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Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian officia...
Afghan authorities in Kabul and Herat have sought wider investment, trade and environmental cooperation with Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and an international aid organisation.
Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hedayatullah Badri met Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Kabul, Oybek Usmanov, on Sunday, to discuss investment in Afghanistan’s mineral resources and wider economic relations.
The ministry said Uzbek investors had shown interest in the sector and that concerns surrounding the Toti Maidan Project were also raised.
It said Badri had offered support for foreign investors, adding, “The Minister of Mines and Petroleum welcomed the interest of Uzbek investors in Afghanistan’s mining sector and reaffirmed the Ministry’s full cooperation and support to attract, encourage and facilitate foreign investment in the country.”
Separately, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said its chairman and leadership had met a joint Russian and Kazakh delegation.
The chamber said Afghanistan had opportunities in mining, agriculture, manufacturing and industry. It added, “The delegation expressed strong interest in Afghanistan’s investment potential and announced that more than 100 Russian entrepreneurs are interested in visiting the country to explore partnerships.”
In Herat, Governor Noor Ahmad Islamjar and Gholam Hossein Mozaffari, governor of Iran’s Khorasan Razavi Province, discussed easing cargo movement through the Dogharoon–Islam Qala border crossing.
According to the Herat governor’s office, Islamjar also called for better facilities for Afghan truck drivers in Iran and the removal of transportation obstacles.
The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) also asked Solidarités International to coordinate future projects with the agency and focus on remote and climate-vulnerable areas.
The agency said, “She pledged that the organisation’s future environmental programmes and activities would be designed and implemented in coordination and consultation with the agency.”
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Strengthened U.S.-Central Asia ties reflect a broader trend in international relations, with growing emphasis on developing alternative transit routes and diversifying energy and critical mineral supply networks to gain geopolitical influence.
At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, in the second deadly rail disaster in less than a year on a major route linking Madrid with the southern Andalusia region.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
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