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Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran exited Friday, August 15, night’s 6–2 victory over the Washington Nationals after being struck on the ankle by a sharp ground ball. It was his first appearance in a non-save situation since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline.

The incident occurred in the ninth inning when Paul DeJong’s comebacker deflected off the outside of Duran’s right ankle and rolled into foul territory for a single. Duran initially attempted to retrieve the ball but began limping heavily as the pain took hold.

After an extended visit from the medical staff, he...

Most of Uzbekistan will see a dry day. Only in Karakalpakstan could some locations catch a brief shower or thunderstorm early in the morning. Winds will blow at 7–12 m/s with occasional gusts to 13–16 m/s and patches of blowing dust. Daytime temperatures will reach 30–35°C.

The capital stays dry. Expect winds of 3–8 m/s with local gusts up to 10–12 m/s and some low-level dust. Afternoon temperatures will rise to 33–35°C.

No precipitation is expected in the mountains. Winds will be 7–12 m/s with gusts at times to 13–18 m/s. Highs will be 21–26°C.

Air Quality in...

A highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded in Alaska on Friday, August 15, without agreement on halting the conflict in Ukraine, although both leaders described the talks as constructive, Reuters reports.

No Ceasefire but «Progress» Claimed

Following nearly three hours of discussions, the two presidents appeared before the media, stating that progress had been made but declining to provide specifics.

Trump told reporters, «We’ve made some headway,» adding, «There’s no deal until there’s a deal.» Neither leader took questions.

The absence of a ceasefire...

Several banks have updated their rates for exchanging foreign currencies into UZS as of August 16. 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:

Several banks in Uzbekistan open their currency...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree on the socio-economic development of Karakalpakstan for 2025 and 2026.

The initiative includes the creation of a long-term development strategy for the region running until 2035. This will be underpinned by a detailed five-year programme, with foreign investment of up to $200 mln expected to support its implementation.

According to the decree, the plan aims to raise the region’s gross regional product by 6–6.5%, industrial output by 5–6% and the market services sector by 15–17%.

In May this year it was announced that Egyptian investors intend to invest...

On August 14, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Aurélia Bouchez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic, as she concluded her diplomatic mission in the country.

The President commended the Ambassador’s productive work and personal contribution to deepening the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and France. He noted that reciprocal high-level visits had elevated bilateral cooperation to a new level, giving it a substantive agenda.

Expanded Economic and Institutional Ties

Regular dialogue and active contacts have been established at various levels. Notable progress has been achieved in the economic sphere, with trade turnover increasing fourfold in recent...

The United States Department of State’s 2024 Human Rights Report on Uzbekistan has found no significant changes in the country’s human rights situation over the past year, citing ongoing concerns over unlawful killings, torture, limits on press freedom and the absence of a functioning asylum system.

Allegations of Unlawful Killings and Torture

The report highlights credible accounts of arbitrary or unlawful killings, including the death of protester Dilmurod Yusupaliyev in police custody in June after alleged beatings and denial of medical care. An Interior Ministry employee was later sentenced to nine months in prison over the incident. Human...

OpenAI’s latest large language model, GPT-5, has received a mixed reception following its release, Coin Telegraph reports. While promoted by CEO Sam Altman as a major step forward, the model’s early public performance fell short of expectations.

Early User Feedback and Market Reaction

Soon after launch, social media posts highlighted instances of GPT-5 providing incorrect answers, including basic numerical errors and flawed logical reasoning. The prediction market Polymarket saw OpenAI’s odds of having the «best model by end of August» drop from 75% to 8%, later recovering to 24%.

Industry commentary was divided. The New Yorker wrote that...

Cardi B’s forthcoming album Am I The Drama?, scheduled for release this autumn, may be subject to last-minute changes due to an ongoing copyright dispute.

Artists Joshua Fraustro (known professionally as Sten Joddi) and Miguel Aguilar (Kemikal956) have filed a lawsuit alleging that Cardi B’s 2024 single Enough (Miami) copied the melody and bassline from their 2021 track Greasy FryBread.

Plaintiffs Seek Injunction

According to Billboard, the claimants have requested a court order to prevent the song from appearing on Am I The Drama?. Their legal representative, Robert Flores, stated that allowing the track’s release would cause «irreparable...

Russian engineering company Mosinzhproekt will take part in designing and constructing a new metro line in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, according to a representative from the New Tashkent district construction directorate.

$110 Million Investment for Nine-Station Line

The project, valued at around $110 mln, involves building a 21-kilometre metro line with nine stations over a two-year period. The route will combine both underground and overground sections.

Mosinzhproekt will partner with Turkish conglomerate Dogus Holding for the works. The Russian Trade Mission in Uzbekistan had previously confirmed that Russian firms were keen to participate in the broader New Tashkent development...

Lana Del Rey has stirred up speculation about her relationship with fellow singer Ethel Cain by sharing a preview of a new track on Instagram.

The short clip, posted on August 13, contains the lines:

«Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago pose.»

The reference appears to allude to a 2022 incident when both artists shared photos with musician Jack Donoghue, Del Rey’s former partner. Her picture, taken outside a Chicago jail, was followed by Cain posting an outdoor image with Donoghue, which may have inspired the lyric...

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a decree establishing a nationwide system to support Palestinians in the country, the Ministry of Justice press service has announced.

The decree creates a Republican Commission tasked with assisting Palestinians affected by conflict, along with their accompanying family members, in adapting to life in Uzbekistan.

Financial Assistance for Families

Under the new measures, Palestinians of working age will be eligible for a monthly living allowance. In addition, each family will receive reimbursement for the cost of renting accommodation in their place of residence.

Palestinian residents suffering from illnesses leading to disability...

Dry and breezy weather is forecast across Uzbekistan today, August 15. Winds are expected at 7–12 m/s, occasionally strengthening to 13–18 m/s in some areas, accompanied by light dust near the ground. Daytime temperatures will range between 30°C and 35°C.

In Tashkent, the weather will remain dry with winds of 5–10 m/s. Temperatures in the capital are forecast between 31°C and 33°C.

Mountain regions will also see dry conditions. Winds there are predicted at 7–12 m/s, with occasional gusts of 13–18 m/s. Temperatures will be cooler, ranging from 23°C to 28°C.

Air Quality Remains Safe

As of...

Several banks have updated their rates for exchanging foreign currencies into UZS as of August 15. 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...

Yandex Uzbekistan has opened admissions for Yandex ML School, the first national centre dedicated to training specialists in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analysis.

Entry involves an online test followed by an in-person interview in Tashkent in September. Studies begin in October and tuition is entirely free.

Classes will be held offline in Tashkent over two semesters. The curriculum is built on the Yandex School of Data Analysis model and offers deep training in mathematics, machine learning, statistics and algorithms.

Teaching is in English and blends theory with practice. Students will tackle real industry problems, receive feedback from experts...

In London, Tottenham Hotspur’s new head coach Thomas Frank has reflected on his team’s dramatic defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Frank said his players had delivered almost a perfect performance against one of Europe’s strongest clubs.

«I am very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans. I think the players gave everything playing against one of the best teams in the world, maybe the best at the moment. First 75-80 minutes were perfect. But it’s down to the smallest of margins in the penalty shootout, it’s like a...

Uzbekistan and Hong Kong (China) are working on plans to introduce direct cargo and passenger flights, the Uzbek Ministry of Transport has announced.

The proposal was discussed between Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriev and representatives of Hong Kong’s JDB Group Limited. Both sides agreed that regular non-stop services would strengthen business ties, improve logistics and stimulate tourism between the two economies.

Chinese carrier Hong Kong Airlines is being considered as the potential operator for the route.

Talks also covered a separate initiative to establish an International Aviation Academy in Uzbekistan. The institution would train pilots, flight attendants...

Uzbekistan will abolish customs duties on blended fabrics until the start of 2028 as part of measures to support its textile sector. The decision was announced at a meeting on industry development chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Imported textiles will also be exempt from customs duties during this period, providing manufacturers with access to cheaper raw materials and helping to reduce production costs.

In addition, dyeing plants that pool resources to build water treatment facilities will be eligible for cost compensation, funded by the Trade Development Company.

The meeting also highlighted that over the past five years...

China and India are negotiating the revival of border trade that has been on hold since 2020, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Beijing is keen to accelerate discussions with India on reopening the routes. New Delhi did not comment on Bloomberg’s request.

For more than three decades merchants on both sides traded at three Himalayan posts, dealing mainly in spices, electrical goods, furniture and livestock feed. The volumes were small — a combined $3.16 mln in 2017 and 2018 — yet the exchanges mattered to local economies and symbolised a working relationship...

In the past five years, Uzbekistan has launched 396 large-scale textile enterprises with a combined investment of $3.5 bn, according to figures shared at a meeting on industry development chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Over this period, total output in the sector reached $10 bn, and the industry now employs around 500,000 people. However, the meeting heard that production and export growth has slowed in light of the current global political climate. Officials stressed the need for measures to maintain output and protect jobs.

A key challenge is the sharp decline in global cotton prices, which has significantly...

Uzbekistan will establish a Light Industry Development Agency to oversee the country’s textile, leather and silk sectors, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced at a sector meeting. The move is designed to coordinate policy, attract investment and speed up modernisation across the value chain.

Nozimjon Kholmurodov, first deputy minister of investments, industry and trade, has been appointed to head the agency. An advisory council of experienced entrepreneurs will sit under the new body, and a dedicated fund will provide manufacturers with accessible working capital. The fund will be launched with $200 mln in initial financing.

Working with international advisers, the...

Uzbekistan’s elite combatants will join counterparts from South Korea, Cambodia, New Zealand and the United States in a high-level military skills competition next month in Inje County, Gangwon Province.

The 3rd Korea International Combat Training Competition (K-ICTC) will run from September 20 to 26, hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of National Defence and organised by the Army. Designed as a platform for military exchange, the contest brings together top soldiers from around the world to test their tactical abilities in realistic battle conditions using advanced science-based combat technology. Now in its third year, K-ICTC is steadily building a reputation...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered the opening of two Uzbek textile trading houses in St Louis and New York as part of a drive to expand the country’s presence in the United States.

Speaking at a meeting on the development of the textile industry, the president noted that the American market is worth $100 bn annually. With alternative support measures, Uzbekistan could increase its exports to the US by five to six times. He emphasised that expanding shipments of clothing to both the US and European markets is a strategic priority.

The president tasked the Agency for Technical...

Joachim Löw, 65, has repeatedly said that coaching another national team would appeal to him. However, the 2014 World Cup-winning manager has now turned down an offer — one that included leading a side at the 2026 tournament, Bild reports.

According to Uzbek media and Austrian outlet oe24, Uzbekistan approached Löw to take charge of their national team. The country has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history and plans to make a bold impression at next year’s competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Uzbek Football Association, currently ranked 55th in the...