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The Baymak district in Bashkortostan, Russia, is known as an agrarian region and makes a significant contribution to the republic's food security. Despite changing weather each year, local farmers harvest abundant crops, lead in kumis production and remain at the forefront of livestock farming.
Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs says traffic into Samarkand and along several central streets will be restricted from time to time due to international events. On October 19-20, the city will host a meeting of foreign ministers from Central Asian countries and the United States in the C5+1 format. On October 21-22, it will host a global summit dedicated to child welfare and the future of children.
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.
In the Russian region of Yakutia, deliveries of petroleum products to the Nizhny Bestyakh station are continuing as part of planned work to replenish fuel storage facilities. The total volume of the shipment is 19.5 thousand tonnes, according to Deputy Minister for Civil Defence and Life Safety of the Population Nikita Pavlov.
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.
Kyrgyzstan plans to build 115 kindergartens each year, with 240 places per facility, and to raise preschool coverage to 80% by 2030. The measures are part of the first stage of the Concept of Demographic Policy until 2040, which was discussed on 16 October at a meeting of the Council on Demographic Policy under the Cabinet, the Ministry of Social Labour reported.
A monument to the Liberator Soldier in Shirovka village, Belebey district, Bashkortostan, is being renovated under the Supporting Local Initiatives programme. The surroundings are being tidied up and refreshed. Concrete curbs will be built and 22 granite slabs installed, engraved with the names of villagers who went to fight in the Great Patriotic War. Names of soldiers killed in the special military operation will also be commemorated, and an Eternal Flame is planned at the site.
Tatarstan's health system is about 2,500 doctors short, officials said, with nine districts in critical condition. In three districts, hospitals are staffed with fewer than half the required doctors. The figures were presented at a weekly meeting chaired by Tatarstan's head, Rustam Minnikhanov, where 19,460 doctors were noted as currently working in the system.
Uzbekistan's Cultural Heritage Agency has responded to reports about the State Literature Museum named after Alisher Navoi in Tashkent. A new museum building is under construction in New Tashkent, and its collections are being temporarily moved to the Islamic Civilization Center and the Academy of Sciences' Institute of Anthropology.
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.
A strike at Kıbrıs Türk Petrolleri (K-PET) in northern Cyprus has ended after the employer and the union reached an agreement. The walkout had begun over a decision to dismiss nine employees.
The Education Books Commission in North Macedonia has decided to withdraw 14 textbooks for Grade 7 of primary school. The decision, which takes effect immediately, covers materials for several subjects taught in Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Serbian. It was taken at a session held on 9 October 2026.
Voting in the 'Tatars of the Year' rating, organised by the publication Milliard.Tatar, reached 54,836 votes in its fifth week. The rating features 16 nominations, and participants can vote via Telegram, VKontakte and the project's official website in the 'Nominations' section.
Average monthly wages in Azerbaijan are approaching 1,200 manat. According to data released by the State Statistics Committee, average monthly wages across the country rose 7.2% in January to August this year compared with the same period last year, reaching 1,173 manat.
Society
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of Kazakhstan has explained why families with the same number of children may need different state support. According to the ministry, from 1 January 2027, the assignment of certain state benefits in Kazakhstan will take into account the level of a family's social well-being, not only its membership in a particular social category.
Kazakhstani citizens will be able to transfer up to 100% of their accumulated pension savings to private management. The Committee for Regulation and Control in the Sphere of Social Protection of the Population of the Ministry of Labour of Kazakhstan announced this.
In the village of Pavlovka in Nuriman district, Bashkortostan, Raziya and Rafat Ibrahimov grow more than 200 grape varieties in a large greenhouse covering their entire yard. Rafat Rafaelevich, who spent 38 years at Gazprom before retiring, says his interest in working the land dates back to childhood.
Bulgarian National Radio's programme "Bulgaria Today" aired on Friday, 16 October 2026, at 16:00. The programme was scheduled to open with a news bulletin covering the day's main developments.
An inquiry into the Filo Jet ship disaster, which killed 28 people off the coast of Girne on 30 August, has extended the detention of nine suspects by seven days. At the eighth hearing at the Girne District Court, police presented new findings from the ship's VDR recordings. The suspects are being investigated on charges of causing death through negligence and carelessness, and police said the charges could change as the investigation proceeds.
Tatarstan's State Road Inspectorate has described driving into the oncoming lane as a dangerous maneuver. It said that performing such a maneuver in prohibited places puts everyone on the road at risk of death.
Independent candidate for the bashkan (head) of Gagauzia, Kornel Dudnik, has pledged to carry out a financial, economic and administrative audit of the autonomous region within the first 100 days of his term, should he be elected. He made the commitment as he launched his election campaign.
Politics
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov chaired the latest Cabinet of Ministers meeting via a digital system. Parliament Chairman D. Gulmanowa reported on ongoing work to modernise national legislation, including draft laws on e-commerce and state registration of rights to immovable property, as well as amendments to the Customs, Criminal and Civil Procedure Codes.
Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozymbayev, on a working trip to Almaty, inspected civil protection facilities and reviewed seismological monitoring and public warning systems. He then held a council on seismic safety at the Almaty city akimat, attended by city akim Darkhan Satybaldy and representatives of sectoral ministries.
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
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