🇺🇿 Navruz in New Uzbekistan: unity, renewal and progress
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev marked Navruz at Yangi Uzbekistan Park, highlighting the holiday’s symbolism of peace, kindness and spiritual renewal 🌱
Key messages from the speech:
• Continued reforms to improve living standards and reduce poverty 📈
• Support for farmers and food security 🌾
• Youth as the driving force of the “Third Renaissance” 🎓
• Strengthening the mahalla system and social cohesion 🤝
• Promoting interethnic harmony across 130+ nationalities 🌍
The celebration ended with concerts, national games and cultural performances 🎶
Navruz once again brought the country together as one big family. #News
🇫🇷 France Opens TLSContact Visa Centre in Tashkent
🏢 A new French visa centre operated by TLScontact has opened in Tashkent, the Embassy of France in Uzbekistan announced on Telegram.
🤝 The opening ceremony was attended by French ambassador Walid Fouque. The centre, located on the fourth floor of the Inco business centre on Fidokor Street, aims to provide improved services for visa applicants from Uzbekistan.
🕒 Detailed information on opening hours and application procedures is available on the embassy’s website.
🌍 Uzbekistan and France established diplomatic relations in March 1992, signing the protocol in Tashkent.
#News
🌿 Uzbekistan Announces 35% Subsidies and Loans for Silk Cocoon Producers
💰 Starting April 1, 2026, silk cocoon producers in Uzbekistan can receive subsidies covering 35% of payments for delivered products, as per a presidential decree.
🏠 Low-income families working on mulberry plantations will get 4 mln soums ($328) per family member, payable once, while home-based workers can access interest-free loans for three years to buy silkworm-raising equipment, up to 20.6 mln soums ($1690).
👩🌾 Enterprises producing silkworm seeds will also get compensation covering 50% of seasonal workers’ salaries, capped at twice the minimum wage.
#News
⚡️ Belarus Offers Support for Uzbekistan Nuclear Power Plant
🤝 Belarus has expressed readiness to help Uzbekistan build a nuclear power plant, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during a meeting with Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Minsk, Rakhmatulla Nazarov.
🏗 Lukashenko highlighted Belarus’s experience working with Russia on nuclear projects and invited Uzbek representatives to visit whenever needed. Nazarov noted Tashkent is particularly interested in Belarus’s specialised towns for nuclear industry workers.
💰 The two countries also discussed boosting bilateral trade to $2 billion, up from $855 million last year, with over 200 Belarusian-backed companies operating in Uzbekistan. Nazarov said their economies complement each other rather than compete.
🌍 In 2024, Uzbekistan and Russia signed an agreement to build a nuclear plant in Jizzakh Region, expected to supply electricity to Jizzakh, Samarkand and Navoi regions, supporting agriculture, industry, and reducing reliance on natural gas and variable renewable energy.
#News
🔥 Huge Fire at Glasgow Central Station Causes Building Collapse
🚨 A major fire broke out at a historic building near Glasgow Central Station on Sunday, causing a partial collapse and major disruption to train services.
💨 The blaze started in a vape shop on Union Street and quickly spread through the B-listed Victorian building, with a dome collapsing as flames intensified. Over 60 firefighters and 15 engines battled the fire for more than 13 hours. No injuries have been reported.
🚆 Rail services have been suspended at Glasgow Central, Scotland’s busiest station, with no reopening estimate. High-level platforms remain closed, low-level services run without stopping, and replacement transport is limited. Long-distance services are also affected.
🏢 The building, Union Corner, dating back to 1851, housed multiple businesses, including Sexy Coffee and a hair salon, both destroyed. Guests at the voco Grand Central Hotel were evacuated to other accommodations.
⚠️ Scottish officials urge the public to avoid the area while emergency crews continue their work.
#News
🛠Uzbek Worker Killed in Forklift Accident in South Korea
🚨 An accident occurred at a metal smelting factory in Seosan, South Korea, where a Uzbek worker in his 50s was struck by a forklift and crushed under materials.
⏰ The incident happened around 9:46 pm on Sunday at the Seosan Auto Valley industrial complex in Jigok township. Emergency responders rushed him to a nearby hospital after he was found in cardiac arrest, but he later died.
👷 The factory employs over five workers, placing it under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Authorities are investigating, with initial reports suggesting the forklift operator did not see the worker ahead.
🔍 Police and labour officials are examining the exact circumstances to determine how the fatal accident occurred.
#News
🚨 Donald Trump Fires Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
🇺🇸 Donald Trump dismissed Kristi Noem amid controversies including the fatal Minneapolis shootings by federal agents and scrutiny over a $220 million ad contract linked to the department.
👤 Noem, former South Dakota governor, frequently promoted the administration’s strict immigration policies on social media. Markwayne Mullin is nominated as her replacement, pending Senate confirmation.
💰 Lawmakers criticised the advertising campaign featuring Noem, reportedly awarded without standard bidding, and questions arose over her personal conduct and relationships within the department.
🔫 Pressure grew after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, sparking public backlash and leading to a scale-back of immigration raids.
🌎 Trump said Noem will serve as an envoy for a Miami summit on Western Hemisphere policy. Mullin, her expected successor, supports strict immigration enforcement.
⚖️ Congressional Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, maintain that replacing Noem will not resolve ongoing disputes over enforcement tactics and blocked DHS funding.
#News
💊 Uzbekistan Plans $1 Bn in New Pharmaceutical Projects
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan will launch new pharmaceutical projects worth $1 billion in 2026, aiming to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on imports.
🏭 Regional authorities have proposed additional initiatives totaling $2.5 billion, including 16 projects in Andijan valued at $203 million. One will create the country’s first human albumin production facility from blood plasma.
🌍 In Syrdarya, a $188 million project will start this year, with plans to export medicines to Afghanistan worth up to $50 million.
#News
🇺🇿 Uzbek Embassy Supports Family After Child’s Death in Qatar
🕊 The Uzbek embassy in Qatar assisted the family of 11-year-old M.A. from Tashkent, who tragically died in a road accident. Diplomats coordinated with Qatari authorities to handle all legal and administrative matters.
⚰️ Given regional transport and logistical challenges, the family agreed to a burial in Qatar, with all national and religious traditions fully observed. The embassy provided full practical support throughout the process.
#News
✈️ Uzbekistan Airways Reroutes Flights Amid Israel–U.S. Strikes on Iran
🌍 Uzbekistan Airways announced alternative flight routes to ensure passenger and crew safety amid escalating Middle East tensions.
🛫 Flights from Dubai and Sharm El-Sheikh to Tashkent will avoid Iranian and Israeli airspace following joint strikes on Iranian cities, including Tehran, Qom, and Isfahan.
💥 Israel targeted missile infrastructure, while the U.S. hit nuclear sites and locations linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran responded with ballistic missile launches toward Israel, triggering air-raid alerts.
🇺🇸 U.S. President Donald Trump emphasised protecting Americans and encouraged Iranians to take control of their country amid the ongoing conflict.
#news
🚫 Russian Korea Expert Andrei Lankov Expelled from Latvia
🇱🇻 Russian historian and Korea specialist Andrei Lankov was detained in Riga and expelled from Latvia after arriving to deliver a public lecture titled “North Korea: What the Elite Wants and Fears.” The event did not take place.
👮 Municipal police escorted him to the immigration service, where he was processed. It was later revealed that Latvia’s Foreign Ministry had declared him persona non grata on February 20. The reasons for the decision have not been disclosed.
🚗 According to Lankov, he was subsequently driven to the Estonian border.
💬 In a statement on his Telegram channel, he wrote: “Basically, it’s clear. The authorities do not like that I present reality without turning it into politically useful satire. I do not intend to take any action regarding this, as I see no point.”
#News
🚚 Wolt to Shut Down Operations in Uzbekistan from March 5
📅 Finnish delivery platform Wolt will cease operations in Uzbekistan from March 5, 2026, the company has announced.
🏙 Wolt entered the Uzbek market in October 2024 through its local entity Wolt Texnologiyalari, initially launching in Tashkent before expanding to Samarkand a year later. By mid-2025, the platform partnered with around 1,400 restaurants and more than 200 shops in the capital.
📱 The service enabled users to order food and goods via its mobile app or website for home delivery or pickup.
🌍 Wolt operates across several European and Central Asian countries. It launched in Kazakhstan in 2019 and expanded last year to Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria.
#news