Ruslan Gainullin
Корреспондент
Brief.uz author covering events in Uzbekistan and around the world.
Latest stories
Cobalt becomes Uzbekistan’s most popular taxi car with a 27% share
Passengers took 329 million rides through 242 aggregators between January and August.
Uzbekistan residents can visit 114 museums free until September 8
Open days are being held at institutions overseen by the Cultural Heritage Agency.
Uzbekistan registers two response levels for nuclear plant emergencies
The emergency-state threshold starts at 600 µSv per hour inside plant buildings.
Magnus Carlsen to miss the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand
Norway has dropped to 21st in the starting rankings without three leading grandmasters.
Uzbekneftegaz tightens oversight of three joint ventures
A review found declining production, weak financial transparency and incomplete fulfilment of dividend obligations.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev orders jobs for 39,000 Khorezm residents
The region also plans to lift 81,000 people out of poverty by the end of the year.
Kaspersky finds botnet malware in DoFun Android car head units
The malware also displayed ads and downloaded additional malicious code.
Central Bank: only 4% of Uzbek adults have savings accounts
While 86% of adults have a standard bank account, dedicated savings products are far less common.
Tashkent revises design-code rollout after complaints from businesses
A total of 509 businesses have changed their façades and another 2,627 are finishing the work. Remaining cases will be reviewed individually.
LDPR proposes ending state-funded places for foreign students
The initiative would also give Russian students priority for university accommodation.
Uzbekistan Railways prepares a new tariff-setting methodology
The document is expected to be submitted for approval in the near term
Javokhir Sindarov shares third place at Sinquefield Cup
The Uzbek grandmaster scored 5 points and earned $58,125. Wesley So won the tournament.
Uzbekistan sets education start dates for September 2, 7 and 14
Lyceums and technical schools will begin first, while university students will start according to their year of study.
Nearly 2m Uzbek citizens visited Kyrgyzstan in seven months
A total of 4.4 million citizens travelled abroad for tourism in January–July 2026.
Central Bank cuts August 20 US dollar rate to 11,794.88 soum
The euro rose to 13,685.60 soum, while the Russian ruble fell to 138.67 soum.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev says Khorezm expects 3 million foreign tourists
A total of 331 hotels and guesthouses can accommodate 7,000 visitors at the same time.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev orders export ambassador network in 25 countries
Leading exporters will choose the representatives, whose travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev cuts business electricity and gas advances to 15%
The relief will apply to companies using automated metering that have maintained payment discipline.
NASA and ESA astronauts begin spacewalk to replace ISS antenna
The work is expected to last about six and a half hours and is Sophie Adenot’s first spacewalk.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev announces simpler business permits
Applications will be resolved in favour of entrepreneurs if authorities miss the response deadline.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev allocates at least $100m for AI at 10,000 enterprises
The government will cover half the cost of adopting AI and give businesses free access to a supercomputer.
Central bank: 82% of Tashkent companies expect economic improvement
Business capacity use rose from 43% to 61%, although companies reported more disruption to energy supplies.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviews plan for 12.3-hectare tourist town in Khiva
The complex will include hotels, a museum, restaurants and green spaces, with the project expected to create thousands of jobs.
Liaoning Normal University opens branch campus in Khiva
The institution will train specialists in artificial intelligence, tourism, business and Chinese language studies.
Urgench airport to handle up to 1,300 passengers an hour after reconstruction
The $264 million modernization project is being implemented with South Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corporation.
Iran and Oman agree cargo route through Strait of Hormuz
The agreement does not by itself mean that shipping through the strait has resumed.
Molla Nasreddin filmmakers shoot scenes in Uzbekistan
Characters in the film will speak six languages, including Uzbek.
Rufat Riskiyev, Uzbekistan’s first world boxing champion, dies at 76
The Montreal 1976 Olympic silver medallist was also a recipient of Uzbekistan’s Dustlik Order.
Education quality agency proposes career centers for universities from 2027
The centers would help students find internships and jobs, with staffing tied to enrollment.
Uzbekistan requires state bodies to attend court disputes
A preliminary hearing must be held within 20 days of an application being filed.
France’s Constitutional Council blocks social media ban for under-15s
The council ruled that the restriction approved by parliament violated freedom of expression.
UzHydromet says weekend heat will ease by 2–3 degrees in Uzbekistan
Temperatures will reach 37–40°C on Saturday and up to 43°C in southern and desert areas.
Quva Textile plans over $10m investment and more than 300 jobs
A cotton ginning plant and knitwear factory are planned for a former airfield site in Bagdad district.
Uzbekistan's electric vehicle imports rise 2.6-fold to 37,874
The vehicles were worth $447.7 million, with China supplying nearly the entire total.
Robert Koch Institute estimates 12,500 heat-related deaths in Germany
About 9,600 deaths were attributed to one particularly hot week in late June.
X opens For You feed code and adds visibility checks
Users will be able to see aggregate data on labels that affect the visibility of their accounts and posts.
US FTC sends $23.8 million to Grubhub customers and drivers
Payments will reach 640,038 people; checks expire after 90 days and PayPal payments after 30 days.
Uzbekistan pays utility compensation to 562,918 low-income families
Payments in the first half of the year totalled UZS 92.1 billion.
Microsoft raises Windows OEM licence prices by 7–10%
Higher software costs may increase the production cost of new laptops and prebuilt desktop computers.
NEC opens employee-free department staffed by 17 AI agents
Digital managers assign tasks and monitor worker agents, while people retain final authority over key decisions.
Uzbekistan’s education services reach UZS 23.8 trillion in six months
Higher education accounted for 42.4% of the total volume of education services.
Rustam Minnikhanov pledges aid to families of Uzbek victims
The Tatarstan leader offered condolences to Shavkat Mirziyoyev after the 10 August attack on Nizhnekamsk.
Japan launches Michibiki-7 to strengthen navigation network
The QZSS constellation now has six satellites, while at least seven are needed for stable independent operation.
Berlin archives reveal Uzbekistan documents dating from 1865 to 1929
The finds include diplomatic correspondence, reports on Tashkent and Bukhara, and letters by Vali Qayum Khan.
Regional Electric Networks to repair problem transformers by 1 September
The work is being carried out before the autumn-winter season; 40 of 65 facilities in a pilot district have already been restored.
Uzbek banks now sell up to $500 in foreign currency without ID
Previously, foreign currency purchases without identification were limited to $100.
SwRI tests hydrogen truck engine with near-zero tailpipe CO₂
The two-year project produced diesel-like torque and power for medium-duty commercial vehicles.
Ilham Aliyev and Donald Trump discuss Armenia peace and TRIPP project
The leaders noted a year without incidents and expect infrastructure work in Armenia to begin soon.
Capology estimates Abdukodir Khusanov’s salary at £100,000 a week
The Manchester City defender could earn £5.2 million a season excluding bonuses.
Central bank: Uzbekistan’s reserves rise to $64.3 billion
International reserves increased by almost $590 million in July, with gold accounting for most of the total.
Javokhir Sindarov finishes second at Grand Chess Tour event
The Uzbek grandmaster held the runner-up position throughout the tournament and earned $40,000.
Uzbekistan’s ecology committee proposes parks instead of new housing
Housing complexes, shopping centres and offices would be barred from vacated sites.
Uzbekistan receives 21,000 foreign students in six months
Turkmenistan accounted for the largest group, with 9,207 arrivals.
Uzbekistan prices fall 0.1% in July as vegetables become cheaper
Annual inflation held at 6.4%, while monthly prices excluding fruit and vegetables rose 0.4%.
Uzbek citizens’ work trips to Russia fall by 13.2%
Uzbek citizens entered Russia for work more than 1.1 million times in the first half of 2026.
Uzbekistan may supply Kyrgyzstan with up to 20,000 tonnes of fuel a month
Kyrgyzstan is seeking new suppliers amid reduced imports from Russia and developments in the Middle East.
Georgia deports 55 foreigners, including Uzbek citizens
All those removed from the country were barred from re-entering.
Cobalt passenger found with 2.087 kg of opium in Navoi region
The State Security Service said the drug had been smuggled across the border and left in a cache.
Parents will need permission to enter school grounds in Uzbekistan
Education facilities will gradually receive checkpoints, CCTV, security alarms and panic buttons.
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan sign treaty on allied relations
The package includes documents on the border, pensions, citizen travel, education and bilateral cooperation.
MrBeast and Thea Booysen marry on Necker Island
The couple held a private ceremony on Richard Branson’s island.
Nicolás Maduro trial set to begin on 1 June 2027
A New York federal court set the date; Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, is a co-defendant in the case.
Lada Azimut gains additional side-impact sensors
AvtoVAZ tested the crossover in a 32 km/h pole impact and reported that its safety systems deployed.
Patreon to cut 20% of workforce, affecting 93 employees
The company will keep healthcare coverage through year-end and provide at least 16 weeks of severance pay.
Hajime Moriyasu to remain Japan coach through the Asian Cup
Go Oiwa will take over after the tournament, starting with Japan’s March 2027 fixtures.
Starlink to connect 10,635 hard-to-reach sites in Louisiana
Satellite broadband will reach more than 50 parishes where laying fibre is too difficult or expensive.
Nearly 4,000-year-old evidence of sericulture found in Uzbekistan
The Sapalli Tepe cocoons date to 1940–1765 BCE, nearly two millennia earlier than previously documented evidence.
Tottenham name tour squad as four players stay behind for rehabilitation
The team will play three matches in New Zealand and Australia from July 26 to August 1.
Autogyro strikes two tourists during fall in China
The injured visitors were in stable condition, and the tourist site temporarily closed.
Hawaiian Airlines to begin replacing Boeing 717s with 737-800s in 2028
The new aircraft will offer more premium seats, Starlink Wi‑Fi and larger overhead bins.
Al-Nassr lose to Benfica B in first match under Postecoglou
The 60-minute friendly ended 2–1, with Abdulmalik Al-Jaber scoring the Saudi club’s only goal.
TrendForce forecasts a 4–5% NAND supply deficit in 2026
Supply constraints may begin to ease gradually in the second half of 2027.
Borno health ministry reports 198 deaths amid cholera outbreak in Nigeria
More than 35,500 suspected cholera cases had been reported in the state as of July 12.
Etched raises $300m and doubles valuation to $10.3bn
The startup has booked $1 billion in orders, but its server racks have not yet entered mass production.
35,401 foreigners travelled to Uzbekistan for medical treatment
Citizens of Tajikistan accounted for about 54% of the total.