live U.S. to apply measures 'never seen before' on Iran, Trump official says
The U.S. will impose "never seen before" measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, Washington's Treasury Secreta...
Georgia is set to impose a transit fee on the second shipment of petroleum products from Azerbaijan to Armenia, according to Armenian media quoting a statement from Karen Ayiryan, Director of Mega Trade on Thursday (8 January).
Ayiryan said the introduction of a transit fee is unlikely to significantly affect fuel prices in Armenia because broader factors such as international market prices and currency fluctuations also shape retail costs.
The upcoming shipment, which includes both premium and regular petrol as well as diesel fuel, will be subject to charges.
The Georgian side hasn't released any statements on the topic.
The development follows the historic first commercial deliveries of Azerbaijani fuel to Armenia via Georgian territory last month.
The first batch was transited through Georgia free of charge after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze instructed Georgian Railways to waive tariffs.
The transit was framed by Tbilisi as a sign of commitment to regional cooperation, with the Georgian government emphasising its role as a strategic partner for both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The new deliveries are part of a broader reopening of economic links between Armenia and Azerbaijan following decades of conflict and the trilateral peace declaration signed in August 2025 under U.S. mediation.
The first shipment, consisting of around 1,220 tonnes of SOCAR-produced AI-95 petrol dispatched from Baku on 18 December, was described by Armenia’s economy minister as the first commercial petrol trade between the two countries since independence.
According to multiple reports, the second shipment confirmed by Armenia’s Economy Ministry includes thousands of tonnes of fuel (with AI-92 petrol, AI-95 petrol and diesel) and is anticipated to help diversify energy supplies in Armenia and introduce competitive pricing.
Earlier local reporting also indicated that Armenian officials have discussed the possibility of alternative routes for transit if tariff issues are not resolved, underlining the economic stakes for Yerevan.
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 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.
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.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
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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