YEREVAN, Armenia (MNTV) — Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered a citizen-initiated referendum seeking amendments to the country’s Constitution, approving a civic initiative that now moves to the signature collection stage, Iravunk reported. The initiative was submitted in early July by the ‘Eurasian Alliance’ ...
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — Uzbekistan’s Central Bank has approved licensing procedures for banks conducting Islamic banking activities and established a new Islamic Finance Council to oversee the development, regulation and supervision of the sector. The Central Bank’s Board adopted amendments to the Regulation on the Procedure ...
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (MNTV) — Tajikistan’s interior minister said a man arrested in Israel on suspicion of spying for Iran is a native of Tajikistan but is no longer a Tajik citizen. Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda told a news conference on July 21 that the suspect had renounced his Tajik citizenship and obtained a Russian passport. ...
By Akhtar Pathan CENTRAL ASIA (MNTV) — Chess may have originated in northern India around the sixth century, but Central Asia has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic chess regions through a unique blend of history, culture and sustained public investment rather than any single tradition. As the world marks World Chess Day on July ...
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (MNTV) — Turkmenistan has launched a field workshop using advanced digital technologies to help preserve the ruins of the ancient Dandanakan mosque, one of Central Asia’s oldest surviving cathedral mosques, as part of the country’s 2022-2028 state program for protecting historical and cultural heritage. The w...
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (MNTV) — President Sadyr Japarov has signed Kyrgyzstan’s Law on Climate Activity, making the country the first in Central Asia to adopt a comprehensive legal framework dedicated to climate policy. The law, signed on July 7 after parliamentary approval on May 20, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The Cabinet has six [&...
YEREVAN, Armenia (MNTV) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he wants work on a proposed U.S.-backed transit corridor linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave through southern Armenia to begin as soon as possible, despite continuing concerns raised by neighboring Iran, according to Freedom TV. Speaking to reporters Thursday, P...
BAKU, Azerbaijan (MNTV) — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that his government is considering withdrawing from the Council of Europe, saying Baku is evaluating “not just the suspension or freezing” of its membership in the 46-member human rights organization. “We are unequivocally considering leaving that structure,...
BAKU, Azerbaijan (MNTV) — Azerbaijan’s State Service for the Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage has received an international award recognizing its efforts to expand public participation in cultural heritage preservation and modernize heritage management, according to the Ministry of Culture. The agency received...
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — Uzbekistan is considering introducing legal restrictions on social media use by children under the age of 16, with authorities preparing draft legislation for public consultation, Gazeta.uz reported. Minister of Preschool and School Education Ezozkhon Karimova said the proposal has already been discussed with memb...
