Eurasia / News
English Channel migrant arrivals exceed 25,000 in record time
The number of migrants entering British waters via English Channel crossings has surpassed 25,000 arrivals at the earliest point in any year since records began.
Iran to open new railway routes to Central Asia
Iran will open new railway routes to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, as well as Afghanistan and Turkey.
Kyrgyzstan bans access to online pornography
At same time imposes state control on all international internet traffic.
Court hears Uzbek group attempted to sell nuclear bomb material uranium on black market
National security officials world over are anxious to quickly shut down any such sales.
Strike breaks out at construction site where Russia is building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant
Rosatom blames unpaid wages on “unfriendly countries” blocking project funds. Launch of first reactor years behind schedule.
Multimodal China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan rail and road freight route goes into operation
Corridor connects Wuhan in central China to Tashkent. With realisation of the “CKU” railroad years away, operators will hope for brisk business.
Breakthrough moment for Trans-Afghan Railway project hailed by Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan
Three countries agree to prepare feasibility study. Russia too would benefit from infrastructure linking Central Asia to Arabian Sea coast.
Central Asia wary Russia will turn on ruble “printing press” to cope with cooling economy, say experts
If Russian economy slips into recession a consequent fall in migrant remittances would particularly hit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
EU threatens suspension of visa free travel for Georgians amid ruling party crackdown
The EU has warned Georgia may lose its visa-free travel privileges should the ruling Georgian Dream party not take steps to reverse its current course, which many Western countries have condemned as increasingly authoritarian and anti-European.
Iran claims 800,000 Afghans left voluntarily amid deportation programme
An estimated 800,000 Afghans have left Iran from the beginning of 2025 until July 16, with over 70% departing voluntarily and self-identifying as unauthorised residents, officials claim.
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Trio of Turkmen opposition activists face deportation from Turkey as Ankara “indulges” Ashgabat
Erdogan builds Turkic ties, loses patience with Turkmen critics.
Etihad Airways announces seven new routes from Abu Dhabi hub
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will launch seven new destinations from Abu Dhabi between November 2025 and March 2026, expanding its network across the Middle East.
European foreign ministers hit out at Georgian ruling party
Statement condemned ongoing democratic backsliding by the ruling Georgia Dream party, which has consolidated power via crackdowns on independent media, NGOs, activists and opposition politicians.
Iran responds to Azerbaijan energy projects with Caspian Sea drilling
Iran has launched exploratory drilling operations in the Caspian Sea after years of neglecting the region due to sanctions constraints and cheaper extraction costs from southern oil fields.
Court shutters Kyrgyz broadcaster for sarcasm, press takes a hit in Central Asia
Kyrgyz president maintains country has a free press.
Azerbaijan and Armenia edge toward peace under international gaze
Agenda for Abu Dhabi meeting centred on the core pillars of the long-stalled peace process: the delimitation of borders, opening of regional transport routes and finalisation of a peace treaty.
Uzbekistan taps China’s Shandong Group to upgrade Tashkent substations
China’s Shandong Electrical Engineering & Equipment Group is set to modernise two electrical substations in Tashkent under a deal aimed at improving the reliability of Uzbekistan’s power grid.
Macron and Starmer pledge to fight English Channel Kurdish migration gangs
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to intensify cooperation against illegal migration gangs during a summit at Downing Street.
Uzbekistan hits back at UN opinion on jailed daughter of former president Karimov
The government of Uzbekistan has issued a formal response challenging a UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention opinion on the criminal prosecution of Gulnara Karimova, the imprisoned daughter of ex-president Karimov
China reportedly operating Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, as economic ties deepen
China is now operating the former United States military facility at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, The Telegraph reports citing anonymous officials and satellite imagery analyses.