News

Gamescom 2025, held in Cologne from August 20–24, shattered expectations and records alike, cementing its status as the world’s largest gaming convention. With over 350,000 attendees from 130 countries and more than 1,200 exhibitors, this year’s event was not only a celebration of gaming culture but also a reflection of global socio-political currents.

Breaking Records and Setting New Standards

This year’s Gamescom broke two major records: the highest number of visitors and the largest international participation in its history. The exhibition halls buzzed with energy, with queues stretching for hours and hotels across Cologne and neighbouring cities booked...

V, one of the stars of global K-pop phenomenon BTS, thrilled fans on August 25 night as he threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. His appearance came shortly after a warm meeting with baseball’s two-way icon Shohei Ohtani.

Taking the mound in a Dodgers No. 7 jersey tucked into faded jeans, the singer, whose real name is Kim Taehyung, bowed towards pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto before sending a neat left-handed strike into his glove. The stadium erupted as fans screamed throughout his turn on the field.

V kept the crowd buzzing by delivering the traditional...

Abu Dhabi’s TAQA is strengthening its presence in Uzbekistan’s water sector as part of a major international expansion. The company has agreed to acquire Spanish water solutions firm GS Inima for $1.2 bn, making it the centrepiece of its global strategy in desalination and wastewater treatment.

The transaction, which is set to close next year, marks TAQA’s biggest investment outside the UAE. With the deal, the company will gain access to eight new markets, including Brazil and Mexico, while consolidating its projects already under way in Uzbekistan and Morocco.

GS Inima operates close to 50 projects, of which around...

A high-pressure gas blowout at an exploration well in Muynak, Karakalpakstan, has been successfully contained by Uzbekneftgaz.

The incident occurred on July 26 at the company’s newly drilled No. 1 well, which has a planned depth of 5,000 metres. Gas was unexpectedly released when drilling reached 4,707 metres.

To tackle the emergency, Uzbekneftgaz immediately set up a round-the-clock operational headquarters. It included specialists from the militarised unit responsible for preventing and eliminating open fountains of gas, staff from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, local authorities, and experts from other relevant organisations.

A rapid response roadmap was drawn up...

The competition schedule for the World Boxing Championships 2025, which will take place from September 4 to 14 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, has been officially released. More than 550 athletes from over 65 countries are expected to take part, making it one of the largest tournaments in international amateur boxing.

Opening Day

The action will begin on Thursday September 4 at 11:00 (BST) with the women’s light-flyweight (48kg), flyweight (51kg) and middleweight (75kg), alongside the men’s bantamweight (55kg), welterweight (65kg) and light-middleweight (70kg).

Evening session that day will feature contests in the women’s bantamweight (54kg...

Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films, has addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding author JK Rowling and her remarks on transgender rights.

In an interview with Variety, Columbus said:

«I like to sometimes separate the artist from the art, I think that’s important to do. It’s unfortunate, what’s happened. I certainly don’t agree with what she’s talking about. But it’s just sad, it’s very sad.»

Rowling, who has denied being transphobic, has been criticized for her comments on gender identity, including her support of the UK Supreme Court ruling that...

SpaceX aborted the highly anticipated 10th test flight of its Starship rocket on August 25, 2025, after engineers reported a last-minute issue with ground systems.

The two-stage rocket, the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, had been fully stacked and loaded with propellant at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas. Liftoff was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time but was halted about 15 minutes before launch. SpaceX later said it was «standing down to troubleshoot» and did not confirm a new date, though local road closures suggest a possible retry this week.

This setback adds to a troubled...

Brazil’s government said Monday it will purchase domestic products affected by the 50% U.S. tariff hike, including acai, coconut water, mangoes, honey, fish and Brazil nuts, to support local producers. The goods will be distributed to schools or stockpiled nationwide, as reported by The Independent.

The tariffs, imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, have also hit Brazilian coffee and beef, but those products were excluded from the government’s buyback program. Agrarian Development Minister Paulo Teixeira said those exports are still in demand globally and can find alternative buyers.

The trade dispute has strained ties between Washington and Brasília...

Some of the biggest names in world football have landed in Tashkent ahead of the Uzbekistan Futsal Super Cup 2025. Among the stars are Roberto Carlos, Franck Ribéry, Fabio Cannavaro, Dida, Marco Materazzi, Claude Makélélé, Cristian Zaccardo, Serginho, Maicon and Kevin Kurányi.

The legendary players will attend the Super Cup clash between BMB and Oil Star, scheduled for August 26 at the Humo Arena. The event promises to draw large crowds as fans will also have the chance to meet the visiting football icons.

In addition, special events are planned for August 27, including a friendly fixture that will...

Beeline Uzbekistan has once again been recognized as one of the world’s leading employers, receiving the prestigious Top Employer 2025 international certification for the second year in a row. The award highlights the company’s outstanding achievements in people management and its high standards in creating favorable working conditions and development opportunities for employees.

The Top Employer 2025 certification reaffirms Beeline Uzbekistan’s commitment to global standards in human resources management and to providing the best conditions for employee growth. People remain the company’s most valuable asset, which is why Beeline actively implements advanced practices — from HR digitalization and KPI automation...

Uzbekistan has significantly increased its imports of dates this year, according to the National Statistics Committee. Between January and July 2025 the country brought in 12,600 tonnes of dates from 17 different nations, with a total value of $9 mln.

The volume is 4,900 tonnes higher than in the same period of 2024, underscoring the growing popularity of dates on the Uzbek market.

Iran was by far the largest supplier, providing 9,800 tonnes in the first seven months of the year. Tunisia followed with 810 tonnes, while Turkey shipped 396 tonnes. Imports from Saudi Arabia reached 245 tonnes, with...

At least 20 people lost their lives in a double air strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. Among the dead were five journalists confirmed by Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, BBC reports.

The World Health Organization’s director general said four medical workers were also killed. Footage from the scene showed rescuers rushing to help victims of the first strike before a second blast struck them directly.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a «tragic mishap» and said the military was «conducting a thorough...

On August 26 Uzbekistan is set to experience hot and dry weather with no rain forecast. Winds are predicted at 7 to 12 m/s while daytime temperatures will reach between 34°C and 39°C.

In the capital Tashkent, conditions will remain clear. A light breeze of 3 to 8 m/s is expected, with maximum temperatures of 36°C to 38°C.

In mountain areas, no rainfall is forecast. Winds may be slightly stronger, at 9 to 14 m/s, while temperatures will range from 27°C to 32°C.

Air Quality in Tashkent

According to automatic monitoring stations at 09:00 on August...

Liverpool’s 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha etched his name into the club’s record books with a dramatic stoppage-time strike that sealed a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United in a fiery contest at St James’ Park. At 16 years and 361 days, he became Liverpool’s youngest ever goalscorer and the fourth youngest in Premier League history.

A Fiery Encounter

The game unfolded in a hostile atmosphere, heightened by Liverpool’s summer pursuit of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak. Champions looked in control when Ryan Gravenberch’s deflected effort opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time.

The contest spilled over moments later when Anthony Gordon...

Today in crypto markets, regulators, investors and traders reacted to major developments affecting Bitcoin, Solana, and tokenized securities, as reported by Coin Telegraph.

Global regulators, including the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), IOSCO, and the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), urged the U.S. SEC to crack down on tokenized stocks, arguing they mimic equities without offering investor protections. The groups warned that such products are misleading and risky for retail buyers.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Digital, Multicoin Capital and Jump Crypto are reportedly raising $1 bn to build the largest-ever Solana (SOL) treasury, according to Bloomberg. Backed by the Solana...

Several banks have updated their rates for exchanging foreign currencies into UZS as of August 26. This article contains information about the most favourable rates.

Here are Central Bank Reference Rates to exchange USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, JPY or KZT into soums:

Several banks offer the best rates to exchange USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, JPY or KZT into soums:

Financial institutions may change the value...

SpaceX launched its redesigned Starship rocket on Monday, marking the 10th flight test of the world’s largest spacecraft and a crucial step in Elon Musk’s long-term vision to reach Mars.

The test comes three months after both Starship and its Super Heavy booster were lost shortly after liftoff from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas. Two earlier 2025 attempts also ended in explosions.

For this flight, the main goals are to successfully recover both the booster and the upper-stage Starship. The launch was originally scheduled for Sunday but was delayed due to a ground systems issue.

Standing...

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he hopes to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un again this year, as he welcomed South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae Myung, to the White House.

The meeting began awkwardly after Trump criticized raids in South Korea, calling them a «Purge or Revolution,» before later dismissing his remarks as a «misunderstanding.»

Despite the rocky start, Trump and Lee emphasized shared support for diplomacy with North Korea. Trump, who met Kim three times during his first term, described their relationship as unusually close and suggested another summit could take place soon.

Lee, elected in...

Manchester City are reportedly considering a late swoop for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, potentially disrupting Liverpool’s transfer plans.

Liverpool have been in talks with Palace over the 25-year-old defender, with reports suggesting they are prepared to pay up to £35 mln. However, Palace are holding firm on their £45 mln valuation, especially after selling Eberechi Eze to Arsenal for £67.5 mln last weekend.

According to the Daily Star, City could enter the race if they offload defenders Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, who are linked with Galatasaray and Everton respectively. Pep Guardiola views Guehi as a player of...

World Boxing has introduced a new eligibility policy requiring athletes to undergo genetic sex testing to compete in its events. From August 20, 2025, boxers over 18 must take a once-in-a-lifetime PCR or equivalent medical screening to verify their sex at birth.

The rules will apply first at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool from September 4 to 14, covering all ten women’s weight divisions. Testing will be extended to men’s events from January 2026.

Ensuring Safety and Fairness

The organisation said the policy is intended to guarantee safety in the ring and provide a fair competitive environment...

The African Union (AU) has launched a campaign calling for the replacement of the centuries-old Mercator projection map, arguing it distorts the true size of Africa and fuels misconceptions about the continent’s global significance.

The 55-member bloc says the Mercator map, created in 1569 for navigation, artificially enlarges regions near the poles like Europe, North America and Greenland, while making Africa and South America appear smaller than they really are. In reality, Africa is 14 times the size of Greenland, though the two often appear similar in scale on Mercator maps.

«This is not just a...

Reuters reports that Ukraine’s Independence Day on 24 August 2025 was marked by a series of political, military, and diplomatic developments underscoring the ongoing war with Russia.

The day began with reports from Russia’s defense ministry claiming its troops had captured villages in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region. At the same time, Moscow accused Kyiv of a massive drone attack that caused a fire and forced a reactor reduction at the Kursk nuclear power plant. Ukraine did not immediately comment, but has repeatedly said its cross-border strikes are retaliation for Russian bombardments.

In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed crowds in Independence...

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that tensions with the United States were «unsolvable,» vowing that Tehran would never yield to pressure from Washington over its nuclear program, according to state media, as reported by Reuters.

Khamenei’s remarks came during a mourning ceremony in Tehran for military commanders and scientists killed in Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June 2025. The conflict also led to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, after which Tehran suspended direct talks with Washington.

On Friday, August 22, Iran and European powers — France, Britain and Germany — agreed...

Yandex Uzbekistan has launched a new initiative aimed at those looking to start a taxi business. Under the programme, partners can earn bonuses of up to 35 mln soums ($2,844) a year for each car connected to the Yandex Taxi service.

To qualify, partners must purchase at least ten Uzbekistan-assembled vehicles by 30 September this year and ensure they are registered on the Yandex platform and actively transporting passengers. Applications will be accepted until September 19, with the number of participants strictly limited. Full details of the scheme are available via the company’s official link.

Yandex is already supporting...