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The Uzbekistan national football team has dropped from 50th to 60th place in the live FIFA rankings following their elimination from the World Cup.

According to the latest data from the international governing body, the team lost approximately 49 points during the tournament. This leaves their current provisional total at 1409.73 points.

Uzbekistan now sit directly below Qatar, who occupy 59th place with 1411.07 points. Bosnia and Herzegovina sit just beneath the Central Asian nation in 61st position with a total of 1408.93 points. At the opposite ends of the global standings, world champions Argentina retain the top spot...

The entertainment world is abuzz with fresh speculation regarding the highly anticipated casting of the Dark Knight for James Gunn‘s revamped DC Universe (DCU). According to multiple industry scoopers and insider sources, the iconic role of Batman may have already been filled by a rather unexpected candidate.

The speculation was ignited by film commentator John Campea, who recently stated on his show that he believes the new DCU Batman has been officially cast. Campea revealed that several distinct sources had pointed him towards the same individual.

“I’m not going to say it right now, but I...

The group stage of the FIFA World Cup has finished. The results confirm the 32 national teams progressing to the knockout phase and those eliminated from the tournament.

The teams progressing are divided into group winners, runners-up and the highest-performing third-placed teams.

Group winners:

Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Argentina, Colombia and England.

Group runners-up:

South Africa, Canada, Morocco, Australia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Egypt, Cape Verde, Norway, Austria, Portugal and Croatia.

Note: Canada secured their progression following a 1-0 victory over South Africa on Monday June 29.

Best third-placed teams:

DR Congo, Sweden, Ghana, Ecuador...

South Korean music group BTS will host a large-scale cultural event in the British capital next month. The agency BigHit Music confirmed on Monday that the project will run alongside the band’s upcoming stadium performances.

The initiative is officially titled “BTS The City Arirang London”. It is scheduled to take place during the group’s Arirang world tour concerts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on July 6 and 7.

Scheduled activities

The promotional events will begin on the first day of the concert series. Planned activations across the capital include:

The global economy is grappling with an extended period of overlapping shocks that require financial regulators to completely rebuild their analytical models and planning strategies. This was the stark warning delivered by Timur Ishmetov, Governor of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, during his opening address at the international Monetary Policy Dialogue 2026 forum in Tashkent on June 29.

Providing context to the current global financial climate, Ishmetov noted that the years following the onset of the pandemic have severely disrupted traditional understandings of inflation. Rather than experiencing isolated economic shocks, the world is currently navigating a complex web of intertwined...

Pakistan initiated airstrikes and deployed ground troops into Afghan provinces situated along their shared western border on Sunday.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan stated the strikes hit civilian residences in the Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces. Officials informed media outlets that at least 100 individuals were killed or injured in the military action. According to the Taliban, casualties were highest in the Paktika village of Mandikhel. The Afghan administration officially condemned the cross-border operation.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reported that 29 militants died when their hideouts were targeted. He described the operation as a direct response to recent...

BTS member Suga invested in Elon Musk‘s aerospace company SpaceX prior to its initial public offering on June 12. This information comes from a report published on Monday by the South Korean news organisation Edaily.

According to unnamed investment banking sources cited by the publication, the musician made the investment via the South Korean venture capital firm Link Asset Partners. The transaction took place before 2022 but the exact financial amount has not been disclosed.

SpaceX held its Nasdaq debut on June 12 in what was recorded as the largest IPO in United States history. Following this event, the...

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has stated on social media that Robert Lewandowski will transfer to Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.

The 37-year-old forward visited the club and the city of Chicago two weeks ago before accepting the proposal. He is expected to sign his contract early next week.

Lewandowski joins Chicago Fire after a four-year period with Barcelona. Reports indicate he has agreed to a two-year contract until 2028 with an option to extend for an additional year. His base salary is expected to be $17 mln per year. This figure makes him the second-highest earner in the MLS...

Türkiye has renewed its offer to host peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, saying it is ready to provide a platform for both sides to resume dialogue as diplomatic efforts remain stalled.

Speaking during a visit to Canada, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara wants the war to end through negotiations based on international law. He noted that fighting has intensified while diplomatic initiatives have reached a standstill, making a return to talks increasingly urgent.

Fidan said Turkey had already informed both Kyiv and Moscow that it was prepared to bring their delegations together once again, building...

Rapper Vanilla Ice defended his decision to perform at the Trump-backed Freedom 250 celebrations, saying music should bring people together rather than divide them. Hours later, his scheduled concert in Washington, D.C., was cancelled because of severe weather.

The “Ice Ice Baby” star said he would perform for audiences regardless of politics, insisting he was focused on entertaining fans rather than making a political statement. Vanilla Ice was one of the few artists who remained on the Freedom 250 line-up after several performers withdrew over the event’s links to President Donald Trump.

Organisers called off Friday’s performance after...

France is considering reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso officially cut diplomatic relations with its former colonial ruler, marking a new low in relations between the two countries.

The government in Ouagadougou announced the decision on 26 June, accusing France of interference in its internal affairs and alleging support for “subversive networks” and “terrorists”, claims Paris has repeatedly denied.

In response, the French Foreign Ministry said it regretted what it described as a “hostile and unfounded” decision and confirmed that possible countermeasures are under review. France has also urged its citizens in Burkina Faso to remain vigilant amid the...

Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro described the FIFA World Cup as “brutal” after his side’s historic debut ended with a 3-1 defeat to DR Congo, bringing the White Wolves’ tournament to a close.

The 2006 World Cup-winning captain with Italy defended his players despite Uzbekistan finishing Group K with three defeats. Cannavaro said the squad had given everything and stressed that no one was more disappointed than the players themselves.

“I will never complain about my players,” the Italian coach said after the match. “They suffer more than anyone in Uzbekistan.”

Cannavaro also...

Uzbekistan’s historic FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end after a 3-1 defeat to DR Congo in their final Group K match, despite taking the lead through captain Eldor Shomurodov. The African side produced a strong second-half comeback to book a place in the Round of 32.

Making their first-ever World Cup appearance, the White Wolves showed resilience throughout the tournament but struggled against more experienced opposition. Defeats to Colombia, Portugal and DR Congo ultimately left Fabio Cannavaro’s side without a point, ending their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Although the result was disappointing, Uzbekistan’s qualification for...

Uzbekistan’s first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2026 is more than a sporting milestone. For many fans, it is also a moment tied to memory, loss and the long road travelled by Uzbek football since one of the darkest days in its history.

On 11 August 1979, a plane carrying members of Pakhtakor Tashkent collided with another aircraft over Soviet Ukraine. Seventeen players and staff from the club were among those killed. The disaster shocked Uzbek football and left a wound that has never fully disappeared.

Pakhtakor was not just a football club. During the Soviet era, it...

DR Congo produced a stunning second-half comeback to beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and secure a historic place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32, where the Leopards will face England.

Uzbekistan made the perfect start in Atlanta as captain Eldor Shomurodov found the net in the 10th minute after an earlier effort had been ruled out for offside. The Central Asian side held their lead until the break and looked on course for a memorable result.

However, DR Congo turned the match around after half-time. Yoane Wissa levelled from the penalty spot before substitute Fiston Mayele fired...

George Russell delivered a flawless performance to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday. Converting his pole position into a victory, the Mercedes driver claimed his first win since March as he held off a late charge from Max Verstappen and his own team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

The race started under scorching conditions at the Red Bull Ring, with track temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius. Russell got away cleanly to maintain his lead through Turn 1, setting the tempo for a race defined by intense tyre management, strategic gambles and thrilling on-track battles.

Russell retains his lead!

Here...

Fans of House of the Dragon won’t have to wait much longer for the next chapter of HBO’s hit fantasy series. Season 3, Episode 2 premieres on Sunday, 28 June, at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max in the US. UK viewers will be able to watch the episode from 2:00 a.m. BST on Monday, 29 June, via Sky Atlantic and NOW.

The new episode follows a dramatic season premiere that featured the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, a major turning point in the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Episode 2 is expected...

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said his government will oppose any new NATO plans requiring Slovakia to contribute military loans or additional financial support for Ukraine at the alliance’s upcoming summit.

Speaking ahead of the July NATO meeting in Ankara, Fico said he intends to ensure the Slovak delegation has no mandate to approve further military financing for Kyiv. He argued that Slovakia should not become involved in expanding military commitments and instead called for greater emphasis on diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Fico also warned that growing military involvement could increase security risks for NATO...

A British TikTok influencer has been charged with premeditated murder in Dubai and could face the death penalty if convicted, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai and UK officials.

Brooke George, 23, from Kent, is accused of fatally stabbing a 26-year-old British man during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. George maintains that she acted in self-defence after allegedly being subjected to repeated physical abuse by the man, whom she had met online.

The advocacy group assisting her claims George was arrested with visible injuries and has faced difficulties accessing legal representation and consular support. The...

Telegram is currently testing a brand new feature that allows users to merge several thematic group chats into single unified communities. This upcoming development was recently highlighted by the dedicated update channel Beta Info.

The new organisational tool is presently accessible exclusively on the test server for the Telegram Android 12.9 beta version.

Customisation and privacy

Under the proposed system group owners will have the freedom to create entirely new communities or seamlessly attach their chats to existing ones. Administrators can further personalise these spaces by selecting a unique name and assigning a profile picture.

Once inside a...

The United States has committed to withholding any additional tariffs on goods originating from Uzbekistan. The trade development was recently announced by Azizbek Urunov who serves as the Uzbek presidential representative for the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Sharing the update via his official LinkedIn page Urunov explained the reciprocal nature of the newly discussed terms. He outlined that the Uzbek government plans to introduce a highly preferential tariff regime covering a broad spectrum of American products. In return Washington has guaranteed it will not levy any mutual tariffs on Uzbek exports beyond the standard rates already mandated by...

Starting on July 1 the international visa processing firm TLScontact will launch a significantly updated appointment booking mechanism for short-stay French tourist visas in Tashkent. The new digital system is designed to completely eliminate the need for applicants to manually search for available dates by transitioning to a fair automated queue.

TLScontact is a major commercial partner that manages the administrative and biometric aspects of visa applications for various government clients worldwide. By operating over 140 application centres globally the company allows embassies to focus solely on their core decision-making roles. However the high global demand for European travel has...

Uzbekistan wrapped up its first major medical programme implemented under a landmark asset return agreement with Switzerland. The bilateral deal involves the repatriation of illegally acquired assets back to the Central Asian republic to fund vital social initiatives.

Launched in September 2023 the project was specifically designed to combat and reduce maternal and infant mortality rates across the country.

The initiative received $43.5 mln in financial backing which was channelled through the Ishonch foundation. Over the course of the programme 231 perinatal centres nationwide were equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology.

Hospitals and clinics were upgraded with critical hardware including...

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are set to make crossing their shared state border easier. Deputies in the Majilis have approved the ratification of amendments to the bilateral agreement that regulates the operation of border checkpoints, 24KZ reports.

Once the newly approved amendments come into force several existing road checkpoints will be officially elevated to international status. These designated facilities will transition to round-the-clock operations. Previously travellers and freight operators were restricted to crossing the border through these specific points only during limited operational hours.

Nurlan Sauranbayev, the Minister of Transport, highlighted the wide-ranging benefits of the border upgrade. He stated...