Ski & Safety Standards: Kyrgyzstan has launched a public discussion on a draft professional standard for ski tourism instructors, aiming to set clear qualification rules and improve resort safety. Culture Diplomacy: Culture ministers from Kyrgyzstan and Iran met under the SCO framework to expand cooperation in cinema, museums, libraries, literature, and joint cultural projects. Bishkek Book Event: A Kyrgyz translation of “New Uzbekistan: The Path of Shavkat Mirziyoyev” will be presented at the Alykul Osmonov National Library, bringing together officials, scholars, diplomats, and students. Education Quotas: The State Commission approved 2026–2027 university admission quotas for 155,852 applicants, with most seats for Uzbek-language programs and targeted grants for disability, orphans, and other categories. Human Rights Watch: UN experts criticized Kyrgyzstan’s advancement of a law they say would institutionalize discrimination against transgender and gender-diverse people, including bans on changing gender markers and gender-affirming medical interventions. Climate Policy: President Japarov signed a comprehensive Law on Climate Activity, making Kyrgyzstan the first in Central Asia with a unified climate framework starting Jan. 1, 2027. Film Festival Buzz: The SCO International Film Festival opened in Cholpon-Ata, with Kyrgyz officials calling cinema a “soft power” bridge and highlighting national film support. Local Sustainability: UpKel is turning unsorted plastic waste into custom accessories and home decor, showing how design can help build a circular economy.