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Residents and visitors to Uzbekistan can now apply for a paid service that allows for expedited border crossing, known as Fast Track, via the Customs Committee’s website, as per a decree from the Uzbek government.

Individuals utilizing this service will undergo inspection in a dedicated area separate from the main line. The cost for this service is set at 15% of the BRV, amounting to 56,250 soums, for each person aged 18 and over.

Furthermore, an electronic queue system is being introduced for motor vehicles. Drivers will have the option to specify a time for passing through the checkpoint...

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov anticipates that China will extend the operating hours of border checkpoints with the Kyrgyz Republic to a 24-hour schedule. He expressed this expectation in an interview with Xinhua.

Zhaparov noted that since March 2024, the Kyrgyz checkpoints Torugart and Irkeshtam have been functioning around the clock.

Before 2024, the checkpoints on the Chinese side were only open for eight hours each weekday. Last year, they operated for 14 hours daily.

The checkpoints on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border are particularly popular with Uzbek carriers, as transit flows from China to Uzbekistan primarily pass through the Osh Region...

In January 2025, the Statistic Agency of Uzbekistan reported that the country’s consumer price index, which measures inflation, was estimated to be 9.9% annually. Compared to December, the index increased by 0.1%.

Over the year, the prices of services increased by 27%. Specifically, the electricity, gas, and other fuel costs were 68.4% higher than the previous year. Utilities saw a price increase of 29.1%, while rent for housing rose by 13.1%.

Education and healthcare services also experienced significant increases, with prices rising by an average of 17.7% and 21.1%, respectively.

In contrast, the prices for goods showed more...

In Tashkent, authorities have detained a con artist who promised resident assistance in finding employment in the United States, according to the Department for Combating Economic Crimes.

The suspect demanded $20,000 for his services, claiming he could secure a job through high-ranking contacts.

Law enforcement officials reported that the fraudster was apprehended while handing over the money. A criminal case has been opened on charges of fraud and bribery.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the United States has placed nearly a thousand citizens of Uzbekistan on its deportation list.

A villa in Germany, previously used by Alisher Usmanov as a recreational residence, has been put up for auction, according to the newspaper Münchner Merkur. The starting price for the property is 25 mln euros.

The villa is situated on the shores of Lake Tegernsee in the village of Rottach-Egern. The offshore company Tegernsee (IOM) Limited purchased it in 2011 for 7.8 mln euros.

Prior to this, Münchner Merkur reported that Usmanov rented the villa from Tegernsee for 77,000 euros per week. The billionaire reportedly left the property just four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

At the end of 2024, Uzbekistan exported 85.7 thousand tons of persimmons, generating a total revenue of $57 mln, according to the Statistic Agency of the Republic.

Russia was the largest buyer of Uzbek persimmons, purchasing 64.3 thousand tons. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan also ranked among the top buyers, importing 15.3 thousand tons and 3.3 thousand tons, respectively.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan has doubled its grape exports.

The price of a five-gram gold bar has, for the first time, exceeded six mln soums, according to data from the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

On February 4, the bank set the sale price for such a bar at 6.07 mln soums. The price for a ten-gram bar rose to 12.14 mln soums, while a twenty-gram bar increased to 24.29 mln soums.

The cost of a fifty-gram bar now stands at 62.72 mln soums, and the price for one-hundred-gram bullion has reached 121.43 mln soums.

In global markets, the price of a troy ounce of gold is currently...

Sanjar Jamilov, a 33-year-old from Uzbekistan, and Dmitry Shushlebin, a 45-year-old from Russia, both living in Florida, have been arrested for submitting fraudulent voter registration applications in Pinellas County, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ reported that Jamilov and Shushlebin filed 132 fraudulent voter registration applications with the Pinellas County Board of Elections in February and March 2023. These applications were submitted in the names of other individuals and contained identical typographical errors.

The investigation uncovered additional fraud indicators, including repeated dates of birth and addresses and nearly consecutive Social Security numbers in the applications.

The...

On January 31, the Uzbekistan government approved reduced customs duty rates. The new regulations will take effect in three months, as reported by the press service of the Customs Committee.

Starting in late April, the fee for processing goods on and off the customs territory will be halved.

The fee for customs clearance outside the Customs Committee’s regular working hours will be reduced significantly—from two basic calculation values (BRV) to 25% of the amount of BRV, which translates to a decrease from 750,000 soums to 93,700 soums.

The committee also noted that a 20% discount will be available for...

Kazakh and Uzbek entrepreneurs have agreed to establish seven resource centers called Ona Uyi (Mother’s House) in various cities across Uzbekistan, including Bukhara, Andijan and Urgench, as announced by Kazakh businessman Aidyn Rakhimbayev.

“Last year, we initiated the Mother’s House project in Uzbekistan. From the start, I was impressed by the speed of decision-making within Uzbek government agencies. After analysing the project’s effectiveness and promptly assembling several working groups, we obtained all necessary permits and licenses within 2-3 months,” he stated.

Last year, three centers for morthers were opened in Tashkent and Samarkand.

The project aims to support single...

In January 2025, Uzbekistan’s hydropower plants produced a total of 590 mn kWh of electricity, according to Uzbekgidroenergo.

The company highlighted that this exceeded the planned target by 23%.

At the same time, Uzbekgidroenergo managed to reduce import purchases by UZS 7.7 bn, while localisation programme production reached UZS 5.5 bn.

In January, the company also cut expenses by UZS 1.1 bn and contributed UZS 33.3 bn in taxes to the state budget.

By the end of 2024, Uzbekistan’s poverty rate declined from 11% to 8.9%, according to the press service of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, citing a joint study with the World Bank.

As a result, the number of people living below the poverty line decreased by 719,000, reaching 3.3 mn.

The most significant reduction in poverty was recorded in Bukhara region, where the rate fell from 11.8% to 8.7%. In Samarkand region, it dropped from 10.5% to 7.5%, in Namangan region from 10.4% to 7.6%, and in Karakalpakstanfrom 13.6% to 10.8%.

Meanwhile, real household incomes grew by 10.7%, averaging UZS 2.1 mn per...

Businessman Elon Musk, recently appointed as the head of the U.S. Government Efficiency Department, claimed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been funding bioweapons research.

“Did you know that USAID, using your tax dollars, funded bioweapons research, including COVID-19, which killed millions of people?” Musk wrote on his social media page on X.

Musk also shared a post from a user with the handle KanekoaTheGreat, who alleged links between USAID, EcoHealth Alliance, and the Wuhan lab.

Officials from Uzbekistan and Jordan have signed two cooperation agreements, one of which establishes a visa-free regime for diplomatic passport holders, Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov announced.

The Uzbek foreign minister met with Jordan’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, to discuss bilateral relations.

In addition to the visa exemption for diplomats, both sides signed a cooperation programme between their foreign ministries.

Saidov highlighted the significant potential for cooperation between the two countries, particularly in tourism, economic ties, and sister-city partnerships.

Since the beginning of 2025, Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov’s wealth has increased to $17.5 bn, TASS reported, citing Bloomberg.

In just one month, the Uzbek-born entrepreneur added over $2.7 bn to his fortune.

As of June 27, 2024, Usmanov’s wealth stood at $13.4 bn. In Forbes’ ranking of 125 Russian billionaires, he held the ninth position.

Usmanov owns shares in Metalloinvest, MegaFon, and the Udokan Copper enterprise.

Trend, citing the European Commission, reported that the European Union has announced a grant of 8.8 million euros for a project aimed at land restoration in the Aral Sea region.

The project will focus on creating protective green belts, where plants that can withstand arid climates and saline soils will be planted in the former seabed. A portion of the funding will also support the cultivation of trees and fodder crops and finance the activities of the Forestry Agency of Uzbekistan.

These initiatives are designed to gradually restore degraded lands and improve the socio-economic and environmental conditions in Karakalpakstan...

In 2024, Uzbekistan exported 6,400 tonnes of pepper, generating $8.9 mn, according to the country’s Statistics Agency.

Kazakhstan remained the largest buyer, importing 2,300 tonnes of Uzbek pepper. Kyrgyzstan and Russia followed, purchasing 1,400 tonnes and 835 tonnes, respectively.

Uzbekistan’s total fruit and vegetable exports reached 2 mn tonnes last year, marking a 15.8% increase compared to the previous year.

Starting in May 2025, Uzbekistan will allow products and services to be labelled with the Halal certification mark, according to a resolution issued by the country’s Cabinet of Ministers.

To receive this certification, products and services must comply with the standards of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC).

Additionally, Uzbekistan will establish certification bodies and a national standard for the Halal label.

The Uzbekistan Agency for Technical Regulation and the Committee on Religious Affairs will oversee the accreditation of certification bodies.

Donald Trump has once again called on Canada to become part of the United States, arguing that such a move would exempt the country from newly imposed U.S. tariffs. The American president made the statement on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Trump highlighted the lower tax rates and strong military as key advantages of the U.S. over its northern neighbour. He also claimed that American subsidies to the Canadian economy amount to hundreds of billions of dollars.

This is not the first time Trump has made such a proposal. He initially suggested Canada become the 51st state of...

Between March 20 and December 20б 2024, Uzbekistan purchased Iranian oil worth $292 mn, according to Trend, citing data from Iran’s Customs Administration. Oil supplies to Uzbekistan increased by 18% y/y.

In volume terms, oil imports to Uzbekistan grew by 14%, rising from 364,000 to 414,000 tonnes.

Beyond crude oil, Iran also exported petrochemical products, foodstuffs, pipes, agricultural machinery, and other goods to Uzbekistan. The total trade turnover between the two countries during this period amounted to $358 mn.

According to Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency, total trade turnover with Iran for the year 2024 reached $497 mn.

Tashkent’s Humo ice hockey team secured a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan’s Nomad on February 1, Kursiv Uzbekistan reports.

The match took place at the Humo Arena in the capital, attracting over 5,700 spectators, setting a new attendance record for the ice rink.

In the first period, Nomad’s Ali Kassenov scored against the Tashkent team. However, Humo quickly equalised, with Denis Ludtsev netting the first goal for Tashkent.

In the second period, Andrei Pavlenko scored again for Humo. Later, Vyacheslav Litovchenko extended the team’s lead with a third goal.

Following the game, the traditional Mishkopad event took place, where spectators threw soft toys onto the ice. These will be distributed to sick...

A Centrum Air aircraft experienced an engine oil leak while operating a flight from Medina to Fergana, the airline reported on its Telegram channel.

The incident occurred while the plane was flying over Turkmenistan. The crew decided to make an emergency landing in Mary, where a backup aircraft was dispatched to transport passengers to Fergana.

Engineers have resolved the oil leak issue, and the aircraft will now operate a technical flight to Tashkent.

Russia’s Ministry of Education proposed introducing penalties for migrant parents whose children fail the Russian language test and are not enrolled in educational institutions. The draft law has been published on the government’s legal acts portal.

If a migrant child fails the test and does not attend additional language courses, child welfare authorities will be notified. After assessing living conditions, these authorities will inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs and juvenile affairs commissions, potentially leading to administrative measures against the parents.

Additionally, if a child who initially passes the test later demonstrates insufficient Russian proficiency for completing the curriculum...

Apple decided to halt the development of its new augmented reality (AR) glasses, according to Bloomberg.

The glasses were designed to connect with other Apple devices, including Mac, and were expected to compete with Meta’s AR headset.

Apple has not officially commented on the reasons behind the decision. However, Bloomberg analysts suggest that the company may have struggled to create a mass-market product that would appeal to a broad consumer base.