U.S. and Iran exchange threats - Tuesday, 10 March
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including thr...
Kyrgyzstan has launched a national stablecoin and central bank digital currency in collaboration with cryptocurrency exchange Binance, announced President Sadyr Japarov on Saturday.
A mountainous former Soviet republic with a population of around 7 million, Kyrgyzstan has increasingly positioned itself as a cryptocurrency leader in Central Asia, despite its traditional reliance on labor migrants in Russia.
The A5A7 stablecoin, backed by the Russian rouble and based in Kyrgyzstan, has been sanctioned by Western governments, which claim it facilitates the circumvention of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, was appointed as an adviser on digital assets to Kyrgyzstan's president in May. On Saturday, Zhao revealed on X that the Kyrgyz national stablecoin had been launched on the BNB Chain, and that the digital version of the Kyrgyz som was ready for use in government transactions. He also mentioned that a national cryptocurrency reserve, including Binance's BNB token, had been established.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned Zhao, who had previously been convicted of money laundering-related offenses.
While Kyrgyzstan was once the most democratic among the five former Soviet Central Asian republics, Japarov has since tightened control over dissent following his rise to power after the 2020 street protests. The country is set to hold a snap parliamentary election on November 30, with Japarov's allies aiming to strengthen their hold on the legislature.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran to expect the “most intense day" of attacks so far. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history."
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of global concern as tensions rise following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has threatened to block the strategic waterway, raising fears of disruption to global oil shipments and energy markets.
Reports of so-called “acid clouds” moving from Iran towards Central Asia are not supported by scientific data, national hydrometeorological services in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan say, adding there is no threat to the region.
A senior delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has been holding meetings with Georgian government officials, opposition leaders and security authorities this week, as international observers attempt to gauge the country’s political climate following last year’s contentious elections.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told Masoud Pezeshkian, his Iranian counterpart, that violations of Turkish airspace by Iran could not be justified “for any reason whatsoever.”
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