A power disturbance that swept across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on 14 August has highlighted both the benefits and vulnerabilities of Central Asia’s interconnected electricity grid.
Kazakhstan has launched a unified digital platform to track coal supplies in real time, giving officials a clearer view of production, shipments, stocks and prices ahead of the heating season.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan all reported blackouts on Friday, which Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said had been caused by a "sudden change in the power flow" from the Central Asian grid.
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.
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.
An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk killed an eight-year-old child, injured others and damaged residential buildings, port infrastructure and grain facilities, Russian officials and industry sources said on Wednesday.
Ukraine has agreed to refrain from targeting certain tankers using Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a request from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the Financial Times reported, although Kyiv has continued strikes on Russian targets at the port.
On 23 August, Kazakhstan will vote for the Kurultai, a new 145-seat, single-chamber parliament replacing the two-chamber system the country has had since independence.
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.
Iran is moving closer to ratifying a long-delayed agreement governing the Caspian Sea, as Tehran seeks closer ties with neighbouring states amid growing security concerns and economic pressure.
Kazakhstan has released an Amur tiger into the wild for the first time in more than 70 years, marking the beginning of a long-term effort to restore the species to its historic range in Central Asia.
Tourists may soon be able to view Kazakhstan’s tourist sites by drone. Officials are planning to trial flights of between five and 30 minutes over landmarks in the country, its Ministry of Transport said.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will remove tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting around 20 product categories from 10 August, in a move designed to facilitate cross-border trade and support businesses in both countries.
Georgia has wrapped up one of its busiest periods of foreign policy activity in years, with almost all of it focused on Central Asia.
Kazakhstan’s main oil export corridor was disrupted by drone strikes near Russia’s Black Sea coast in July, forcing a temporary suspension of crude loadings and raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of regional energy infrastructure to the war in Ukraine.
Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, plans to acquire 270,000 square metres of warehouse space in Kazakhstan, the country's trade minister has said. The announcement comes as Ukrainian drone strikes have damaged around 10 per cent of the company's warehouse capacity in Russia.
Azerbaijan's entry into the regional consultative format gives Central Asia reach across the Caspian. But turning geography into power will require more than summits and corridors.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have begun laying a fibre-optic cable beneath the Caspian Sea, marking the start of offshore construction on a long-planned digital infrastructure project.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
Kazakhstan has resumed oil exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after drone attacks disrupted operations at its Black Sea terminal, restoring the route that carries most of the country’s crude exports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 26th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on Saturday for Russia and Ukraine to freeze the conflict and return to peace talks, saying a negotiated settlement remained possible despite the entrenched positions of both sides.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed regional and commercial agreements worth more than 80 billion tenge ($146 million). The deals aim to expand cooperation between the two Central Asian neighbors in trade, transport, industry and cross-border development.
Kazakhstan's grain sector faces a difficult season as drought reduces harvest prospects while mounting security risks in the Black Sea threaten to redirect cheaper Russian grain into Central Asian markets.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
