Uzbekistan launches digital lending platform to boost small business growth
Uzbekistan will launch a new digital financial platform from 1 July aimed at simplifying access to finance for entrepreneurs, as part of broader effor...
Kazakhstan is assessing the scale of damage and potential losses following a recent attack on infrastructure operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, a key export route for the country’s oil.
Energy Minister Yerlan Akkhenzhenov has reiterated that the incident underscored the unacceptability of attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure, a position earlier articulated by his ministry in a statement.
According to the minister, the attack caused a significant breach measuring approximately two and a half by three metres as a result of a targeted explosion.
The damage was sustained by an offshore loading facility, known as an offshore single point mooring.
Divers are currently working to restore the buoyancy of the installation, after which specialists will need to access the interior to assess the condition of the technological equipment.
If repairs prove technically feasible, the damaged unit, referred to as SPM-2, will be brought back into operation, Akkhenzhenov said.
Restoration work is under way, although progress is being slowed by adverse weather conditions in the region.
Experts say winter weather and sea conditions are likely to be decisive in determining how quickly repairs can be completed.
If the sea remains calm, companies involved may be able to keep to planned timelines, but seasonal conditions add an element of uncertainty to offshore operations.
The latest attack on CPC infrastructure took place on 29 November at 06:06 Astana time, when unmanned boats disabled the SPM-2 facility in the waters of the port of Novorossiysk.
In response, the Kazakh government placed the situation under special control, and on 30 November the country’s foreign ministry lodged an official protest with Ukraine.
As the disruption affected part of Kazakhstan’s export capacity, authorities and companies moved to adjust oil flows.
On 10 December it was announced that some volumes of crude from the Kashagan field had begun to be redirected to China.
At the same time, KazTransOil announced plans to increase regional supplies and resume transit operations to neighbouring states.
According to the company’s press service, in December 2025 oil transportation volumes will rise in two directions, to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Supplies to Kyrgyzstan were resumed in November 2025, marking the first shipments along this route since 2017.
By the end of the year, deliveries to Kyrgyzstan are expected to reach up to 30 000 tonnes.
In parallel, KazTransOil plans to restart oil transit to Uzbekistan in December, with volumes of up to 35 000 tonnes.
Overall, combined deliveries to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are set to total 65 000 tonnes by the end of 2025, with up to 55 000 tonnes scheduled for December alone.
Oil is transported through KazTransOil’s main pipeline system to the Shagyr oil loading point, where it is transferred into railway tank cars for onward shipment.
The company says the increase in volumes has been made possible by effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with international partners, allowing Kazakhstan to maintain export flexibility amid ongoing challenges to its traditional export routes.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised Britain, France and Germany for leaving them out of talks with Russia about a potential future peace deal for Ukraine.
Uzbekistan will launch a new digital financial platform from 1 July aimed at simplifying access to finance for entrepreneurs, as part of broader efforts to support small businesses, encourage innovation and accelerate private sector development.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
The global race to develop quantum computing is accelerating, with governments and technology firms investing heavily in what is expected to become a major new computing era.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
Iran said no final decision has been made on a proposed agreement with Washington, despite suggestions from U.S. President Donald Trump that a deal could soon be signed in a European capital.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment