Uzbekistan - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 13 - 18 of 2402

Athletics

Mo Farah to Present Medals at Samarkand Marathon

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah will present medals to finishers at the Samarkand Marathon in Uzbekistan on November 8. As an “ambassador” for the event, Farah will welcome participants, get the race started and meet the winners, according to the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, which is organizing the marathon. “Guys, I’ll see you at the start line,” Farah says in a social media video. The British long-distance runner won the 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter titles at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and then won the same races at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He was also a six-time world champion. He later moved from the track to marathons, winning the 2018 Chicago Marathon in 2:05:11, a European record at the time. Farah was knighted for his accomplishments. He currently promotes youth sports and urges young people to be physically active for at least one hour a day. The Samarkand Marathon starts and finishes at the city’s historic Registan Square, and the route passes by ancient mosques and other landmarks. The race is certified under the standards of World Athletics, the international governing body of the sport. International interest in the marathon is growing, according to Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee. It said more than 1,500 participants from 63 countries have registered this year.

AQABA Process

Uzbekistan Offers to Host Regional UN Counterterrorism Office at Astana Summit

Central Asian leaders and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met on November 6 to discuss how terrorist groups could use artificial intelligence to recruit members, coordinate their activities, and spread propaganda. At the Aqaba Process summit, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev offered to host a Central Asian office of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. The proposed office would help Central Asian countries set up channels for reporting terrorist content and detect terrorist financing, according to the Uzbek presidential press service. Co-hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Abdullah II, it is the first time Central Asia has hosted the Aqaba Process. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and representatives of international organizations also attended. Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev represented Kyrgyzstan, while Parliamentary Speaker Sahiba Gafarova represented Azerbaijan. [caption id="attachment_60177" align="aligncenter" width="1900"] The Aqaba Process summit in Astana on November 6, 2026. Image: Uzbek presidential press service.[/caption] From Social Media to Artificial Intelligence King Abdullah launched the Aqaba Process in 2015, which takes its name from the Red Sea city of Aqaba where the first meetings were held. The initiative was originally designed to coordinate international efforts against terrorism and violent extremism, particularly in the Middle East. Unlike international organizations with permanent membership, it brings participants together to discuss specific threats and does not adopt binding decisions. Over the past decade, the agenda has changed considerably. As early as 2019, a meeting in the United States addressed the use of the internet and social media by terrorist organizations. Representatives of technology companies were brought into the discussions, as countering extremist propaganda increasingly required cooperation with digital platform operators. In February 2026, Aqaba Process participants met at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK to discuss security threats posed by drones and how to regulate their use. Government representatives, experts, and technology companies took part in the discussions. In June, a meeting in New York focused in part on extremist recruitment through online games. Representatives of international organizations, the gaming industry, and civil society joined the discussions. In Astana, participants turned their attention to generative artificial intelligence. Modern AI models can produce text, images, and videos in minutes, translate messages into different languages, and imitate real people's voices. For terrorist organizations, such tools could make it easier to produce propaganda and reach audiences beyond traditional linguistic and geographic boundaries. Fabricated videos and audio recordings presented as statements by politicians, religious leaders, or security officials pose a particular danger. AI can also automate conversations and tailor messages to individual interests, making recruitment attempts on social media and messaging platforms more difficult to detect. In May 2024, three Spanish tourists were among those killed in an attack in Afghanistan’s Bamyan province. Days later, a group calling itself Khurasan TV circulated a video featuring an AI-generated newsreader in a simulated newsroom. A synthetic voice read out Islamic State Khorasan Province’s claim of responsibility in Pashto. Researchers at Afghan Witness traced at least eight such videos to Khurasan TV, which they said appeared to...

Uranium Mining

Uzbekistan Plans to Double Uranium Production by 2030

Uzbekistan plans to double its annual uranium production to 15,000 metric tons by 2030, up from a projected 7,500 this year, as demand for nuclear fuel grows. Tashkent also wants to expand critical mineral processing to produce more finished goods for export. The development plans, published by the president’s office on November 5, cover state-owned uranium producer Navoiyuran and the Uzbekistan Technological Metals Complex. According to the World Nuclear Association, Uzbekistan ranks fifth globally in uranium production. Output reached 7,000 metric tons in 2025, up from 5,200 the previous year. The industry is concentrated around Navoi, an industrial center in central Uzbekistan. Buyers of Uzbek uranium include companies from Japan, Canada, South Korea, and China. Neighboring Kazakhstan remains the world’s largest uranium producer, accounting for approximately 39% of global output in 2024. Uzbekistan’s expansion could further increase Central Asia’s importance to international nuclear fuel markets. The November 5 announcement said global uranium demand had increased by 15–20% in recent years and could grow by another 28% by 2030. It did not identify the source or methodology behind those figures. To meet its production targets, Navoiyuran plans to expand geological exploration and develop new deposits, supported by additional uranium processing units. The government also aims to increase explored uranium reserves to 200,000 metric tons by 2030. Another priority is reducing the industry’s dependence on sulfuric acid, a key chemical used in uranium extraction. Uzbekistan intends to increase the use of alternatives so that they account for 40% of extraction reagents by 2030. Alongside uranium, the country is developing production of materials used in electronics, energy, engineering, and other advanced industries. The complex is already working with tungsten, molybdenum, selenium, tellurium, and rhenium. Plans call for expanding into 11 additional metals and minerals, including nickel, cobalt, graphite, and vanadium. By 2030, the government aims to increase the production value of these 16 materials to more than $2.7 billion. Tungsten processing projects are expected to attract $1.1 billion in investment, with the government aiming to bring the production value of tungsten-related products to nearly $2.2 billion by 2030. The metal is widely used in hard alloys for cutting tools and other industrial equipment. The complex also plans to launch 12 investment projects by the end of 2026 and expand production of high-purity selenium and tellurium. Both elements have applications in modern manufacturing, including electronic components and solar panels. Uzbekistan is also considering the development of deposits containing rare and rare-earth elements to expand its mineral resource base. The announcement did not specify when individual facilities would reach full capacity or provide projected export volumes. Uzbekistan’s uranium deposits have already attracted interest from foreign investors, including companies from China, France, and Japan. In 2025, French nuclear fuel company Orano and Navoiyuran expanded their partnership in the Nurlikum Mining joint venture, with each holding a 45% stake and Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation owning the remaining 10%. The venture plans to develop the South Djengeldi uranium deposit, with average annual production expected to reach about 500 metric...

Gas Safety

18 Dead in Suspected Carbon Monoxide Poisonings in Uzbekistan

Eighteen people died in three suspected carbon monoxide poisoning incidents in Uzbekistan between October 25 and November 1, prompting warnings about dangerously modified gas boilers being sold as new. On October 25, seven members of one family died in the village of Chimyon in the Fergana region. On November 1, another five people died in Kokand, including three girls aged seven, three, and one. An initial inspection of the Kokand home found a disconnected exhaust pipe on the gas boiler. In Tashkent, six people were found dead in a house under construction on October 25, and two others were hospitalized in serious condition. The Prosecutor General’s Office said a preliminary investigation found that the basement boiler did not meet safety requirements and the house had been connected to the gas network without the required technical permits. A criminal case was opened. The Fergana Regional Department of Emergency Situations said Vaillant gas boilers decommissioned in Germany had been illegally imported into Uzbekistan, refurbished, and sold as new. It warned that improvised plastic flues can come apart when exposed to heat and allow combustion gases to enter living spaces. Blocking air intakes can cause incomplete combustion, producing carbon monoxide. The gas is colorless and odorless and can cause fatal poisoning while people are asleep. An October 2025 report citing Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations recorded 116 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2024 and 141 deaths in 29 incidents during the first nine months of 2025. However, an October 2026 account of a ministry press conference put the toll for the same period in 2025 at 59 deaths, again in 29 incidents. It gave a total of 46 deaths in 25 incidents for the first nine months of 2026. The two published figures for 2025 differ by 82 deaths, with neither report explaining the discrepancy. Official accounts have also conflicted over the causes of individual deaths. In December 2024, after a man and three children died in Karshi, gas distributor Hududgazta’minot said carbon monoxide poisoning was unlikely. The Prosecutor General’s Office later confirmed the cause as acute carbon monoxide poisoning, citing forensic examination results. Figures published by Uzbekistan’s then State Committee on Statistics show that 55.4% of the country’s houses and apartments had access to natural gas at the beginning of 2022. Gas and electricity shortages have left households relying on stoves and makeshift heating systems. In neighboring Kazakhstan, more than 170,000 gas and smoke detectors were installed in residential buildings over a three-year period ending in 2022. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said alerts from the devices had helped save 192 lives. Installations have been funded in part by akimats, Kazakhstan’s local executive authorities, and sponsors. Uzbek authorities recommend installing carbon monoxide detectors. In February 2025, the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan announced that free detectors were being provided to households on the social protection register, but did not say how many had been installed. Following the deaths in the Fergana region, emergency personnel and gas utility workers began inspecting homes....

Data Breaches

Hackers Walk Back Claim of Uzbekistan Data Leak Affecting 27 Million

Journalists in Uzbekistan found their own personal information and details about relatives in a database circulating online, Gazeta.uz has reported. The Interior Ministry announced an investigation on October 29 after reports linked the records to SAFE Service, formerly known as SafeRoad, a digital service for motorists. As of November 5, the authorities had yet to announce their findings. Separately, on November 1, a hacker group known as Butterfly claimed it had accessed a government database containing personal information on more than 27 million Uzbek citizens. The group said it had accessed passport details, addresses, phone numbers, personal identification numbers (PINFL), and biometric photographs belonging to millions of people. To support its claims, the group published Digital Technologies Minister Sherzod Shermatov’s phone number and threatened to sell the database on the dark web, a part of the internet accessible through specialized software that is also used to trade stolen data. By November 3, Butterfly had recast itself as a community of “white-hat hackers,” cybersecurity specialists who identify vulnerabilities in computer systems so they can be fixed. The group’s members said they had not stolen government databases and had instead sought to highlight security weaknesses and the slow response of the agencies responsible. The group did not explain why it had initially threatened to sell the alleged database. It is also unclear whether Butterfly’s members had permission from the owners of the information systems, as is customary in authorized security testing. Shermatov commented on the situation on November 4. Without confirming reports of a data breach, the minister warned about vulnerabilities in outdated information systems. He said artificial intelligence was making software vulnerabilities easier to discover and urged government agencies and businesses to conduct more frequent security checks and heed warnings from UzCERT, Uzbekistan’s national computer incident response service. He did not say whether the authorities had verified Butterfly’s claims or established the origin of the alleged data. The Interior Ministry and the Cybersecurity Center under the State Security Service are investigating the origin of the records linked in October reports to SAFE Service. The developer, AUTODOC, denied that the records came from its application, saying the information had been collected from other sources before the application was launched. No connection between the two incidents has been established. Butterfly’s withdrawal of its initial claim and AUTODOC’s explanation do not establish where the published information originated. Cybersecurity specialist Akmal Sodikov notes that personal data can become accessible to unauthorized parties because of server misconfigurations, inadequate access controls, employee actions, or vulnerabilities in third-party services. Passport details, phone numbers, and PINFL numbers are valuable to fraudsters. With such information, criminals can more easily impersonate bank employees or government officials to trick people into disclosing verification codes and gain access to their accounts. In Uzbekistan, government services, digital identification, and financial transactions are becoming increasingly interconnected. As a result, protecting personal data depends on the security of multiple information systems. In February 2026, the country faced reports of an alleged leak affecting 15 million citizens....

Cotton Harvest

Uzbekistan Cotton Harvest Exceeds 5 Million Tons for First Time Since Independence

Uzbekistan has harvested more than 5 million metric tons of raw cotton in 2026, its highest reported total since independence in 1991. The record comes as the country has sharply reduced the area planted with cotton and expanded mechanized harvesting. In early November, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the milestone, with harvesting still underway in some areas. The harvest is at least 500,000 metric tons above the contractual target of 4.5 million metric tons for farms and cotton-textile companies, providing additional raw material for Uzbekistan’s textile industry. Cotton production has long been central to Uzbekistan’s economy and agricultural landscape. During the Soviet period, nearly 2 million hectares were devoted to the crop, which consumed substantial water resources and depended heavily on manual labor. By 2000, cotton cultivation covered approximately 1.4 million hectares, yielding around 3 million metric tons. In 2026, cotton was grown on approximately 890,000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. In a November 4 address to farmers, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the area planted with cotton had fallen by 38% in recent years, while average yields had risen from 2.1 to 5.6 metric tons per hectare. He attributed the increase in yields to improved farming methods, new cotton varieties, and investment in irrigation technology. More than 3,000 cotton-picking machines had collected 85% of this year’s crop by November 4, Mirziyoyev said, with harvesting fully mechanized in the Jizzakh and Syrdarya regions. The shift has particular significance in Uzbekistan, where cotton harvesting was once associated with the systematic mobilization of schoolchildren, students, teachers, and public-sector employees. The Cotton Campaign coalition says systemic state-imposed forced labor has ended, although labor rights concerns remain. Mechanical harvesting has further reduced the need for large numbers of seasonal pickers. Cotton cultivation contributed to the depletion of the rivers feeding the Aral Sea, causing one of Central Asia’s most severe environmental disasters. Mirziyoyev said water consumption in cotton production had fallen by half compared with the 1990s, although his address did not explain how that figure was calculated. Despite difficult growing conditions, Karakalpakstan, the autonomous republic bordering the remnants of the Aral Sea, harvested more than 400,000 metric tons of cotton this year, according to the president. He said average yields had increased by 1 to 1.5 metric tons per hectare compared with previous years. The region continues to face the effects of the Aral Sea’s retreat, including soil salinity and water shortages.