Turkmenistan

1. A solemn meeting dedicated to the Day of Workers of Oil and Gas Industry and Geology was held in Ashgabat. The event was attended by workers and specialists of the country's oil and gas complex. Speakers at the meeting stated that today the demand for Turkmen energy resources is increasing. Therefore, world-famous companies and financial institutions are seeking to expand cooperation in this area. The most distinguished honored oil and gas workers and geologists were presented with valuable gifts on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

2. An exhibition of decorative, applied and mosaic art of Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran continues its work in Mary velayat. The grand opening of the joint show was held on December 14 at the Museum of History and Local Lore. The visitors got acquainted with the exhibits of the exhibition with great interest. As part of the event, a master class on mosaic art was held, at which its participants were introduced to the basics of mosaic making and told about its role in Iranian culture.

3. Today the final of the song competition “Star of the Year - 2023” will be held, which will determine the brightest and most talented young pop singers of Turkmenistan in the outgoing year. The selection of participants was held in several stages throughout the country. Based on the results of the audience SMS voting and the decision of the expert jury, 10 contestants made it to the finals. The names of the winners will be announced on the day of the final after summing up the results. Last year, the winner of the “Star of the Year” competition was the popular singer Rustem Hallyev.

4. On the eve of the New Year holidays, the Pushkin State Russian Drama Theater has prepared two new performances for its audience. The production of “Free Butterflies” based on the play by Leonard Gersh will be shown on December 16, and the play “Wolves and Sheep” based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky can be seen on December 24.

5. On Thursday, a two-day Turkmen-German medical forum, organized by the Ministry of Health on a digital system, started in Turkmenistan. The participants discussed issues of cooperation in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, emergency care, oncology, traumatology, orthopedics and other areas. It was noted that the country is making concerted efforts to improve the national health care system. Modern medical centers and treatment and preventive institutions are being built, equipped with advanced equipment, much of which is produced in Germany, the world leader in this field.

World

6. A trailer for the fourth part of the “Kung Fu Panda” cartoon has appeared online. The film is scheduled for release on March 8, 2024. The plot centers on the panda Po, who is now the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, he realizes that he cannot be the Dragon Warrior forever, and so he sets out in search of a successor.

7. 74 years old resident of the Japanese mountain village of Nagoro, Tsukimi Ayano, saved the village from desolation by turning it into a tourist attraction with the help of her hobby of making dolls. Almost all local residents left Nagoro in search of a better life. As a result, only about 30 people remained in the village, mostly pensioners. Over the past 20 years, not a single child has been born here. A Japanese woman began making life-size dolls that resemble former village residents. Dolls appeared on the streets, in stores and even in empty school classrooms. Now there are 350 dolls in the village. The new “residents” attracted the attention of tourists who wanted to tickle their nerves.

Sport

8. The National Federation of Electronic Sports of Turkmenistan announced new changes to the annual “Federation Cup” tournament. Next year, the tournament will feature three additional disciplines: PUBG Mobile, eFootball 24 and Tekken 7. Registration for the tournament is already open on the federation website. The prize fund of the “Federation Cup” in 2024 will be 36 thousand manats.

9. Football players of the Turkmen “Altyn Asyr” defeated the “Ravshan” team from Tajikistan in the match of the 6th round of the group stage of the AFC Cup. The meeting of group “E” was held in Dushanbe and ended in favor of the guests with a score of 1:0. 36 years old defender Zafar Babajanov scored a goal among the winners. The Ashgabat club scored 10 points and took second place in the group.

10. The “Arkadag” players beat “Ahal” with a score of 2:1 in the match of the 25th round of the Turkmenistan championship. The meeting was held in Ashgabat at the “Nisa” stadium. Having defeated last year's champion, “Arkadag” scored 69 points in 23 matches, remaining the only team in the tournament that did not lose a single point. Let us note that “Arkadag” striker Didar Durdyev is in the lead in the dispute between top scorers in the Major League. He has 27 goals to his name.