Uzbekistan–UAE Diplomacy: Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of Uzbekistan’s presidential administration, met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi, discussing ways to deepen cooperation across development priorities. Regional Security & Arms Control: Ukraine suspended a 1996 CFE flank-zone document that set separate limits for Odesa, tightening the legal framework around conventional weapons deployments. Central Asia’s External Pivot: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Samarkand in mid-October for C5+1 talks, backed by a delegation of 100+ American firms—signaling Washington’s push to link diplomacy with investment in energy, transport, critical minerals, and private sector modernization. Sports Governance & Integrity: Uzbekistan’s Asian Games MMA bronze medallist Nodirbek Shavkatov was provisionally suspended after a meldonium positive test; the ITA says he can challenge the suspension and request B-sample analysis. Tech & Finance: India’s UPI was cited as the world’s largest retail fast-payment system by volume, as India weighs merchant charges to sustain the model long-term. International Business: Hyundai Rotem says it is accelerating overseas rail expansion on AI, advanced rail tech, and hydrogen, with Uzbekistan highlighted as a key early market.