Putin’s Turkmenistan visit: Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov says Vladimir Putin will travel to Turkmenistan on Oct. 8-9 for CIS and Caspian environmental meetings, with a one-on-one meeting with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on Oct. 8 and talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Oct. 9. Middle Corridor push: A World Bank-backed assessment says the Trans-Caspian “Middle Corridor” could quadruple freight by 2040, but warns border delays and fragmented paperwork still hold it back. E-visa overhaul: Turkmenistan has launched an electronic visa system plus online registration for foreign visitors, including removing the mandatory invitation letter for e-visa applicants—though some details on fees and processing times remain unclear. Health alert: Reports of a suspected plague incident in Russia’s Irkutsk region have led Central Asian authorities, including Turkmenistan’s neighbors, to tighten sanitary checks. Tech and education: Five Ashgabat students will compete in South Korea’s FIRST Global Challenge 2026 robotics event. Diplomacy at Avaza: Turkmenistan’s Avaza will host a dense Oct. 7-9 schedule bringing together CIS, Central Asia-Azerbaijan, and Caspian environmental talks. Local remembrance: A stage performance “Halk hakydasy” marked the 78th anniversary of the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake.