Britain secures $5bn Gulf trade deal amid regional tensions
Britain has struck a major trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), expected to be worth around £3.7 billion ($4.96 billion) ...
Kyrgyzstan is preparing to hold snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, 30 November 2025, after the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) dissolved itself in September.
The decision to hold an early vote is intended to avoid overlapping parliamentary and presidential elections next year.
The election was brought forward was after President Japarov formally requested the dissolution of parliament, arguing that holding two national votes within a short interval with each other would create significant financial and organisational burdens.
The Parliamentary elections were originally slated for November 2026 while the presidential election was slated for January 2027.
The Central Election Commission reports that nearly 200 candidates have been registered, with over 4 million eligible voters on the national list.
Posters, candidate tents and street-level campaigning have been visible across Bishkek and other cities, marking the final days of a shortened pre-election period.
Analysts suggest that the pro-government Ata-Jurt Kyrgyzstan party remains the leading contender and could secure a substantial majority in the Jogorku Kenesh.
The Kyrgyzstani Jogorku Kenesh or parliament is a unicameral legislature of 90 members with a five-year term.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) has deployed an election observation mission to monitor preparations, the legal framework, campaigning conditions and election-day procedures. Their mission will release preliminary findings shortly after the vote.
The Presidential election which is scheduled for January 2027 is expected to proceed as planned.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
At least 21 people have been killed and thousands evacuated after torrential rain triggered flooding, landslides and transport disruption across southern and central China, with authorities warning that more heavy rainfall is expected along the Yangtze River.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
The pneultimate day of the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku will see Azerbaijan's Pavilion highlight post-construction efforts in Garabagh and East Zangezur, as well as host events on the future of Baku and architectural education.
Passenger rail services between Baku and Tbilisi are expected to resume in 2026, after being suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional border restrictions.
Tajik scientists have warned that glaciers in the Pamir Mountains are melting at an alarming rate, including in high-altitude areas previously considered relatively stable, following the country’s first direct winter glacier measurements since independence.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has published an open letter questioning the EU’s democratic credibility, in what may be the clearest sign yet of Georgia’s deepening political and diplomatic rupture with Brussels.
Amid shifting global supply chains and rising geopolitical competition over trade corridors, attention is increasingly turning to the strategic role of transit states linking Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Europe and the Middle East.
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