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The US Consumer Price Index rose 3.7% year-over-year in September, up from 3.4% in August, exceeding economists' forecasts. Core inflation accelerated to 2.6%. The main driver was a 9.1% monthly gasoline price increase due to the war with Iran. The data strengthened expectations of another Fed rate hike at the October 27–28 meeting.
Donald Trump announced a temporary suspension of part of the sanctions against Russia and the start of imports of Russian diesel, promising a rapid price decline. Experts surveyed by Deutsche Welle believe that high prices are driven by the war in Iran and shipping disruptions, and that the promised supply volumes are too small to affect the market.
The US Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% benefits increase for 2027 — the largest in four years. About 76 million Americans will receive on average $75 more per month, though advocates for seniors doubt the increase will offset inflation. Separately: startup Floqer at TechCrunch Disrupt presented AI agents for B2B sales and announced plans to open-source its database in early 2027.
The minutes of the extraordinary shareholders meeting of UzPost dated September 21 showed that the state stake of 92.9% of shares was transferred to trust management of WB INT EXPORT (a Wildberries subsidiary) under a contract dated December 30, 2025. Earlier, the head of the State Assets Management Agency (SAMA) Sokhibjon Murodov claimed that no trust management contract existed. The meeting did not approve a 100 billion soums loan from Wildberries, but elected a supervisory board with a majority of Wildberries representatives.
Portugal's draft state budget for 2027 (OE2027) provides for updated income tax brackets, a rise in the minimum wage to 970 euros, pension indexation of about 3%, increased social benefits and housing measures. At the same time, from the 2027/2028 academic year tuition fees at public universities are set to be unfrozen. The draft still needs to pass parliamentary approval and receive the president's signature.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the efficient use of pastures. Of 21.255 million hectares of pastures, only 40% are used efficiently. Hokims must restore 620 thousand hectares by the end of the year, and 3.7 million hectares in 2027. Measures include drilling wells, building irrigation facilities, formalizing shepherds' rights, and public pastures.
The committee of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan held its eighth meeting in September 2026, reviewed 37 issues and decided to fine eight banks. The names of the banks and the fine amounts were not disclosed.
Updated on: October 14, 2026 / 9:28 AM EDT / CBS News President Trump campaigned in 2024 on promises to lower Americans' cost of living, vowing to push gasoline prices below $2 a gallon and to deliver 2% mortgage rates. Two years later, consumers face sharply higher costs for many of the necessities he pledged to make more affordable. Less than a month before the midterm elections , the gap between Mr. Trump's promises and the financial realities facing many Americans is fueling voter frustrat
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, ahead of the IMFC meeting in Bangkok on October 15-17, called on the IMF to return to its original, purely economic mandate. He criticized the fund's weakening of its three functions - surveillance, lending, and capacity development - pointed to the high concentration of its credit portfolio (over 61% of outstanding credit with the five largest borrowers), repeated breaches in 56% of programs with QPC waivers, and uneven application of rules. Siluanov urged the IMF to focus on macroeconomic policy analysis, set specific corrective measures, and strengthen oversight of systemically important reserve currency issuers.
Shareholders of PJSC PIK Specialized Developer approved the delisting and termination of the company's public status. In September, the majority shareholder Nedvizhimye Aktivy, holding just over 98%, demanded a buyout of the remaining shares at 551.4 rubles each — the same price as the April offer. The register of shareholders is fixed as of October 20. The beneficiaries of Nedvizhimye Aktivy are not disclosed, though companies affiliated with Sergei Gordeev owned about 15% of PIK at the end of 2024.
The Portuguese government announced, after Wednesday's cabinet meeting, that German carrier Lufthansa will become TAP's new shareholder as part of the reprivatisation of the Portuguese airline. "The government is successfully bringing to a close the first phase of the privatisation of our national airline. A process conducted with strict respect for competition, a stringent approach to negotiations and complete transparency vis-à-vis the Portuguese public," Portuguese prime minister Luís Monten
In Uzbekistan, changes to energy tariffs were discussed: the monthly social electricity norm in non-gasified areas during the heating season will be raised from 200 to 350 kWh, and the price within 201-350 kWh will be reduced from 900 to 650 sums per kWh. From November 1, heating and hot water tariffs will rise by 30%, although the cost of services is 4 times higher than the tariffs. Needy families will receive one-time assistance of 1 million sums, covering over 1 million 17 thousand households. Compensation for electricity and gas consumption above basic norms is extended until April 1, 2028, covering an additional 166 thousand families. A compensation of 3 thousand sums per kilogram of liquefied gas is proposed for Social Register families, and 240 billion sums will be allocated to improve the energy efficiency of 3 thousand houses.
Russia's broad money base increased by 1.4812 trillion rubles, or 4.7%, in September 2026 to 32.9777 trillion rubles, according to the Bank of Russia. Since the start of the year it has grown 7.5%. The annual growth rate accelerated to 18.5% as of October 1. Cash in the money base rose 1.6% in September and 14.3% since January, with its annual growth reaching 20.9%, the highest since October 2023, while its share in the money base fell to 67.4%. Funds on credit institutions' correspondent accounts rose 38.2%, while their deposits with the Central Bank fell 13.2%.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said at a press conference during the IMF and World Bank annual meeting that the United States cannot solve its growing public debt problem through economic growth alone without adjusting taxes and budget spending. She called advanced economies, primarily the US and European countries, leaders in excessive indebtedness, noting that rising government bond yields hurt low-income countries. Georgieva said US budget deficit and debt levels are too high and must be brought to more acceptable levels, stressing that growth alone will not deliver the necessary changes fast enough. The IMF's Fiscal Monitor report released on October 14 also warned that delays in debt-reduction measures will complicate the problem amid rising borrowing costs.
Netflix is cutting about 1,000 jobs, roughly 6% of its workforce, in its largest layoffs since 2022. Co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos announced the cuts in an email to employees, citing the need for discipline in prioritizing people and resources. Most layoffs will affect product development, technology, legal, and HR divisions. Netflix had about 16,000 full-time employees at the end of 2025, and its market capitalization has fallen nearly 25% since the start of 2026.
Self-employed individuals in Uzbekistan can now sell their goods on the Ozon marketplace. More details are available at the provided link.
From January to August 2026, spending by Russian state companies on landline phones more than tripled to 118 million rubles, Vedomosti reports. Market participants link the demand to mobile internet shutdowns affecting almost 80% of the country, the switch to domestic PBX systems, and the search for secure communication channels.
Luna Catering, which has grown within a few years to the largest projects in the country, announces its ambition to become the benchmark for off-site catering in Central Asia by 2029 and shares its outlook on the market for the coming years.
