YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, visited Tashkent on 9 October for a fan event organised by Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation. The visit marked his first trip to Central Asia.
Armenia has lost its voting rights and the ability to nominate officials for certain posts within the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The decision was taken at a summit in Moscow on 11 November, amid years of strained relations between Yerevan and the alliance.
Trade along the Middle Corridor is accelerating, opening new opportunities for Central Asia and the South Caucasus as countries strengthen transport links between China and Europe. Cargo volumes reached around 4.7 million tonnes in 2025, up from less than one million tonnes in 2021.
Kazakhstan says the North Aral Sea’s water volume has risen by 24 per cent since 2022, reaching 23.4 billion cubic metres. The figures were unveiled at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, as the country outlined ambitious plans to accelerate restoration.
Armenia could lose its voting rights within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on 11 November after failing to pay membership fees for more than two years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Turkmenistan has secured its first entry in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, following the approval of a historical collection documenting the life and work of Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Adham.
More than 700 primary healthcare facilities in Afghanistan have closed since 2025 following cuts to international aid, a senior UN official has warned, as rising child malnutrition puts further pressure on the country's healthcare system.
Türkiye’s parliament has ratified a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, strengthening military cooperation between the three countries amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Tajikistan has secured additional diesel supplies from Russia after consuming its previously allocated quota under a bilateral fuel agreement, highlighting the Central Asian country's continued reliance on imported petroleum products.
Kyrgyzstan has become the first Central Asian country to join a new UN rail freight convention designed to cut transport costs, speed up cross-border shipments and strengthen trade links between Europe and Asia.
Kyrgyzstan could become the first country in the world to ban energy drinks. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has instructed ministers to examine the possibility of prohibiting the production and import of the beverages, citing health concerns, state news agency Kabar has reported.
Uzbekistan has launched 145 investment projects worth $7.8 billion in its Bukhara region, aiming to create more than 14,000 jobs, boost industrial production and exports, and drive economic growth beyond the capital, Tashkent.
Kazakhstan plans to manufacture 494 types of medicines through eight major investment projects worth a combined $862 million, Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova announced on 3 November, local media reported.
Tajikistan has banned electronic cigarettes and nicotine delivery systems, becoming the latest Central Asian country to outlaw their production, import and sale as part of a wider push to protect public health.
Kyrgyzstan has emerged as Central Asia’s fastest-growing economy, fuelled by a construction boom, public investment and trade linked to Russia. But with Western sanctions tightening, can the country sustain its rapid growth?
Tajikistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are drawing up a $900 million investment roadmap for 2026–2030, aimed at boosting economic growth, infrastructure and private-sector development.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
Foreign ministers from the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) gathered in Ankara on Thursday to strengthen regional cooperation and finalise preparations for Friday's leaders' summit.
Türkiye aims to increase bilateral trade with Kazakhstan to $15 billion and expand investment cooperation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was on an official visit to Ankara.
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