Kazakhstan not to raise conscription age
Images | МО РК
The Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan has answered journalists’ question on raising Kazakhstanis’ conscription age, Kazinform reports.
At a briefing held in the Central Communications Office, one of the journalists reminded that the Russian authorities had recently decreed to raise draft age and asked whether Kazakhstan should wait for the same.
As Bauyrzhan Artykov, Chief of the Department for Organizational and Mobilization Work of the RoK Armed Forces General Staff, said the Ministry does not plan to raise Kazakhstani citizens’ conscription age.
Over 19,000 people will be conscripted this fall in Kazakhstan. Over 8,000 of them will serve in the Armed Forces, 6,000 - in the National Guard, 3,000 - in the Frontier Service of the National Security Committee and 300 - in the State Guard Service and the Ministry of Emergencies.
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Number of measles cases grow in N Kazakhstan
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North Kazakhstan region recorded a surge in measles cases as six new cases of measles were added to 58 laboratory confirmed cases, Kazinfrom News Agency reports.
The highest number of measles cases was reported in 17 and above age group.
Petropavlovsk and a district named after Magzhan Zhumabayev registered the highest number of measles cases compared to other parts of the region. Isolated measles cases were added in Akkaiyn, Aiyrtau, Mamlyutsk, Kyzylzhar and Zhambyl districts.
Measles is a highly contagious disease and the only way to avoid is to immunize oneself against it in time.
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Music Dedicated to the Teacher
Images | astanaopera.kz
The cultural community of Kazakhstan will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the famous opera singer and teacher Kanat Omarbayev - Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR, holder of the Order of Qurmet and the Order of the Great Silver Star of the European Academy of Natural Sciences (Hannover, Germany), Professor of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The concert Ustazgha Arnau will be held at the Astana Opera at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall on December 23, Astana Opera press office reports.
Professor of the Department of Vocal Art and Conducting at the Kazakh National University of Arts, Kanat Omarbayev, over the years of a long creative career, has trained an entire plethora of brilliant artists who today star on the leading stage venues of the republic and abroad. This evening, the Master’s students, the opera house’s principal soloists - Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Azamat Zheltyrguzov, holder of the Order of Qurmet Aizada Kaponova, Talgat Galeyev, Beimbet Tanarykov, Ramzat Balakishiyev, Yerulan Kamel and others will perform arias and duets from famous operas, popular art songs and songs by Kazakh composers.
In the creative work of the Astana Opera’s principal soloist, Aizada Kaponova, Kanat Omarbayev played a significant role, since it was he who taught the singer professional vocal art.
Kanat Nurmukhamedovich is an important person in my life. Arriving in Astana in 2004, I studied in this teacher’s class for four years in the Bachelor’s program, and then another two years in the Master’s program. He showed me the right direction in my work and in my third year he encouraged me to get a job as a soloist at the Kulyash Baiseitova National Opera and Ballet Theatre. It will not be an exaggeration to say that Kanat Omarbayev is my creative father. He said: "No matter how big an artist or star you are, the main priority in your life should always be to retain your spirit of humanity." He also argued that, having presented your art onstage, no matter how many viewers attended the performance and gave positive or negative reviews, inside yourself you know how you performed the work, and he encouraged you to subsequently analyze the performance and work on it. I have great respect for my teacher, who turns eighty this year, and I wish him to raise many more talented students. At this concert, I will go onstage with special warmth and gratitude to my teacher," Aizada Kaponova shared.
In addition to the musical evening Ustazgha Arnau, in December, high art aficionados will enjoy a rich program of concerts at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall. Thus, on December 3, the Astana Opera International Opera Academy attendees will present an evening of vocal music Bravo, Opera.
On December 20, the concert Anim Menin - Astana! will be dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the capital. Honored Artist of Kazakhstan Galiya Baigazinova will present her art to residents and guests of the capital. Azamat Zheltyrguzov, Artur Gabdiyev, Batyrzhan Smakov, Assem Kiikbayeva, Zhuldyz Nysanbayeva will also perform together with the soprano singer. Piano part - Zhanar Akhmetova. The host of the concert is the head of the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall Marzhan Zhakenova.
An evening of vocal and instrumental music Christmas in the Baroque Style will take place on the eve of the long-awaited winter holidays. On December 24, the opera house’s soloists Tatyana Vitsinskaya, Assem Sembina, Guldana Aldadossova, Alikhan Zeinolla, guest soloist and author of the project Batyrzhan Smakov, as well as the Chamber Choir of the Kazakh National University of Arts (choirmaster - Marina Bukhvalova) and the String Ensemble Anima di Barocco (artistic director - Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Raissa Mussakhajayeva). Piano part - the opera house’s musical consultant, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Raushan Beskembirova.
A musical evening performed by the Astana Opera Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Aidar Abzhakhanov will take place on December 27.
On December 29, the string of pre-New Year performances will be continued by young artists from the opera house’s children’s ballet studio with the festive program New Year’s Confetti. The stage director of the concert will be the head of the ballet studio, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Galiya Buribayeva, and the teacher-répétiteur will be Bostan Kozhabekov.
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Qatar, Hamas confirm extension of Gaza truce for 2 days
Images | Children play at a playground in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Nov. 27, 2023. Qatar announced on Monday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the current humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for an additional two days. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
Qatar announced on Monday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the current humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for an additional two days, Xinhua reported.
In a statement carried by the Qatar News Agency, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said his country hopes "the humanitarian pause will lead to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the killing of civilians."
The truce extension was also confirmed by Hamas. The Gaza-ruling Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement said in a statement to Xinhua that the temporary ceasefire would be extended for another two days "under the same conditions as listed in the previous deal."
Mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Israel and Hamas reached a four-day ceasefire agreement last week, which entails a halt to hostilities in Gaza, more humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave, and the release of 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The initial truce deal took effect on Friday and is set to expire on Tuesday.
Since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct. 7, Qatar has been making mediation efforts along with Egypt and the U.S. between the two warring parties to secure the release of hostages and de-escalate the situation in the Palestinian enclave.
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Cars with gas-cylinder equipment are obliged to install a special sign
Images | Ministry of Trade and Integration
Kazakhstan continues to work actively to improve standards to ensure the safety of its citizens, press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration reports.
Thus, by the order of the Chairman of the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CTRM MTI RK) from 24 November 2023 № 466-nk made additions to the national standard ST RK 1412-2017 "Technical means of road traffic regulation. Rules of application", developed by KazStandard. The amendments shall come into effect from 1 January 2024.
This standard is mandatory as it is specified as a reference in the Road Traffic Rules approved by the Order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 30 June 2023 No.534.
Conversion to gas is not always carried out in compliance with all safety requirements. Unfortunately, sometimes such vehicles are potentially dangerous for our citizens. In this regard, entry of vehicles converted to gas into closed car parks is prohibited. It is for the identification of such vehicles and administration of such bans that a special sign has been introduced", - said Kuanysh Yelikbayev, Chairman of the Technical Regulation and Metrology Committee.
The amendment introduces the mandatory placement of a special sign on vehicles with gas cylinder equipment, which is an equilateral triangle of yellow colour with a border of black colour and with the exclamation mark "GAS". This sign must be placed so that the vehicle is easily recognisable when entering closed car parks.
The new regulations also ensure that gas vehicles can be effectively controlled and prohibited from parking in restricted parking zones, which ultimately contributes to the overall safety of citizens.
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Measles cases: children’s infectious diseases hospital is 111% full
The Kazakh capital sees children’s infectious diseases hospital 111% full as the city observes growing measles cases, Kazinform Agency cites the official website of Astana’s administration office.
According to the administration office, the bed capacity of the general city children’s hospital No.3 has been increased to 557 (from 300) and 20 intensive care beds.
Of all the children hospitalized, 96% are unvaccinated and in serious condition. Four measles patients are in intensive care units, and two are in critical condition.
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Winter Fairytale in the Desert
Images | astanaopera.kz
Astana Opera will perform in Dubai for the first time. The tour of the Kazakh opera house will take place from December 13 to 17 at the famous Dubai Opera. The program features Handel’s oratorio Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, Astana Opera press office reports.
Briefly summing up the results of the year 2023, I can note that our ballet company successfully performed at the legendary Abai Opera House, and also toured Slovenia as part of the 71st Summer Ljubljana Festival. The premiere productions of Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort and Løvenskiold’s La Sylphide were added to our diverse repertoire. Performances at Dubai Opera complete the outgoing year. It is a great joy for us to present Kazakh ballet art at this beautiful stage venue. I am sure that this tour will inspire our dancers and give them the impetus to actively implement new projects," Galym Akhmedyarov, General Director of Astana Opera, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, emphasized.
Dubai Opera is preparing to welcome Astana Opera’s talents on its stage. As the premiere performing arts centre in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Opera has been proudly opening its doors to the world, embracing cultural diversity and delivering unparalleled performances since its inception in 2016.
Paolo Petrocelli, Head of Dubai Opera, expressed his excitement, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome the Astana Opera to Dubai for the first time. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to showcasing excellence in music and ballet, further establishing Dubai as a cultural hub in the region."
Thus, on December 13, at the suggestion of the Dubai Opera, Handel’s oratorio Messiah will open the tour program. Let us note that this famous work will be performed by the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra together with the creative team of the Dubai Festival Chorus, which includes talented vocalists from all over the United Arab Emirates, that is, it will be a joint project of teams from Kazakhstan and the UAE. Dubai Maestro Rob Johnston will conduct the performance.
On December 15, 16 and 17, the Astana Opera Ballet and Symphony Orchestra will present to the attention of the Dubai audience Tchaikovsky’s wonderful ballet The Nutcracker, staged by the outstanding choreographer Yuri Grigorovich. The production premiered at the Astana Opera on December 25, 2014. During the performance days, principal dancers, Honored Workers of Kazakhstan Aigerim Beketayeva, Madina Unerbayeva and soloist Shugyla Adepkhan will masterfully present the part of Marie, and principal dancers, Honored Workers of Kazakhstan, the famous dancer Bakhtiyar Adamzhan and Yerkin Rakhmatullayev will perform the part of the Nutcracker Prince. Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Abzal Mukhitdin and Italian Maestro Giuseppe Acquaviva will conduct the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra.
This magical ballet based on Hoffmann’s fairytale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is equally interesting for both children and adults. Children are attracted by bright toys that come to life, a Christmas tree lit with festive fairy lights, a mysterious figure of a wizard... Adults will hear not only happy harmony in Tchaikovsky’s brilliant music: Yuri Grigorovich, completely trusting the composer and his score, turned a sweet fairytale into philosophical reflections on the unattainability of ideal happiness. This is also a poetic story about the maturation of the soul, the premonition of love. The main character, and with her the little viewers, begin to understand that behind the funny appearance of the Nutcracker doll lies a kind, brave heart, and love and compassion for the toy turns into a meeting with the handsome Prince for the heroine. Even though it happens only in a dream...
Since the tour is a unique opportunity to introduce foreign audiences to Kazakh art, the ballet dancers and orchestra musicians are already carefully preparing in the rehearsal halls for an important performance at the Dubai Opera. There is no doubt that they will amaze the audience with their talent and professional skills and will increase the number of the Astana Opera’s fans abroad. Thus, the performance of the capital’s opera house in Dubai, which will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will become the final tour of the Astana Opera in 2023, as well as a memorable event in the cultural life of both countries.
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Italian Bel Canto Eastern Style
Images | astanaopera.kz
Rossini’s effervescent comic opera L’Italiana in Algeri will be featured for listeners at Astana Opera on December 5 and 26 under the baton of Ruslan Baimurzin, holder of the Order of Qurmet. On these days, the opera house’s brilliant soloists are expected to debut as the main characters of the production, Astana Opera press office reports.
Unbridled imagination and musical genius of the great composer Gioachino Rossini created an opera sparkling with wit and easy to understand with funny intrigue. The story that happened to the flirtatious Italian Isabella in the distant Eastern lands with a culture unfamiliar to her commands the viewers’ interest, and they are happy to plunge into the whirlpool of passions. Dizzying virtuoso passages, magnificent ensemble and choral scenes, rich melodies allow vocalists to fully demonstrate their talents and leave an unforgettable impression on the audience," the music director and conductor of the production Ruslan Baimurzin said.
L’Italiana in Algeri is a work that is not performed at all venues, and in Kazakh opera houses it is not presented anywhere, except Astana Opera. Therefore, getting to know this rare production is a great success not only for our listeners, but also for the symphony orchestra musicians. This is a difficult opera to perform, which provides instrumentalists with an opportunity to master new material and grow on it, so having this production in the opera house’s repertoire is also an indicator of the great professionalism of our orchestra," Ruslan Baimurzin concluded.
On December 5, the debut of principal soloist Tatyana Vitsinskaya as the beautiful Isabella is planned, and the debut of opera soloist Yerzhan Saipov as Mustafà, the Bey of Algiers. On this day, the opera house’s young soloists will portray the heroes of Gioachino Rossini’s operatic masterpiece: Haly - Dinmukhamed Koshkinbayev, Taddeo - Azat Malik, Lindoro - Alikhan Zeinolla, Zulma - Aigerim Amanzholova, Elvira - Guldana Aldadossova.
Significant debuts in the colorful production of L’Italiana in Algeri are also expected on December 26. Thus, the opera house’s soloist Saltanat Muratbekova is preparing to present the titular character Isabella, and the debuts of her colleagues, soloists Yelena Ganzha and Altynbek Abilda, as Zulma and Haly, are also in the plans. Shyngys Rassylkhan will take the stage as Mustafà, Yerzhan Saipov will perform Taddeo, Narul Toikenov will perform Lindoro, and Aizada Kaponova will perform Elvira.
The stage director of Gioachino Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri is Yerenbak Toikenov, who set the action in the present day. The principal choirmaster is Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Dautov, the opera company director is Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Azamat Zheltyrguzov.
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