Constitutional Court of Uzbekistan held session on 17 January to consider issue on submission to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan of the draft law \"On making amendments and addenda in the Article 74 of the Law \"On joint-stock companies and protection of shareholders\' rights\".

On 9 January, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, has been announced by the International Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) a world Islamic culture capital in 2007 to represent the entire Asian continent.

The International Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) declared Tashkent one of the four capitals of Islamic culture in 2007. Scientific-practical seminar \"Tashkent ? the capital of Islamic culture in 2007\" was held in the Tashkent Islamic University late last week and dedicated to this noble issue, the Narodnoye Slovo newspaper reported on January 13, 2007.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed the Law \"On making amendments and addenda in the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan \"On mass media\" on January 15, 2007.

British magazine The Banker, which publishes annual rating of the best banks in the world, named the Bank Credit Standard as the best bank of Uzbekistan in 2006, the bank\'s press service told UzReport.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed the Law \"On making amendments and addenda in the Civil, Housing codes of the Republic of Uzbekistan and on losing validity of the Law \"On bases of state housing policy\".

An earthquake was registered in Tashkent at 22.21 (Tashkent time, +5 GMT) on Monday, 8 January. The earthquake magnitude was 5 on the Richter scale.

The UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office is organizing, in cooperation with the Tajik National Commission for UNESCO, a Sub-Regional Meeting for the Promotion and Implementation of Conventions for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Central Asia in Dushanbe on 19 and 20 January 2007.

Three members of the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan scored a victory in the parliamentary by-elections held in three constituencies on 24 December, the Uzbek National News Agency has reported, quoting the election results announced at a meeting of the country\'s Central Electoral Commission on 2 January.

Press conference was held at the Uzbek International Cultural Centre [UICC] on 5 January. The reason for this event was the 15th anniversary of this organization to be marked on 20 December, which coordinates and helps the work of national cultural centres in the whole republic.

The Law \"On the guarantees of activity of nongovernmental nonprofit organizations\" has entered into force.

Political and legal reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan under the direction of President Karimov are evoking great interest of foreign political and public figures, experts, and media, Jahon wrote.

Tashkent, capital city of the Republic of Uzbekistan, announced by Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) as the Cultural Capital of the World of Islam in 2007.

Gross domestic product (GDP) of Uzbekistan increased by 7.2% year-on-year in 2006, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov said in his New Year congratulation.