At least 11 people, including eight children, have been killed after a powerful explosion at a firecracker factory in northern India, authorities said, with rescue teams continuing to search through debris amid fears the toll could rise.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Qatar has discussed potential investment in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sectors and the construction of a crude oil refinery, during talks in Kabul as Gulf businesses show growing interest in the Afghan market.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has marked the 104th anniversary of Victory Day, honouring the decisive military victory that helped pave the way for the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye.
Uzbekistan has been named one of the world’s leading destinations for solo travelers, ranking fifth in the 2026 Solo Travel Index compiled by international travel platform Much Better Adventures.
Around five years ago, British prosecutors reportedly decided against pursuing war crime charges against Asma al-Assad, the then First Lady of Syria, because she was unlikely to return to the UK.
Central Asia is moving towards a more connected digital financial system, as rising cashless payments, expanding digital wallets and growing cross-border trade create demand for faster and cheaper ways to move money across the region.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Uzbekistan on Saturday for a two-day state visit aimed at strengthening economic and strategic ties before travelling to neighbouring Kyrgyzstan for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Central Asia is emerging as a new market for fintech investment, with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan leading the region’s push to attract venture capital, develop startups and build digital financial infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Kyrgyzstan next week to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where he is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with regional leaders.
Afghanistan’s western Herat province could begin receiving natural gas through the long-delayed TAPI pipeline within two months, Governor Noor Ahmad Islamjar said on Thursday. It would give local factories a new fuel source and move a decades-old regional energy plan forward.
Kazakhstan’s government has stepped down as the newly elected unicameral parliament, known as the Kurultai, begins its first session, marking the next stage of political restructuring under the country’s new Constitution.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has joined other world leaders in supporting a social media ban for youth under 16 years old. He made the statement during a session of the newly elected parliament in Astana on Friday.
The death toll from flooding in Nepal has climbed to 469, the South Asian country’s police said on Friday. Almost 1,000 people are still missing in Nepal and neighbouring Tibet, following the glacier collapse near the border with China on Wednesday morning.
Kazakhstan is discussing support for the Trans-Caspian green energy corridor with the European Commission, as work continues on a project to transmit electricity from Central Asia towards European markets, Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said.
The inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum brought together policymakers, investors and technology companies as Central Asia looks to build a more connected financial system and compete for a bigger share of global fintech investment.
A restaurant payment with a Visa card in Damascus has become a symbol of Syria’s reconnection with the global financial system.
More than half of the Syrian city of Aleppo's ancient markets have now been rebuilt, over a decade after they were reduced to rubble during the early years of the Syrian civil war.
Syrian and Israeli officials held U.S.-brokered talks in Jordan on Sunday to ease tensions after an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase near Türkiye last week.
Uzbekistan's region of Karakalpakstan is developing three cryptocurrency mining facilities and three data centers with a combined investment of $5.1 billion, as the region seeks to attract larger and higher-quality investments.
