Ethnography & Heritage: An international “Great Altai: Turkic Heritage 2026” expedition (Aug 10–19) studied Central Asian traditions across about 2,000 km, with researchers from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan documenting rituals, folk games, crafts, food and beliefs among the Kumandins, Chelkans, Tubalars and Altaians. Diplomacy & Culture in Action: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told UzA that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are “natural” partners on East–West routes, linking transport/logistics plans with the Middle Corridor and OTS cooperation, framing the Turkic bloc as a carrier of shared history, culture and spiritual values. Defense, Ideology & Arts: In Tashkent, the Azerbaijani and Uzbek defense ministries exchanged experience on ideological work and psychological services, highlighting patriotism-building through joint cultural events, concerts and music festivals. Craft & Identity: Uzbek jeweler Zokir Negmatov shared how Bukharan jewelry making is preserved—skills passed master-to-apprentice—plus the role of Bukhara’s historic Toqi Zargaron dome in keeping the craft alive. Women’s Football: Ghana’s Black Queens were drawn to face Ecuador, Uzbekistan and Papua New Guinea in the 2027 Women’s World Cup play-off preliminary phase (Nov 24–Dec 5), with top teams advancing toward Brazil 2027. Sports Spotlight: Banaat FC (UAE) thrashed Master FC (Laos) 9–0 in Qarshi, Uzbekistan, in the AFC Women’s Champions League preliminaries. Islamic Tourism & Scholarship: Azerbaijani journalists toured the Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex near Samarkand, focusing on its Islamic scholarly heritage, museum and visitor capacity.