Energy Sector Overhaul: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered major changes in Uzbekistan’s fuel and power system, appointing Sherzod Khodjaev as new energy minister and dismissing the previous minister over “serious shortcomings,” while setting a probation period until year-end for heads of key energy firms; the move follows reports of thousands of grid failures and outages lasting up to 8–10 hours in some regions. Healthcare & Investment: Saudi Arabia’s health minister met Uzbekistan’s deputy prime minister to expand cooperation across healthcare system development, digital transformation, medical and pharma industries, workforce training, and investment, including progress on the Fergana Hospital project with an 800-bed plan. Afghanistan Trade Push: Uzbekistan and Afghanistan’s private sectors signed 22 trade agreements worth over $200m at a Kabul forum, spanning paper, petroleum, food and edible oil, marble, logistics, construction and solar energy, with both sides targeting $5bn in annual trade. Agriculture Innovation: Uzbekistan is looking to epigenetics as the next “software” frontier for crop productivity and food security, framing genetics plus epigenetics as a lower-cost path to higher yields after record wheat output. UNESCO Recognition: Ten Tashkent modernist buildings were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, boosting Uzbekistan’s 20th-century architecture profile on the global stage. Digital Market Expansion: TBC Bank Group completed its majority acquisition of OLX Uzbekistan, strengthening the country’s online classifieds ecosystem with millions of active users and listings.