News

Television presenter Stacey Solomon is skipping this year’s BAFTA TV Awards to enjoy a sponsored holiday to Miami with her children.

Rather than walking the red carpet, the former X Factor contestant is attending a paid brand trip with beauty retailer Space NK. The decision comes after she faced a wave of online abuse following her reaction to losing at the previous awards ceremony.

Solomon was heavily criticised online and branded a “sore loser” by internet trolls after expressing her disappointment on Instagram when her BBC programme Sort Your Life Out failed to secure a win.

The home improvement series...

Ipoteka Bank OTP Group and Beeline Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of strategic partnership aimed at developing joint digital and financial solutions for customers in Uzbekistan.

The cooperation involves the development of new financial products in the operator’s digital channels, the development of offline solutions through the partner network, as well as the launch of joint installment programs, loyalty, and co-branded products.

The partnership will be implemented in stages: from pilot projects to subsequent scaling. At the same time, credit and regulatory risks will be on the side of the bank, and the launch of solutions will be conducted, considering technical...

Napoli’s push for a guaranteed top-four finish in Serie A took a significant hit on Monday following a late 3-2 home defeat to Bologna, a blow compounded by the unexpected absence of star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian international was a shock omission from the matchday squad at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Fans were left searching for answers before kick-off when it emerged that De Bruyne was not even named among the substitutes for the crucial penultimate fixture of the season.

Hospital trip and facial stitches

Speaking to DAZN shortly before the match, Napoli head coach...

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) usage among the working-age population in Uzbekistan stood at 7.2% between January and March 2026. This data was released in a recent report by the Microsoft AI Economy Institute.

As of early April this year, Uzbekistan held the 142nd position globally for AI adoption. The current figure represents an increase from the second half of 2025 when usage was recorded at 6.3%.

The United Arab Emirates leads the global rankings, with 70.1% of its population utilising AI technologies. Singapore ranks second at 63.4%, followed by the third-placed nation at 48.6%.
Industry analysts observed that AI application...

The mayor of a Southern Californian city has abruptly vacated her post after confessing to operating as an undisclosed operative for Beijing, CNN reports. Eileen Wang stepped down from her leadership role in Arcadia on Monday ahead of a planned guilty plea in federal court, bringing an end to a political career overshadowed by illicit foreign advocacy.

A coordinated media campaign

United States authorities formally accused the 58-year-old earlier this year of acting on behalf of a foreign power without the required legal transparency. Alongside her former fiance Yaoning «Mike» Sun, Wang managed a digital news portal named...

Istanbul established itself as the premier transit destination for passengers flying out of Uzbekistan. According to recent flight data analysed by Aviasales.uz for 2026, the Turkish metropolis is the most frequently used connecting point for Uzbek holidaymakers and business travellers alike.

The gateway to the West

The statistics indicate that nearly 19% of all transit flights originating in Uzbekistan currently pass through Istanbul. Aviation analysts attribute this overwhelming preference to the city’s highly convenient layover times and its extensive network of onward routes covering Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Securing the second and third spots on the...

The international fallout from a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship is widening after evacuated passengers tested positive upon returning to the United States and France, BBC reports.

With seven confirmed infections and two suspected cases now linked to the vessel, the crisis has triggered a complex global repatriation effort and exposed a sharp divide between international health bodies over how to handle the rare pathogen.

The French health ministry confirmed that a repatriated woman is currently deteriorating in isolation in Paris, prompting authorities to trace 22 of her recent contacts. Across the Atlantic, the U.S...

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has fully embraced the bold SF-26 project. Created as a strategic compromise between chassis technical director Loic Serra and engine chief Enrico Gualtieri the car features an incredibly unique power unit.

Unlike the rest of the grid the 067/6 V6 turbocharged engine features a steel cylinder head rather than the standard aluminium. This heavier but highly durable alloy is essential because the engine operates at off-the-charts temperatures.

The heat advantage

Traditionally Formula 1 engines perform best when intake air is cooled to around 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. However Ferrari has taken a revolutionary...

The 61st Venice Biennale has officially opened its doors to a record-breaking crowd of 10,000 visitors on its first day. Operating under the evocative theme “In Minor Keys”, a posthumous vision by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, the world’s most prestigious art gathering has traded the frantic chaos of previous years for a more meditative and poetic atmosphere. However, as the initial reviews from The New York Times and global critics suggest, “meditative” does not mean “quiet”.

From high-concept theatre to ecological warnings, these are the pavilions currently dominating the conversation in the Giardini and Arsenale.

Austria: The...

Uzbekistan has further solidified its standing on the global cultural stage with the unveiling of its national pavilion, «The Aural Sea», at the 61st Venice Biennale. This year’s contribution marks a sophisticated expansion of the country’s cultural diplomacy, weaving together themes of environmental history, collective memory and contemporary artistic vision.

The 2026 Biennale is curated under the evocative theme «In Minor Keys», a concept that encourages artists to investigate the subtle, overlooked and complex nuances of the modern world. Uzbekistan’s response to this theme focuses on the Aral Sea, reimagining it not merely as a site of ecological catastrophe but...

It appears the human element is once again the weakest link in game security. In a staggering blunder just days before its official debut, the highly anticipated Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly leaked in its entirety after an unencrypted build was accidentally uploaded to Steam.

The leak, which originated from an unshielded repository on the platform, consists of a massive 155GB of data. This accidental “early access” has allowed some users to explore thousands of game assets and even run a functional build of the title well ahead of its scheduled release.

A premature yrip to...

Uzbekistan’s Mariya Timofeeva has claimed her first WTA 125 title following a commanding performance at the tournament in Istanbul. In a decisive final, Timofeeva overcame Croatia’s Donna Vekiс with a 6-4, 6-2 victory, requiring just one hour and 32 minutes to secure the win.

This is the first time she has managed to defeat Vekiс in their professional head-to-head encounters.

The triumph in Turkey provided a boost to Timofeeva’s professional standing. The victory earned her 125 WTA ranking points and a winner’s cheque of $15,500. For her efforts as the runner-up, Vekiс received 81 ranking points and $8,400 in prize...

The third season of HBO’s Euphoria has taken a sharp turn away from its neon-soaked high school roots, evolving into something closer to a gritty crime thriller. In the latest episode, “This Little Piggy,” the stakes reach a terminal velocity, leaving fans frantically searching for one answer: Is Rue actually dead?

The rise of the 50-foot Cassie

While the series has traded its signature kinetic camerawork for wide, cinematic 65mm shots, the surrealism remains. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) has seen her OnlyFans venture skyrocket to 50,000 subscribers under Maddy’s (Alexa Demie) ruthless management.

In a sequence that feels like...

After the Golden State Warriors fell just short of the NBA playoffs, four-time champion Draymond Green has found himself with an unexpectedly early start to the summer. Rather than heading straight to the gym, Green opted for a different kind of high-pressure environment, making a surprise appearance at the star-studded “Roast of Kevin Hart” on Netflix.

The event, which has quickly climbed the charts on global streaming platforms, featured a heavy-hitting lineup of icons. Amongst the crowd was Hollywood powerhouse Dwayne Johnson, whose long-standing comedic rivalry with Kevin Hart provided the perfect backdrop for the evening’s savage humour.

The third and potentially final season of HBO’s bleak teen drama Euphoria pushes its characters into the gritty realities of the adult entertainment industry. However, the controversial storyline surrounding Sydney Sweeney and her character’s descent into OnlyFans has sparked a fierce backlash from real-life sex workers who are labelling the depiction as cartoonish and harmful.

According to creator Sam Levinson, this new chapter plunges the main cast into even darker territory. Rue (Zendaya) takes on a drug-smuggling role moving fentanyl across the Mexican border while moonlighting at a rundown strip club. Jules (Hunter Schafer) becomes a highly paid sugar baby...

Afghanistan and Karakalpakstan have signed a series of trade agreements totalling $100 mln, the Hasht-e-subh portal reports.

According to officials in Kabul, the deals include a project to construct a new flour mill. Under the agreements, Karakalpakstan will export flour, cement and oil to Afghanistan. In exchange, the Afghan side plans to supply the autonomous republic with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Hasht-e-subh noted that following a deterioration in relations with Pakistan and the subsequent closure of border crossings, the current Afghan administration is actively seeking to strengthen its economic ties with Central Asian nations.

The broader trade relationship between...

Ford is preparing to make its highly anticipated Hypercar debut in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) next year and the American manufacturer’s racing boss has his sights set on Max Verstappen for a future seat, Motorsport reports.

Ford recently returned to Formula 1 through a strategic partnership to develop power units for Red Bull Racing and its sister squad Racing Bulls. The brand is already competing in the WEC with customer Mustang entries in the LMGT3 category but will step up to the premier endurance class with a new LMDh prototype in 2027.

Given Verstappen’s well-documented passion for various...

A high-stakes bio-security operation is currently unfolding off the coast of Tenerife as Spanish authorities begin the evacuation of the MV Hondius. The luxury cruise vessel, which has been shadowed by a deadly hantavirus outbreak for weeks, anchored near the Port of Granadilla before dawn on Sunday.

While Health Minister Monica Garcia has sought to reassure the public by stating the operation is “proceeding normally” and that all passengers remain asymptomatic, the visual reality on the ground is one of extreme caution.

Hazmat suits and decontamination

The evacuation process involves a series of rigorous safety protocols designed to contain the...

The Kazakh city of Turkistan is set to host an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on May 15.

The high-level event will bring together the heads of both member and observer states alongside the organisation’s secretary general and the Council of Elders. A dedicated meeting of OTS foreign ministers will also take place ahead of the main summit to lay the groundwork for the leadership discussions.

According to the OTS press service, the primary agenda for the upcoming talks will centre heavily on artificial intelligence, digital innovation and the integration of modern technologies.

Representatives will explore...

A car bombing and a subsequent ambush by militants have left at least 14 police officers dead in northwestern Pakistan, Reuters reports.

The assault took place on Saturday and completely levelled a local police outpost. Images from the aftermath showed a scene of total destruction with bricks, charred debris and mangled vehicles scattered across the site.

According to a statement from police official Sajjad Khan on Sunday, rescue teams recovered the bodies of 14 officers from the collapsed structure. Three other personnel were pulled alive from the rubble and rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical care.

For holidaymakers wondering how to maximise their time in Uzbekistan, the answer to whether Tashkent International Airport has a Fast Track service is a resounding yes. Originally introduced in May 2022 to help passengers bypass lengthy airport queues, the system has just received a major high-tech upgrade to make your journey even smoother.

Whether you prefer a personal escort or a quick digital scan, here is everything you need to know about breezing through the capital’s airport.

The new next-gen automated gates

On May 7, 2026 the airport unveiled a brand new automated Fast Track system. Powered by...

Azerbaijan’s largest financial institution ABB is preparing to acquire a controlling stake in Uzbekistan’s Davr Bank during the second half of this year. According to the news outlet Trend.az, the Azerbaijani lender plans to purchase a 51% share of the business. Abbas Ibrahimov, the head of ABB, confirmed that negotiations regarding the acquisition have concluded on a highly positive note.

Strategic expansion into Central Asia

Speaking to the Azertac news agency, Ibrahimov revealed that expanding into foreign markets, specifically Uzbekistan, is a primary focus for the bank over the next two years. He explained that this international ambition...

Uzbekistan has recorded the highest global growth in the number of schools offering Korean language classes. According to the Yonhap news agency, the country opened 68 new educational facilities dedicated to teaching the language over the past year.

This rapid expansion means the republic has outpaced nations such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brazil and the United States in its rollout of new Korean language programmes.

The global landscape for Korean education has experienced a massive boom over the last four years. Yonhap reported that the total number of overseas schools teaching the language has jumped by...

The luxury cruise ship struck by a fatal hantavirus outbreak dropped anchor near the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife early on Sunday morning. Footage from Reuters confirms the vessel is now in position to begin the delicate process of evacuating its passengers and a portion of its crew.

Coordinated disembarkation protocol

According to Spanish authorities, the evacuation is scheduled to commence between 7:30 am and 8:30 am local time. Although none of the passengers currently display any symptoms of the infection, all individuals on board are being treated as high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure guided by...