Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan are among 11 countries set to benefit from a $400 million Asian Development Bank investment aimed at cutting freight times and costs along key Central Asian transport corridors.
Central Asia’s fintech ambitions are in the spotlight as a major forum in Tashkent draws to a close, shifting attention from the region’s potential to the investment, infrastructure and global reach needed to turn that vision into growth.
The Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum will bring more than 6,000 policymakers, investors and technology leaders from 74 countries to Tashkent, as Central Asia seeks a bigger role in the global fintech landscape.
Syria's government has integrated armed factions into the national army and is restructuring its security institutions as part of a broader effort to consolidate state authority and support the country's post-conflict recovery, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday.
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, investors, researchers and climate experts from across the world to advance practical solutions for tackling climate change.
Pakistan faces a fresh test over preferential access to one of its biggest export markets as the European Union introduces a new GSP+ framework from January 2027, with tougher requirements on implementation, monitoring and reporting.
Kazakhstan plans to build an international Earth observation satellite network of up to 14 spacecraft, expanding a project already bringing together Mongolia, the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.
Iran has dismissed a joint U.S.-E3 draft resolution on its nuclear programme as “meaningless, illogical, and illegal”, saying Tehran is ready to respond if the measure is pursued at the ongoing IAEA board meeting in Vienna.
Georgia is using a two-day maritime forum in Batumi to strengthen its case as a key trade link between Europe and Asia, bringing together international shipping officials, industry leaders and regional ministers for talks on ports, safety and connectivity.
Türkiye plans to increase defence spending by 229 per cent under a three-year economic plan designed to boost domestic arms production and advanced military technology.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and UN refugee agency representative Arafat Jamal discussed closer coordination on refugee returns on Sunday, with more than six million Afghans returning to the country since 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the dismantling of unauthorised settler outposts in the West Bank, according to people familiar with the decision, as pressure from Washington grows for Israel to curb violence by settlers against Palestinians.
Israeli strikes killed four people, including two women, in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, as Israel said it was retaliating for two Hezbollah drone attacks targeting its soldiers.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
The final day of the 4th International Mine Action Conference in Baku put international cooperation, new technology and national expertise at the heart of efforts to clear landmines and support post-conflict recovery.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
The European Union's move to suspend import duties on around 80 per cent of Armenian products is a goodwill gesture towards Yerevan, but analysts say it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the European market.
