The co-stars, who played love interests on Season 3 of the HBO show, appeared to avoid each other at the Met Gala 2025 Monday evening.
Day: May 6, 2025
A major solar power project is set to launch in the Forish district of Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh region, following a presidential decree issued earlier this month. The project entails the construction of a 500-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) plant along with supporting power transmission infrastructure.
According to the decree, the initiative aims to ensure a stable energy supply for both the population and key sectors of the economy, reduce dependence on natural gas in electricity generation, and increase the share of renewables in Uzbekistan’s energy mix.
To carry out the project, China Electrical Equipment International Co. Ltd. and China Huadian Overseas Co. Ltd. have formed a joint venture, Huadian Jizzakh Solar Power LLC. The companies will design, finance, construct, and operate the facility.
Total direct investment is projected at 2.08 billion yuan (approximately $290 million). Under a 25-year guaranteed purchase agreement, Uzbekistan’s state electricity buyer, Uzenergosotish JSC, will buy the generated electricity.
For the construction site, the government has allocated 991.1 hectares of pastureland in Forish, which will be reclassified from agricultural to industrial use.
This announcement follows a wave of green energy initiatives signed during the inaugural Samarkand International Climate Forum in April 2025. Among them was an agreement with China’s Liquip International to build another solar facility in the same region.
As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Chinese investment in Jizzakh continues to grow. In June 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inaugurated a Technopark in the Zaamin district, where Chinese firms are financing 30 projects valued at $1.2 billion. The development is expected to generate over 5,000 jobs.
The latest OPEC+ decision to boost oil production in a strained global market threatens to push Kazakhstan closer to recession and further inflation. On May 3, OPEC+ members agreed to a significant increase in oil output for June. Leading financial outlets, including Bloomberg, suggest that the move is intended to penalize member states that have consistently breached their production quotas, most notably Kazakhstan and Iraq. The announcement triggered a sharp drop in oil prices.
Production will rise by 411,000 barrels per day in June, following a tripling of output in May from the originally planned volume. Analysts attribute the shift to Riyadh’s growing frustration with non-compliant members. According to Rystad Energy analyst Jorge Leon, a former OPEC official, Saudi Arabia aims to “financially wear down” these states while aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for lower energy prices.
Kazakhstan’s Overproduction at Tengiz
Despite repeated assurances from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy that they would honor OPEC+ agreements, the country exceeded its January quota by 32,000 barrels per day (bpd), producing 1.5 million bpd versus an allotted 1.468 million. This surge followed Tengizchevroil LLP’s launch of a new expansion phase at the Tengiz oil field in the Atyrau region, elevating output there to 870,000 barrels per day, 45% above the 2024 average. The expansion is expected to add 12 million tons annually to Tengiz’s crude production.
Tengizchevroil is a joint venture comprising Chevron (50%), ExxonMobil (25%), KazMunayGas (20%), and LUKOIL (5%).
Falling Prices and Criticism of OPEC’s Tactics
Following the OPEC+ announcement, Brent crude futures fell to $59.30 per barrel on May 5, with U.S. WTI at $56.19. Some analysts argue Kazakhstan is being unfairly targeted. As Reuters reports, Kazakhstan contributes only 5% of OPEC+ production and under 2% of global output.
Analysts at the Stankevicius Group note that larger producers such as the UAE, Russia, and Iraq have repeatedly breached quotas without facing similar scrutiny. They argue that Saudi Arabia’s surge in production undermines the cartel’s objectives more than Kazakhstan’s actions.
“Saudi Arabia, which has sharply increased its oil production, is causing even greater damage to the OPEC+ agreement by encouraging lower prices,” the analysts claimed. “In other words, Kazakhstan is maintaining a balance of interests and the interests of other cartel members. Meanwhile, other members are allowing themselves to disrupt the market balance.”
Planning for a Downturn
Oil revenues are central to Kazakhstan’s state budget, prompting government officials to prepare for a potential downturn. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin stated in April that contingency plans are being developed for scenarios where oil prices fall to $55 or even $50 per barrel.
However, the national budget is pegged to a $75 per barrel benchmark. According to analyst Murat Kastaev, social obligations make spending cuts politically infeasible, leaving the government reliant on increased transfers from the National Fund and a probable weakening of the tenge. While GDP growth could slow to 3-3.5% at current prices, a sustained drop to $40-50 per barrel may trigger a recession and significant currency devaluation.
“We hope it won’t come to that,” Kastaev said, “as prices below $50 threaten not only Kazakhstan’s economy but also the broader stability of the global market, including the interests of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.”
Eluned Morgan says her government will move ‘to the left’ and urges UK Labour to reconsider budget cuts
The Welsh first minister and leader of the Welsh Labour party has said she is “losing patience” with UK Labour and made it clear she is “tacking to the left” as she tries to counter a growing threat from Reform UK and Plaid Cymru.
Eluned Morgan told the Guardian she wanted Keir Starmer to rethink policy changes on welfare and the winter fuel allowance and described the Labour party as a “messy family”.
An international fair of craftsmen and folk art opened in Cholpon-Ata, marking the official start of the tourist season in Issyk-Kul. The highlight of the event was a lively and competitive display of yurt assembly, drawing large crowds and showcasing Kyrgyz traditions.
Such fairs have become a key platform for Kyrgyz travel companies to promote their services and forge partnerships with tour operators from abroad.
“Today, Kyrgyzstan offers more than just a destination, we offer a tourism philosophy based on sustainability, respect for nature, and cultural diversity,” said Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov, reflecting the country’s broader tourism goals.
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Looking ahead, Japarov noted that by 2030, Central Asian countries may introduce a unified tourist visa. “Thanks to the goodwill of our presidents and peoples, we have recently been able to finally resolve border issues. Today, we are talking about creating a single tourist space in Central Asia. This initiative aims to enable foreign tourists to travel freely throughout the region, combining the routes, attractions, and cultural wealth of our countries in a single tourist package,” he said.
President Sadyr Japarov has also expressed support for a visa-free regime among Central Asian nations and the introduction of a regional visa akin to the Schengen model.