Fare hikes, high-profile appointments, and a tragedy at Charvak – news of the week

**Fare hikes, high-profile personnel decisions, and the Charvak tragedy — the main news of the week**

Starting October 1, the cost of a single trip with electronic payment is proposed to be raised from 1,700 to 2,500 soums — a jump of 47 percent at once. Meanwhile, the cash fare will remain at 3,000 soums, and a more flexible system is planned for transport card holders: transfer discounts, unlimited passes, and trip packages. For example, when traveling by bus, the first trip will cost 2,500 soums, the second — 1,500, and all subsequent trips within an hour will be free. For now, this is only a draft decision open for public discussion.

Clear time limits have now been established for noise that disturbs people's rest.

On weekdays, making noise is prohibited from 23:00 to 07:00, and on weekends and holidays — from 22:00 to 09:00. The restrictions apply not only to loud music, but also to construction work, machinery, and transport. Fines are provided for violations, and if health damage is caused, compensation can be claimed through court. The law will take effect three months after its official publication. So, nighttime renovations and noisy parties could now result in more than just neighbor complaints.

A third-grader ended up in the hospital after, according to him, he was forced to swallow a metal bracelet.

The incident occurred at school No. 151 in Tashkent. The child returned to class and continued attending school for two more days, so adults did not find out about what happened immediately. Later, doctors identified bowel damage and performed a difficult surgery, removing about five centimeters of his intestine.

It is not yet known who exactly harmed the child. But the story itself shows how difficult it is for a school to notice bullying if a child does not talk about it right away. Therefore, simply finding the culprits is not enough here — it is important to understand why adults did not learn about the incident sooner and what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again.

You have probably already read about this tragedy: a father and his two sons died at the Charvak reservoir while trying to save each other.

On September 2, the family was relaxing on a boat. The younger son entered the water without a life jacket, got a leg cramp, and began to drown. The father rushed to his aid, then the older son jumped into the water — in the end, no one could be saved. The body of the younger son was found on September 9, and a day later, the bodies of the older son and the father were recovered.

The search operation is over, but this story raises the issue of water safety once again. In a critical moment, attempting to save a loved one without the necessary skills and protective equipment can lead to an even greater tragedy. The Ministry of Emergency Situations urges compliance with safety rules and advises against entering the water without a life jacket.

In the Fergana region, an attempt was made to sell a government post — $210,000 was demanded for the position of khokim of the Uchkuprik district.

The perpetrator introduced himself as an assistant judge of an arbitration court and promised to resolve the issue through "acquaintances in high positions." The transaction did not reach the transfer of the full amount: he was detained while receiving $100,000.

A criminal case has been initiated, and the investigation is ongoing. The story looks almost caricatured, but the sum itself shows how highly some are willing to value access to a government post — even if the promise was a sham from the start.

In Uzbekistan, a woman has had to prove to the state's electronic systems that she is alive for four years now.

Following an error at the maternity hospital, her PINFL (Personal Identification Number of a Physical Person) ended up linked to the records of a deceased child. The documents were corrected later, but in Face ID and MyGov, Bibimaryam Kholbutaeva is still listed as deceased — to the extent that when she tried to apply for a loan, the system effectively refused to recognize her.

The paradox is that on paper the problem was solved, while the digital version of the person continued to live by its own rules. The authorities acknowledged the technical error and stated they are taking measures, but this story has highlighted the main vulnerability of digitalization: entering an error can be done quickly, but correcting it for the citizen themselves is a completely different matter.

As a result, the woman has to prove to the state that she is alive, even though it was the state system that once decided otherwise.

The first state visit of Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Serbia turned out to be notable not only from a protocol standpoint: Tashkent and Belgrade have elevated their relations to a new level.

Following the negotiations, the countries announced a strategic partnership and signed a whole package of agreements — ranging from labor migration and free trade to transport, energy, pharmaceuticals, and digitalization. There were also plenty of symbolic gestures: one of Belgrade's streets will be named "Tashkent," and Mirziyoyev himself received Serbia's highest state award.

Behind the diplomatic gestures lies a very practical interest. Serbia can become an additional partner for Uzbekistan in Europe, and cooperation in transport and the Middle Corridor opens up opportunities for expanding trade routes. Now, these agreements lay the foundation for new joint projects and closer economic cooperation.

By presidential decree, Saida Mirziyoyeva has received another important task — overseeing the launch of the Tashkent International Financial Center.

She has been appointed manager and secretary-general of the center's council, while retaining her post as head of the Presidential Administration. Her responsibilities will include coordinating government bodies, working with investors and international partners, as well as personnel decisions.

The former presidential press secretary and head of the Information and Mass Communications Agency, Asadjon Khodjaev, has received a new position at the Ministry of Digital Technologies.

He has been appointed deputy minister for compliance and internal anti-corruption control. He brings experience from working in telecommunications, the presidential press service, the National Library, the IMCA, and the state control system. Now, this experience will be utilized within the Ministry of Digital Technologies, where Khodjaev will be responsible for compliance with internal standards and anti-corruption control.

The restructuring of the Presidential Administration's setup continues: Pulat Bobojonov has been relieved of his post as deputy advisor for personnel issues.

The position of presidential advisor for personnel issues and the corresponding department have been abolished as part of optimization. Some of the functions will now be distributed among other structures, including the Compliance Service and the department for representative bodies, NGOs, and youth.

Officially, the changes are explained by an effort to increase the efficiency of the Administration's work.

High-profile scandals surrounding the Migration Agency have concluded with a change in leadership: Bekhzod Musaev has stepped down, and the agency is now headed by the former ambassador to Japan, Mukhsinkhuzha Abdurakhmanov.

Prior to the resignation, many stories had accumulated around the agency — from a corruption scheme worth nearly $90 million involving sending workers to South Korea, to allegations of expensive gifts and payments to non-working employees. Fines of $2,000 for migrants who changed employers caused a particular public outcry.

Tellingly, just an hour after Musaev's departure was announced, these fines were removed from the contract. The former head of the agency himself has not yet received any officially announced new appointment.

Over his career, Musaev has managed to head the tax committee, work as deputy prime minister, and serve in two ministries. Now, his departure leaves more questions than answers.

The Makhalla Association of Uzbekistan is now headed by the former khokim of the Syrdarya region, Gofurjon Mirzaev.

Deputies of the Legislative Chamber approved his appointment to the post of deputy prime minister — chairman of the Association. Previously, Mirzaev worked as presidential advisor on personnel policy. He replaced Kakhramon Kuranbaev, who had led the structure since its creation.

The change of leader may signify the Association's transition from the establishment phase to more practical work. Now it will be interesting to see what changes the new head will bring directly to the makhallas.

The Consul General of Uzbekistan in Seattle, Akhror Burkhanov, explained why the country needed a new diplomatic mission on the US West Coast.

In a conversation with Kun.uz, the diplomat noted that upon opening the consulate, it turned out that nine out of ten surveyed residents of the region knew almost nothing about Uzbekistan. Therefore, one of the main tasks is to raise awareness about the country while simultaneously protecting the interests of its citizens. Seattle was also chosen due to the region's economic potential: Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and other major companies operate here. The consulate covers four states at once and is already developing contacts in artificial intelligence, robotics, manufacturing, and the export of Uzbek products.

Five Central Asian countries have advocated for keeping the region free of nuclear weapons — amid rising tensions surrounding nuclear security.

The foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan reaffirmed their commitment to the Treaty of Semipalatinsk and called for accelerating nuclear disarmament and the ban on testing.

This is particularly important for the region: 456 nuclear tests were conducted at the Semipalatinsk test site, the consequences of which affected more than 1.5 million people. Today, Central Asia remains the only nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Northern Hemisphere.

Against the backdrop of international tension, the position of the five countries sounds especially relevant. The only question is how much such appeals can influence global nuclear disarmament policy.

In Gulistan, employees were identified who, according to documents, received salaries but never actually showed up for work.

Responsible officials of the city beautification department registered citizens for positions, calculated salaries for them, and then embezzled the money. The total damage to the budget amounted to about 1 billion soums.

A criminal case on embezzlement has been initiated, and investigative actions are currently underway. The scheme is painfully familiar: budget money went not toward beautifying the city, but to people who, it seems, existed only on paper.

In Chirchik, three extremely premature infants died within a few hours, and the versions of the family and the doctors differ significantly.

The triplets were born at 26 weeks: the children's weights were 780, 490, and 620 grams. Relatives speak of a lack of equipment and the need to have referred the woman to a specialized center. Doctors claim that everything necessary was available, but the children could not be saved due to the extreme degree of prematurity.

At the same time, the assertion that such infants "have no chance of survival" looks too categorical: two met the criteria for live birth, and the Ministry of Health reports an increase in the survival rate of children with extremely low birth weight.

Treatment documents could not be provided, so the main question remains open: were all possibilities used to save the children?

A tragic incident occurred at the district maternity hospital in the Kushtepa district: two nurses received stab wounds, and one of them died.

According to preliminary data, a woman locked the nurses in a room and attacked them with a knife. The suspect has been detained, and a criminal case has been initiated under the article on premeditated murder. The motives for the attack have not yet been disclosed.

It is especially disturbing that the attack took place right inside a medical facility, where staff should feel safe. Now the investigation will have to establish not only the motive, but also all the circumstances that led to this tragedy.