Afghanistan, Belarus agree to deepen industrial cooperation
Afghanistan and Belarus have agreed to advance joint industrial projects, investment and technical cooperation following talks in Minsk, as Kabul s...
At the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit on 4 July in Khankendi in Azerbaijan, expressed support to the bid by the Republic of Türkiye to host COP31 in 2026. Antalya has been proposed as host city for COP31.
The 17th Summit theme - 'New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Future' - made clear that economic sustainability and climate resilience must be central to ECO’s future.
The Khankendi Communiqué adopted at the event stressed the importance of protecting the region’s ecosystem through sustainable water management, biodiversity protection, and climate-smart agriculture.
In this regard, participants intend to intensify efforts for transition to low-carbon development by expanding renewable capacity and jointly developing renewable energy infrastructure.
They welcomed the establishment of the ECO Clean Energy Center and the completion of the process of ratification by a sufficient number of Member States enabling its full operationalization.
Leaders at the ECO Summit have endorsed stronger regional cooperation on disaster risk reduction and resilient infrastructure. Key measures include the development of joint early-warning systems for floods, droughts, and earthquakes, as well as the integration of resilience standards into all new transport, energy, and urban projects across member states.
The Summit also highlighted the importance of sustainable urbanisation as a driver of economic growth, social equity, and environmental responsibility. In a significant development, delegates welcomed the decision to host the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Azerbaijan—the first time the event will take place in the ECO region. Scheduled for 17–22 May 2026, the forum will be held under the theme 'Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.'
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
Rhossi, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle that washed up near death on a Welsh beach in 2023, has returned to Texas after more than two years of rehabilitation in the UK.
Glacier coverage in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin has shrunk by 33.7 per cent over the past 70–90 years, according to an updated glacier inventory by Kyrgyzhydromet. The agency says the pace of glacier retreat has accelerated sharply in recent years.
Extreme heat and historically low river levels are forcing nuclear power plants across Southeast Europe to reduce production, increasing pressure on already stretched electricity supplies and prompting governments to call for lower consumption.
Flash floods in Gansu Province in China's northwest last week killed 25 people and injured 23 more, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, raising earlier death tolls.
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