Uzbekistan is moving forward with an ambitious plan to reshape its capital with the “New Tashkent” project, a purpose-built city designed to meet the demands of rapid population growth while promoting sustainability and modern urban living. Launched in March 2023 under Tashkent’s Master Plan through 2045, New Tashkent is planned to cover 20,000 hectares between the Chirchik and Korasuv rivers, positioning it as a major new urban hub rather than a suburban extension.

The city is expected to accommodate around 2 million residents and generate 200,000 high-income jobs driven by technology and innovation. It will feature smart-city innovations, modern amenities, and buildings built to international green standards, ensuring energy efficiency, climate resilience, and healthy living environments.

Urbanization pressures in Uzbekistan are mounting. By mid-2025, more than 19.3 million people, roughly 51 percent of the population, are projected to live in urban areas, compared with 18.6 million in rural regions. Tashkent itself officially has 3.1 million residents, but daily numbers may be 30–35 percent higher when including students and internal migrants. The concentration of 98 universities in the city continues to draw young people, intensifying demand for housing, transport, and social services.

Sustainability is central to New Tashkent’s design. Buildings will adhere to internationally recognised standards such as LEED, BREEAM, and EDGE, promoting energy efficiency, water conservation, and the use of sustainable materials. Green roof technology, rainwater collection systems, and other measures aim to reduce energy demand and improve resilience to climate extremes. The city’s energy infrastructure includes existing hydropower, a 400-megawatt solar farm, a new 100-megawatt solar installation, and a tri-generation facility converting waste into electricity and heat. Experts estimate that even modest efficiency gains could save over 900 million kilowatt-hours annually.

Transport planning is integral to the project. A 21-kilometre metro line will connect New Tashkent to the capital, while tram lines and eight multimodal transfer hubs will allow seamless switching between metro, tram, buses, bicycles, and scooters. The city is being designed around the 15-minute city concept, making walking, cycling, and public transport convenient for residents.

Urban planners are using a radial city model to prioritize walkability and access to services. Green infrastructure, parks, riverfronts, and cycling lanes will be integrated to create a connected, pedestrian-friendly environment. A cultural island at the intersection of artificial canals will serve as a social and recreational focal point, while the city’s waterways and green spaces will foster a comfortable microclimate.

By the end of 2025, construction had reached 3 million square metres. Several ministries have started operations from temporary facilities, and infrastructure projects include a €86 million underground parking facility with automated systems, bicycle rentals, and EV charging stations. Residential development includes the 95-hectare Sharq Bahori complex for 15,000 households, while New Uzbekistan University is being built to serve 10,000 students. A 55,000-seat FIFA-standard stadium is under construction ahead of the 2027 U-20 World Championship, which Uzbekistan will co-host with Azerbaijan.

New Tashkent is positioned as a blueprint for sustainable urban development in Central Asia, combining technology, green infrastructure, and strategic planning to support Uzbekistan’s rapidly growing urban population.

In a rare move, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to former US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, describing the gesture as “recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.”

Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership of Venezuela’s opposition during a crackdown by President Nicolás Maduro, particularly surrounding the controversial 2023 presidential election. Her visit to Washington came shortly after a US military operation on 3 January resulted in Maduro’s capture. The former Venezuelan leader and his spouse now face drug trafficking charges in New York.

“I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters as she left the White House. Trump confirmed the meeting on social media, calling Machado “a wonderful woman who has been through so much” and saying the presentation was “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”

Although Machado’s action is unusual for a living laureate to part with her medal shortly after receiving it, it is not without precedent. The Nobel Foundation’s statutes allow winners to give away their physical medal or diploma, but the title itself remains solely with the recipient and cannot be legally transferred.

Several previous laureates have donated, sold, or auctioned their medals under extraordinary circumstances. Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, who shared the 2021 Peace Prize with Maria Ressa, sold his medal in 2022 for $103.5 million (€89.1 million), donating all proceeds to UNICEF for Ukrainian child refugees after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Historical examples include Nobel medals used for humanitarian purposes during wartime. Danish physicists Niels Bohr and August Krogh saw their medals auctioned to aid Finnish civilians during the Winter War of 1939-40. German physicists Max von Laue and James Franck entrusted their medals to Bohr to prevent them from falling into Nazi hands; the medals were later recovered and recast by the Nobel Foundation.

Not all medal gestures were humanitarian. Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, Nobel laureate in Literature in 1920, reportedly gave his medal to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels during World War II, damaging his reputation permanently.

More recently, Nobel medals have been sold at auction for philanthropic or personal reasons. James D. Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s structure and a 1962 laureate, sold his medal in 2014 for $4.8 million (€4.13 million) to support scientific research. Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov later returned it to Watson in 2015. Other sales include Norman Angell’s Peace Prize medal, now held at London’s Imperial War Museum, and Aage Bohr’s 1975 Physics medal, sold at auction in 2011 and 2019.

Some laureates instead donate their prize money. Albert Einstein’s 1921 Nobel earnings went to his family under a pre-arranged divorce settlement. Mother Teresa directed her 1979 Peace Prize funds to the poor, and Paul Greengard used his 2000 Nobel prize money to establish an award supporting women scientists.

Machado’s presentation of her medal to Trump adds a contemporary chapter to the complex history of Nobel laureates parting with their physical awards, highlighting both symbolic gestures and humanitarian or political intentions.