China's President Hu Jintao on Monday unveiled a landmark pipeline to transport Turkmen natural gas to China, a key victory for Beijing in its drive for access to Central Asian resources. Hu, together with the presidents of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, turned a symbolic wheel at a refinery in Samandepe in Turkmenistan's vast Karakum desert which opened the pipeline to start the first gas flowing. "China is positive about our cooperation and the opening of this gas pipeline is... Read Full Story
ASTANA/OTAR (Reuters) - Chinese leader Hu Jintao opened the Kazakh section of a new Central Asia-China gas pipeline on Saturday, tightening Beijing's control over natural resources in the vast energy-rich region. Lying on some of the world's biggest oil, gas and metals reserves, mainly Muslim Central Asia is at the center of a geopolitical tug-of-war between China, Russia and the West, all seeking to grab a share of its untapped riches. On a visit to the Kazakh capital Astana, Hu and Kazakh... Read Full Story
The leaders of Kazakhstan and China jointly unveiled Saturday the Kazakh section of a natural gas pipeline that will tap into Central Asia's vast energy riches and loosen Russia's influence over the region. The pipeline, due to come online in days, is part of China's efforts to secure energy supplies for its booming economy. The 1,300-kilometer Kazakhstan-China pipeline is the Central Asian nation's first export route that completely bypasses Russia. The commissioning ceremony in the... Read Full Story
Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Kazakhstan on Saturday, the first leg of a regional visit which highlights Beijing's growing influence over Central Asia's strategic energy resources. Hu landed just after midday in Kazakhstan's futuristic capital Astana, where he will attend an opening ceremony for the Kazakh section of a pipeline that will deliver Turkmen natural gas to China's volatile western Xinjiang province. On Monday, Hu, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Uzbek President... Read Full Story
by Anton Lomov SAMANDEPE, Turkmenistan (AFP) -- China's President Hu Jintao on Monday unveiled a landmark pipeline to transport Turkmen natural gas to China, a key victory for Beijing in its drive for access to Central Asian resources. Hu, together with the presidents of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, turned a symbolic wheel at a refinery in Samandepe in Turkmenistan's vast Karakum desert which opened the pipeline to start the first gas flowing. "China is positive about our... Read Full Story
The presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus reached a deal Friday to create a customs union among their three ex-Soviet states from July 1 next year. "This is a very significant and long-awaited decision, resulting from difficult negotiations," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, quoted by Russian news agencies in the Belarussian capital. "The switch to a joint economic zone is a completely new economic format," he said, adding that the customs bloc would be open to other members in... Read Full Story
ROME (Reuters Life!) - Italy's Silvio Berlusconi praised the virility of Kazakhstan's men during a visit to Rome by its president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, saying this was the reason for the former Soviet country's population growth. The comment by the 73-year-old Italian leader, who often boasts of his own virility and has been in trouble for hosting parties with prostitutes, came at a meeting with Nazarbayev that Berlusconi said sealed business deals for "billions of dollars." The Italian... Read Full Story
Kazakhstan agreed Tuesday to allow military hardware for French forces fighting in Afghanistan to pass through its territory, and it signed a series of energy deals during a visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Facing criticism over its human rights record, Kazakhstan won a measure of support from Sarkozy, who said he discussed the issue with President Nursultan Nazarbayev but did not come to "give lessons." France is among the Western nations courting Kazakhstan, a giant ex-Soviet... Read Full Story
ALMATY (Reuters) - The Kazakhstan presidency said on Thursday a resident of a provincial city had asked President Nursultan Nazarbayev to stay in his post for life -- a report that could be a tactic to prepare ground on the issue. Nazarbayev, 69, has run the former Soviet state for 20 years with sweeping powers and has not announced his plans for the presidential election due in 2012. But the presidential press service said Nazarbayev had visited Aktau, a hub of Kazakhstan's flourishing oil... Read Full Story
ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's most prominent uranium industry figure, whose arrest has alarmed foreign investors in Central Asia's biggest economy, is in poor health and requires urgent medical attention, his wife said on Friday. Mukhtar Dzhakishev, ex-head of state company Kazatomprom, is accused of illegally gaining control over uranium deposits in Kazakhstan, home to a fifth of global uranium reserves. He was arrested in May but has denied any wrongdoing. Addressing reporters after... Read Full Story
From Spain's Princess Letizia to Italy's Mara Carfagna, the game of politics is no stranger to beautiful, powerful women. Following is a list of women whose influence is matched only by their sheer hotness.
We've rounded up the fifty most infamous female teacher sex scandals the Internet has seen, and ranked them from most famous to least. We do it because we care.
