News

The World Bank’s board of directors has approved a $150 mln allocation to develop rural infrastructure across Uzbekistan. According to the financial institution’s press service the funds will be directed towards launching the second phase of the ongoing “Rural Infrastructure Development” programme.

Initiated by the Uzbek government in 2019 the comprehensive project aims to support residents living in remote rural areas across six regions of the republic. The second phase commands a total budget of $340 mln. Alongside the $150 mln from the World Bank the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will provide $120 mln while the Uzbek government will...

England manager Thomas Tuchel has called on FIFA to change the positioning of photographers during pre-match ceremonies after saying they spoiled an emotional moment before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia.

Tuchel said a large group of photographers blocked his view of the England players as they sang “God Save The King” before kickoff at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The German coach described the occasion as a special moment and urged FIFA to review its arrangements for future matches.

England went on to defeat Croatia 4-2 in their opening Group L match, with goals from Harry Kane, Jude...

A Moroccan woman was reportedly arrested at an airport after posting a negative review of her holiday in Saudi Arabia on social media.

According to reports, Yass Naubelle was detained by border authorities while attempting to leave the country after publishing a video criticising aspects of her travel experience. The video allegedly contained complaints about local services and conditions she encountered during her stay.

The arrest has sparked debate online about freedom of expression and the risks travellers may face when publicly criticising destinations they visit. Saudi Arabia has strict cybercrime and public-order laws, and authorities have previously...

Rex Heuermann, the man behind New York’s notorious Gilgo Beach serial killings, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after admitting to the murders of eight women.

The 62-year-old former architect pleaded guilty in April to killing seven women and confessed to an eighth murder as part of a plea agreement. The victims, most of whom were sex workers, were killed between 1993 and 2010, with several of their remains discovered near Gilgo Beach on Long Island.

During sentencing in Riverhead, New York, relatives of the victims delivered emotional statements, condemning Heuermann and...

A former critic of England midfielder Jude Bellingham has admitted he was wrong about the Real Madrid star after witnessing his recent performances for the national team.

The pundit said he had previously been concerned by Bellingham’s body language and emotional reactions on the pitch, including frequent gestures toward teammates and officials. However, he has since revised his opinion, arguing that the midfielder’s passion and competitive drive are key elements of his game.

Bellingham has faced scrutiny in recent months over his on-field demeanor, but teammates and former players have repeatedly defended him. England veteran Jordan Henderson recently...

U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have signed a landmark memorandum designed to pave the way for lasting peace between Washington and Tehran.

According to reports from the BBC the preliminary agreement was officially formalised in Versailles following a high-level meeting between the American leader and French President Emmanuel Macron.

“It is signed. Signed in Versailles. I just signed it,” Trump announced shortly after the meeting.

A 14-point framework

Prior to putting pen to paper the U.S. president issued a stark warning that American military strikes could quickly resume if...

Apple is preparing to increase the retail prices of its devices as the cost of essential memory chips continues to soar. Outgoing chief executive Tim Cook informed The Wall Street Journal that consumer price hikes are now unavoidable because the financial pressures surrounding component procurement have reached an unsustainable level.

It remains unclear exactly when the new pricing structures will be implemented or which specific gadgets will bear the brunt of the changes. Industry observers are also waiting to see whether the highly anticipated iPhone 18 will be affected when it is officially unveiled this September.

The impact...

Uzbekistan Airports has signed a public-private partnership agreement to construct a brand new aviation hub in the capital region. The company’s press service confirmed that a consortium spearheaded by the Saudi Arabian firm Vision Invest will act as the primary project partner.

Under the terms of the new agreement the development duties will be shared between the government and the international consortium. The foreign investors will take charge of constructing and subsequently managing the main passenger terminal alongside its adjacent forecourt. Conversely the state will retain full responsibility for the construction and long-term operation of the core airfield infrastructure.

Uzbekistan national team head coach Fabio Cannavaro has expressed immense pride in his players following their 3-1 defeat to Colombia in their opening World Cup fixture. Speaking at the post-match press conference the Italian manager highlighted his squad’s resilience and their ability to adapt during a highly challenging encounter against top-tier South American opposition.

A game of two halves

Despite the disappointing final scoreline Cannavaro was eager to focus on the positive aspects of his team’s performance. He noted a marked tactical improvement after the interval as Uzbekistan attempted to claw their way back into the match.

The 39-year-old American Olympic medallist and former world champion Jenny Simpson has been hospitalised following a sudden medical emergency at a community athletics meet in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The incident occurred on Tuesday while the retired athlete was acting as a pacemaker for a mile race organised by Sir Walter Running. According to local media reports Simpson collapsed on the track and required immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Bystanders and medical staff also utilised an automated external defibrillator before she was safely transported to a nearby hospital.

Praise for emergency responders

On Wednesday the Sir Walter Running team released an...

Daveigh Chase, who enchanted a generation of children as the voice of Disney’s Lilo and haunted filmgoers as a terrifying horror villain, has passed away at the age of 35. The former child star died in Los Angeles on Tuesday following severe medical complications.

The heartbreaking news was initially brought to light by TMZ after receiving a statement from her partner. He disclosed that the 35-year-old had contracted meningitis alongside a fatal blood infection. These complications arose shortly after she was admitted to a local hospital for extreme malnutrition earlier this month.

Speaking directly to the New York Times...

Colombia have launched their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K fixture. Despite a resilient defensive display from the Asian side and a spirited second-half equaliser, the South Americans’ attacking quality ultimately proved too much in a match filled with intense physical battles, woodwork strikes and late drama.

The match began with Colombia immediately establishing dominance over possession. The South Americans confidently shifted the ball across the pitch to probe a deep and heavily populated Uzbekistan defence orchestrated by head coach Fabio Cannavaro.

The opening stages were highly physical and punctuated by frequent...

Felix, a prominent member of the South Korean music group Stray Kids, has been selected to lead an international campaign promoting traditional Korean attire. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed on Wednesday that the artist will front the latest iteration of the government-backed “Hanbok Wave” initiative.

Now entering its seventh consecutive year the cultural programme collaborates with five small and medium-sized manufacturers to create bespoke traditional garments for high-profile celebrities. The core aim is to showcase the unique aesthetics of the hanbok to a widespread international audience.

As part of the upcoming promotional drive striking images of...

The United States and Uzbekistan have officially launched a joint investment platform designed to foster strategic capital allocation and significantly expand bilateral cooperation in the realm of export financing.

The foundational agreement was signed by key financial representatives from both nations. The American delegation was led by U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Executive Ben Black and U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairman John Jovanovic. Representing Uzbekistan were Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov alongside Shukhrat Vafaev who serves as the executive director of the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan.

Strengthening regional corridors

The newly...

Tensions are reportedly mounting within Red Bull as Max Verstappen has yet to officially commit his future to the Formula 1 giants. According to emerging reports from the Netherlands the team’s senior management is growing increasingly anxious over their star driver’s next move.

Leading Dutch motorsport journalist Erik van Haren claims that Red Bull executives are still waiting for a firm declaration of loyalty. While Verstappen recently attempted to play down a visit to the team’s Austrian headquarters, it is understood that he stopped short of confirming whether he intends to see out the remainder of his current contract.

Television broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with cancer. The 66-year-old shared the deeply personal news during an episode of the recently released fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm which became available to viewers on Wednesday.

While the exact date of the filming remains unspecified the latest series was shot across 2024 and 2025. In emotional scenes the presenter is shown informing his agricultural colleagues Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland of his condition leaving both men visibly stunned.

A shocking health update

Although Jeremy Clarkson did not explicitly name the exact type of cancer he...

Pledis Entertainment confirmed on Tuesday that Seventeen members The8 and Vernon are joining forces to launch a brand new musical subunit named V8. The duo is scheduled to release their inaugural extended play, also titled V8, on June 29.

This latest venture marks the sixth official subunit to emerge from the popular South Korean boy band. They follow in the footsteps of previous successful pairings and groups including BSS, Jeonghan x Wonwoo, Hoshi x Woozi, S.Coups x Mingyu and DK x Seungkwan.

Musical themes and star collaborations

According to the management agency the upcoming eight-track EP will delve deeply...

The Uzbekistan National Investment Fund (UzNIF) is initiating preparations for the initial public offering of the state carrier Uzbekistan Airways. This was recently reported by Bloomberg following statements from Marius Dan who serves as the chief executive of Franklin Templeton Central Asia.

To facilitate the upcoming public listing the fund will begin the process of selecting equity capital market consultants this June. These appointed financial advisors will assist the national airline as well as several other prominent state businesses currently held within the wider UzNIF portfolio.

It emerged in mid-June that the government plans to float up to...

Over the past few years Uzbekistan has attracted more than $150 bn in foreign investments, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shared during his speech at the Tashkent Investment Forum. He highlighted the rapid acceleration of these capital inflows by noting that $123 bn of the total figure was secured in the last five years alone.

“We are always open to investors interested in cooperating with Uzbekistan and ready for an equal and mutually beneficial partnership,” the president told the forum attendees.

Record economic projections for 2026

Looking to the future the national gross domestic...

Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo has urged his squad to avoid complacency as they prepare to face Uzbekistan in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Speaking on Tuesday the Argentine manager noted that the first week of the tournament has already proven that there are no easy games on the global stage.

The South American side are making their highly anticipated return to the competition after failing to qualify for the 2022 edition. While they enter Wednesday’s clash at the Estadio Azteca as heavy favourites Lorenzo stressed the immense importance of respecting an Uzbekistan team making their...

The production team behind the hit dating programme Love Island USA has been left devastated following the sudden death of executive producer James Barker. The 40-year-old television veteran suffered a fatal medical emergency last week while actively working on the eighth series of the reality show.

Both ITV America and the streaming platform Peacock issued a joint statement to express their profound sorrow. Network officials described his passing as an unimaginable loss that has deeply impacted everyone involved with the reality programme and the wider corporate family. To mark his significant contributions to the franchise a dedicated on-screen tribute...

Uzbekistan national football team head coach Fabio Cannavaro has revealed that his squad will adopt a cautious tactical strategy in their upcoming fixtures against Colombia and Portugal.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference the manager shared his assessment of their immediate opponents ahead of the crucial World Cup encounter.

“We have analysed Colombia’s game — this is a team that fights until the very end,” Cannavaro told reporters.

Captain calls for fan support

National team captain Eldor Shomurodov also attended the media briefing to discuss the squad’s current mindset. He stated that his...

Argentina have made a commanding start to their 2026 World Cup title defence. Lionel Scaloni’s team secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening group fixture with captain Lionel Messi delivering a historic hat-trick that places him alongside the tournament’s greatest ever scorers.

The North African side began the match with plenty of attacking intent and almost caused a major upset in the early stages. Fares Chaibi found the back of the net in the ninth minute after breaking through on goal but the strike was subsequently ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Argentina responded swiftly...

A new documentary examining the inner workings of OnlyFans has drawn attention for its bleak portrayal of the subscription platform and the pressures faced by content creators.

OnlyFans: Inside the Machine, airing on Channel 4, follows creators, agencies and industry insiders to explore how the platform operates behind the scenes. Rather than focusing on glamour or financial success stories, the documentary highlights intense competition, algorithm-driven visibility and the growing role of management firms that oversee creators’ accounts.

Reviewers described the programme as a stark look at the realities of the creator economy, arguing that it reveals the emotional...