1. Amendments to the Law “On protecting the health of citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke and the consequences of tobacco product consumption” have come into force in Turkmenistan. The changes are related to the minimum age for the purchase of any tobacco product. In accordance with the amendments, the sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 21 will be prohibited in the country. In addition, the Law notes that in places where tobacco products are sold, signs must be installed warning that the sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 21 is prohibited.

2. From January 1, 2023, excise duty rates for manufactured alcoholic products and alcohol and tobacco products imported into the country will be changed in Turkmenistan. Thus, the excise rate for strong alcoholic beverages produced in the country was increased from 53% to 61% of the customs value, and excises for tobacco products imported into the territory of Turkmenistan increased from 93% to 116%.

3. Turkmenistan intends to purchase a large batch of oversized buses and cars from the Republic of Korea. This issue is currently under discussion. It should be noted that about 2 thousand cars and passenger buses have been sent to Turkmenistan from the Republic of Korea so far.

4. The Law of Turkmenistan “On military duty and military service” clarifies the grounds for deferment from conscription for military service of citizens. The law determines that a deferment from conscription for military service will be granted to those who wish to participate in entrance examinations to higher and secondary vocational educational institutions of Turkmenistan and foreign countries in the year of graduation from general educational institutions and special educational institutions.

5. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov will hold talks in Moscow on December 6. Meredov will arrive in Russia to attend the 12th meeting of the intergovernmental Turkmen-Russian commission on economic cooperation. The parties plan to discuss the key topics of Turkmen-Russian cooperation, topical issues of the regional and international agenda, as well as the interaction of the two countries in multilateral formats.

6. Ashgabat hosted the championship on the sports version of the game “What? Where? When?”. The tournament was attended by 20 teams, among the experts of which were students of specialized schools and universities, as well as experienced players with many years of experience in intellectual games. The competition consisted of 5 rounds of 12 questions each. This year, the “Va-Bank” team became the champion of Turkmenistan.

7. Soon it will be possible not to turn off cell phones on the planes of European airlines, or rather not to put them into flight mode. 5G wireless communication will appear on board the aircraft, which will permit you to use mobile communications and the internet right in flight.

8. At auction in New York put up for sale the props of the most famous Hollywood films. In total, 400 lots are up for sale, one of which is the famous motorcycle from the Terminator, which was ridden by the character of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The starting price of the motorcycle is 125 thousand dollars. Also waiting for their buyers is a golden ticket from the painting “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and the shield of Captain America from “Avengers: Endgame”.

9. The Table Tennis Federation of Turkmenistan held a three-day tournament among athletes born in 2011-2016. The competition was attended by 62 masters of a small racket, who competed for individual awards in men's and women's competitions. According to the results of 3 days of competition, Nazim Durdyev became the leader in the standings among boys, and Elina Ahmedova turned out to be the best among girls. The tournament was organized in order to popularize table tennis in Turkmenistan, identify talents among athletes, as well as analyze the work done with the smallest table tennis masters.