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Kyrgyzstan's Finance Ministry has set the state investment budget for 2027 at 47.3 billion soms, 6% more than in the current year. External financing is expected to total 45.1 billion soms, including 33.5 billion soms in loans and 11.5 billion soms in grants. The budget is projected to rise to 75.8 billion soms in 2028.
The Ulusal Birlik Partisi (UBP) has set the order numbers to be used in its candidate ranking vote, according to a party statement. Savaşan said the numbers were determined under the supervision and oversight of the Central Election Committee.
One person was killed and five others were injured in a mass drone attack on St Petersburg, which the source attributes to Ukraine's Armed Forces, according to St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov. APA's Russia bureau reported the governor's statement, saying the attack damaged a 12-storey apartment building and two private houses.
UBP Secretary-General Ahmet Savaşan has announced that serial numbers have been determined for 72 pre-candidates seeking to represent the National Unity Party in six electoral districts, competing for 50 parliamentary candidacies ahead of the general election on 6 December 2026. The numbers were set under the supervision of the Central Election Committee.
Uzbekistan has announced that people who involve minors in drug use could face up to 10 years of deprivation of liberty. The provision is set out in a law aimed at strengthening the protection of children from violence, which was signed by the President. Under the law, criminal liability for involving minors in drugs and psychotropic substances has been sharply increased.
The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan will host the 15th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) and a meeting of the Assembly Council on October 19-20.
Azerbaijan's extended chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) until 2028 opens new opportunities for regional cooperation, security and joint economic projects, according to Ranokhon Tursunova, a professor at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent. She spoke to Day.az about the outcomes of the 7th CICA summit, held in Baku on 15 October.
Azerbaijan will have four consecutive non-working days in November, Day.Az reports. This year, 8 November, Victory Day, falls on a Sunday. The following day, 9 November, is marked as State Flag Day and is also a non-working day.
According to an investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Serbian state institutions transferred at least €111,700 to three associations in North Macedonia. Representatives of these associations openly support Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The funds were distributed through the Diaspora Office under Serbia's Foreign Ministry, mainly for projects on culture, Orthodox faith and the preservation of the Cyrillic alphabet.
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Azerbaijan holds the leading position in the South Caucasus by volume of strategic foreign currency reserves. According to the State Statistics Committee, the country's strategic reserves stood at $89.38 billion as of 30 September 2026. This amount is about 19.8 times the country's external public debt of $4.51 billion. The reserves are about 10.9 times Georgia's international reserves of $8.17 billion, announced in September, and 13.4 times Armenia's foreign currency reserves of $6.66 billion.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Baghdad within the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, high-level meetings are continuing at the OIC summit in Baghdad, attended by all member and observer states and affiliated bodies. The opening session began with a speech by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who spoke as chair of the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers. Fidan drew attention to global crises in various regions of the world and to the pressure and injustice faced by Muslims.
The United States considers developing relations with Central Asian states a priority and aims to deepen cooperation with countries in the region. US Secretary of State and Presidential Assistant for National Security Affairs Marco Rubio made the statement to journalists before departing for Uzbekistan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on state awards. The document was published on the legal acts portal. Among the recipients are three representatives from Tatarstan.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists that the United States shares the United Kingdom's position regarding Iran's alleged involvement in preparations for an attack on the RAF Fairford airbase. Rubio said Britain had stated that Iranians were behind the preparations, that there was no basis to disagree with this assessment, and that the US also shares this position.
From 1 January 2027, fathers on parental leave in Kazakhstan will no longer receive the monthly state childcare allowance, reports Kapital.kz. Working men can still take parental leave, but only women who meet certain criteria will receive the monthly payment until the child turns 1.5.
Azerbaijan marks the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its independence on October 18.
Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy carried out inspections and meetings at the Gazimağusa Industrial Zone, visiting craftsmen and industrialists operating there. According to information released by the Ministry of Economy and Energy, Taçoy listened to the problems being faced and exchanged views on possible ways out of them.
UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative on Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin has called on the island’s leaders in an article written for the Politis newspaper. Politis published the piece on its front page and inside pages under the headline “Holguin’s Article-Message to the Leaders – Shows How to Open the Way”.
European Council President Antonio Costa is expected to travel to Ankara in late October to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and reports suggest the two will discuss linking EU-Turkey relations to the Cyprus problem. The Greek Cypriot newspaper Fileleftheros reported that Costa would carry a message to Erdoğan that progress in EU-Turkey relations depends on developments on Cyprus and the resumption of negotiations.
Economy
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Uzbekistan's Navoiyazot at BB- with a positive outlook, according to a Trend analysis article dated 17 October 2026 at 23:27 (UTC+4). The piece is illustrated with a Fitch Ratings photo and is categorised under Uzbekistan.
In North Macedonia, the main opposition party SDSM said in a written statement that farmers across the country face rising costs and a lack of support, while agricultural product prices have risen much more slowly. According to the party, agricultural production costs increased by 8.8 percent, while product prices rose by only 2.3 percent.
Six years have passed since the village of Khudafarin in Jabrayil district was freed from Armenian occupation. Qafqazinfo reports that on October 18, 2020, the 22nd day of the Patriotic War that began on September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army liberated the historic Khudafarin bridges and Khudafarin village.
On 17 October 2026, the 6th Pile Peace Festival was held in Pile with the participation of President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot administration leader Nikos Christodoulides. The event was organised by the Turkish and Greek Cypriot village headmen of Pile together with the Pile Office of the UN Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP).
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
Read today's digest →