News

Five countries have withdrawn from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in protest against Israel’s participation amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, exposing deep political divisions within the event.

Spain’s high-profile withdrawal reverberates

Spain, one of Eurovision’s «Big Five» nations with automatic qualification for the final, announced its exit after public broadcaster RTVE voted against taking part if Israel remains. RTVE president Jose Pablo Lopez said the decision reflects a «collective responsibility,» arguing the contest cannot be viewed as apolitical and accusing Israel of using the platform for political visibility. Spain’s withdrawal is seen as particularly significant due to...

LEGO has announced its latest addition to the Star Wars lineup with a brand new Darth Vader buildable figure. The detailed dark side model will retail for $100 when it hits store shelves this summer.

Model features and design

Comprising 1,028 individual pieces, the completed Sith Lord boasts a range of articulated elements for dynamic display options.
Key features of the new set include:

Uzbekistan Airports has launched an online auction to find a private operator for several parking facilities at Tashkent International Airport. The starting bid for the annual lease agreement has been set at 48.7 bn soums ($4 mln).

The commercial offering covers six specific car parks: P1, P3, P4, P5, P7 and P8. Combined, these zones span an area of more than 40,000 square metres and provide approximately 1,500 individual parking bays. The successful bidder will be awarded a three-year management contract.

Auction details and fees

The official tender is scheduled to take place on May 19 this year. Under...

Uzbekistan plans to increase its share of green energy from 30% to 54% by 2030. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the ambitious target during the Asian Development Bank Board of Governors meeting.

The head of state revealed that the country has already launched 5,600 megawatts of alternative energy capacity in collaboration with international partners.

Mirziyoyev highlighted the region’s massive renewable energy potential and praised the bank for backing a new green energy corridor linking Central Asia to Europe. Work on this major export project is scheduled to begin shortly.

This initiative builds upon a joint venture signed last summer...

Uzbekistan’s economy expanded by a robust 8.7% in the first quarter of 2026 despite ongoing global financial instability.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev revealed the latest economic figures during his address to the Asian Development Bank Board of Governors in Samarkand. He stressed that improving the quality of life for citizens remains the core focus of ongoing state reforms.

These initiatives have successfully increased the incomes of 8.5 mln vulnerable citizens. Consequently, the national poverty rate has dropped dramatically from roughly 35% down to just 5.8%.

The president noted that over the past decade Uzbekistan has ranked among the top...

A fatal hantavirus outbreak has struck the MV Hondius cruise liner off the coast of Cape Verde, leaving three people dead and a further three severely unwell, Reuters reports.

Carrying 150 passengers, the Dutch-operated vessel set sail from Argentina three weeks ago and visited Antarctica before heading towards West Africa.

Authorities in the Netherlands confirmed two of the fatalities are Dutch citizens. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified at least one hantavirus case via laboratory testing. A separate patient, reportedly a British national, is currently undergoing intensive care in South Africa.

Local officials in Cape Verde have refused...

Uzbekistan’s gas and oil production fell sharply in the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Gas output reached 9.6 bn cubic metres between January and March. This is down from 11.3 bn cubic metres during the same period last year.

Oil production dropped to 157,300 tonnes, down from 179,100 tonnes in Q1 2024. This marks the third consecutive year of declining oil extraction for the country.

Despite the drop in raw materials, domestic refined fuel production increased. Petrol output rose to 313,200 tonnes and diesel jumped to 280,900 tonnes over the past year.

Falling domestic...

Two decades after Miranda Priestly first terrified assistants on the big screen, the highly anticipated return to the offices of Runway magazine has proved an irresistible draw for cinema-goers.

Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 has smashed industry forecasts, securing a spectacular $233.6 mln in global ticket sales during its opening weekend, Variety reports. The massive turnout proves that the appetite for high-stakes fashion drama is stronger than ever.

Shattering original records

In North America alone, the fashion-forward sequel strutted away with $77 mln. This phenomenal debut vastly outshines the $27.5 mln domestic launch of the 2006 original...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted a high-level delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) led by its president Masato Kanda in Samarkand. The primary focus of the meeting was the continued expansion of full-scale cooperation between the Central Asian republic and the prominent financial institution.

During the talks, Kanda expressed his sincere gratitude to the Uzbek government for its invaluable assistance in hosting the 59th annual meeting of the bank’s Board of Governors.

Kanda highlighted the exceptional level of mutual engagement between the two parties, noting that over the course of 30 years the ADB has evolved into a...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to channel $70 bn into the development of transnational energy grids and digital infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region by 2035.

Masato Kanda, the president of the bank, unveiled these ambitious plans during a press conference at the organisation’s annual meeting in Samarkand. According to Kanda, widespread access to modern energy and digital technologies will serve as the primary catalyst for regional growth.

Merging national power systems and digital networks is expected to drastically cut operational costs, enhance infrastructure resilience and provide millions of citizens with vital electricity and internet connectivity.

A two-pronged...

Charles Leclerc experienced a miserable conclusion to his Miami Grand Prix weekend after motorsport stewards handed the Ferrari driver a substantial post-race time penalty.

The Monegasque racer faced scrutiny from the officiating panel regarding three separate potential offences that occurred after he spun out on the final lap and clipped the barriers.

Specifically, Leclerc was investigated for piloting a damaged vehicle in an unsafe manner, repeatedly exceeding track limits to gain a lasting advantage and colliding with Mercedes driver George Russell at the final hairpin.

The 20-second demotion

Following a thorough review, the stewards concluded that Leclerc deserved...

Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli continued his spectacular 2026 campaign by claiming his third consecutive victory at an action-packed Miami Grand Prix. The 19-year-old withstood intense strategic pressure from Sprint winner Lando Norris to take the chequered flag while Oscar Piastri capitalised on a final-lap mistake from Charles Leclerc to complete a double podium for McLaren.

Despite missing out on the extensive upgrade packages brought by their rivals this weekend Mercedes proved they still possess formidable race pace. Antonelli’s mature drive further cements his status at the front of the grid as the championship battle intensifies.

First-lap chaos...

After a Sprint race earlier in the day, Championship leader Kimi Antonelli bounced back to secure pole position for the Miami Grand Prix. The Mercedes teenager delivered a blistering lap in the final segment of qualifying to deny Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Following Lando Norris‘s commanding Sprint victory for McLaren, the papaya team looked like the favourites heading into the session. However, as the Florida sun beat down and track temperatures hovered around 49 Degrees Celsius, the heavily upgraded cars from the top four teams converged to create a fiercely competitive battle for the...

Former Formula 1 driver and inspirational Paralympic champion Alex Zanardi has passed away at the age of 59.

The Italian sportsman was widely regarded as one of the most popular figures in the racing world. During the 1990s he competed in 41 Formula 1 Grands Prix for teams including Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams. His most successful F1 spell came with Lotus across the 1993 and 1994 seasons, highlighted by a career-best sixth-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Alongside his Formula 1 exploits, Zanardi achieved massive success in North America by securing two IndyCar championship titles.

Triumph over...

Lando Norris has secured his and McLaren’s first victory of the season by dominating the Miami Grand Prix Sprint. The reigning World Champion led from lights out to the chequered flag to break Mercedes’ early-season stranglehold proving the papaya team’s extensive upgrades have propelled them back to the front of the grid.

A disastrous start for Audi and Antonelli

Drama unfolded before the lights even went out as Nico Hulkenberg was forced to leap from his Audi after it erupted in flames on the way to the grid resulting in a non-start. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad also...

A fresh release of an oil-containing liquid has been recorded in the Boysun district of Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya region.

The national Ecology Committee reported that the incident occurred early on the morning of May 2 at approximately 06:30. Preliminary data suggests that a violent mudflow swept through the area and destroyed a containment ditch, which subsequently led to the hazardous mixture leaking into the surrounding environment.

A dedicated task force of employees from the Surkhandarya Regional Main Department of Ecology has been deployed to the affected area. Representatives from other responsible state agencies and local organisations have also been drafted...

A chartered aircraft carrying 26 deported Uzbek citizens has touched down at Tashkent International Airport. The arrival of the special flight from the United States was officially confirmed by the Dunyo news agency.

Every passenger on board the plane was formally expelled from the U.S. after being found in violation of American immigration legislation.

The return of the citizens was conducted under a mutually agreed procedural framework between Washington and Tashkent. Organising the complex transatlantic deportation required extensive collaboration across several government departments.

The joint operation involved the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and...

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed the most recent diplomatic proposal from Tehran regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran. However, the Iranian foreign minister has indicated that his country remains open to negotiations if Washington alters its current strategy, Reuters reports.

The president’s remarks suggest that the stalemate in the two-month war is set to continue despite his desire to conclude a military campaign that is highly unpopular with the American public. Furthermore, the crisis has severely strained relations between the US and its traditional European allies.

On Friday, Washington announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. This...

Having recently completed his acclaimed run on the hit series Andor, Diego Luna is swapping a galaxy far, far away for a magical kingdom. The Star Wars actor is the latest major name to join Disney’s live-action adaptation of Tangled.

First reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Luna will star alongside an ensemble cast that currently includes Teagan Croft, Milo Manheim and Kathryn Hahn.

The upcoming feature is a live-action reimagining of the 2010 animated blockbuster. Based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale of Rapunzel, the original film was a massive commercial success that grossed over $591 mln...

Organisers of the Academy Awards issued new regulations on Friday to explicitly state that acting and writing must be executed by humans rather than artificial intelligence to qualify for the film industry’s most prestigious honours.

The updated guidelines from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will come into effect for the upcoming Oscars ceremony scheduled for March 2027. The move is designed to draw a firm line in the sand regarding the integration of emerging technologies in mainstream filmmaking.

Industry fears and synthetic stars

The rapid rise of generative AI has sparked significant alarm across the...

Williams driver Alex Albon will start Saturday’s Miami Sprint from P19 after stewards deleted his qualifying lap times for exceeding track limits.

Although Albon originally progressed to SQ2 and claimed 14th place on Friday, a post-session review confirmed he breached track limits at Turn 6 during his final SQ1 run. The penalty stripped him of his fastest lap and effectively erased his entire qualifying effort.

Albon’s original 1m 30.988s lap had narrowly knocked Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson out of the session by less than a tenth of a second. The disappointed New Zealander noticeably remained in his cockpit...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan has signed a decree to posthumously award the Order of Friendship to British citizens John and Phyllis Emily Le Breton. The prestigious national honour, known locally as the Dustlik order, was granted in recognition of the couple’s extraordinary heroism during the Second World War.

The official state document formally commended the late husband and wife for the “high courage and humanism” they displayed while navigating an exceptionally dangerous wartime environment.

The award stems from a remarkable act of defiance and compassion on the island of Jersey. According to the presidential decree, the British...

Lando Norris has ended Mercedes’ streak of single-lap dominance this season by storming to Sprint pole at the Miami Grand Prix. The British driver delivered a blistering lap in the final moments of SQ3 to beat championship leader Kimi Antonelli and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

Following a lengthy break after Suzuka, the paddock arrived in Florida with vastly different machinery. Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren all brought significant upgrade packages to their cars. Mercedes arrived with minimal changes, setting the stage for a dramatic shift in the pecking order on a scorching street circuit where track temperatures reached over...

Charles Leclerc has set the fastest time in an extended first practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, leading Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri in scorching conditions.

With Miami hosting the first Sprint weekend of the season, the sole practice session was expanded from 60 to 90 minutes. This gave teams crucial track time to evaluate significant upgrade packages following a lengthy April break. Track temperatures hovered above 50 degrees Celsius for most of the session, making tyre management on the hard, medium and soft compounds a key focus.

Ferrari arrived with a heavily upgraded SF-26 and the Scuderia...