Energy Shock: A sudden change in electricity flows triggered a major blackout across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on Aug 14, with outages reported in Almaty and Almaty Region, Bishkek, Dushanbe and Khujand, and parts of southern Uzbekistan; Kazakhstan’s grid operator said the disruption followed shutdowns tied to Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydropower, while authorities in other countries pointed to neighboring-grid problems and restoration work began. Industrial Expansion: Tajikistan opened a new electrical cable plant in Tursunzoda (Nokili Tursunzoda CJSC) with capacity for up to 3,600 tons of cables annually, producing 30 cable types (100 in the full range), creating 100 jobs and aiming to cut imports. Transport Digitization: Tajikistan presented a CIS digital roadmap for multimodal transport corridors at a CIS digitalization council meeting, with step-by-step guidance expected to move into practical implementation after CIS Economic Council approval. Agribusiness & Trade Links: Tajikistan and Belarus are expanding fruit and vegetable cooperation, including seed and planting material supplies and $26m in signed contracts; Tajikistan exported 378.3 tonnes of dried fruit to Belarus in Jan–Jun 2026 worth $658,000. Regional Integration Push: Diplomats in Washington discussed making the emerging C6 more practical—customs, rail, digital trade and Caspian connectivity—while the EU also highlighted deepening ties alongside varied rights conditions across Central Asia.