Morning Brief - 12 August 2026
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 12th of August, covering the latest developments....
At Eco Expo Central Asia 2025, Uzbekistan unveiled two major environmental initiatives that reinforce its commitment to sustainability and climate resilience:
Expansion of ecological recovery in Karakalpakstan, the region devastated by the Aral Sea crisis.
Launch of a national green certification system to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting sustainable practices.
Transforming Karakalpakstan into a Sustainable Model
More than 2 million hectares of vegetation have already been planted on the dried seabed of the Aral Sea. This afforestation has reduced toxic dust storms, improved soil conditions, and revived biodiversity.
Now entering a new phase, Uzbekistan will promote:
“Our goal is to transform Karakalpakstan from an environmental disaster zone into a model of sustainable development,” said Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.
A dedicated pavilion at the Expo showcased these innovations and called for new international partnerships.
National Green Certification for SMEs
Uzbekistan also announced a green certification programme to incentivize businesses to adopt eco-friendly operations. The system will:
“Many businesses still view environmental standards as a burden. This initiative will shift that perception,” Abdukhakimov said.
Global Recognition
UN Resident Coordinator Sabine Mahl commended Uzbekistan’s efforts, calling them a model for a just transition that integrates environmental recovery with social inclusion and economic opportunity.
With more than 30 countries and 20 international organisations represented, Eco Expo Central Asia 2025 highlighted Uzbekistan’s leadership in ecological restoration and green economic transformation.
One hundred years after the First World War and more than eighty years after the devastation of the Second World War gave rise to the United Nations, humanity once again finds itself living in an age of permanent crisis.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has surpassed $1.1 billion at the global box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of the director’s career.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has outlined an expanded vision for the Zangezur Corridor, describing it not simply as a transport route connecting mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan exclave, but as a future platform for energy, telecommunications and wider regional integration.
Iran will host senior officials from the five Caspian Sea littoral states at a conference in Tehran on 23 September, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and addressing environmental challenges facing the sea.
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan signed a gas-purchase memorandum for the TAPI pipeline in Herat on Monday, as the two sides pushed for agreement on pricing and faster progress on the regional energy project.
As Russian officials praise Georgia’s “pragmatic” approach towards Moscow, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has explained why he will not describe Russia as an “enemy”.
Kazakhstan has begun building the Beineu-Saksaulsk highway, a new Middle Corridor link expected to shorten freight journeys between China and Europe by around 1,000 kilometres and reduce delivery times by up to three days.
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