One dead, six injured in blast at Europe’s largest port
One person has been killed and six others injured after an explosion at a petroleum storage facility at the Port of Rotterdam, prompting an investi...
S&P Global Ratings has revised Uzbekistan’s outlook to positive from stable, affirming its 'BB-/B' ratings. The change reflects steady economic reforms, resilient growth, and support from high gold prices, which are helping stabilize the country’s fiscal and external positions.
S&P Global Ratings upgraded Uzbekistan’s outlook to positive, citing ongoing structural reforms, robust domestic demand, and high gold prices as key factors boosting growth and fiscal stability. The agency affirmed the country's 'BB-/B' long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings.
Uzbekistan’s economy is projected to grow by 5.6% on average through 2028, driven by government-led investment, labor remittances, and energy sector reforms. Plans to gradually increase energy tariffs and reduce subsidies are expected to lower the fiscal deficit from 4.9% of GDP in 2023 to around 3% over the medium term.
Rising gold exports are enhancing fiscal revenues and foreign exchange reserves. While public debt is increasing due to infrastructure spending, it is expected to remain manageable, reaching 34% of GDP by 2028.
However, risks remain due to centralized governance, dependence on commodity exports, and exposure to external shocks.
S&P noted that continued reforms and efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline could lead to a rating upgrade. Conversely, slower growth or rising deficits may stabilize the outlook.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 12th of August, covering the latest developments.
The suspension of two major grain terminals in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk could increase pressure on Kazakhstan’s agricultural market if Russian exporters divert supplies to Central Asia at discounted prices.
Georgia’s Prime Minister says the EU’s inclusion of a major Black Sea cable project on a key infrastructure list is fresh evidence of the country’s importance to regional energy and digital connectivity.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has dismissed Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and appointed former parliament speaker Alen Simonyan as his replacement.
Central Asia’s economy has surpassed $543 billion, driven by Kazakhstan’s economic weight, strong exports and foreign investment, while growing trade across Asia points to an increasingly connected region.
The United Nations refugee agency is planning a settlement and carpet-weaving workshop for Afghan returnees in Kabul as the country grapples with large-scale returns and growing pressure on housing, jobs and basic services.
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