News

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...

Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals, including family members, accusing them of supporting or maintaining ties with Iran amid escalating regional tensions.

The Interior Ministry said those affected, described as being of non-Bahraini origin, lost their nationality under provisions of the country’s citizenship law allowing such measures on national security grounds. Officials stated the decision followed royal directives and targeted individuals accused of sympathising with hostile acts or contacting foreign entities.

Rights groups warn the move could have severe consequences, often leaving individuals stateless and without access to employment, healthcare or travel. Some may face detention...

Roblox will require users under 16 in Indonesia to undergo facial scanning to verify their age, as part of new government rules restricting minors’ access to digital platforms.

The changes, announced in Jakarta by Roblox’s head of public policy Nicky Jackson Colaco, are among the strictest measures the company has introduced globally. The platform will roll out age-based accounts, including «Roblox Kids» for ages 5 to 12 with no chat features, and «Roblox Select» for users aged 13 to 15 with limited communication options.

Around 23 mln Indonesian accounts identified as belonging to under-16s will be automatically transitioned...

Buckingham Palace has declined to confirm whether Zohran Mamdani raised the return of the Koh-i-Noor during a brief exchange with King Charles III at a 9/11 memorial event.

Ahead of the meeting, Mamdani, who is of Indian heritage, said he intended to encourage the monarch to return the diamond to India, which has long claimed it was taken during British colonial rule. Photographs later showed the two speaking, but neither the palace nor the mayor’s office confirmed whether the issue was discussed.

The Koh-i-Noor remains one of the most contentious symbols of Britain’s imperial past. Originally mined in...

Donald Trump has rejected an offer from Vladimir Putin for Moscow to help manage Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, instead urging progress toward a ceasefire in Ukraine during a 90-minute phone call.

According to officials, the conversation focused on easing global tensions, with Trump prioritising an end to the Ukraine war over deeper Russian involvement in the Iran crisis. The Kremlin described the call as «friendly, frank and businesslike,» while Putin reportedly suggested a temporary truce linked to upcoming World War II commemorations.

The talks come as Washington extends a fragile ceasefire with Iran and maintains a naval blockade aimed at...

Lewis Hamilton has urged Formula One to give drivers a greater say in shaping the sport’s future, insisting they should have «a seat at the table» alongside governing bodies and teams.

Speaking ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said drivers are regularly consulted but lack formal influence over key decisions.

«We don’t have a seat at the table currently, which I think needs to change,» Hamilton said, adding that drivers want to collaborate rather than criticise the sport.

His comments come as new rule adjustments are introduced following...

A cluster of earthquakes near Area 51 has sparked widespread speculation after coinciding with rising tensions between the United States and Iran.

According to monitoring data, 17 earthquakes struck the Nevada region between 29 and 30 April, with the strongest reaching magnitude 4.4. The tremors were recorded at a relatively shallow depth of about 2.5 miles, compared to the more typical six to 12 miles in the area. More than 100 people reported feeling the shaking, including residents in nearby Las Vegas.

The timing of the seismic swarm has drawn attention online, with some linking it to potential...

Prince William is reportedly refusing to accept Prince Harry’s «half in, half out» lifestyle in the United States, with royal insiders describing the divide between the brothers as increasingly difficult to bridge.

According to former royal aide Ailsa Anderson, William views Harry’s attempt to combine royal status with independent commercial activity as «non-negotiable,» arguing that public duty cannot be mixed with private business interests. Allies of the Prince of Wales say he believes such an arrangement risks undermining the integrity of the monarchy.

Recent appearances by Harry have added to tensions. His remarks at a security forum in...

Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, has described Uzbekistan as «remarkably undersold as a stunningly attractive and safe destination» following his journey along the Silk Road.

In his travel feature, Greig explored key historic cities including Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent, highlighting the country’s unique blend of ancient heritage and modern development. He described Uzbekistan as a place that «effortlessly blends the modern and ancient,» attracting growing interest from international travellers.

Greig singled out Samarkand as a city that has long captured the imagination of writers and visitors alike, calling it an «exotic, magical and mystical» destination at...

Ian Somerhalder has disclosed that a disastrous business venture left him with a massive eight-figure debt, forcing him and his family to make drastic sacrifices, Variety reports. In a recent interview with E! News, the former actor explained that severe “financial upheaval” played a significant role in his decision to walk away from a highly lucrative television career.

Somerhalder originally shot to global fame playing Boone Carlyle across four series of ABC’s Lost before becoming a household name as the vampire Damon Salvatore during an eight-season run on The CW’s The Vampire Diaries.

However, behind the scenes of his...