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The first clear visuals of Meta’s upcoming premium headset, internally known as Project Phoenix, have surfaced in the company’s Horizon OS firmware. The leak provides the most detailed look yet at the tech giant’s next-generation mixed reality device.

The images were discovered in a recent update to a free developer application called HorizonOS Prescription Lens. The app initially appeared in August as a placeholder package, but a September update included detailed assets showing how users will attach prescription lenses to the new hardware.

Read more: Instagram bans harassment and prank videos...

Ben Shelton advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final after defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open semi-final on Friday. The eighth seed will face top seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match.

Shelton now stands one victory away from becoming the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick triumphed in New York in 2003. The all-American clash took place on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, an occasion marked by a commemorative ceremony before the players took the court.

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K-pop group Mamamoo has cancelled the Jakarta stop of its 2026 «4WARD» world tour after the eruption of Anak Krakatau caused major travel disruption and prompted tighter safety measures in Indonesia.

The concert was scheduled for September 19 at NICE PIK 2, with the group’s agency RBW announcing the cancellation on September 11. The company said that continuing uncertainty following recent volcanic activity and strengthened local safety and security measures led it and the local promoter to prioritise the safety of the artists and concertgoers.

Tickets will be fully refunded, with the ticketing platform and...

The global video game industry is projected to generate $213.9bn in revenue in 2026, marking a 6.1% year-on-year increase across all major regions and platforms.

According to Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report 2026, mobile gaming remains the dominant force while the highly anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to salvage the console sector from stagnation.

Mobile platforms will account for the largest market share at $121.1bn, growing by 6.8% despite a decline in overall app downloads. This expansion relies heavily on increased spending per user and publishers shifting toward direct-to-consumer digital shopfronts.

The PC gaming...

Kylian Mbappe scored his 71st Champions League goal as Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2–1, drawing level with Raul in joint fifth on the competition’s all-time scoring list.

The Real Madrid striker reached the mark in his 99th appearance. Raul needed 142 games for the same total, according to LiveScore.

Mbappe struck after 15 minutes in Madrid’s 2–1 win over Inter Milan at the Bernabéu on 8 September. Federico Valverde doubled the lead before Carlos Augusto pulled one back.

The victory gave José Mourinho a winning start to his first European campaign since returning as...

Uzbekistan is considering wider use of bodyguard services for foreign tourists as officials review security along the country’s growing network of travel itineraries. It comes a week after Uzbekistan emerged as the safest country across the CIS region.

The Interior Ministry’s department in charge of public safety and the Tourism Committee discussed the proposal at a meeting in Tashkent earlier this week. The potential target audience for the service included foreign holidaymakers, business travellers and official delegations.

The service would include pre-journey risk assessment, arranging protection along the route and responding...

Google’s Pixel 11 series can run demanding Android games, but its Tensor G6 chip remains well behind competing flagship processors in graphics performance, according to tests by Android Authority and other technology reviewers.

Android Authority tested the Pixel 11 Pro XL with Call of Duty: Mobile, Asphalt Legends and Genshin Impact. Call of Duty stayed comfortably above 60 frames per second, although it could not consistently reach the selected 90 fps limit. Asphalt Legends and Genshin Impact remained playable but failed to hold 60 fps at high graphics settings.

The results also showed little improvement...

BRICS finance chiefs have renewed demands for greater influence at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, seeking changes to voting power and how their leaders are chosen.

A joint statement by BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors, released on Friday, sought stronger representation for developing economies and transparent, merit-based leadership appointments.

The BRICS finance executives believed that the “quota realignment should reflect countries’ relative positions in the global economy, increase the quota and voting shares of [Emerging Markets and Developing Economies] and should not come at the...

A Chinese court has ordered an AI service provider to pay 750,000 yuan ($112,000) to developer miHoYo for copying character voices from Genshin Impact video game.

The Pudong New Area People’s Court in Shanghai ruled against the undisclosed AI firm after it sold voice conversion packs allowing users to sound like 63 different characters from the popular title, Chinese media outlet The Paper reported.

According to legal filings, the company also used official game illustrations and animations to market its voice-changing software. Users were allowed to preview the character dialogue, and modified...

Central Asian countries accounted for over 257 million records attributed to the CIS, according to a fresh report by Russian cybersecurity company F6 covering database leaks that occurred in 2025 and the first half of 2026.

The figure represented 33.7% of all leaked records observed by the company globally. F6 classified Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan under the CIS region in its Global Threat Landscape 2025–2026 report.

Those three countries made up the entire regional breakdown presented by the company, but the report fails to explain why other CIS countries, including Russia, are absent from...

South Korea will host its first summit with Central Asia’s five leaders next week, seeking more reliable mineral supplies and new business opportunities across the region.

The meeting takes place in Seoul on 16 September. President Lee Jae Myung will host the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, with energy, critical minerals, investment and supply chains at the top of the agenda, Yonhap reported.

Uzbekistan will hold bilateral talks with Lee on the afternoon of 14 September. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan follow on 15 September, with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan meeting him the following morning.

A business summit will...

A wave of Reddit posts and YouTube videos about quitting Hoyoverse‘s Honkai: Star Rail has put long-running complaints over power creep, endgame design and story presentation back at the centre of the game’s community debate.

The discussion does not establish that Star Rail is facing a measurable player exodus. The sources reviewed offer no player-count data. What they do show is a recurring concern from active and former players: the game can demand continued investment while giving some of them fewer reasons to log in.

YouTuber Pixel Tree, who said he had not played Star Rail...

The US president Donald Trump has declined Saudi Arabia’s request for American strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, Axios reported. Previously, the militant movement had captured a port town overlooking the strategic Bab-el-Mandab strait.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the US president twice on Thursday as the Iran-backed group advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, according to the report, which cited two US officials.

Washington is increasing support for Riyadh while seeking to avoid another military front. US officials have told their Saudi counterparts that American forces should remain focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz...

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has unveiled Uzbekistan’s first C-390 Millennium transport aircraft, advancing its first sale of the type to Central Asia. Behind the new air force colours lies a two-aircraft purchase whose trail stretches back more than two years.

Embraer has on Friday published photographs showing the aircraft with Uzbekistan’s flag and «UZ AIR FORCE» signs and roundel. Its announcement confirms the unveiling but does not establish that the jet has been delivered or entered service.

Embraer announced a contract for two C-390s on 27 December 2024, withholding the customer’s identity. The package included training, support and...

An aircraft passing over New York Harbour created an unexpected optical illusion on Wednesday evening, appearing to fly directly through a giant drone formation of the World Trade Center during a memorial event.

The plane appeared to hit one of the glowing towers as it crossed behind the illuminated skyline outline, according to spectator footage shared on social media. Due to its striking resemblance to the commemorated events, the unexpected visual moment sparked online commentary.

Event organisers clarified that there was no indication the aircraft was part of the show or had deliberately entered the drone...

K-pop group Stray Kids have released a new single titled “November 11th” in collaboration with confectionery maker Lotte Wellfood.

The track celebrates Pepero Day, a South Korean cultural event observed annually on November 11. The date is written numerically as 11.11, reflecting the shape of the chocolate-coated biscuit sticks. Customarily, people exchange the treats with friends, family and romantic partners.

Stray Kids member Han co-wrote the music and lyrics for the release. The single serves as the centrepiece of a worldwide marketing push by Lotte Wellfood, which has kept the eight-piece boy band as its global...

A heated debate emerged online about whether Apple’s first foldable iPhone Duo looks awkward against the caller’s ear. Some web dwellers have a more pressing question: why are you answering calls at all?

The Duo was the highlight of Apple’s September presentation, introducing a folding screen to a line-up of familiar handsets, watches and earbuds. But once the excitement over Apple’s first foldable settled, an X thread turned to the less glamorous business of holding it against your face. 

Sharing an image depicting the closed handset against someone’s ear, @immasiddx delivered a blunt verdict: «It just looks so weird and...

South Korean pop group BTS will broadcast their upcoming Latin American stadium shows directly to global cinemas this October. The live viewings will stream from their “Arirang” world tour stops in Argentina and Brazil.

Trafalgar Releasing, HYBE and BIGHIT MUSIC announced that the event marks the band’s first live cinema broadcast from the continent. Tickets for the screenings go on sale September 17 at 2 p.m. BST. The project aims to connect international fans who cannot attend the concerts.

Several companies have already launched online pages for the theatrical run ahead...

Thailand’s long-running debate over Israeli visitors has spilt from tourist islands to the streets of Bangkok. Some 200 people demonstrated outside Israel’s embassy on Thursday, turning complaints of misconduct into a wider protest against Israel and its war in Gaza.

Veteran activist Sondhi Limthongkul led the demonstration, accusing some Israeli tourists and residents of causing disturbances, refusing to pay bills and ignoring local customs. Protesters also called for scrutiny of alleged land purchases and Jewish community centres, according to the Bangkok Post. 

Psi Scott Joins Sondhi’s Israeli Embassy Rally

Siranudh «Psi» Scott, a marine...

Former BIGBANG member Seungri is being investigated in South Korea after a man in his 30s filed a complaint alleging that the singer assaulted him at a restaurant in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

The case comes three years after Seungri was released from prison following a conviction for nine offences connected to the Burning Sun scandal.

According to StarNews, the Gangnam Police Station received the complaint on August 26 and is investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident. The report said Seungri and the man were dining together when the alleged assault occurred.

Uzbekistan’s Senate has approved amendments introducing a new version of the Uzbek Latin alphabet, replacing several existing letter combinations with individual characters and setting the stage for a gradual transition across schools, the media and state institutions.

The changes aim to address long-standing problems with typing and processing Uzbek text in digital systems.

The approved version will contain 28 letters and one apostrophe, replacing the current system of 26 letters alongside three letter combinations. The letters O‘, G‘, Sh and Ch will become Ö, Ğ, Ş and Ç, respectively.

The reform follows...

Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan, has been appointed manager of the Tashkent International Financial Centre (TIFC) alongside her current position as the country moves towards launching a new financial hub aimed at attracting international investment.

According to a presidential decree, Mirziyoyeva will serve as secretary-general of the centre’s council, organising its agenda and chairing meetings in the chairman’s absence. She will also coordinate between state institutions and the centre as it prepares for its operational launch.

Beyond coordinating the centre’s agenda, Mirziyoyeva will have other duties. She will represent the...

Following Sony PlayStation‘s unexpected withdrawal from the project earlier this year, Microsoft Xbox has stepped in to acquire the global publishing rights for “Physint”, the upcoming action-espionage title directed by Hideo Kojima.

The Japanese game designer revealed that PlayStation abruptly notified his studio of the cancellation in mid-June. Kojima Productions spent the subsequent three months seeking a new corporate partner to save the spiritual successor to “Metal Gear Solid” before reaching an agreement with Microsoft.

Asha Sharma, chief executive officer of Xbox, confirmed the acquisition on Thursday. This deal deepens the...

Japan’s Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures are contemplating a fee for certain helicopter rescues on Mount Fuji outside the official climbing season, after a series of incidents involving under-prepared hikers. 

Mount Fuji’s climbing season ended on 10 September, but the mountain’s rescue problem does not end with it. Yamanashi and Shizuoka are considering fees for helicopter rescues during the off-season, when official trails are closed and conditions can become significantly more dangerous.

Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki said in May that, after the necessary legislation and preparation, the prefecture wanted to set a direction by autumn and introduce a new system for...