China signs new deals worth $213 billion under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2025 China's #Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) just shattered records, signing $213.5 billion in new deals for 2025, a stunning 75% surge. The total now exceeds $1.4 trillion across 150 nations. But the real story is the strategic pivot. The focus has sharply turned to Africa and Central Asia, with a dual energy strategy creating a stark paradox. 2025 was simultaneously the initiative's "greenest and dirtiest" year. While clean energy investments hit new peaks, fossil fuel deals tripled to $71.5 billion, representing over 74% of all energy engagement, the highest reliance since 2014. Concurrently, #China executed a massive minerals grab. Metals and mining investments reached a record $32.6 billion, with roughly 60% concentrated in Kazakhstan alone, a nation sitting on reserves of 15 critical rare earth elements.

Kazakh president warns against misinformation, provocations about plane crash near Aktau It is crucial to prevent the spread of misleading information and provocations about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near #Kazakhstan’s #Aktau airport, Kassym-Jomart #Tokayev, the country’s leader, stated at a briefing dedicated to this incident. "The president emphasized the importance of countering provocative disinformation and fake news," Tokayev’s press service reported following the briefing. The Kazakh president has instructed the General Prosecutor's Office and the government commission to conduct an impartial investigation of the plane crash near Aktau. "The government commission and the Prosecutor General’s Office, together with other relevant bodies, have been instructed to ensure a comprehensive and fair investigation of the plane crash," the statement said. The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25. The plane carried 67 people, including 62 passengers, mostly citizens of Azerbaijan, as well as nationals of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and five crew members. According to the latest reports, 38 people, including seven Russians, were killed, while 29 others survived. A special flight sent by Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has transported nine Russian nationals, who were injured in the crash, including a child, to Moscow for medical treatment.