AI for Uzbekistan’s business: Uzbekistan plans a USD 100 million programme to help companies adopt AI and get access to supercomputing resources, pushing digital transformation beyond government. Digital public services: Uzbekistan and South Korea will launch a grant project to upgrade Uzbekistan’s citizen complaints system using AI. Cybersecurity in the region: Researchers say the China-nexus “SilkParasite” campaign is targeting Central Asian government bodies with remote access Trojans delivered via tailored phishing lures. Energy reliability: A Central Asia blackout was traced to Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydropower plant, after outages spread across multiple countries. Trade and industry: Uzbekistan sent its first electrical goods shipment to Syria (air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines) via an overland corridor through several transit states. Tech ecosystem & education: Azerbaijani media toured IT Park Uzbekistan, highlighting its global company network and large-scale IT training; China’s Liaoning Normal University opened a branch campus in Khiva with AI among initial programmes. STEM spotlight: IOI 2026 in Tashkent saw an Israeli student disqualified for displaying a flag, while Azerbaijan’s team won three bronze medals and Hong Kong students achieved a best-ever result. Startup push: Uzbekistan’s Cerberus won a TechCrunch regional final spot in San Francisco with an AI tool for vulnerability finding.