Gender Rights & Afghanistan: Afghan migrants in Washington, Geneva, Madrid and other Spanish cities protested Taliban rule, calling it “gender apartheid” and urging governments to avoid normalizing ties without rights for women and girls. SCO Media Cooperation: Tajikistan’s ambassador Nazirmad Alizoda urged Shanghai Cooperation Organization states to boost cooperation on media, digital technologies and information security, warning against misinformation and manipulation. Child Naming Rules: Tajikistan tightened rules on what children can be called, with registrars refusing names not on an approved list as authorities revise it and remove many Arabic names. Georgia-Tajikistan Deals: Georgia’s PM Irakli Kobakhidze visited Dushanbe for talks with President Rahmon and PM Kokhir Rasulzoda, signing a package of agreements across aviation, agriculture, tourism, education, culture, sports and climate, including a joint economic commission. Prison Amnesty: President Rahmon signed an “On Amnesty” law releasing 11,305 prisoners and reducing sentences for 6,733 others ahead of Tajikistan’s independence anniversary. Public Health Crackdown: Dushanbe police shut down an alleged counterfeit children’s medicines operation, seizing tens of thousands of bottles and hundreds of thousands of packages and labels. Water Infrastructure: Tajikistan and the Asian Development Bank discussed modernizing the Tajik Sea reservoir, including dam upgrades, pumping stations, irrigation systems and digital monitoring. Travel Connectivity: Turkish Airlines will add flights between Istanbul and Dushanbe from August 3, moving to daily service.