This was among the most significant events recorded in the first week of 2026. The new year began with serious and contradictory developments for the life of the country and the region. Assalomu alaykum, your attention is drawn to Darakchi.uz's analysis of the first week of the new year.
Saida Mirziyoyeva gave her first major interview
Head of the Presidential Administration Saida Mirziyoyeva gave a major interview in Russian with journalist and blogger Kirill Altman. During the conversation, she shared her thoughts on the reforms being carried out by the President, the priority tasks of the administration, the work being implemented in the field of ecology, as well as her personal and family life.
After the interview was published, Mirziyoyeva also noted on her social media page that the conversation had taken place in an open and sincere spirit. She emphasized that the questions were direct and free from hidden topics.
The interview evoked mixed reactions among the public. While some activists positively assessed the head of the Presidential Administration's open communication with the mass media, others expressed a desire to see the interview conducted in Uzbek, not Russian.
In particular, Abdurrahman Tashanov, founder of the "Ezgulik" human rights society, while focusing on the content of the interview, also touched upon the language issue.
"If we delve deeper into the content of the interview given by Head of the Presidential Administration Saida Mirziyoyeva to Kirill Altman, it appears to be an important signal reflecting changes in the political environment and state-society relations in recent years. The impact would have been even stronger if the interview had been organized in Uzbek," wrote Tashanov.
Situation involving an Uzbek migrant in Russia
Reports about an Uzbek migrant being beaten to death by OMON officers in Russia caused widespread discussions on social networks. Regarding this incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan sent an official note to the Russian side.
According to disseminated information, the incident occurred on December 12, 2025, during a raid on one of the cafes in the city of Khabarovsk, Russia. Reports indicate that several Uzbek citizens were beaten, two of them were in serious condition, and later one citizen died.
According to the MFA's statement, appeals have been sent by the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Khabarovsk to the regional prosecutor's office, the Investigative Department, and the regional representative office of the Russian MFA. It requested an impartial, comprehensive, and lawful investigation of this situation.
"At the moment, there is no officially confirmed information regarding the causes of the citizen's death. Reports circulating on social networks about a second citizen have also not been confirmed," the ministry's information states.
This situation once again turned the issue of ensuring the rights and safety of Uzbeks working abroad into an urgent topic.
Nearly 1,100 babies were born on the first day of the new year
As of 5:00 PM on January 1, 2026, a total of 1,094 babies were born in Uzbekistan. This was reported by the Ministry of Health.
Of the newborns, 539 are boys and 555 are girls. The highest number of births was recorded in Fergana region — 138 babies. The following places were taken by Surkhandarya (135), Samarkand (125), Kashkadarya (121), and Namangan (110) regions.
The fewest births occurred in Syrdarya region, where 19 babies were born. Also, 17 cases of twins were identified among the newborns, with a total of 37 babies born as twins. Despite the holidays, thousands of medical personnel are working on a shift basis in maternity facilities across the republic.
In summary, the events of the first week of 2026 revealed the relationship between the state and society. A high-ranking official's interview demonstrated openness, while the situation involving migrants called into question the effectiveness of the protection system. Demographic data, meanwhile, demonstrated social stability.
