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Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a warning on Friday about a magnitude 9.9 earthquake near the Kuril Islands but canceled it eight minutes later, admitting the magnitude had been overstated. According to the USGS, the actual earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9. The agency apologized and said the cause of the error is being investigated, while a cyberattack has been ruled out.
On October 16, 2026, Berlin's Blücherplatz square in the Kreuzberg district was officially renamed Eva-Mamlok-Platz. Eva Mamlok (1918–1944) was a young Jewish anti-fascist from Berlin who took part in underground resistance from her teenage years, was arrested in 1934, and died in the Stutthof concentration camp in December 1944.
On October 7, 2026, an international conference dedicated to the intellectual heritage of Central Asia was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. More than 300 participants discussed the contributions of the region's scholars, the work of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent, the digitization of manuscripts, and international scientific cooperation. The initiative is linked to speeches by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the UN in 2017 and 2025.
Veritas, a startup founded by former Tesla manager Lucy Holland, has released the second version of its anti-counterfeiting chip: it works on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass. The company also announced a partnership with the track and field league ATHLOS and raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding.
At the international AI summit in Dublin, organized by the Irish presidency of the EU Council, the 'Dublin Declaration' and the first AI Act enforcement measures were presented. The EU controls only about 5% of global AI computing capacity versus ~75% for the US. Critics point to risks for workers and the environment, while the head of Ryanair doubts Brussels' ability to regulate the industry.
On October 16, Russian strikes triggered large fires at industrial facilities in Ukraine's Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions. Firefighters battled a blaze at a household goods factory in Odesa and a 500-square-meter fire at a private enterprise in Zaporizhzhia. The attacks came as Zelensky held talks with European leaders.
On the night of October 16, restrictions on receiving and dispatching flights were in effect at four Moscow airports and at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo. Dozens of flights were delayed or canceled, 94 drones were shot down over Moscow and four over Leningrad Oblast. The Atlantic, citing sources, writes that the Ukrainian campaign to disrupt Russian airports is 'only beginning'.
According to Anadolu, eight people were injured, including an American journalist, as a result of Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank. Settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, olive pickers and emergency responders, and also set fire to three civilian vehicles and a Civil Defense vehicle.
Rwanda has confirmed it will host Formula 1 races from the early 2030s — the first time racing returns to Africa since 1993. The circuit will be built in Bugesera near Kigali International Airport. Human rights activists criticize the choice of the country due to Rwanda's role in the conflict in eastern DR Congo, while South Africa says it could host a race earlier.
The Tashkent city khokimiyat announced plans to build 17.9 km of dedicated bus lanes on Mukimi Street, Karatosh and Kukcha Darvoza streets, Parkent Street and Mirzo Ulugbek Avenue. Developing the design documentation will preliminarily require about 6.5 billion soums from the City Development Fund. The khokim's decision has been signed, and designers and contractors will be selected on a competitive basis.
France and Germany, on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, agreed a joint position on the auto industry: a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions from new cars by 2035 without offsetting the remaining 10%, and requirements for European origin of components. The deal was welcomed by Merz, Macron, Volkswagen and the VDA, but to enter into force it needs the support of other EU countries and the European Parliament.
The San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader issued a distress call off the coast of Romania on October 15 after a drone attack: five of the 12 crew members were rescued, seven remain missing. That same night, a fire also broke out aboard the Comoros-flagged tanker Yara J, with no casualties reported. According to Reuters, at least five vessels have been attacked off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past ten days, killing 23 sailors.
According to AFP, researchers and local sources, American businessman Erik Prince and companies linked to him have become key players in the conflict in DR Congo, supporting government forces against M23. Numerous foreign military contractors have been recorded in the country, including Romanians, Ukrainians, Israelis and others. The UN reports a new PMC hub in Kisangani, from which Chinese CH-4 drones are operated.
On the night of October 16, 2026, all four major Moscow airports — Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo — suspended operations for up to seven hours due to a Ukrainian drone attack. St. Petersburg's Pulkovo was closed twice. According to media reports, the campaign to block Russian airports, dubbed 'Operation M&Ms', may only be beginning.
According to the October FIDE rating, Javokhir Sindarov (2782) ranks fourth and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2780) fifth. Magnus Carlsen (2823), Hikaru Nakamura (2792) and Fabiano Caruana (2784) lead. In the live rating, Sindarov has already risen to third place — for the first time in his career and in the history of Uzbek chess.
Speaking at the Delovaya Rossiya forum, Vladimir Putin said Moscow is responding to Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure and the Wildberries and Ozon platforms. Earlier, Novak reported attacks on refineries in the Saratov and Ryazan regions, while Peskov called the strikes on refineries contrary to US peace initiatives.
During a week-long press tour organized with the support of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Pakistan, journalists visited Pakistani defense industry enterprises: Heavy Industries Taxila (tank modernization), NRTC (communications and electronic warfare) and Pakistan Ordnance Factories (ammunition). Pakistan is simultaneously modernizing outdated Soviet-Chinese armored vehicles and developing drones while reducing their production costs. Possible areas of cooperation with Uzbekistan include equipment modernization, technology transfer and
On Saturday, more than 600 demonstrations against the cost of living will take place across France, joined by students, trade unions and the 'yellow vests'. Authorities expect around 200,000 participants, including 40,000 in Paris, and fear violence. Macron called for calm, and police banned marches in the city centre.
