Korea-Central Asia Summit: South Korea hosted the first-ever presidential summit with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, aiming to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, supply chains, digital innovation and connectivity, with a Seoul Declaration expected. Turkmenistan-Korea investment safeguards: Seoul and Ashgabat signed an investment promotion and protection agreement in Seoul, promising national treatment, most-favored-nation treatment, compensation rules for expropriation and investor-state dispute procedures. Tech partnership “Ýerli Tor”: A Turkmen-Korean joint venture deal was signed to build a domestic production base for modern servers, data storage and networking gear, with phased localization and training for Turkmen specialists. Water infrastructure talks: Daewoo E&C signed an MoU with Turkmenistan’s water authorities on modernizing about 250 km of the lower Karakum Canal, citing urgent needs for efficiency and stable supply. Education rankings: Turkmenistan’s education ministry compiled university and teacher rankings using publication quality in Web of Science and Scopus, highlighting growth in Turkmen researchers’ output. Culture diplomacy: India’s embassy in Ashgabat held a Hindi Day gala reception, noting dozens of students studying Hindi in Turkmenistan. Sports: Arkadag FC of Turkmenistan beat Bahrain’s Muharraq 1-0 in AFC Champions League Two Group B. Environment youth contest: An essay contest asks students to explain why protecting the ozone layer matters, with submissions due Oct. 2.