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South Korea appears to have treated Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the finest of its cuisine during a state banquet in Seoul. The selection of servings ends with dried-pearlimon crème brûlée — a Korean-Uzbek fusion menu that makes diplomacy taste considerably less formal.

Around 50 guests from the two countries were expected at Monday evening’s banquet, part of Mirziyoyev’s state visit ahead of the first South Korea–Central Asia summit. The South Korean presidential office said the menu was designed around the Uzbek president’s preferences and both countries’ culinary traditions, according to Yonhap.

Instead of serving formal Korean dishes, the chefs incorporated...

Apple’s iOS 27 is scheduled to be released on Monday, 14 September. Users in Türkiye, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Pakistan and India will receive the update in the evening. In Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan the download should be available at around 10pm local time.

Apple has confirmed the release date but has not announced an exact global launch hour. The regional times below are estimates based on Apple’s country pages and its usual major-update schedule of around 10am Pacific Time, or 17:00 UTC, according to MacRumors.

The update may appear several minutes later on some devices...

Uzbekistan will debut at the Samarkand Chess Olympiad with two of the world’s top players on its top boards. For the 2022 champions, anything less than a medal would be a disappointment.

The opening ceremony takes place this Tuesday, on 15 September. Eleven rounds of classical chess will follow from 16 to 27 September, leaving Uzbekistan with nearly two weeks to turn home advantage into a second Olympiad title.

Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Mukhiddin Madaminov form the host nation’s first open team. Former world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov will captain the squad.

Uzbekistan is third in...

South Korea can access critical minerals, energy and a fast-growing market in Central Asia. Seoul’s more valuable pitch is technology and finance to turn those resources into higher-value exports.

The trade-off will sit behind the inaugural South Korea–Central Asia summit in Seoul on 16 September. The five Central Asian presidents and South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung are expected to focus on minerals, energy, investment and supply chains, followed by a business gathering with about 500 government and company representatives.

South Korea’s immediate concern is economic security. Central Asia, meanwhile, wants investment that goes beyond extracting and shipping raw materials. 

Uzbekistan’s economic transformation and the growing role of its insurance sector were presented to the international business community during the Rendez-Vous de Septembre (RVS) in Monte Carlo, one of the world’s leading gatherings for the global insurance and reinsurance industry.

The event brought together around 4,000 executives and representatives of major insurance companies from across the world.

During the presentation, Uzbekinvest outlined Uzbekistan’s investment potential, developments in the country’s financial and insurance markets, and the results of economic reforms implemented over the past decade under the reform agenda of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The discussion focused on Uzbekistan’s sustained economic growth...

Kimi Antonelli claimed his eighth victory of the season at the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix to cement a commanding 81-point advantage over Mercedes team mate George Russell in the drivers’ standings.

The rest of the field is now more than 100 points adrift of the championship leader. The Italian capitalised on a poorly timed Virtual Safety Car that derailed Lando Norris‘s race to win ahead of Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen and the McLaren driver.

Norris defends, Antonelli cuts across the chicane and Piastri and Russell make contact! 🤯 Here is how the race...

The ominous veterinary simulator “Animal Hospital” claimed multiple top prizes at the 2026 Roblox Innovation Awards on Saturday, capping off an evening that highlighted the platform’s increasingly diverse development ecosystem.

The awards ceremony concluded the 12th annual Roblox Developer Conference in San Jose. Winners across 20 distinct categories were determined by an unprecedented 319mn community votes, reflecting the massive user engagement driving the modern platform.

Developed by Animal Anomaly, “Animal Hospital” immediately captivated the player base with its blend of nighttime patient care, anomaly detection and survival horror elements. The title’s unique execution...

Tomorrow X Together member Yeonjun has donated 100mn won ($74,545) to Community Chest of Korea, known locally as the Fruit of Love, to mark his birthday, the organisation said Sunday.

The donation will support elderly people in Seongnam, including free meal programmes and renovation work at ageing welfare facilities, according to the organisation. Yeonjun also became a member of its Honor Society, a group for individual donors who have contributed at least 100 million won or pledged to do so within five years.

Yeonjun said he wanted to share some of the support he had received...

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding economic cooperation with the Republic of Korea.

Accompanied by First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, the president received a ceremonial welcome at the Seoul Air Base. The arrival featured an artillery salute and an honour guard. South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol formally greeted the delegation alongside other senior officials.

The visit comes at the invitation of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. The leaders are...

Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee has delivered his verdict on the highly anticipated Apple iPhone Duo. In his latest hands-on review the creator outlined the major pros and cons of the $2,000 foldable device following its official unveiling.

Brownlee praised the tech giant for entering the foldable market with a highly polished product that feels genuinely premium. He highlighted the phone’s seamless transitions and overall fit and finish as significant advantages over Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. The creator noted that Apple adapted the software experience specifically for the new form factor rather than simply...

Apple‘s newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max vanished from virtual shelves within minutes of pre-orders launching in China on Saturday evening. The overwhelming consumer response generated massive traffic across major e-commerce platforms and triggered an immediate spike in secondary market prices.

Pre-orders officially began at 8 p.m. local time on September 12. During the first hour of availability, Taobao reported that sales figures more than doubled those recorded during last year’s equivalent launch window. The platform’s Flash Sale event saw the total sales volume for all Apple products multiply by more than...

Blizzard Entertainment has revealed the Plague Knight as the first new playable class for the upcoming action role-playing game Diablo V. Game director Joe Shely described the heavily armoured character as “walking death” during the BlizzCon 2026 presentation. The class employs a distinct combat loop by spreading diseases across the battlefield and subsequently consuming those afflictions to boost its own power.

While developers withheld gameplay footage for the Plague Knight they confirmed it will join returning classes such as the Monk and Demon Hunter. Diablo 5 is scheduled for a spring 2029 release and promises to launch with more...

Rockstar Games is fundamentally changing the core mechanic of its flagship franchise in Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). Stealing a parked car will no longer involve a simple button press and a quick animation. Instead, the developer is introducing a realistic, tiered security system that forces players to use specific tools and tactics depending on a vehicle’s make and model.

The upcoming open-world game, scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, requires protagonists Jason and Lucia to acquire specialised gear as they progress through the story in Leonida. While older vehicles remain vulnerable to a basic slim...

Global music superstar Lisa was greeted by piercing screams from fans as she walked the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of her new documentary, “Always Lalisa”.

The Blackpink band member takes centre stage in the film, which chronicles a pivotal year in her life. The documentary captures her journey as she steps away from the South Korean pop group to embark on a solo career.

Directed by Sue Kim, the project follows the singer through several major professional milestones between 2024 and 2025. Cameras documented the release of her debut solo album “Alter...

Netflix is taking viewers back to the supernatural world of Hawkins. The streaming giant has announced that the animated spin-off series “Stranger Things: Tales from ’85” will return for a second season on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The quick turnaround comes just five months after the show’s inaugural season premiered in April 2026. The eight-episode sophomore instalment will pick up immediately where the previous finale left off, resolving a major cliffhanger that saw a Demogorgon emerging from the remains of an Upside Down entity.

Showrunner Eric Robles returns to helm the computer-animated project. The series follows the core characters...

Lando Norris delivered a breathtaking final lap to snatch pole position for the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix, edging out Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by a mere 0.011s. The reigning World Champion defied a severe lack of practice running to conquer the challenging street circuit in a session fraught with traffic issues, near misses and high-profile eliminations.

The tight confines of the Madring immediately caught out several big names in a frantic Q1. Carlos Sainz suffered a disastrous start to his home race weekend, dropping out in 17th alongside fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso. Sainz’s misery was compounded...

HoYoverse has detailed Genshin Impact Version 7.1, «A Rekviem for the Underworld,» setting up a direct confrontation between Snezhnaya and Ronova while finally revealing why the Tsaritsa has spent years collecting the Gnoses.

The anniversary livestream also confirmed two new playable characters, Vesna and Vodyanitsa, returning banners for Skirk and Escoffier and some of the game’s biggest anniversary rewards to date, including both a standard and an event-exclusive 5-star character.

The opening trailer sets a markedly darker tone. Its first sequence uses a chessboard and an unmoving black king seated on a throne, imagery that appears...

Leaked internal mockups and certification listings indicate Motorola is developing a new wide-format Razr Fold device to compete directly with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo.

Concept sketches from Motorola’s design team highlight a cover display featuring “3D glass” and a bezel-less front. This terminology suggests the handset will incorporate curved screen edges similar to the company’s Edge series smartphones. The exterior design features sharp left corners and rounded right edges, bringing the device aesthetically closer to Apple’s latest folding models.

Display and specs

Internal documents also reveal Motorola’s ambition to...

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in a fractured final practice session ahead of the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix, navigating a chaotic hour punctuated by red flags for Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman.

The Mercedes driver posted a 1m 32.797s to edge Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.166s but the session was ultimately defined by a series of costly incidents that have left several teams scrambling ahead of qualifying.

Hamilton brings out the red flags

The most significant disruption came just before the halfway mark when Lewis Hamilton locked up and slid straight into the barriers...

Three people born in Uzbekistan were among the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, according to memorial records and contemporary reporting.

Irina Kolpakova, Gavkharoy Kamardinova and Gary Shamay were all killed at the World Trade Center in New York. Voice of America has also identified the three as victims with ties to Uzbekistan.

Their names are among the 2,977 people killed in the attacks, which were carried out by al-Qaeda hijackers at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93. The victims came from about...

Brazilian fans of the K-pop girl group Aespa are threatening legal action and demanding refunds from Live Nation Brazil and SM Entertainment over an unsatisfactory VIP package at a recent concert.

Attendees raised complaints shortly after the Sao Paulo show, stating the premium VIP send-off provided significantly less interaction than advertised. Videos circulating online show band members Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning briefly walking past fans gathered in a passageway, with interactions lasting only a few seconds.

Additionally, several ticket holders claimed they did not receive the exclusive merchandise included in the VIP tier.

A comprehensive law regulating labour strikes has officially come into force across Uzbekistan today.

The legislation takes effect exactly three months after its publication by the Ministry of Justice in June. The legal framework establishes clear rules for organising industrial action when negotiations between staff and employers break down.

Under the new regulations, employees must decide voluntarily whether to join or refuse a walkout. The law explicitly bans anyone from pressuring staff into participating.

Read more: BMW cuts thousands of jobs worldwide as VW and Mercedes follow suit

Trade...

John Malkovich has firmly established himself as a leading Oscar contender at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. The 72-year-old actor’s performance in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine” captivated audiences and critics alike on the Lido.

Set in 1973 just before the Chilean coup, the film features Malkovich as a terminally ill and alcoholic CIA agent. He stars alongside Sam Rockwell as the duo travel to Easter Island to await a regime change they helped orchestrate. The acclaimed role has propelled Malkovich to the front of the best actor race, a category that could earn him his first Academy...

K-pop star Hoshi from the group Seventeen has sustained a serious knee injury while completing his mandatory military service. The singer announced on Thursday that he suffered a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament during a rehearsal session.

The artist shared the news directly with fans via the Weverse platform. He explained that the injury occurred while practising with the Ground Forces performance team. A subsequent medical examination confirmed the complete ligament tear.

Hoshi stated he will undergo surgery and subsequently dedicate his time to recovery. The injury forces him to withdraw from upcoming military...