor Kelly Ayotte’s security team.

The incident occurred just before noon when Mirman’s northbound electric car struck the toll booth and ignited. The governor and her security detail arrived shortly after, and a trooper along with two others helped pull Mirman out of the vehicle through a window, New Hampshire State Police said.

«Eugene was involved in a very...

Following a crucial manual piloting test, the astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission successfully repaired a malfunction with the Orion spacecraft’s waste management system in close coordination with mission control.

The Artemis II flight marks the first crewed journey of NASA’s lunar exploration programme. Carrying three American astronauts and one Canadian, the historic mission aims to test the capsule’s life support, navigation and communication systems during a lunar flyby. It serves as a vital stepping stone for Artemis III, which plans to eventually return humans to the Moon’s surface.

The plumbing issue emerged shortly after the four-person crew...

Authorities in Uzbekistan have opened a criminal case against a driver who attempted to bring a Starlink satellite terminal into the country without declaring it. The device was discovered in the boot of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and has since been confiscated for investigation, according to the Samarkand regional customs office.

Officials said the driver failed to include the equipment, valued at around 6 mln soums ($494), in the customs declaration. The case is being investigated under national laws covering violations of customs regulations.

The import ban is linked to the use of regulated radio frequencies in Uzbekistan. Equipment such as...

McDonald’s has launched a worldwide partnership with the Oscar-winning animated film KPop Demon Hunters, bringing themed menu items and fan collectibles to restaurants from March 31, 2026.

The promotion invites fans to choose between two rival groups from the film: the demon-hunting girl band HUNTR/X and their counterparts, the Saja Boys.

“KPop Demon Hunters has ignited an incredibly passionate global fandom, and we’re always looking for authentic ways to bring fans deeper into the worlds they love,” said Netflix Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee regarding the launch.

“With McDonald’s, we were able to turn the rivalry between The Saja Boys and HUNTR/X into something fans can actually experience, drawing inspiration from Korean culture and food traditions that sit at the heart of the film.”

NASA has successfully launched four astronauts on the Artemis II mission. The 32-storey Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 22:35 UTC on Wednesday, carrying the Orion crew capsule named Integrity into orbit.

The flight represents the first time humans have travelled beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The crew features NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

The roster sets several historic milestones, making Glover the first person of colour to...

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are signaling a shift from regional rivalry to closer cooperation, as both countries describe their relationship as a «strategic tandem» following high-level talks in Tashkent.

During an official visit on March 31, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov. The meetings highlighted a growing alignment between Central Asia’s two largest economies.

Kosherbayev described bilateral relations as a model of «reliable and long-term cooperation,» emphasizing the importance of regular high-level dialogue. Saidov echoed the sentiment, welcoming the Kazakh delegation and underscoring the strengthening partnership between the neighbouring...

SpaceX has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering, according to sources familiar with the matter, setting the stage for what could become the largest IPO in history.

The company, founded by Elon Musk, could be valued at more than $1.75 trillion, reflecting investor enthusiasm for space technology and artificial intelligence. If successful, the listing could surpass the record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019.

SpaceX’s growth has been driven by its reusable rocket technology and its Starlink satellite internet network, which has expanded rapidly in recent years. The IPO filing follows a major merger with Musk’s...

The Bank of England has warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran could pose a serious threat to global financial stability, following what it described as a «substantial» shock to the world economy.

In its latest quarterly update, the central bank said the war has intensified existing risks across financial markets, particularly in private credit and bond sectors. Rising oil prices since the outbreak of the conflict have already driven sharp market movements, including higher government bond yields and widening credit spreads.

The Bank cautioned that the situation could weigh on economic growth, push inflation higher and lead...

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has become the center of online speculation following her appearance at a Tom Ford event in Shanghai, where her new look quickly ignited debate across social media.

The Oscar-winning actress attended the event during Shanghai Fashion Week, marking her role as a beauty ambassador for Tom Ford. Jolie appeared in an elegant ivory outfit paired with bold red lipstick and debuted a lighter, icy blonde hairstyle — a noticeable change from her usual look.

While the appearance drew praise for its sophistication, it also triggered a wave of online reactions questioning her facial features...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has issued a stark warning over a worsening global energy crisis, linking the disruption to escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Speaking on the situation, Lee said the scale of the crisis is «worse than you think,» citing growing instability in global energy markets and South Korea’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels.

The crisis has been intensified by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The move has disrupted supplies worldwide, hitting energy-dependent economies in Asia, including...

A new study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge warns that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is creating «data heat islands» that significantly increase temperatures in surrounding areas.

According to the research, large AI-powered data centers can raise local land surface temperatures by an average of 2°C (3.6°F), with extreme cases reaching as high as 9.1°C (16.4°F). The effect could impact more than 340 mln people globally.

Scientists analysed two decades of satellite data from NASA, comparing it with the locations of over 6,000 data centers worldwide. Their findings show that the warming effect...

Celebrations erupted across Bosnia and Herzegovina after the national team secured a place at the next FIFA World Cup, with jubilant scenes highlighting the emotional weight of qualification. Yet behind the joy, tensions are growing within European football over how places at the expanded tournament are distributed — and how qualification itself is decided.

The upcoming World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, but European governing body UEFA has been allocated just 16 slots — only three more than in the previous 32-team format. Several European associations argue that this increase does not reflect the...

A drone attack has struck an oil facility operated by a British company in Erbil, triggering a major fire and sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky, according to local media reports.

Footage shared by Rudaw English showed large columns of grey smoke rising from the site after the strike. The extent of damage and any casualties have not yet been officially confirmed.

The incident comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions involving Iran and Western allies. Tehran has recently warned it may target foreign military installations in the region, including those linked to the United Kingdom...