News

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron made an unexpected appearance at the Stade de France on July 17 to attend the first day in France of the BTS Arirang world tour. The political figures were spotted enjoying the musical performance from an exclusive VIP seating.

The presidential couple quickly became a viral sensation across international social media platforms after photos surfaced showing them holding the K-pop group’s signature light sticks. The illuminated devices are commonly known by fans as ARMY Bombs. Concert attendees shared videos of Brigitte Macron adorably attempting to turn on her interactive light stick...

United Airlines passengers who prefer not to use the newly renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport may reportedly be offered alternative airports, such as Fort Lauderdale or Miami, at no additional cost.

United Airlines has updated its reservation systems to reflect the transition from West Palm Beach Airport (PBI) to Donald J. Trump (DJT), according to an internal memo cited by the aviation blog Live and Let Fly.

The memo also instructs reservation agents on servicing passengers who may be reluctant to fly to and from the renamed airport:

«If a...

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the long-term credit outlook for Uzbekistan Airports Joint Stock Company from stable to positive while affirming its issuer default rating at ‘BB’.

The agency attributed the revision to the company’s resilient financial position, ongoing corporate governance reforms and the successful implementation of international financial reporting standards. The decision also aligns with a recent positive adjustment to Uzbekistan’s sovereign credit outlook.

The international ratings agency noted that the state-owned enterprise maintains a domestic monopoly over the nation’s airport services. The Ministry of Economy and Finance retains ultimate decision-making authority over strategic planning, financial management and the...

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, will not travel to the 2026 World Cup final, opting to follow his personal «good luck» rituals rather than attend the match in person.

Milei has maintained a «good luck» routine of watching Argentina’s World Cup matches, each resulting in victory for the defending champions, from home. He said that «under no circumstances» will he break this pattern ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated match between his country’s team and Spain.

«I’m going to keep watching the matches from [the official residence in] Olivos, just like on the first day,» Milei told radio...

Residential property prices across Uzbekistan rose by 4% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026. The market also saw a 1.3 % increase compared with the previous quarter.

Apartments experienced the most significant price surge over the 12-month period with overall values climbing 5.5%. Within this segment, the primary housing market recorded a 7.1% jump while secondary market flats increased by 4.2%. The cost of private detached houses grew by a more moderate 2%.

Regional markets outpaced the capital in overall price growth. Apartment prices in Tashkent increased by 3.9% annually. In contrast, other regions across the country reported...

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has nominated grandmasters Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov for the Best Player title at the inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards. The Uzbek duo will compete against world number one Magnus Carlsen and a shortlist of top global contenders.

The highly competitive category also features Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

Sindarov secured a second individual nomination in the Breakthrough of the Year category. His competitors include emerging talents such as Dommaraju, Keymer, Volodar Murzin, Divya Deshmukh, Faustino Oro, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Anastasia Hnatyshyn, Andy Woodward and...

Sir David Beckham cut a dejected figure in the stands on Wednesday night as England succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. The former England captain, accompanied by his wife Victoria, appeared to shed a tear as the final whistle ended his nation’s tournament hopes.

Throughout the competition, the Beckhams have been fixtures at matches, with television broadcasts frequently cutting to the pair during moments of celebration. Earlier this week, Victoria faced light-hearted mockery online after her stoic reaction to Jude Bellingham‘s extra-time goal against Norway went viral.

Sir David defended his wife’s composure...

Besiktas has turned its full attention to strengthening its attacking line, setting its sights on Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth. This tactical shift follows the club’s recent acquisition of Leandro Trossard, a move that successfully bolstered the team’s left flank.

The Black Eagles had previously explored transfer options involving Dusan Vlahovic and Romelu Lukaku. However, plans to sign the Serbian forward were shelved following a lack of response, while medical reports regarding the Napoli star were deemed unsatisfactory by the club leadership.

High-level talks for Norwegian forward

Besiktas President Serdal Adali held a direct meeting with his Atletico...

A jersey worn by Pele during the 1958 World Cup final fetched $4.9 mln at Sotheby’s on Thursday, setting a new auction record for memorabilia associated with the Brazilian football icon.

The famed yellow number 10 shirt saw intense interest from global collectors. The garment drew 10 offers from more than five individuals before the hammer finally fell. Its final price marks a massive appreciation since the kit last changed hands at a 2004 auction for £70,505, which was roughly $105,600 at the time.

A 17-year-old Pele wore the kit when he scored twice to help Brazil defeat hosts...

Tech startup Moonshot AI has introduced its latest artificial intelligence iteration. Dubbed Kimi K3, the multimodal system boasts a staggering 2.8 trln parameters and is slated to become the largest publicly accessible AI architecture globally when developers publish its full framework later this summer.

Engineered to tackle intricate enterprise tasks and extensive programming challenges, the platform can process up to one million tokens simultaneously while offering native image comprehension. Users can immediately interact with the technology via the company’s dedicated coding and workspace platforms as well as its application programming interface. Executives confirmed they will publish the underlying framework...

JYP Entertainment ended weeks of online speculation Thursday by unveiling the first three members of its new girl group OurBirthday.

The music label introduced the trio through a cinematic short film titled “Error 502: Bad Gateway” posted across its official social media platforms. Borrowing its name from a standard internet communication failure, the video depicts the artists navigating a glitch-heavy landscape before finally discovering one another. Understated narration accompanies the footage to establish the ensemble’s overarching fictional universe.

This live-action reveal definitively answers questions surrounding the project’s format. Prior to Thursday, the agency ran a cryptic marketing campaign consisting...

An unexpected physical injury to actor Ryan Hurst has forced the production team behind Amazon’s upcoming live-action “God of War” series to search for a new lead to play Kratos.

The setback occurred during filming in June, halting progress on the highly anticipated adaptation of the popular PlayStation franchise. The streaming platform had previously offered audiences a sneak peek of Hurst in character back in February. Now, directors must replace him and reshoot all completed footage involving Callum Vinson, the young actor cast as Kratos’ son, Atreus.

While Hurst possesses prior experience in this fictional universe, having provided the...

Opta’s supercomputer forecasts a Spanish victory in the upcoming 2026 World Cup final with a 56.05% probability, leaving defending champions Argentina with a 43.95% chance of retaining their title.

The teams will face off on July 20 at midnight Tashkent time. Argentine forward Lionel Messi acknowledged the difficulty of the impending fixture, noting his familiarity with the European squad as many of its members play for Barcelona.

The nations last met in a major international tournament 60 years ago when Argentina secured a 2-1 victory. Their historical rivalry also includes 13 friendly encounters, resulting in six wins...

Tajikistan’s foreign trade turnover reached $6.8 bn during the first six months of 2026, marking a 42.8% increase compared with the same period last year, according to official statistics.

The sharp growth reflects stronger export and import activity as the country continues to expand trade with both regional and international partners. Recent data also indicate that Tajikistan has strengthened trade with non-CIS countries while maintaining active economic ties with neighbouring Central Asian states.

The latest figures come amid broader economic momentum. International institutions expect Tajikistan’s economy to remain one of the fastest-growing in the region in...

OnePlus has confirmed its departure from the U.S. and European markets, halting all future product launches across both major regions.

Parent company Oppo pledged to honour existing warranty agreements and provide continued software updates for current device owners. James Paterson, Oppo’s senior PR manager in Europe, stated that after-sale care will remain completely intact. While Oppo will continue selling its own electronics in Europe, the corporation will have no physical presence in the U.S. moving forward.

To maintain software support, existing OnePlus smartphones will migrate from OxygenOS to Oppo’s ColorOS in the coming months. Oppo Europe CEO Elvis Zhou...

A new report from the Social Policy Laboratory indicates that 33.2% of Uzbekistan’s youth, aged 14 to 30, fall into the NEET category, meaning they are neither employed nor engaged in education or training. This figure highlights systemic barriers that prevent young people from transitioning successfully into the labour market.

Current data from the recent census reveals that Uzbekistan is home to approximately 9.6 mln young people in the 14–30 age demographic. This population consists of roughly 4.9 mln males and 4.7 mln females.

Across the broader youth population, 36.1% are currently employed, while 30.7% are pursuing education or...

Raymond Vermeulen, the manager for four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, has dismissed mounting speculation regarding the driver’s future. He insists the Dutchman remains fully committed to Red Bull for the duration of his current agreement.

Questions about the driver’s tenure have surged during a challenging season for the Milton Keynes-based squad. Verstappen, now in his 11th year with the team, appears to be facing his most difficult campaign since his arrival. The British Grand Prix proved particularly taxing after a recurring failure with the RB22’s novel rotating rear wing caused him to crash out in the gravel.

During a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, Zendaya offered fans a behind-the-scenes look at the unexpected way she secured her role as Athena in Christopher Nolan’s latest epic, “The Odyssey”.

While the actress had long been a fervent admirer of the director’s work, she explained that the opportunity initially arrived through her partner, Tom Holland, who had already been cast in the production. Zendaya recalled that Holland had brought the script home, and while he was away at a meeting, she took the opportunity to read the screenplay.

A surprising casting revelation

The actress noted...

The National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change has announced an extensive reforestation programme targeting Tashkent and its surrounding districts by 2045. The initiative aims to establish over 58,000 hectares of protective forest cover.

Central to this strategy is the “Green Belt” project, which involves planting more than 50 mln trees and shrubs. Planners are prioritising drought-resistant species capable of capturing airborne dust, setting a rigorous survival rate target of at least 85% for all new plantings. This initiative follows a directive from the President of Uzbekistan, building on the 1.35 mln trees already planted in the capital between...

A towering 26-metre statue of Lionel Messi became the focal point for celebrations in Patagonia as Argentina secured their place in Sunday’s World Cup final. The national team came from behind to defeat long-time rivals England 2-1 in Atlanta.

A crowd of approximately 300 locals in the Neuquen province town of Cutral Co watched the semi-final broadcast beneath the monument. The community of 40,000 relies heavily on the nearby Vaca Muerta shale gas and oil reserves. As the final whistle blew, fireworks exploded around the statue’s head and thousands more rushed to join the festivities.

Artist Aldo Beroisa designed...

The American entertainment industry has lost a familiar face. Hal Williams, the seasoned actor who anchored beloved network comedies during the 1970s and 1980s, has passed away at the age of 91. Representatives for the television star confirmed his death.

Audiences widely recognise Williams for his central role on the NBC hit “227”. Over the course of 116 episodes broadcast between 1985 and 1990, he portrayed Lester Jenkins. His character served as the patriarch of a family living in a bustling apartment complex alongside his on-screen wife Mary, played by Marla Gibbs, and their daughter Brenda, portrayed by Regina...

The Uzbekistan Football Association has confirmed that Fabio Cannavaro will remain the manager of the national team despite a winless 2026 World Cup campaign.

UFA First Vice-President Ravshan Irmatov ended recent public speculation surrounding the Italian coach’s future by clarifying that Cannavaro’s contract runs until October 2027.

Irmatov noted that internal analytical groups have been assessing the team’s performance since the tournament concluded. Following a brief holiday period for the coaching staff, the management team will resume player selection and training preparations in late July.

The official endorsement follows a difficult summer where Uzbekistan lost all of their World...

Big Hit Music has released a teaser for “Normal”, an upcoming music video from BTS’s latest studio album “Arirang”, ahead of its exclusive Spotify premiere this Friday.

The music video will debut on the audio streaming platform at 1 p.m. KST on July 17. The release coincides with the launch of three new audio versions of the alternative pop track, including an instrumental and a Korean-language edition that the band previously debuted during a live concert in Busan. A wider video release on the Hybe Labels YouTube channel will follow at 1 p.m. KST on July 19.

To build...

Law enforcement officers in Turkey have apprehended a pair of holidaymakers from Moscow. The travellers are currently awaiting possible expulsion from the country following an incident where the husband brought out a Christian scripture at one of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, “Ostorozhno, novosti” reports.

Igor F., 32, and his wife Victoria, 35, landed in the city on July 13 for a getaway. While touring the upper floors of the Hagia Sophia, an area specifically designated as a museum space for international visitors, the man pulled out a personal copy of the Bible. Guards swiftly converged on the duo and...