Letters from the UN Secretary General were sent to the President of Turkmenistan and the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Turkish Airlines reduces prices for Ashgabat-Istanbul-Ashgabat flights, the visit of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan to Brussels is the focus of an international publication and other news

Turkmenistan

1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent letters of gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. “I hope that the relationship between the United Nations and Turkmenistan will continue to deepen and strengthen, and I look forward to Turkmenistan playing an important role at the Future Summit in New York in September”, - Antonio Guterres wrote in the message.

2. Turkish Airlines announced a reduction in prices on the Ashgabat-Istanbul-Ashgabat route. According to information from the airline, the special offer will be valid until August 31 of this year. Within the framework of the promotion, passengers will be able to purchase economy class tickets starting at 525 USD.

3. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov ratified a package of laws and regulations adopted at a meeting of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan of the seventh convocation on July 13. Among the approved documents are amendments to the Code on Social Protection of the Population, permitting pensions and benefits to be transferred to the bank accounts of recipients. The country's accession to the Protocol on the Protection of Industrial Designs under the Eurasian Patent Convention was also approved. An important step was the ratification of the Protocol to the Agreement between Turkmenistan and the European Union. In addition, Turkmenistan has acceded to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

4. At the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Brussels, the head of the Diplomatic World Institute, Barbara Dietrich, handed over the 74th issue of the magazine of the same name to Turkmen diplomats. The issue covers important events in the foreign policy activities of Turkmenistan in the context of interaction with EU institutions and the Benelux countries. The key article of the magazine is devoted to the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov to Brussels in March of this year. The magazine also contains an interview with the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium Sapar Palvanov. The Ambassador talks about the current state and prospects for cooperation with the institutions of the European Union, the priorities of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy, as well as about the great thinker and poet Magtymguly and the embassy’s activities in the field of public diplomacy.

World

5. Chinese scientists have developed a revolutionary method for extracting electrical energy from raindrops. This invention is based on a unique superhydrophobic film created using magnetic materials. The operating principle of the device is to convert the kinetic energy of falling drops into electricity. When raindrops hit the surface of the film and bounce off, microdeformation of the material occurs. This process of deformation and subsequent restoration of shape generates an electric current.

6. Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay Jr., the great-nephew of the famous ethnographer, continues the work of his ancestor in Papua New Guinea, but in the spirit of the XXI century. It provides residents of remote villages with computers and smartphones. His current mission is to help Papuans connect to modern communications. To implement this initiative, Miklouho-Maclay Jr. founded a special fund. The funds are used to purchase smartphones and computers that will permit village residents to access the Internet, telemedicine and other important modern technologies.

Sport

7. The International Football Federation has updated the ranking of national teams of the world after the past European Championship and America's Cup. The first place remained with the Argentina team that won the America's Cup, the French are in second position, and the Euro winners the Spaniards rose to third place. The national team of Turkmenistan did not change its position compared to the previous version of the ranking, remaining 144th.

8. The “Match TV” channel announced the signing of a seven-year contract to show matches of the Spanish Football Championship. For Turkmen football fans, this news is especially relevant, since there are several ways to access “Match TV” broadcasts. This is the installation of IPTV, registration of a paid subscription to the Alem TV service, as well as through the Mobile TV application from “Altyn Asyr”. In addition, other options for watching Spanish football are still available in Turkmenistan. State sports channel “Sport” broadcasts La Liga games thanks to a contract with Setanta Sports.