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Tokayev, Heads of Central Asian States Meet with German Chancellor in Berlin

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

Photo credit: Akorda.The synergy of Germany’s political influence and economic opportunities with the enormous potential of the Central Asian states can make a great contribution to the region’s sustainable progress, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz and heads of Central Asian countries in Berlin on Sept. 29, reported Akorda, Staff Report in International.Earlier, the heads of states participated in the C5+Germany summit with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.  It is reported that Central Asian trade with Germany showed a positive trend, totaling $11 billion at the end of last year. Kazakhstan accounts for more than 80% of this trade turnover.Tokayev expressed readiness to “increase exports to Germany by an additional 100 non-resource items totaling $850 million”. The long-term import contracts and special trade preferences to Central Asian states can contribute to the growth of mutual trade turnover. Tokayev als...

Highlight-reel moment by Sharks ‘kid’ line offers glimpse of brighter future

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

For anyone who has followed San Jose Sharks drafts in recent years and the pain they had to endure to collect some of those picks, a forward line coach David Quinn trotted out against the Vegas Golden Knights in his team’s penultimate preseason game was all too noticeable.Thomas Bordeleau was at center, flanked by William Eklund on his left and Quentin Musty on the right.One second-round draft pick from three years ago in the middle with more recent first-round selections on either side of him.It was a tantalizing glimpse of a group of forwards that could possibly form the foundation for whenever the Sharks are once again legitimately able to compete with the Golden Knights, who will lift their first Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters of T-Mobile Arena later this month.But Bordeleau, and especially Eklund, aren’t thinking long-term. They want to be in the NHL this season, starting with the Sharks’ home opener on Oct. 12 against this same Vegas team.They helped their case...

Cricket World Cup picks up where it left off, with England against New Zealand

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — After combining to produce the most dramatic finish ever to a Cricket World Cup, England and New Zealand will meet again this time to open the 2023 edition in India.England was awarded its first title four years ago at Lord’s on a contentious countback against the New Zealanders after the final finished tied and a so-called Super Over also failed to separate the teams.The tiebreaker was a heavily-derided and subsequently dumped countback of boundaries, giving England the narrowest of victories as it hosted the pinnacle competition in cricket’s one-day format for the fifth time.The defending champions and runners-up will get the six-week tournament started Thursday at the 134,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This same venue will host the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan showdown on Oct. 14 and the final on Nov. 19.Top-ranked England arrived in India aiming to be just the third team — following West Indies (1975 and ‘79) and Australia (1999, 2003...

MLB playoffs 2023: Rangers, Twins, Diamondbacks and Phillies look to advance Wednesday

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

After winning their Wild Card Series openers on the first day of Major League Baseball’s playoffs, the Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies can advance to the next round with victories Wednesday.As is often the case when postseason play rolls around, pitching was king Tuesday.None of the four teams that won gave up more than three runs. Minnesota and Philadelphia allowed just one, while Jordan Montgomery and two relievers combined on Texas’ shutout at Tampa Bay.Nathan Eovaldi (12-5) starts Wednesday for the Rangers as they try to wrap up the best-of-three series against Zach Eflin (16-8) and the Rays, who have dropped six straight playoff games dating to 2021.Zack Wheeler tossed 6 2/3 splendid innings to lead defending NL champion Philadelphia to a 4-1 victory over the upstart Miami Marlins. Aaron Nola (12-9) pitches Game 2 for the Phillies against Braxton Garrett (9-7).Pablo López and four relievers held George Springer, Vladimi...

Imperdible: 18 ofertas y regalos por el Día Nacional del Taco

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

Aunque el Día Nacional del Taco este año no caiga en martes, sigue siendo igualmente emocionante en nuestra agenda. ¿Por qué, te preguntas? Bueno, los restaurantes de todo el país están haciendo todo lo posible para obsequiar regalos y descuentos para que celebres este miércoles 4 de octubre.Aquí están todas las ofertas de tacos sobre las que todos estarán hablando.TIENDAS 7-ELEVEN / SPEEDWAY & STRIPESLaredo Taco Company, que tiene ubicaciones en algunas tiendas 7-Eleven, Speedway y Stripes, ofrece a los clientes tacos de fajita de carne a $2 por un solo día (4 de octubre) en las tiendas hasta agotar existencias.BURRITOS DE BUBBAKOO Para celebrar el Día Nacional del Taco, esta cadena de fusión mexicana regalará tríos de tacos durante un año a 15 clientes. Para participar, simplemente da me gusta, comenta o comparte las publicaciones de la marca en cualquiera de sus canales de redes sociales entre el 2 y el 8 de octubre. Los ganadores se revelarán en las redes sociales el 11 de o...

Pope opens big Vatican meeting as battle lines are drawn on his reform project

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis opened a big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church on Wednesday, with progressives hoping it will lead to more women in leadership roles and conservatives warning that church doctrine on everything from homosexuality to the hierarchy’s authority is at risk.Francis presided over a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square to formally open the meeting, with hundreds of clergy from around the world celebrating on the altar before the rank-and-file Catholic laypeople whose presence and influence at this meeting marks a decisive shift for the Catholic Church. Rarely in recent times has a Vatican gathering generated as much hope, hype and fear as this three-week, closed-door meeting, known as a synod. It won’t make any binding decisions and is only the first session of a two-year process. But it nevertheless has drawn an acute battle line in the church’s perennial left-right divide and marks a defining moment for Francis and his reform agenda.Ev...

Swedish media report that the winners of the Nobel Prize in chemistry may have been announced early

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish media say the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences may have announced the winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry prematurely.Public broadcaster SVT said the academy sent a press release by mistake early Wednesday that contained the names of the winners.The press release said the prize went to three U.S.-based scientists for the “discovery and synthesis of quantum dots,” according to SVT.The Associated Press did not receive the press release. “Unfortunately, I cannot comment on what has been published yet. What is important to know is that the Academy of Sciences has not yet met and there is no decision on who will be awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry,” Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences spokeswoman Eva Nevelius said in an email.Heiner Linke, an expert on the Nobel committee for chemistry, told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that no decision had been made Wednesday morning and that if a press release had gone out it would “definitely” have b...

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rallies his Conservatives by saying he’s ready to take tough decisions

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be out of a job next year unless he can persuade his Conservative party and his country that he represents change.Sunak makes his first — and possibly last — speech as leader to the party’s annual conference on Wednesday, with the governing Conservatives trailing in opinion polls and an election due in 2024. His message: He’s not afraid to make tough choices and big decisions that will deliver “long-term success” rather than “short-term advantage.”But he’s struggling to set the agenda and one of his big decisions has already overshadowed the conference and split the party. News has leaked that he plans to scrap much of an ambitious but overbudget high-speed railway line that was planned to link London and Manchester.Some Conservatives think that’s a bad move — and doing it at a conference in Manchester is disastrous.Andy Street, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands region, called it “an incre...

Indian police arrest editor, administrator of independent news site after conducting raids

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Police in New Delhi have arrested the editor of a news website and one of its administrators after raiding the homes of journalists working for the site, which has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist-led government.The arrests were made late Tuesday after some journalists associated with NewsClick were detained and their digital devices seized during extensive raids that were part of an investigation into whether it had received funds from China. NewsClick denied any financial misconduct.Suman Nalwa, a police spokesperson, said the arrests were made under a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law. The government has used the law to stifle dissent and jail activists, journalists and critics of Modi, with some spending years in jail before going to trial. Those arrested are NewsClick’s founder and editor, Prabir Purkayastha, and its human resources chief, Amit Chakravarty.Nalwa said at least 46 people were questioned during the raids and th...

Wildfire destroys 3 homes in southeastern Australia and a man is injured by a falling tree

Published Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:28 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Three homes were destroyed by a forest fire and a man was injured by a falling tree in the Bega Valley region of southeastern Australia, prompting a government leader to warn on Wednesday that a “horror” wildfire season was approaching.Scores of wildfires have recently raged across the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania as Australia’s driest September on record and unusually warm weather have brought an early start to the annual wildfire season, which peaks during the Southern Hemisphere summer.Three homes were destroyed Tuesday night by a fire that threatened several Bega Valley communities and razed more than 5,200 hectares (12,800 acres). A man aged in his 40s was taken to a hospital in stable condition after a tree fell on his car on Wednesday morning, officials said.Widespread rain across Australia’s southeast eased the fire danger on Wednesday and brought flood warnings to parts of Victoria.New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said firef...