Kyrgyzstan has introduced mandatory permits for climbers attempting Victory Peak, imposing stricter safety and experience requirements following a series of fatal accidents on one of the world’s most dangerous mountains.
Tajikistan tripled fuel imports from neighbouring Central Asian countries in July after deliveries from Russia declined sharply, underscoring how disruptions to Russian exports are prompting governments across the region to seek alternative suppliers.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will remove tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting around 20 product categories from 10 August, in a move designed to facilitate cross-border trade and support businesses in both countries.
More than 100,000 people entered Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan between 19 July and 1 August, increasing pressure on communities and humanitarian organisations already struggling with poverty, limited services and funding shortages.
Kazakhstan’s main oil export corridor was disrupted by drone strikes near Russia’s Black Sea coast in July, forcing a temporary suspension of crude loadings and raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of regional energy infrastructure to the war in Ukraine.
Top Arab and Muslim foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Amman on Wednesday to establish a mechanism to document alleged Israeli violations in Jerusalem, urging coordinated international action to protect the city's religious sites.
Afghanistan has launched a five-year national health strategy to strengthen healthcare services as the country faces severe funding shortages, rising humanitarian needs and mounting pressure on its health system.
Uzbekistan has successfully launched the Samarkand-2028 hyperspectral Earth observation satellite into orbit, marking a major milestone in the country's national space programme and technological cooperation with China.
Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, plans to acquire 270,000 square metres of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, the country's trade minister has said. The announcement comes as Ukrainian drone strikes have damaged around 10 per cent of the company's warehouse capacity in Russia.
More than 800 Afghan families returned from Pakistan and Iran over two days as Afghan authorities continued receiving thousands of people arriving through deportations and voluntary returns from neighbouring countries.
Türkiye has urged Russia and Ukraine to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea after a drone struck a Turkish-owned cargo ship, reportedly injuring three crew members. Ankara said attacks on commercial vessels risk further destabilising maritime security.
Central Asian countries are adapting their energy strategies as Russia’s fuel sector comes under mounting pressure from Ukrainian drone attacks on oil infrastructure and continuing export restrictions.
Member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are expected to discuss suspending Armenia's voting rights at a summit in Moscow in November, according to a senior Russian official.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan are stepping up efforts to streamline trade between South and Central Asia through a new customs partnership focused on digital connectivity and artificial intelligence.
Apple Pay has launched in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, expanding digital payment services across Central Asia and supporting the region's shift towards cashless transactions.
UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to 10 landmarks of Tashkent's modernist architecture, recognising the buildings that helped redefine Uzbekistan's capital after the devastating 1966 earthquake.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have begun laying a fibre-optic cable beneath the Caspian Sea, marking the start of offshore construction on a long-planned digital infrastructure project.
A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region. No information has been released on casualties or the extent of the damage.
Russia has extended its ban on exports of gasoline, diesel, marine fuel and gasoil until 31 January 2027, as Moscow seeks to stabilise its domestic fuel market, prompting Central Asian countries to strengthen fuel security and diversify supplies.
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