Water Diplomacy in Dushanbe: Tajikistan’s water conference is driving fresh pressure for regional cooperation as Pakistan’s climate minister Musadik Malik warned against “water aggression” and any move to sideline the Indus Waters Treaty, saying unilateral actions could set a dangerous precedent for downstream rights. Digital Economy & Water Use: Indonesia’s deputy foreign minister Arrmanatha Nasir warned that AI, data centers and digital industries are quietly consuming huge volumes of water, calling for stronger UN focus as multilateral systems strain. Kyrgyz Water Costs: Kyrgyz officials, including Erlis Akunbekov, urged Central Asian partners to create compensation mechanisms to help fund glacier and water-infrastructure maintenance as melting and declining precipitation threaten supplies. Tajik Tax Push on E-Wallets: Starting Sept 1, Tajikistan will tax transactions routed through e-wallets, mobile apps and QR payments, using a unified digital system to flag frequent commercial activity for potential automatic registration. Regional Security & Energy Links: South Korea’s national security adviser Wi Sung-lac is heading to Kazakhstan ahead of a Korea-Central Asia summit to coordinate regional security and energy supply-chain cooperation. Trade & Payments: Russia’s QR-code payments are expanding to more countries, with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan among the supported destinations for Russian banking apps. Business Climate Signals: Uzbekistan reported foreign trade turnover up 5.8% to $26.3bn in Jan–Apr, with exports down but non-gold exports rising, pointing to continued diversification.