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Kazakhstan is building more connections with the world

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

Kazakhstan is charting a reform course that will reverberate beyond its borders as it seeks to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment, writes Murat Nurtleu.The plan, outlined by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his State of the Nation address earlier this month, provides a clear vision for the country's development over the next three years and will have broader ramifications for regional development and cooperation.Strategically located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Kazakhstan has long been a crucial nexus for transportation and trade. Indeed, over 80% of goods bound for Europe from China and Central Asia, measured by volume, pass through Kazakhstan.Our new economic agenda places significant emphasis on investments in infrastructure and logistics along the International North-South Transport Corridor, which connects India and Europe, and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Europe via ...

'Dialogue' best way to solve rift between West and China

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

A former Irish government minister says “dialogue” is the best way of improving the currently strained relations between the West and China.Speaking at Brussels Press Club on Thursday (28 September), Dick Roche, a former Irish minister for EU affairs, also said he hoped for a “peaceful resolution” to China’s ongoing sovereignty conflict with Taiwan.He said: “I am always reminded of the old saying by Churchill that  ‘jaw jaw is better then war war.’“We live in an imperfect world and talking to each other always has to be the best option.”Roche was a guest speaker at the latest in a series of debates organized by EU Reporter.The discussion, called “China-EU: An essential trade partnership”, focused on the relationship between the two sides and possible threats to its success.The EU is the PRC's largest trading partner, and the PRC is the EU's largest trade partner. In 2023 China accounted for 9% of EU goods exports and 20% of EU goods imports. The balance of challenges and opport...

Bridge: Sept. 29, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

This week’s deals have treated “avoidance”: preventing a “dangerous” defender from gaining the lead. Cover today’s East-West cards. How do you play at four hearts when West leads the jack of clubs?North’s 2NT was a conventional forcing heart raise; South’s three clubs showed a singleton club. North signed off at game; his K-Q were “duplicated” values.The actual declarer covered the jack with the king. East won and led the queen of spades. The defense took two spades, and West also got a diamond. Down one.FIRST CLUBSouth doesn’t want East to get in for a spade shift. On the first club, he must play dummy’s deuce. If West leads a second club, South ruffs East’s ace, draws trumps and discards a spade on dummy’s high club. East can’t gain by overtaking the first club: Then the defense gets two spades, but South discards two diamonds on the K-Q of clubs.The problem is easier on paper. At the table, ...

Word Game: Sept. 29, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — OBTRUDE (OBTRUDE: ub-TROOD: To force or impose without warrant or request.)Average mark 30 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 41 or more words in OBTRUDE? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — FLOTSAM fast flam flat float foal foam last loaf loam loft lost oast salt slam slat slot sofa soft almost alms aloft also alto atom malt mast moat molt mostTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Three-bedroom home sells for $1.5 million in San Ramon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

2765 Ellingson Way – Google Street ViewThe property located in the 2700 block of Ellingson Way in San Ramon was sold on Aug. 29, 2023. The $1,510,000 purchase price works out to $841 per square foot. The house, built in 1977, has an interior space of 1,796 square feet. This single-story house has three bedrooms and two baths. In addition, the house includes an attached two-car garage.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:A 1,940-square-foot home on the 2700 block of Corey Place in San Ramon sold in October 2022, for $1,500,000, a price per square foot of $773. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Moore Court, San Ramon, in June 2023, a 2,727-square-foot home was sold for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $623. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In May 2023, a 2,776-square-foot home on Morgan Drive in San Ramon sold for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $666. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Ask Amy: Would wearing this nice shirt really be an elitist thing to do?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband went to a prestigious Ivy League law school. He has never worn any clothing items or hats featuring his school’s logo.I noticed last year that college-team coaches were wearing nice-quality, very attractive athletic shirts. I knew my husband, with his trim but muscular build, would look great in one.I found one with a subdued logo for his law school and was excited to give it to him for his birthday. And he looks great in it!Now that football season has started, I’ve twice suggested he wear it when we went out to casual places – to a winery and to an outdoor restaurant with friends.Both times, he made an excuse not to wear it, and so I asked him why.He has always enjoyed wearing sweatshirts and hats from his undergraduate university, but he admitted he didn’t really feel comfortable wearing this shirt because it would make him look like an elitist.I think he should be proud of attending this law school. It’s all over his bio and CV and in Marti...

Harriette Cole: I’ll never be OK with my former colleague dating my daughter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently discovered that a former colleague of mine has expressed interest in dating my adult daughter.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: Should I tell her she’s not burly enough to come on the road trip? Advice | Harriette Cole: She’s ignoring the do’s and don’ts of pregnancy, and I want to say something Advice | Harriette Cole: I hate to think it, but maybe I’m a helicopter mom Advice | Harriette Cole: This macho guy is now being kind to me, and I’m suspicious Advice | Harriette Cole: Should I tell my wife what my friend said about us? This colleague has known my daughter since she was a young child, so I feel extremely uncomfortable about this situation — and a little angry.My daughter is in her late 20s now, so the decision is ultimately up to her, but even if they were to hit it off, I know I’d never be OK with it. He is quite a...

Boxing’s Jim Lampley reflects on his Tyson, Foreman calls ahead of big Canelo-Charlo fight on PPV.com

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

Hear our full chat on my podcast “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley chats with Jim Lampley (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); He was the voice of iconic boxing moments that shocked the world, from Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson to George Foreman upsetting Michael Moorer to regain the world heavyweight championship.This weekend, Jim Lampley hosts a special live chat on PP...

Cantaloupes sold in 19 states, including DC, recalled due to risk of salmonella

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

Watch Video: Thousands of cantaloupes recalled over possible salmonella contaminationThousands of whole cantaloupes sold in 19 states and Washington, D.C., have been recalled due to potential salmonella contamination, the Food and Drug Administration announced.Eagle Produce, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is doing a voluntary recall of 6,456 cases of whole cantaloupe after the fruits were tested in a distribution center by the FDA, the agency said in a news release.Courtesy Food and Drug AdministrationThe recalled cantaloupes were distributed between Sept. 5 and Sept. 16 in California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington D.C., the FDA said.The products subject to the recall include Kandy Produce whole cantaloupes with the UPC number code 4050 and lot codes 797901,797900 and 804918, according to the FDA.“Custome...

China wins bronze in League of Legends but all eyes on South Korea in gold-medal match

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:31:17 GMT

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — China’s League of Legends team hung on Friday to take bronze in the Asian Games esports event, overcoming a strong challenge from Vietnam.Once talked about as possible contenders for the gold, China’s team was blanked Thursday by South Korea. The South Korean team was powered by Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, a 27-year-old player known to most as the League of Legends GOAT — Greatest Of All Time.South Korea’s League of Legends team has yet to lose a game in the tournament and takes on Taiwan later Friday in the gold-medal match.As the global games market continues to boom in numbers of players and revenue, esports took its place this year at the Asian Games as a competition sport for the first time and so far it has been an audience favorite. It is the only event for which organizers have had to introduce a lottery system for tickets.The esports competition features five PC games and two mobile games, covering both multiplayer online battle arena, o...