Kursiv Uzbekistan (Eng)

📰 SoftBank in Talks to Invest Up to $30 Bn Into OpenAI 💸 SoftBank Group is discussing an additional $30 bn investment in OpenAI, increasing its stake in the company behind ChatGPT, Reuters reports. 📈 The potential funding round could raise up to $100 bn for OpenAI and value the firm at around $830 bn. 🤖 SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is aiming to strengthen the group’s position in the intensifying AI race, describing his approach as an “all-in” commitment. In December, SoftBank completed a $41 bn investment, securing an 11% stake. ⚡️ OpenAI faces rapidly rising costs to train and operate its AI models amid growing competition, especially from Google. 📊 SoftBank shares rose 3.5% in Tokyo morning trading. 🌐 Both SoftBank and OpenAI are also investors in Stargate, a $500 bn project to build large-scale AI data centres in the US, a key effort to maintain an edge over China in artificial intelligence. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Doomsday Clock Set at 85 Seconds to Midnight ⏰ The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest point to catastrophe in its history, citing rising global tensions and failed leadership. ⚠️ The Science and Security Board said major powers including Russia, China and the United States have become more aggressive and nationalistic, weakening the cooperation needed to reduce existential risks. 💣 Nuclear dangers intensified over 2025, with escalating conflicts involving nuclear-armed states and renewed nuclear signalling. Hopes of easing tensions faded as wars and regional clashes raised the risk of wider confrontation. 🚀 A renewed arms race is also under way. China is expanding its nuclear arsenal, while the US, Russia and China continue modernising weapons systems. Plans for new missile defence systems could fuel conflict in space and speed up competition. 📉 The board warned that the possible collapse of New START, the last major US-Russia nuclear arms treaty, would end decades of efforts to restrain nuclear rivalry. 🌍 Climate risks have worsened, with carbon dioxide levels reaching 150% of preindustrial levels, record global temperatures and rising sea levels. Extreme weather has brought deadly heatwaves, droughts and floods worldwide. 🧬 The bulletin also flagged emerging threats, including biological risks, AI-assisted pathogen design and the growing use of artificial intelligence in military systems despite unresolved safety concerns. 🏛 Underlying these dangers is the rise of nationalistic autocracy, which the board said accelerates risks across nuclear, climate and technological domains. 🔄 Despite the stark warning, the scientists stressed catastrophe is not inevitable, urging renewed arms control, stronger climate action and global rules on military AI. 📚 Founded in 1945 by scientists including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the bulletin last year set the clock at 89 seconds to midnight. ⏳ “It is 85 seconds to midnight.” Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Uzbekistan to Create New Cybercrime Departments 🛡 President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that Uzbekistan will establish a specialised cybercrime department within the Interior Ministry, operating directly under the minister’s supervision. ⚖️ A separate cybercrime and digital law division will also be created under the Justice Ministry, as the president stressed that law enforcement must be skilled in artificial intelligence technologies. 📈 Officials noted that cybercrime types in Uzbekistan have risen from 18 to 62, with increases in personal data theft, AI-based voice and face forgery, and the transfer of stolen funds abroad using cryptocurrency. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Corruption Probe Leads to Mass Dismissals in Uzbekistan ⚖️ Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has dismissed senior officials after uncovering alleged corruption involving the sale of a state-owned land plot at far below its value. 🏢 The head of the State Assets Management Agency (UzSAMA), Akmalxon Ortikov, was dismissed on January 26 after officials sold a land plot valued at 250 bn soums ($20.6 mln) for only 120 bn soums ($9.9 mln) in a closed auction. ⛽️ Authorities also found evidence of theft worth billions of soums at Uzbekneftegaz, prompting Mirziyoyev to order an investigation by the State Security Service, with compliance officers involved. 🗣 “Thoroughly review every case of state asset sales, expose all corruption schemes, and ensure punishment is inevitable,” Mirziyoyev said. 📌 The president also dismissed Yunusjon Nasimdjanov, head of the Tashkent city tax administration, and Khojiakbar Mulladzhonov, head of the Shaykhantakhur district tax inspection. Their activities will be reviewed in detail and legal actions will follow. 🔁 Mirziyoyev ordered the chairman of the Tax Committee, Farrukh Pulatov, to dismiss all heads of district tax inspections in Tashkent and appoint acting officials temporarily, aiming for a complete system overhaul to eliminate corruption opportunities. 🚫 He also ordered the dismissal of A. Ganiev, deputy head of the city department under the Prosecutor General’s Office, for aiding “entrepreneurs” in evading taxes. 📌 Responsibility for enforcing strict policies against the shadow economy in Tashkent was assigned to A. Soliev and newly appointed deputy mayor for compliance, M. Mirhamidov. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Uzbekistan Flags Hundreds of Improperly Classified Local Government Decisions 🕵️‍♂️ In January, Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency found that 386 decisions issued by regional and district administrations had been unjustifiably classified. 📄 During the month, local authorities marked about 1,900 documents as “secret” or “for official use only”, hiding decisions mainly related to public appointments, bonus payments and budget spending. 📍 The highest number of violations was in Fergana region with 67 cases, followed by Bukhara with 58 and Kashkadarya with 41. ⚖️ The Anti-Corruption Agency has ordered the information to be made public and said legal measures will be taken against officials responsible for the breaches. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Micron to Invest $24 Bn in New Singapore Chip Plant 🏭 U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology plans to invest $24 bn in a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Singapore, expanding production amid a global shortage of memory chips. 🤖 The project comes as the chip industry races to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence, with consumer electronics makers and AI services competing for limited memory supplies. 💾 Micron said the investment, spread over the next decade, will fund an advanced wafer fabrication plant to meet rising demand for NAND flash memory used in AI and data-intensive applications. Production is expected to start in the second half of 2028 at a cleanroom complex covering more than 700,000 sq ft. 🇸🇬 Singapore remains central to Micron’s global output, already accounting for 98% of its flash memory production. The company is also building a $7 bn advanced packaging facility for high bandwidth memory used in AI chips, with production due to begin in 2027. 📊 Analysts say the global memory shortage could last until late 2027, even as Micron, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix expand capacity and accelerate new production lines. 📈 TrendForce analyst Bryan Ao said demand for high-performance storage is growing much faster than expected due to the expansion of AI inference. He noted that large North American cloud providers have sharply increased orders, pushing enterprise SSD contract prices up by 55–60%. 🌏 TrendForce data shows Micron ranked as the world’s fourth-largest flash memory supplier in Q3 2025 with a 13% market share. The company is also in talks to buy a fabrication plant in Taiwan for $1.8 bn, while SK Hynix plans to bring forward the launch of new factories. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 FIFA World Cup Trophy Arrives in Tashkent on Special Tour Flight ✈️ An Airbus A320-233 operated by Titan Airways landed at Tashkent International Airport at 09:46 local time on January 27, completing a charter flight from Almaty. 🏆 On board was the original FIFA World Cup trophy, made of pure gold and weighing over 6kg, escorted by football legend Marco Materazzi and a security team. 🎨 The aircraft, painted in the special livery “The Original Trophy Is Here”, is part of the official World Cup Trophy Tour 2026. 🌍 The tour began on January 3 in Saudi Arabia and will visit 75 locations, including cities such as Vienna, Seoul, Tokyo, Nha Trang and Kuala Lumpur. 📅 The tour will continue until the start of the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Uzbekistan to Resume WTO Talks with Chinese Taipei in Geneva 🌍 Uzbekistan will hold a new round of World Trade Organization accession talks with Chinese Taipei at the end of January, the president’s special representative Azizbek Urunov told Kursiv Uzbekistan. 🤝 Urunov said joining the WTO is mainly an economic process, and political recognition does not determine the outcome. The last meeting between the two sides took place on December 15. 📈 He added that talks are progressing actively and both sides expect to reach a concrete agreement soon. 🗣 “These political issues are not raised in the membership process. The main discussions focus on foreign trade and market access conditions,” Urunov said. 📋 The agenda includes tariffs and the services market, and Urunov said he believed Chinese Taipei would not want to delay the process. 🛑 “They would not want to be the last country without an agreement,” he said. 📅 “Our last negotiations were on December 15, and they have invited us back to Geneva at the end of this month. Their ambassador has contacted us to arrange the talks. We will complete negotiations with them in the near future,” he added. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Protests Erupt in Turkey After Uzbek Woman Found Dead 📍 Protests broke out in Istanbul and Ankara after the killing of Uzbek citizen Durdona Khokimova, whose body was found on January 24 in a rubbish container in Istanbul’s Şişli district. 🚶‍♀️ Demonstrations were organised by the “We Will Stop Femicide” platform. Marchers held banners saying “Migrant women are not alone” and “We demand justice for Durdona.” Activists criticised authorities for allowing a culture of impunity that encourages violence against women. ⚖️ Protesters also called on Turkey to reinstate the Istanbul Convention and strengthen protections for foreign women. 👮 Turkish authorities confirmed two suspects were arrested, both Uzbek citizens. One reportedly confessed, saying the killing followed an argument. The Uzbek consulate confirmed her body was found beheaded in Istanbul. 🧾 The consulate said her body, wrapped in a sheet, was found in a waste container on the evening of January 24 and handed to police. A joint investigation confirmed her identity. ✈️ The two suspects were arrested while trying to leave Turkey for Georgia. 🔍 Turkish outlet Birgün reported the suspects were Uzbek citizens aged 31 and 29, and a third suspect, a 58-year-old Turkish citizen, was later detained. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

🚀 VEON launches BuildX and opens Beeline Network Operations Center in Tashkent VEON has announced the opening of a new Network Operations Center for Beeline Uzbekistan and the launch of BuildX, an AI and software company, the group said. The initiatives aim to strengthen network reliability, cybersecurity and digital innovation in Uzbekistan. *On the rights of advertisement. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

⚛️ Uzatom Denies Nuclear Plant Delay 🗓 Uzatom has rejected reports that construction of the nuclear power plant in Jizzakh was postponed from March to December 2026, saying there is no official delay. 📢 The agency said later dates mentioned in the draft Uzbekistan 2030 strategy reflected conservative planning assumptions, not a change in schedule, and stressed the project meets national laws and international safety standards. 🤝 The contract was signed in spring 2024, with Atomstroyexport as main contractor. The revised design includes two power units, with site preparations already under way. ⚡️ Once completed, the plant will supply power to Jizzakh, Samarkand and Navoi, supporting industry and agriculture. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn

📰 Average Wages in Tashkent Rise More Than 18% in 2025 📈 Uzbekistan’s average monthly salary kept rising in 2025, with Tashkent staying the highest-paying region, according to the National Statistics Committee. 💰 In the capital, the average monthly wage reached 10.75 mln soums ($889), up 18.3% from last year. 🌍 Nationwide, average monthly earnings climbed to 6.38 mln soums ($527), marking almost 19% growth annually. 📌 Some regions saw especially strong income gains, with Namangan, Syrdarya, and Jizzakh reporting average wages between 4.7 mln ($388) and 5.1 mln soums ($422) and growth above 20%. 📉 The slowest rise was in Andijan, where salaries increased 13.4% to 5.24 mln soums ($433). 🎭 By sector, the fastest wage growth was in arts, leisure and entertainment, where pay rose 26.4% to 5.45 mln soums ($450). 🏦 The highest salaries remain in the financial sector, with banking and insurance employees earning 17.6 mln soums ($1,455) per month. 💻 Strong growth was also seen in IT and communications, and transport and storage services. Telegram/Site/LinkedIn