A heavy storm of rain and hail resulted in the interruption and subsequent cancellation of the Bad Bunny concert held at the Ippodromo SNAI La Maura in Milan on Saturday, July 18th.
Around 80,000 people had traveled to the venue to watch the artist's second and final show in the Italian city. Due to adverse weather conditions, which included thunderstorms and hail, the show had to be interrupted and the venue was safely evacuated.
Live Nation Italia, responsible for promoting the event, released a statement on social media explaining the situation. The promoter informed that despite all efforts to reschedule the event, this was not possible. Attendees were regretfully informed that the concert was definitively canceled.
The company emphasized that everyone's safety is its top priority and apologized for the occurrence, thanking for patience and cooperation during the evacuation. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the total value of the tickets, including the entrance price and reservation fee, will be fully refunded.
According to information from Corriere della Sera, the city of Milan was hit by the storm shortly after 9 PM local time. Firefighters had to remove people from the Ippodromo, and some spectators were injured, having been hit on the head by pieces of hail, requiring on-site assistance.
The Center for Islamic Civilization of Uzbekistan and the Hong Kong Palace Museum signed an agreement on long-term cooperation. The goal of this partnership is to develop interaction in the museum sector, preserve cultural heritage, and implement joint scientific projects.
The document was signed by the Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization, Firdavs Abdulhalikov, and the Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Louis Ngom, during the visit of the Uzbek delegation to China.
The agreement provides for organizing joint exhibitions, conducting scientific research, interaction in the field of museum management, as well as the restoration and preservation of cultural values. Furthermore, the parties agreed on the exchange of professional experience and talent training.
The participants also agreed on developing expert exchange programs and strengthening ties in the study and popularization of historical heritage. It is noted that this new partnership is another step in the development of cultural diplomacy between Uzbekistan and China. It is expected that the implementation of these joint initiatives will demonstrate the rich historical and spiritual heritage of Central Asia to a wider international audience.
The Popsky District Court found Odilkhon Ismoilov guilty of illegally appropriating a large volume of property, as well as repeated and group forgery of documents.
According to a statement from the Supreme Court press service, Odilkhon Ismoilov, known by the name Odilkhon Kori and founder of the company 'Rayxon oilaviy milliy taomlari', was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The Popsky District Court for Criminal Cases found Odilkhon Ismoilov and six other defendants guilty of crimes related to property appropriation, falsification of official positions, as well as possession and forgery of documents.
The court concluded that the following acts were committed: illegal appropriation or embezzlement of a large amount of property belonging to another person, which was transferred by power of attorney or voluntarily; entering knowingly false information into official documents, forging or manufacturing fake documents; possessing or concealing important documents such as passports, ID cards, as well as stamps, seals, and forms; and repeatedly forging official documents, stamps, or forms in collusion with a group of persons.
The court sentenced Odilkhon Ismoilov to eight years of imprisonment. Taking into account the time he spent in custody, the actual term of the sentence was set at 7 years, 11 months, and 28 days. As for the other six defendants, they were sentenced to prison terms depending on the nature of their criminal actions. Furthermore, the court ordered the defendants to jointly compensate for the material damage caused by the crime.
A large-scale international festival dedicated to the art of photography is currently taking place in Japan. Special attention and interest are being paid to the photography, history, and traditions of Uzbekistan. Professor Tursunali Qoziyev, a scientific consultant to the director of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, commented to the correspondent of 'UzA' on the significance of this prestigious international event and the attention given to Uzbek photographic art in the land of the rising sun.
The current year holds special significance in world cultural history as it marks 200 years since the invention of photographic technology and the formation of the culture and art of photography. Simultaneously, 150 years have passed since the emergence of national photography in Uzbekistan.
Before the invention of the camera, French and German photographers traveled through Samarkand, Tashkent, Kokand, Khiva, and Bukhara, creating the country's first images. Soon after, talented local photographers appeared in Tashkent, Andijan, Samarkand, and other cities. They opened their photo studios, laying the foundation for the national school of photography.
Work to restore the names of these masters continues. However, the historical significance of the great Khivan photographer Khudobergan Devonov is forever immortalized as the founder of Uzbek photography and national cinema.
The author has been preparing a photo anthology titled '125 Years of Uzbek Photography' for a quarter of a century. During the collection of materials, vast historical photo archives and photo collections were discovered that were completely unknown to the general public, surprising even experienced specialists. As a result, a 125-year photo anthology was published, covering the history of the country's photography, albeit in a small print run.
Thanks to the high attention to cultural heritage in New Uzbekistan, new historical photo archives are constantly being discovered. If this rich heritage is scientifically researched and published in the form of a new, supplemented photo anthology, it will become one of the most important discoveries not only for Uzbekistan but for the entire world history of photography.
The Japanese people and state are known for their ability to quickly adopt any promising human discoveries, improve them, and turn them into effective industrial products. Photography is no exception. While Europe was the birthplace of photographic technology, Japan transformed it into a powerful industry.
Of course, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the USA, and Russia have also contributed to the development of the photo industry. Nevertheless, it was Japan that led in perfecting, popularizing, and making photography mass-market and convenient.
Currently, thanks to the intensive development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, ordinary smartphones are capable of performing many functions of expensive and complex cameras. However, this does not diminish the need for the true art of photography, its aesthetics, and its culture. On the contrary, artistic photography as an independent art continues to develop.
A characteristic feature of Japan is the regular monitoring of photographic development. Traditional photo festivals are held annually in museums and galleries in all major cities, starting with Tokyo. Among these, the 'Tokyo Photo Month' festival holds a special place. This annual festival attracts members of the Japanese Imperial Family and thousands of amateur photographers. Each year, one country with a highly developed photographic art is chosen, and its best photographs are exhibited in prestigious museums and galleries in Tokyo.
Uzbekistan received this honor for the first time in 2005, when many exhibition halls in Tokyo were dedicated to Uzbek photography for a month. Twenty years later, in 2026, representatives of Uzbekistan were invited again to this prestigious festival. The organizing committee selected works by 8 famous photographers from Uzbekistan and 5 from Kazakhstan, presenting them to the demanding Japanese public.
The most joyful moment was that the famous photograph 'Parade of Young Tokyo Photographers,' taken in 1959 by Tokyo master V. Mazur, was chosen as the main symbol of this year. It became the main image in the festival's catalogs, posters, and promotional materials. The festival catalog opens with congratulations from several Japanese ministers, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Japan, and the Ambassador of Kazakhstan.
As part of the festival, the first floor of the Khanzamon Museum, located in the center of Tokyo, was entirely dedicated to the history of Uzbek photography. The author had the honor of participating in the opening ceremony of this exhibition along with employees of the country's embassy. Visitors to the photo exhibition were provided with detailed information about the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. The valuable collection of photographs in the museum generated great interest among the Japanese organizers. During the event, the Uzbek photo exhibition presented commemorative gifts from the Center for Islamic Civilization to the Japanese organizers.
Another major photo exhibition is currently being prepared, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence, which will take place in the museum. Selected photographs reflecting the rich material and intangible cultural heritage of New Uzbekistan, its construction potential, and the modern development of the people will be presented there.
Furthermore, photo exhibitions are planned this year in various cities across Japan, dedicated to the glorious Day of Independence of New Uzbekistan. The high respect shown to Uzbek photography in such a developed culture as Japan's is a vivid testament to the growing international prestige not only of our national photo industry but of the entire culture of Uzbekistan.
The organization of this exhibition was made possible through the cooperation and assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, the Fund for the Development of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan, and the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Tokyo.
The connection between Uzbek photographic art and Japan lies in the fact that the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, the largest in the world, is located in Japan. In the scientific work of this museum, five of the most famous points in the 200-year history of photography were identified. One of these points is Uzbekistan, which was noted based on criteria such as: the largest number of images in photographs, the appearance of the first photographers, the greatest involvement of the population in photography, the use of the largest number of cameras, the presence of the largest number of photo studios and circles, and the publication of the largest number of textbooks, books, and albums on photography. Notably, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography recognized Uzbekistan as the most developed country in the Central Asian region in terms of photography.
Thus, the 'Tokyo Photo Month' festival is of immense importance for demonstrating the history, unique stages of development, and contemporary creative processes of Uzbek photography, which is constantly evolving.
