News
India and Uzbekistan expand cooperation under a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Economic cooperation was a central focus of the talks, with bilateral trade reaching $1.3 billion in 2025, marking a 33% increase according to the Uzbek government. Both nations set a goal to boost annual trade to $5 billion by 2030, while the number of joint ventures has grown sevenfold in recent years. Currently, India and Uzbekistan have 14 direct flights each week, and four Indian universities operate within Uzbekistan. Leaders emphasized the need for expanded industrial and commercial links. An agreement was reached to establish a foreign ministers-level mechanism aimed at coordinating the implementation of bilateral accords. Additionally, plans are underway for a joint working group to address non-tariff barriers and investment obstacles. Officials will explore further steps after completing a feasibility study for an India-Uzbekistan Preferential Trade Agreement. The leaders prioritized sectors such as energy, electrical engineering, metallurgy, critical minerals, and agriculture, while also highlighting healthcare, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, mechanical engineering, and jewelry during economic discussions. Cooperation expanded across vital sectors through new agreements During the state visit, India and Uzbekistan signed 11 agreements, memoranda, and related arrangements covering culture, higher education, scientific research, environmental protection, traditional medicine, tourism, geology, and mineral resources. The package also facilitates cooperation on archival projects and promotes economic and financial dialogue. An agreement linking Gujarat state with Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region
Business
Indonesia expands sports investment coordination through a new business licensing framework. This agreement unites the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on licensing matters, also encompassing investment promotion and support services for companies involved in sports sectors. The ministries will work together via Indonesia’s Online Single Submission system, known as OSS, with their collaboration including compliance oversight, regulatory coordination, and data sharing. The framework targets the development of investments across Indonesia’s sports industry rather than setting a domestic industry valuation of US$521 billion. Thohir mentioned that the global sports industry is valued at about US$521 billion, roughly equivalent to 8,000 trillion rupiah, with an annual growth rate of approximately 8%. He clarified that this figure does not include sport tourism, which he estimated at nearly US$600 billion worldwide. Indonesian officials have identified both sports and sport tourism as vital sectors linked to events, travel, and supporting businesses, and the agreement offers an administrative structure for investment activities in these areas.
Travel
South Korea welcomed over 2 million international visitors in July 2026, with inbound travel remaining above pre-pandemic figures. The Korea Tourism Organization reported a total of 2,093,223 foreign arrivals for the month, reflecting a 20.8% increase from 1,733,199 in July 2025. This number also represents 144.6% of the July 2019 figure, before the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global travel. Foreign visitor arrivals in South Korea rose 20.8% year on year in July. Compared to July 2024, the total grew by 48.6% from 1,408,499 foreign visitors, with notable gains across South Korea’s main inbound markets. China continued to be the largest source, with approximately 777,000 travelers, followed by visitors from Japan, Taiwan, the United States, and Hong Kong. Japan contributed around 330,000 visitors, and Taiwan accounted for about 261,000. The United States sent roughly 150,000 travelers, while Hong Kong’s arrivals totaled approximately 76,000. Each of these five markets surpassed its July 2019 numbers, with Chinese arrivals increasing by 49.6%, Japanese by 20.2%, and Taiwan recording the largest percentage growth at 129.4% from its 2019 level.
Sports
Spain sent Portugal out of the FIFA World Cup with a late 1-0 win, ending Ronaldo’s sixth tournament and long pursuit of the title.
Norway reached the FIFA World Cup last eight after a 2-1 win over Brazil, with Haaland scoring twice and Neymar netting late.
Australia exited the FIFA World Cup 2026 after Egypt won 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 Round of 32 draw in Arlington at Dallas Stadium.
Spain kept a clean sheet and advanced from the World Cup Round of 32 after goals by Oyarzabal and Porro ended Austria’s run in Los Angeles.
Mexico reached the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador, keeping its unbeaten run and clean-sheet record intact.
Brazil booked a Round of 16 place at World Cup 2026 after Casemiro and Martinelli erased Japan’s first-half lead in Houston from the Round of 32.
Portugal moved to four points in Group K after a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, whose first World Cup campaign remained difficult.
Norway’s 3-2 victory over Senegal put Haaland on four World Cup 2026 goals and sent the team into the Round of 32 from Group I after two wins.
Health
DR Congo launches Ebola vaccination campaign using Ervebo doses across six eastern provinces. Official epidemiological data indicates that the ongoing outbreak has spread across six eastern provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uele, and Bas-Uele. Public health figures published by the Ministry of Public Health and Prevention show that the country has recorded 5,713 confirmed cases and 2,744 deaths. The current overall case fatality rate among confirmed patients stands at approximately 48%. International health agencies, including the World Health Organization, are supporting local medical teams with logistics, laboratory testing, and vaccine distribution due to the public health emergency. Authorities are administering the Ervebo vaccine under a compassionate-use framework while observational data on its effectiveness against the circulating viral strain are being collected by medical researchers. DR Congo has launched an Ebola vaccination drive as health workers intensify ring-vaccination strategies around identified infection clusters to contain viral transmission chains. DR Congo Initiates Vaccination Drive in Infected Eastern Regions Operational challenges, including complex regional infrastructure, ongoing security issues, and high population mobility across border districts, are impacting logistical efforts. Cold-chain supply networks have been established in Kisangani to maintain the ultra-low temperatures needed for vaccine storage prior to distribution to outlying health zones. DR Congo launches Ebola vaccination campaign while civil defense and community health workers conduct educational outreach to improve disease surveillance and reporting. Epidemiologists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are working
Technology
UN child safety push targets AI, disinformation and harmful online platform practices. Ahead of International Youth Day on Aug. 12, the Department of Global Communications published the report, noting that over 82% of individuals aged 15 to 24 are internet users globally. This access facilitates learning, civic engagement, and economic participation. Nevertheless, harmful online environments pose risks to the cognitive, emotional, and social growth of younger users, and the report underscores that children and adolescents are still developing the skills needed to critically evaluate online information.