Uzbek-Korea Economic Push: Uzbekistan’s Deputy PM Jamshid Khodjayev met South Korean counterparts at a business roundtable in Seoul, urging deeper Korean investment and government support as trade rose 13% in the first half; both sides flagged critical minerals, AI, manufacturing and infrastructure ahead of the Sept. 16-17 Korea-Central Asia summit. Aviation Connectivity: Etihad Airways launched a sold-out daily Abu Dhabi–Tashkent route, with a codeshare enabling onward travel across Uzbekistan, tightening UAE–Uzbek business and tourism links. Critical Minerals Industrialization: Uzbekistan is positioning critical minerals for deeper processing, with new investment projects and calls to attract technology and expertise for copper and rare earth value chains. Regional Transport & Trade: CargoPoint opened an Almaty office to manage Kazakhstan-routed China–Europe Truck+Air freight, aiming to cut transit by at least two days and add route resilience alongside its Tashkent operation. EU Migration Policy Watch: EU member states began talks with Rwanda on migrant return hubs, with Italy and others also floating partnerships that include Uzbekistan. Security & War Spillover: Ukraine reported a drone strike on Russia’s Tatarstan oil refinery that killed at least 13, with Uzbek citizens among the dead, prompting renewed attention to risks for Central Asians abroad. Sports in Tashkent: Uzbekistan-based Asian Youth and Junior weightlifting saw major medal hauls, including Jhodie Peralta’s five-medal performance for the Philippines.