News

Uzbekistan-based development studio Kraken Express has successfully launched its new PC title, Windrose, into early access. The game has already made a significant splash in the gaming community, recording a massive peak daily concurrent player count of more than 69,500.

According to the developers’ official description, Windrose is an open-world PvE adventure set entirely within a pirate-themed universe. The core gameplay loop relies heavily on the beloved survival genre formula, tasking players with building, crafting and surviving across sprawling landmasses and open seas.

Speaking to Automaton-Media, the game’s producer, known by the online alias Yar_master, revealed that the...

A 58-year-old engineer and art enthusiast has become the proud owner of an authentic Pablo Picasso painting valued at over €1 mln (£870,000) after securing the winning ticket in a charity prize draw, BBC reports.

Ari Hodara received the life-changing news on Tuesday via a video call from the prestigious Christie’s auction house in Paris. Overwhelmed by the announcement, his immediate reaction was sheer disbelief, prompting him to ask the auctioneers if the call was an elaborate hoax.

A masterpiece for a good cause

The global fundraiser, famously titled “1 Picasso for 100 euros”, sold upwards of...

French authorities are reportedly seeking to cancel an upcoming concert by Kanye West in Marseille, following his recent ban from entering the UK.

A spokesperson for Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government is «very determined» to prevent the June performance at the Stade Velodrome and is exploring all legal options.

The move comes after West’s planned appearance at Wireless Festival in London was cancelled when UK authorities denied him entry over previous antisemitic remarks.

Marseille mayor Benoit Payan has also publicly opposed the concert, stating he would not allow the city to host an artist associated with...

Fermin Lopez suffered a bloody facial injury after being kicked by Juan Musso during Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Atletico Madrid.

The incident occurred in the second leg in Madrid when Musso caught the 22-year-old forward in the face with his studs, leaving him with a bloodied nose and lip. Despite the heavy contact, the goalkeeper was not shown a card.

Lopez was treated on the pitch by medics and briefly used his shirt to stem the bleeding before continuing to play.

Barcelona were attempting to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit, but ultimately fell short, exiting the...

Begona Gomez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has been formally charged with corruption offences following a two-year investigation.

A Madrid court accused Gomez of influence peddling, embezzlement and misuse of public funds, as well as private corruption. Her assistant and a businessman are also facing charges, though all have denied wrongdoing.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado said there was sufficient evidence to proceed, giving prosecutors and defence teams five days to request a trial or submit arguments.

The case centres on allegations that Gomez used her position to secure professional advantages, including a role linked to...

Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov has won the 2026 Candidates Chess Tournament, securing the right to challenge reigning world champion D Gukesh later this year.

The 20-year-old clinched victory in Paphos with a round to spare after drawing his 13th-round game against Anish Giri. Sindarov finished the tournament unbeaten, underlining his dominant performance.

His triumph sets up a highly anticipated World Chess Championship clash with Gukesh, who became the youngest world champion in history.

India’s R Praggnanandhaa was the only Indian participant in the tournament, having qualified by winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit.

Sindarov’s victory marks a major milestone for...

A Singaporean tourist and his mother experienced a frightening encounter outside a train station in Tashkent, after an unidentified man reportedly behaved aggressively and attempted to approach them.

The incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, shows the man moving towards the pair in an agitated state while raising his hands. According to the tourist, the situation escalated after the man had earlier followed them into a nearby parking area while they were waiting for a taxi via Yandex Go.

Despite the tense moments, bystanders quickly intervened. Local residents stepped in to de-escalate the situation...

Passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport faced significant disruption after dozens of flights were delayed or cancelled, highlighting ongoing instability in global air travel.

According to reports, at least 38 flights were delayed and four cancelled, affecting routes to major destinations including China, Russia, the United States and key European hubs such as London and Paris.

Airlines impacted include El Al, Hainan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways and Arkia, with passengers reporting long waits and uncertainty at the airport.

The disruption comes amid wider aviation challenges linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has led to airspace closures, rerouted...

British holidaymakers are facing renewed travel chaos as fresh pilot strikes hit the Lufthansa group, one of the Europe’s biggest carriers.

The pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit has confirmed a new 48-hour walkout beginning at 12:01am on April 16 and lasting until 11:59pm on April 17. The strike will affect Lufthansa and its subsidiaries, including Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine and Eurowings.

Departures from German airports are expected to be hardest hit, but routes between Germany and the UK, including flights serving Manchester Airport and London Heathrow Airport, are also likely to face significant disruption.

The latest action follows a...

An online influencer has been accused of creating antisemitic content after posting videos that target Jewish communities in north London.

Harry Marsh, who operates under the name Penofein, filmed a series of so-called «pranks» in areas including Stamford Hill, home to a large Orthodox Jewish population. The videos have attracted millions of views across social media platforms.

In one widely shared clip, Marsh scatters loose change on the ground and refers to it as a «Jew trap», filming passers-by to see how they react. The video alone has gained more than a million views online.

Other footage shows...

The war in the Middle East has created a «major supply shock» for the global economy, according to Andrew Bailey, who warned of potential consequences for inflation and growth.

Speaking ahead of the International Monetary Fund spring meetings in Washington, Bailey said the conflict, particularly tensions involving Iran, had delivered a significant economic jolt, largely through rising energy prices.

The disruption follows instability in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas supplies. The situation has contributed to higher costs and increased inflationary pressure in the UK.

The IMF has already downgraded Britain’s growth...

European airlines are calling for an urgent suspension of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) after its troubled launch on 10 April triggered widespread disruption at airports across the region.

Industry groups including Airlines for Europe and ACI EUROPE reported severe operational issues, with border control queues stretching up to three hours and passengers missing flights. They warned that the problems go beyond initial «teething issues», describing the rollout as a «systemic failure».

Budget carrier EasyJet also criticised the situation, calling delays «unacceptable» and urging authorities to apply all available flexibilities to minimise disruption.

«Airlines...

Oil prices surged back above $100 a barrel on Monday and global stock markets slipped after US-Iran talks ended without a breakthrough and President Donald Trump moved to impose a blockade around the Strait of Hormuz.

The renewed escalation shattered hopes that last week’s fragile ceasefire could lead to a broader de-escalation. Washington said it would begin enforcing restrictions on maritime traffic linked to Iran, with U.S. Central Command warning that vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports without authorization could be intercepted.

Trump later hardened his rhetoric, warning that any Iranian fast-attack craft approaching the blockade would be...

A resurfaced video showing a young woman appearing «possessed» has gone viral again, but the disturbing footage is now being used to highlight the real dangers of drink spiking.

The clip shows Millie Taplin, then 18, in a state of apparent paralysis, with her jaw locked and hands contorted into claw-like positions. While the scene has drawn comparisons online to The Exorcist, the incident was in fact a serious medical emergency.

The ordeal took place in 2021 at the Moo Moo nightclub in Essex, during Taplin’s first night out after turning 18. She had accepted a vodka and...

A 21-year-old student has been found stabbed to death in the garden of his university house in Bristol, police have confirmed.

Jamie Collins was discovered at a property on Cleve Road in the early hours of April 9, having suffered multiple stab wounds.

His housemate, Zack Coughlan, 23, has been charged with murder. Both men were students at the University of the West of England.

Coughlan has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court.

The university paid tribute to Collins, who studied robotics and was described as an active member of student...

A 20-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the California home of Sam Altman, authorities said.

According to the FBI, suspect Daniel Moreno-Gama was captured on surveillance footage hurling the incendiary device at Altman’s property, setting a gate on fire. Less than an hour later, he allegedly travelled to the headquarters of OpenAI and threatened to burn down the building.

Investigators said the attack was premeditated, with the suspect reportedly motivated by opposition to artificial intelligence and fears it could lead to human extinction.

Security staff at the company’s offices...

Amazon has agreed a $11.5bn (£8.5bn) deal to acquire satellite operator Globalstar, marking a major step in its effort to compete with Starlink.

The company, founded by Jeff Bezos, said it will merge Globalstar’s operations with its own satellite network, Amazon Leo, to expand its ability to deliver mobile connectivity from space.

Amazon has already launched more than 240 satellites as part of a planned constellation of 3,000. By acquiring Globalstar, it will gain access to valuable mobile spectrum, allowing it to beam signals directly to smartphones worldwide.

Panos Panay, a senior vice-president at Amazon, said the deal...

North Korea has conducted a new series of missile tests as negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without agreement, highlighting rising tensions across multiple global flashpoints.

According to state media, Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of strategic cruise and anti-ship missiles from a naval destroyer, with officials claiming the weapons struck targets with high precision. Kim used the tests to reaffirm plans to expand the country’s nuclear-capable navy.

The developments came as high-level talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad collapsed over disagreements on Iran’s nuclear programme. JD Vance said the main obstacle remained Iran’s...

A fresh trial concerning the tragic death of football legend Diego Maradona is set to begin on Tuesday. The 60-year-old sporting icon passed away from heart failure in November 2020.

This new legal proceeding follows the collapse of the original trial in May 2025, which was derailed after a presiding judge allegedly permitted unauthorised filming inside the courtroom for a documentary.

Allegations of medical negligence

Seven individuals who formed part of Maradona’s medical care team are standing trial for culpable homicide. Prosecutors argue that the defendants acted with potential intent by failing to provide an adequate standard of medical...

A 19-year-old launched a gun attack at a secondary school in the south-eastern Turkish province of Sanliurfa this Tuesday. According to Governor Hasan Sildak, the terrifying incident left at least 16 individuals injured before the teenage gunman took his own life, Reuters reports.

The perpetrator was identified as a former pupil who returned to the campus in the Siverek district armed with a shotgun. Casualties were quickly transported to a local hospital for medical attention and five of those injured were subsequently moved to facilities in the city centre of Sanliurfa for further treatment.

Speaking to the NTV news...

Customs officers at Tashkent International Airport have apprehended a foreign national arriving from Bangkok after discovering 12 sealed packages in their possession.

Subsequent laboratory testing confirmed that the concealed parcels contained 6.3 kilogrammes of dried marijuana, according to an official statement from the Customs Committee.

Authorities, customs officials and border guards report a concerning and persistent rise in drug smuggling activities across the country. During the first three months of 2026 alone, security personnel at the capital’s airport intercepted nearly 30 kilogrammes of various illicit substances. This alarming figure represents a sharp increase of 18 kilogrammes when compared to the...

A prominent military hardware museum in Koblenz, Germany, has introduced an entry ban affecting nationals from 26 different countries. The new restriction, which has been in place since March of this year, prevents citizens of Uzbekistan from visiting the facility.

Management at the institution justified the controversial decision by citing national legislation concerning security and reliability checks. Alongside Uzbek nationals, the broad prohibition also applies to visitors holding passports from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.

The museum’s origins can be traced back to a West German military testing ground established during the 1960s. Today it stands as one of Europe’s most...

According to a new report from an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product expanded by an impressive 7.7% in 2025. Over the same period, the nation’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.7% to settle at 4.8%.

The fund highlighted that this economic expansion was broad-based with the construction and service sectors experiencing the most rapid development. Even with strong domestic demand, consumer price inflation fell to 7.3% year-on-year by the close of 2025, marking a notable improvement from the 9.8% recorded the previous year.

Experts attribute this drop in inflation to a strict monetary policy, the fading...

Uzbekistan has set a strategic goal to increase its trade volume with Russia to $30 bn by 2030. Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov announced this target during the sixth meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on April 13.

Addressing the commission, the Uzbek premier emphasised the rapid expansion of bilateral economic relations. He noted that trade between the two countries has doubled over the past five years and reached a total of $13 bn last year. By mid-April of this year, the total value of the joint Uzbek-Russian project portfolio had climbed to nearly $44 bn.

With active support from the...