Social-media users were awed by the thrifter’s work on the table, with one saying: “It straight up looks like a magazine photo.”
Day: September 18, 2025
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The nation’s largest group of ABC affiliates, said Kimmel’s on-air remarks about Kirk’s assassination were “inappropriate and deeply insensitive.”
Uzbekistan aims to cut its national poverty rate to 6 percent by the end of 2025, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced at the opening of the third international forum From Poverty to Prosperity in Namangan on September 17.
The forum brought together representatives from more than 30 organizations and approximately 200 experts, including Islamic Development Bank President Muhammad Al-Jasser, Asian Development Bank Vice President Yingming Yang, Japan International Cooperation Agency Senior Vice President Sachiko Imoto, United Nations Special Representative for Central Asia Kaha Imnadze, and World Bank Global Director for Poverty Reduction Luis Felipe López-Calva.
Mirziyoyev warned that the world is entering a period of increasing instability, citing climate change, water scarcity, pandemics, and slowing economic growth. Since 2015, global economic growth has averaged just 3 percent annually, while the number of people living in poverty has risen from 650 million to over 800 million.
In Uzbekistan, poverty reduction has become a national priority. Over the past eight years, government reforms have focused on human rights, employment, and income generation, supported by international institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations. According to official data, 7.5 million people have been lifted out of poverty, bringing the national poverty rate down to 8.9 percent in 2024. “By the end of this year, we aim to reduce it further to 6 percent,” Mirziyoyev said.
Uzbekistan’s economy has doubled in size in recent years, with per capita income projected to reach $3,500 by the end of 2025. Growth has been driven by targeted social programs, mahalla-based community initiatives, and land reforms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 2 million families received social assistance, while the redistribution of 235,000 hectares of farmland provided an additional source of income for 800,000 families.
“Every neighborhood is becoming a hub for business, and every family is seeing the benefits of prosperity,” Mirziyoyev said. He added that Uzbekistan is on track to halve poverty by 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and could eradicate absolute poverty by the end of the decade.
The president also called for a “new financial architecture” to mobilize global resources for sustainable development. He proposed hosting an international conference in Khiva in 2026, with the participation of donor organizations, financial institutions, and partner governments.
“Uplifting human dignity through decent living conditions and poverty reduction lies at the heart of all our reforms,” he concluded.
Sources told the Daily Mail that the comedian is eager to “break his relationship with [the network] forever” after his talk show was suspended indefinitely.
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Valve has announced that it will discontinue support for 32-bit versions of Windows for its Steam application starting January 1, 2026. Future iterations of Steam will operate exclusively on 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, reports 24brussels.
Currently, Windows 10 remains the sole supported 32-bit version, but Microsoft is set to terminate its support next month. While Valve will still support 64-bit versions of Windows 10, users will be able to access 32-bit games through Steam, although installation of the Steam app on a 32-bit operating system will no longer be permitted.
Notably, the existing version of Steam operates as a 32-bit application across all Windows versions. However, Valve cautions that this will change soon. “Future versions of Steam will run on 64-bit versions of Windows only,” the company stated in a support notice, adding that the modification is necessary as essential features in Steam depend on system drivers and libraries incompatible with 32-bit Windows versions.
Despite this significant shift, the impact on Steam users appears minimal. Valve indicates that 32-bit Windows 10 accounts for only 0.01 percent of all systems reported in its Steam Hardware Survey, suggesting that the majority of users will remain unaffected by this transition.
Wetteren – The Roads and Traffic Agency and the municipality of Wetteren have finalized plans to rebuild a 2-kilometer stretch of the N407 and upgrade the Slekkebeek and Bourgondisch Kruis intersections, with construction anticipated to commence following the summer of 2026, reports 24brussels.
According to VRT News, the Roads and Traffic Agency (AW) has completed the designs for the complete reconstruction of Kalkensteenweg and Kapellendries (N407) from the Laarne-Wetteren municipal boundary to Tragelweg in East Flanders, Belgium.
This project faced a three-year delay due to legal proceedings. Spanning approximately 2 kilometers, the redevelopment aims to enhance safety and includes the installation of central medians to regulate traffic, new pedestrian crossings, improved cycle paths, and upgraded bus stops.
How will AW and Wetteren upgrade 2 km of N407 and key intersections?
AW and Wetteren officials will provide comprehensive updates for residents and stakeholders. Public information sessions are planned to detail the construction process, timeline, and anticipated effects on daily traffic. The agency intends to appoint a contractor by summer, facilitating a prompt start after the 2026 construction holiday.
The N407 will undergo a total reconstruction along a 2-kilometer stretch, featuring extensive upgrades at the Slekkebeek intersection. Central islands will be installed to better manage traffic flow, and a short exit lane to Slekkebeek will be introduced.
Plans for the N42, including the Oosterzelesteenweg, are also in early development. While a full reconstruction is not yet scheduled, there is a clear strategy for the section between the on- and off-ramp complex and the Bourgondisch Kruis intersection. Construction will progress once all necessary approvals and funding are secured.
The Bourgondisch Kruis intersection will remain but will undergo a complete redesign, transforming it into a traffic-signal-controlled junction featuring longer lanes and designated bicycle crossings. Traffic lights will also be established at Oude Heerbaan, enhancing safety for cyclists and pairing signals with those at Bourgondisch Kruis to maintain smooth traffic flow.
A two-way cycle path will be introduced on the Mariagaard side. Current traffic lights at Mariagaard and Vantegem in the industrial area will remain, although a new bicycle tunnel will facilitate safer crossings for cyclists and pedestrians. The interchange with the E40 will be retained but will receive a redesign, optimizing the entry and exit ramps to minimize conflict points.
The upgrades to the N407 and N42 roads have been in planning stages for several years. Proposals for the N407 near Kalkensteenweg and Kapellendries were first put forward in 2022; however, progress was hindered by a legal challenge.
Identified for their risk to cyclists and pedestrians, the Slekkebeek and Bourgondisch Kruis intersections have prompted preliminary studies for the N42, including the Oosterzelesteenweg, beginning in 2023 to enhance traffic flow and diminish conflict points near the E40 interchange. With final plans completed in 2025, the region anticipates significant improvements.