American actress Raven-Symoné was spotted in Cape Town during the filming of the highly anticipated movie 'The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen' in South Africa. The actress, singer, and producer was relaxing at a local restaurant with Nigerian-American documentary award winner, television producer, and activist Nneka Onuor.
Nneka Onuor shared a video on Instagram featuring both of them enjoying the winter sun, with Symoné drinking a smoothie and observing the relaxed atmosphere. Onuor captioned the post, noting: 'I love spending time with my person from the beginning in South Africa @ravensymone… some friends feel like home.'
Symoné looked just as relaxed in the Mother City, and fans were happy to see the Disney star enjoying her time in Mzansi. The actress recently confirmed via Instagram that production on 'The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen' has officially begun. Sharing a behind-the-scenes shot, she wrote: 'POV: heading to the set of The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen.' She then added another exciting message: 'This is happening, and it is CHEETAHLISHIOUS.'
The upcoming Disney film introduces viewers to four new friends whose unbreakable sisterly bond and shared passion for music form the basis of the plot. Raven-Symoné will return in her beloved role of Galleria and will also serve as an executive producer on the project.
Fans of the franchise can also expect the return of several familiar actors. Adrienne Bailon will reprise her role as Chanel and join the production as a co-producer, while Sabrina Bryan will appear in a special role as Dorinda. Bailon and Bryan participated in all three original 'Cheetah Girls' films, including 'The Cheetah Girls: One World.' Lynn Whitfield will also return as Galleria's mother, Dorothea, and Lori Alter will once again play Chanel's mother, Juanita. Since filming is taking place in South Africa and many actors from the original cast are returning, 'The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen' is already generating excitement among Disney fans awaiting the next chapter of their favorite franchise.
The Unicode consortium plans to release the Emoji 18.0 update in the coming months, covering mobile and computer keyboards globally. This new package not only expands users' visual communication options but also standardizes old icons that caused interpretation discrepancies between different operating systems.
Version 18.0 introduces six new figures. Among them are the 'Cracked Smiling Face,' used to express chaotic situations while maintaining digital composure; the 'Lighthouse,' symbolizing direction and light; and the 'Eraser,' representing starting something from scratch. Furthermore, the gesture tab will receive thumbs pointing right and left, useful for side emphasis in conversations, and the 'Net with Handle,' which represents collecting or capturing something.
In addition to additions, the update focuses on resolving design fragmentation issues. Jennifer Daniel, president of the Unicode emoji subcommittee, mentioned that different systems drew the same code in distinct ways, which will be corrected. For example, the 'Comet' will be displayed uniformly as a blue ice trail across all platforms. The representation of 'rock on fire' will gain an official code as 'Meteor.'
In the food category, the 'Cucumber' will maintain its vegetable classification across all devices, while the 'Pickle' will receive a dedicated code, serving both to identify the food and to indicate being in trouble (reference to the expression 'in a pickle'). The 'Butterfly' was also revised: previously, it appeared as a blue species (Morpho) or orange (Monarch) depending on the device. Now, the Monarch has its own emoji, carrying a meaning related to resilience and resistance.
As part of the 'Independence Festival,' held to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the state sovereignty of the Republic of Uzbekistan, another cultural and educational event took place in the city of Kitob in the Kashkadarya region.
The festival was organized with the participation of the Regional Administration, the Center for Spirituality and Enlightenment of the Republic, and the International Innovation University. It was held in the recreation park in the center of the district and attracted wide public participation. The festival featured exhibitions of national handicrafts and creative works by young talents. Various cultural and educational projects, fun programs, and interesting events were also held for residents.
In the evening, a concert program featuring renowned artists took place, giving bright impressions to those gathered. Folk songs praising the Motherland, energetic performances, and a festive atmosphere left an unforgettable mark on the residents and guests of the district.
Senator Komila Karamova, head of the Regional Branch of the Center for Spirituality and Enlightenment of the Republic, stated that the festival will take place in all cities and districts of the region until July 26. She emphasized that a number of projects aimed at widely promoting the essence and meaning of independence, as well as ensuring opportunities for residents for cultural self-expression, are being implemented during the events.
It was noted that the 'Independence Festival' contributes to strengthening feelings of patriotism, respect for national values, and unity among citizens.
According to the data, 55.7 percent of the total population of Uzbekistan is of working age. The remaining 44.3 percent consists of the population younger and older than working age.
According to preliminary information, as of January 15, 2026, the total permanent population of Uzbekistan reached 39,047,321 people. Of these, 21,739,409 people are of working age (55.7% of the total), 12,515,140 people are younger than working age (32%), and 4,792,772 people are older than working age (12.3%).
The population of Tashkent city has reached 3 million 225 thousand people. Among them, 1 million 901 thousand people, which accounts for 59% of the total population, are of working age.
By region, the largest number of working-age population was recorded in Samarkand region—where 2 million 414 thousand people live, accounting for 54.8% of the region's total population. At the same time, the smallest number of people of working age was noted in Sirin district, where there are 538 thousand such citizens, corresponding to 56.35% of the region's population.
The share of the working-age population relative to the total number of residents is highest in the city of Tashkent—59%. The lowest indicator of the share of the working-age population is observed in Surkhandarya region, where this indicator is 54.1%.
