You don't have permissions to access this page This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page State-owned Kazatomprom is largest producer of mineral for nuclear fuel the world’s largest producer of uranium for nuclear power plants has announced a significant increase in its mineral extraction tax for uranium Kazakh state uranium mining company Kazatomprom noted that as a result of the planned uranium tax increase different companies’ joint ventures and subsidiaries are expected to have different applicable tax rates The new tax rate changes will come in two waves will impose an initial increase from the current 6% to 9% the tax will take on a more complex and differentiated rate structure based on production volumes and the price of natural uranium concentrate (U3O8) For production volumes up to 500 metric tonnes increasing incrementally to a maximum of 18% for volumes exceeding 4,000 metric tonnes if the price of U3O8 exceeds certain thresholds starting at 0.5% for prices above $70/lb and rising to a maximum of 2.5% for prices above $110/lb Kazakhstan's government said the tax increase as part of broader economic reforms aimed at balancing the budget and redistributing wealth more equitably “Our minerals extraction tax rates are among the lowest in the world,” economy minister Alibek Kuantyrov said “I think we can carefully raise it by 10-20 percent.” Investing News Network said the changes come amid increased government spending in response to global economic pressures and the conflict in Ukraine Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Whanganui's Reverend Graham Karatau had a particular fondness for Queen Elizabeth II and knew her better than most people "I was a royal footman assigned to the Queen in the 1970s," he said "I lived and worked at Buckingham Palace for nine years." "He wanted to recruit a young man from this area to join his staff and I was offered the position." Karatau was working at his first job as a clerk with New Zealand Railways "I had never been away from home before and there I was moving to Government House in Wellington," Karatau said "The Porritts were lovely people to work for and I became good friends with their children as well." Karatau traveled to London with the family after Porritt's term as Governor-General ended in 1972 "I remember meeting the Queen as she stepped off the royal yacht and she told me I was the 'best-looking Māori boy' she'd ever seen," he said "I was flattered but then I thought to myself 'Has she seen any other Māori boys?' I suppose she would have met some when she visited New Zealand but it was a nice thing for her to say." Karatau said the Queen was a "beautiful lady" and a very good boss "She was always very kind and when my mother came to visit I tried to teach her to curtsy before she met the Queen ''She couldn't quite get the hang of it and was so nervous that she fell over "It was the only time I got told off while working at the palace Karatau said he also liked Prince Philip who was given to using mild profanities "He complained about one of the 'bloody dogs' urinating on the floor and when I offered to clean it up he said 'Liz' should do it because it was her dog "The Queen agreed that it was her responsibility and was happy to deal with it She was really quite humble in situations like that." Karatau said the duties of a palace footman were varied and he was one of a team of 25 "We had seven different uniforms for different duties Often a group of us would go to a place where the Queen would be visiting to check that everything was as it should be "Our accommodation was very comfortable but quite plain I had a lovely view of the Royal Mews from my window All our meals were provided and the food was always lovely we were waited on ourselves - our laundry was done for us and there was a special room where uniforms were kept and a nice lady took care of them for us." Karatau still has the ceremonial sword he was required to carry for some occasions "I never learned to use it and I would forget about it and bump it against the table sometimes when I went to sit down to dinner." A butler from New Zealand was on the staff at Buckingham Palace for a time while Karatau worked there but he was otherwise the sole representative for this corner of the Commonwealth "I was very proud to serve and I know how fortunate I was to have the opportunity," he said I'm very glad that I had the chance to work for a wonderful lady." Karatau returned to New Zealand when his mother's health was failing and settled in Marton for several years before recently moving to Whanganui Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week Nathan Karatau of Marton who died in a truck crash near Palmerston North The sister of a Marton man who died in a road accident in Palmerston North on January 4 has described him as "my idol said her brother Nathan Karatau was a "loving partner to Nadine and a very proud father to five beautiful children." died in a crash on Rangitikei Line when his truck and another collided He was taken to Palmerston North hospital but died overnight Ms King said her brother was a "very humble caring person and was a good man who would go out of his way to help others A death notice published in the Chronicle said Mr Karatau was surrounded by his family at the time of his death The notice said he was loved by "all his siblings and he was a cherished son to his parents" has set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds for the family All proceeds will help cover funeral costs and amenities Donations can be made at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/nadinedalley Christian Karatau and Emilee Adams are blissfully aware that if they make the spares • Emilee Adams and Christian Karatau will compete on the overseas circuit for the first time when they roll their arms on the high-octane lanes of Melbourne You could say it's not how Emilee Adams bowls in the tenpin lanes but how she rolls in the game of life that captures the imagination A victim of bullying ever since she entered the mainstream education system Adams found some sanctuary at the truer synthetic surface of the Superstrike Tenpin Bowling Centre in Hastings from 10 "I always struggled from primary school and didn't make any friends until I was in my last year," says the homeschooling 17-year-old who is off to Australia with fellow Tenpin Bowling Hawke's Bay member Christian Karatau as part of the eight-member New Zealand Under-21 team to the 2020 National Youth Cup and Youth Challenge from January 11-16 In her intermediate years things escalated and at high school it became untenable has provided her the platform with 4000 followers to springboard into an identity of sorts and that drew some undesirable attention "I had some physical [bullying] but most of it was online," says Adams who unplugged from social media for a few months to reduce the toxicity she found solace in a sport that struck a chord with her as she watched her father doing my own thing because it's such a good sport," she explains seeing the analogy in how a pin is always upright for another ball no matter how many times it's toppled It's just one big family and we kind of have fun." It's the first time Adams will leave New Zealand's shores and the maiden overseas competition for Karatau "I'm extra nervous and I'm very excited because I'm going to a tournament where I haven't actually left the country before," she says revealing she was the one at school who didn't make the cull for sport teams The former Parkvale School and Hastings Intermediate School pupil played 52 games to finish third overall in her gender at the week-long NZ Junior/Youth Tenpin Championship which ended at the Manukau Superstrike Centre in Auckland on October 6 Adams isn't putting any pressure on getting on the podium Bling will be blissful but bowling to the best of her ability while having fun trumps any inflated expectations She has tried to keep her head out of the clouds but her father has impressed on her that "this is your year" "I haven't really had the confidence to bowl every year because I haven't been able to do the best I can do but this year I've improved so much." who had attended Karamu and Havelock North high schools for the weekly fillip and support from centre members as well as mother Katrina Torwick the teenager is reluctant to commit to anything just yet because she fears picking a degree she won't enjoy for their willingness to sponsor her after she started there four months ago as a barista Karatau feels at home because grandma Barbara Nonu owns the centre where he also works occasionally "With me my nan owns it so I can just rock up and keep bowling," says the Hastings Boys' High School student who won the Waitakere Youth Cup among the swag of 14 medals the Bay contingent claimed at the nationals this month "It's very exciting because I've never been able to make the New Zealand team before," says the Year 11 student who won the junior boys' national crown in 2011 has got him more in the selectors' thought processes who is competing in an open tourney at Lower Hutt this weekend suspects he's finding more traction because he's learned to focus under the tutelage of Jason Waters "I used to just grab the ball and throw it and I didn't care much about what I was doing."Selection to the development team this year also is a factor He welcomes winning in Melbourne but it's the experience of playing in different country against unknown quantities to the tune of Aussie brashness that excite him who invests up to 20 hours a week compared with Adams four has been tenpin bowling since he was 3 and the after-school routine in the lanes honed his skills He feeds off his grandma who travels to most of his tourneys but won't go to Melbourne The other Kiwi U21 male members are Ash Ball (Wellington) Ryan Julian (Auckland) and Devan Sahayam (Wellington) Paige Knox (Auckland) and Fiona Sopi (Wellington) join Adams The HB performers at the NZ Junior/Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship in Auckland early this month: Christian Karatau: 1st junior boys' doubles Two unlikely heroes stepped up for the Hawks at the death no but Christian Karatau isn't too far from it if numbers are anything to go by in tenpin bowling From where he takes his stance at the Superstrike Tenpin Bowling Centre in Hastings Karatau suspects the "truer" synthetic lanes offer enough traction to find nirvana in the code "I was going for 300 but I got 299 and that's my personal best so I'm pretty happy with that," says the 16-year-old after momentarily bringing proceedings to a halt during the Monday night league at the centre during the second of his four games Karatau got 10 out of 10 that night which had catapulted him to the top rung of the leaderboard on 34 points in a league of 15 ahead of New Zealand senior representative Murray Bicknell on 30 The Hastings Boys' High School student believes he did everything right for a "decent shot" but feels the ball had perhaps skewed a little more to the left than intended to miss the "pocket" "That one pin just didn't want to fall over," says the circumspect Year 12 pupil with a chuckle after racking up 11 strikes on the trot but managing only nine pins on the 12th frame "I'm a little bit disappointed with myself about that last shot but it is what it is according to tenpin stalwart Preston Epplett the only official 300 bowled in Hastings is credited to Koia Shannon "There have been a couple in practice but that is the only officially recognised one," says Epplett The chartered accountant says up to half a dozen perfect scores are recorded in the country annually In the past three decades only 50 official ones of those have been logged in "That is from the thousands of league and tournament games bowled each year," Epplett says A perfect game is the highest score possible in tenpin bowling A player achieves that by scoring a strike in every frame to register 300 That constitutes 12 consecutive strikes in a traditional single game — that is one strike in each of the first nine frames and three more in the 10th Because a strike counts as 10 pins plus any pin fall in the next two balls 30 points are up for grab in any given frame Does the talented teenager need to exorcise a few demons in seeking closure "It is haunting me a little bit because it did wobble but didn't want to fall over for me," he says with a laugh not feeling as much pressure as he did when he was younger "Every time I used to come close to getting a perfect [score] I used to look behind me at all these people watching me and getting quite nervous about it but this time I was a lot more on the ball and didn't worry about them." The rookie New Zealand under-21 representative — who was part of an eight-member team who had competed the 2020 National Youth Cup and Youth Challenge from January-16 — says about 30 bowlers had stalled play to watch him try to achieve 300 All the indications were there that Karatau was flirting with a perfect score "It has to wait until the next league night to see if I can bowl that perfect game," he says with 40 weeks remaining in the season to accomplish that Centre owner Barbara Nonu is his grandmother so honing his prowess isn't an issue for Karatau who has been investing countless hours to procure that curve ball touted as among the best in Australia and New Zealand is hosting the national 55-plus tournament this week The main source rocks here are Late Devonian ‘Domanik’ shales Lower Pliocene clastic reservoirs sealed by intraformational and Late Pliocene mudrocks host numerous large fields such as ACG (the Azeri-Chyrag-Guneshli group; 5-6 Bbo) and Shah Deniz (40 Tcfg) both in terms of geography and the age of the petroleum systems Blackbourn Geoconsulting has worked on the petroleum systems of the Greater Caspian region for over 20 years we outline the large-scale depositional systems responsible for the Mesozoic Central Caspian hydrocarbon province from the Caucasus and Precaucasus in the west to western Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the east Figure 1: Limestones of the Middle Triassic Khozbulak Suite near Doshan outcropping on the north side of the East Karatau ridge © Graham Blackbourn.Our work in the Central Caspian province has been greatly enhanced by numerous field studies undertaken in the Karatau hills of western Kazakhstan and in Mesozoic (and other) outcrops of the Caucasus in Russia Azerbaijan and Georgia and the Kopetdag Basin of western Turkmenistan combined with information from the extensive full caption: Limestones of the Middle Triassic Khozbulak Suite near Doshan comprise the main oil source rock across a wide area of the Central Caspian province The inset is a close-up view of one of the individual limestone beds these limestones (together with Triassic sandstones) also form reservoirs although the Triassic reservoirs tend to be compartmentalised and the most productive fields occur where hydrocarbons have migrated into the overlying Jurassic and Cretaceous The basement comprises a mosaic of microcontinental blocks which consolidated during the late Palaeozoic and now extends westwards as the Scythian Platform This Palaeozoic basement is blanketed by younger sediments Figure 2 presents a conceptual model for the development of the Scythian and Turan platforms (and the Precaspian Basin) during the late Palaeozoic which is broadly consistent with most of the available evidence Figure 2: Simplified model for the development of the basement to the Central and North Caspian area during the late Palaeozoic Owing to an almost complete absence of Palaeozoic outcrop in the area illustrated direct evidence for its tectonic development is sparse and competing models abound according to the principle of ‘Occam’s razor’ which accounts for the great majority of the available data The Caspian Sea itself is a relatively recent accident of geomorphology which has little geological significance In referring here to the Central Caspian region we mean those parts of the Scythian and Turan platforms beneath Northward subduction of Palaeo-Tethys beneath the Central Caspian region during the Permo-Triassic (Figure 2d) created crustal tension with the formation of linear rifts such as the Manych Trough in the Precaucasus and the Karatau rift in western Kazakhstan Throughout the Triassic these rifts lay within a wider area of gradual subsidence centred on the present Northern and Central Caspian and this sedimentary basin was at times isolated from Tethys by the volcanic arc which separated them Mid-Triassic organic-rich limestones which accumulated within this basin comprise the most important oil source within the Central Caspian region (Figure 1) Palaeo-Tethys closed at the end of the Triassic when the Cimmerian continent (actually a collage of separate terranes) collided with the south Eurasian margin The resulting Early Cimmerian orogen was shortlived but intense in the Caspian region Uplift was particularly marked within the Karatau rift where sinistral transpression resulted in inversion and intense deformation of the rift fill A near-complete succession of Late Permian to Late Triassic sediments is now exposed within the former rift zone unconformably onlapped by a similarly complete and beautifully exposed Early Jurassic to Miocene succession The entire stratigraphy has been studied in some detail by Blackbourn Geoconsulting during many field excursions since 1994 the Neo-Tethys Ocean to the south of Cimmeria began to subduct northwards beneath Eurasia leading to the collapse of the Early Cimmerian orogen The present Great Caucasus mountain range became the site of a deep rift during the Early Jurassic At this time the Central Caspian area comprised a gently undulating subaerial plain Fluviolacustrine and coal-swamp deposits accumulated within small isolated basins transporting sands from the Southern Urals 1,500 km to the north-east across western Kazakhstan and towards the GCB where they passed through a series of deltas culminating in deepwater fans along the north-eastern margin of the basin (Figure 3) The rivers also transported sediment from more localised sources such as the South Emba High and Karabogaz Arch Tributaries drained the southern part of the Precaspian Basin in the north Initial rifting within the GCB ended with a brief compressional episode during the Bajocian although the basin experienced later phases of reactivation and long-term thermal and load-related subsidence Active extension shifted to a newly-developing rift immediately to the south oceanic crust formed within this southern basin during the Middle Jurassic some of which survives at considerable depth as the basement of the present South Caspian Basin Rising Jurassic sea levels led to a gradual marine transgression The shoreline shifted across the Central Caspian from south-west to north-east reaching Mangyshlak in western Kazakhstan during the Bajocian and Bathonian The fluvio-deltaic to shallow-marine sandstones form major reservoirs in the area such as in the Uzen field on the northern flank of the South Mangyshlak Basin with an estimated 8.4 Bbo initially in-place Such reservoirs are characteristically multi-layered with the best qualities seen within channelised deposits Typical reservoir geometries are clearly observed within outcrops in the Karatau hills (Figures 4 and 5) Figure 5: Middle Jurassic of the Karatau hills the type section of the Bajocian-Bathonian Karadiirmen Suite which is the reservoir for many of the major oil fields of western Kazakhstan Cemented ‘caps’ (such as that at the summit of the hill with several more visible in the slopes) represent short-lived periods of sea-level fall during accumulation of this fluvio-deltaic succession (Figure 4) Associated channel incision and later backfilling gave rise to thick channelised sands such as the 13m thick body illustrated in the inset Three-dimensional exposures of these Jurassic rocks (and the overlying Cretaceous) can be followed for tens of kilometres providing excellent examples of reservoir geometry © Graham Blackbourn.Further sea-level rise during the Late Jurassic led to a shallow-marine shelf extending over much of the Central Caspian region on which both clastics and carbonates accumulated Renewed tectonic activity was probably associated with the collision of continental blocks against the Eurasian margin far to the south-east Relative uplift of the western part of the Karatau rift zone recommenced with erosion of parts of the Middle Jurassic although moderately deep-marine Late Jurassic mudrocks are preserved locally in the east beneath the base-Cretaceous unconformity Late Jurassic shelf carbonates form an important oil and gas reservoir in Mangyshlak and the Central Caspian They are not well-developed in the Karatau hills where the Upper Jurassic is clastic-dominated and affected by numerous unconformities and disconformities although well-exposed Early Cretaceous limestones provide a fair analogue Superb exposures of Late Jurassic carbonate-shelf deposits do however occur in the North Caucasus such as the Skalistyi Ridge in the Baksan valley of the Central North Caucasus where Oxfordian shelf carbonates are overlain by cliffs of Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) limestone These exposures were visited by Blackbourn during the early 1990s although extended visits to the area are now difficult owing to security concerns The Beshbarmak reef is a prominent feature overlooking the coastal road in north-east Azerbaijan Close examination shows that it comprises an enormous block of an Oxfordian reef which developed on the northern margin of the Great Caucasus Basin and later foundered into younger shales during a period of widespread collapse of the basin margins such as in the Terek-Caspian Basin of the eastern Precaucasus and in the GCB renewed basin subsidence in a carbonate setting led to the development of basin-fringing reefs Thick evaporites developed in several of the basins and localised evaporites are known in the South Mangyshlak Basin while the GCB remained a reef-fringed open-marine basin Geological research during the Soviet era tended to be compartmentalised within narrow geographical limits geologists working in the Caucasus asserted that the huge Jurassic delta-fan system on the north-eastern margin of the GCB was sourced from a (notional) Central Caspian Arch while Kazakh geologists envisaged the contemporary fluvial system of Mangyshlak as flowing south-westwards into the Caspian Sea The institutional set-up was not capable of linking these two sets of observations The wealth of Soviet and more recent geological literature from the local area with added context and detail from field studies has enabled the sedimentological and tectonic background to the various petroleum systems of the Greater Caspian region and other parts of the former Soviet Union to be more clearly understood Below is a gallery showing a selection of photographs taken by Graham Blackbourn during the geological fieldwork carried out in the Central Caspian Basin area Field work in the Central Caspian Basin area This article is a brief summary of some of the work carried out by Blackbourn Geoconsulting over more than 20 years it draws heavily on contributions from Russian-language authors Conversations with very many clients and co-workers have also been of considerable assistance though care has been taken to exclude any proprietary information from this account (which would have required some slight adjustments to the maps provided For all of this the author is enormously grateful Chartered Geologist Dr Graham Blackbourn gained his PhD in sedimentology from Strathclyde University He has eight years experience within a major UK oil company Dr Blackbourn has particular expertise in relating petrography to petrophysical properties and reservoir quality Dr Blackbourn has published many papers on sedimentology continental ‘red bed’ facies and diagenesis in clastic reservoirs He has worked extensively on the relationship between petrographic properties and reservoir quality Henk KombrinkHenk.Kombrink@geoexpro.com+44 77 8899 2374 Sales DirectorIngvild Ryggen CarstensSales Enquiries+47 974 69 090 Staff Reporter A 27-YEAR-OLD woman identified as Moreen Van Wyk… Maria David A 26-YEAR-OLD man was apprehended in the early… Staff Reporter THREE armed men allegedly robbed Caravan Lodge Bar… Staff Reporter NAMIBIA is a majority Christian nation where children… Staff Reporter NAMIBIAN authorities have issued a warning to communities,… Maria David A 29-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in Ondangwa… Staff Reporter A 15-YEAR-OLD girl was raped and assaulted at… Maria David NAMIBIAN Police Force Inspector General Joseph Shikongo has… Staff Reporter THE Directorate of Veterinary Services has confirmed a… Staff Reporter SOUTH African Airways (SAA) has introduced a third… Maria David THE Ministry of Education is expected to construct… Staff Reporter PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said that the recent incidents… Staff Reporter PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Namibians to… Maria David KING Fillemon Nangolo Shuumbwa of the Ondonga Traditional… The sister of a Marton man who died after a road accident in Palmerston North last Wednesday has described him as "my idol said her brother Nathan Karatau was a "loving partner to Nadine Paurine and a very proud father to five beautiful children" He was taken to Palmerston North hospital but died overnight caring person and was a good man who would go out of his way to help others" A death notice published in the Chronicle said Karatau King will be unable to attend the ceremony Alisha Samuel, sister of Karatau's partner, Nadine, has set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds for the family Andy Stewart pushed on with his motorbike trek despite his growing pain Kaylee Bisschoff has added the North Island Schools intermediate girls 80m hurdles title to the New Zealand Under-16 title Fifteen-year-old Whanganui High School athlete Kaylee Bisschoff has made a big impact on the athletics track since her arrival from Pretoria Bisschoff added the North Island Schools intermediate girls 80m hurdles title to the New Zealand Under-16 title won last month is technically excellent over the hurdles with a lightning-quick turnover she only qualified for the final in third place but nailed that final with a half-second personal best of 12.05s Bischoff was under pressure from the Waikato Bay of Plenty athletes but held her nerve and her form to win in 12.43s into a slight headwind Bischoff also finished fifth in the 300m hurdles one place behind Grace Fannin (Whanganui Girls’ College) with both setting substantial personal bests Whanganui athletes took two further titles through Ben Karatau (Whanganui Collegiate School) in the intermediate boys hammer and Reiley Thomas (Whanganui High School) in the inaugural 200m junior boys hurdles Both events had small fields but the titles will be motivational Thomas has only just started in the sport and is making a strong early mark while for Karatau Lexi Maples had her first hammer competition and at the weekend threw her first 60m throw (61.88m) in Fargo to go fifth in the New Zealand all-time list Both Maples and Karatau have benefited from the foundation coaching of Whanganui coach Richard Drabczynski Damian Hodgson (Whanganui High School) has made outstanding progress this season and was rewarded with two individual podium finishes He set a personal best to take second in the 400m from his high school teammate Thomas Gowan (third) Both ran 52.46s and were separated by thousands of a second on the photo finish A day later Hodgson was second in the 300m hurdles (40.58s) Gowan had less recovery time with only just over two hours between the senior 400m and 800m and to his credit ran a personal best of 2m 02.14s for fifth place Gowan and Hodgson were joined by Whanganui High School’s Under-16 sprinter/hurdler James McGregor and Samuel Hermann (Collegiate) to run a meritorious third in the senior 4x400m relay Greta Darke (Collegiate) sliced two seconds off her personal best and six seconds off her New Zealand Under-18 2000m steeplechase bronze medal performance to take second in the senior girls steeplechase with her Collegiate training partner Hannah Byam taking third in the Under-16 grade Juliet McKinlay has been named in the New Zealand Under-18 team to the Oceania Championships in Fiji at the start of June for heptathlon McKinlay chose to run in the senior girls 100m hurdles McKinlay finished third in the senior event and was also third in her own grade in the intermediate long jump (5.11m) She had to withdraw in the fifth round of the triple jump with a recurrence of the injury sustained at the Athletics New Zealand Championships last month and finished fifth She was unable to run in the 300m hurdles on Sunday Rosa Meyer (Collegiate) repeated her third place in the senior 3000m but under very different circumstances In 2023 she was able to tuck in behind a strong leading group setting a solid pace pace schedule in the expectation that others had similar ambitions That plan disintegrated after a snail’s pace opening 300m and Meyer had to settle for the bottom step on the podium and finished with a disappointing time - a sharp learning curve Whanganui’s other podium place came from Ludmila Shanahan (Collegiate) in her major competition debut with her third place in the junior girls triple jump recording a personal best 8.90m with a clear indication that there is better to come The championships provide a unique opportunity to represent Whanganui as a team rather than competing for athletes’ individual schools Although many Whanganui athletes found themselves at the back of the fields it was pleasing to see the large participation from our contributing schools The challenge for schools and the club is to develop that potential at their newly renovated Fairfield property MORE Queenslanders would live near a brothel than put up with crime asbestos and bad smells according to new research from Australian comparison website Finder A recent Finder survey of Queensland property buyers found the biggest real estate turn-off was a high crime rate with 63 per cent of potential homebuyers indicating they would knock back a house in an area known to be dodgy In a close second was asbestos with 62 per cent of those surveyed admitting they would shun a property containing the potentially harmful material while 59 per cent would not tolerate bad smells caused by the likes of pets Being located next to a brothel was the ninth biggest turn-off while no parking bad internet and being close to noisy roads loud bars and flight paths could also put a damper on potential real estate love affairs Bessie Hassan said turn-offs could knock thousands off the value of a home “If you can think outside the box to remedy the issue this could be a way to pick up a bargain property because demand might be low,” she said “There’s not much you can do about a property being close to a main road but you could reduce the road noise by installing soundproofing or high fencing.” cigarettes and dampness was the third biggest turn off for Queensland buyers Haesley Cush agreed with the survey findings that bad smells and loud noises could drive buyers away “Poorly presented properties are easily discounted and “A buyer may leave an inspection not liking a property because of a bad smell but the thing that tuned them off They just remember they didn’t like the property and they won’t go back.” buyers tended to accept or reject an area based on criminal activity long before making it to an open house but he warned against hasty judgment as gems could be found in suburbs perceived as bad everyone who has owned in New Farm for over 20 years when they bought their property friends and family would have said don’t buy there because of the junkies and prostitutes,” he said “Now because of gentrifications people think they are real estate soothsayers and have predicted the future.” Asbestos was the second biggest property turn off Queensland Government Asbestos Unit director Peter McGarry said homebuyers should be alert but not alarmed about asbestos in homes “If asbestos containing materials are in a good condition there’s not a risk,” he said “If the asbestos is well painted and if any cracks are sealed that is considered to be good condition.” Mr McGarry said about 50 per cent of Queensland housing stock was reliably estimated to contain some amount of asbestos “Any house built or renovated before 1990 should be assumed to contain some degree of asbestos materials,” he said Mr McGarry said risk came from improper removal or renovation of asbestos which can also result in prosecution and fines He said homebuyers should factor the cost of maintaining asbestos or having it removed by a licensed professional when purchasing a house containing the product “On average it costs about $25 to $35 per square metre for removal and disposal of asbestos containing material,” he said Homeowners Beck Karatau and Dayne Rapihana weren’t scared off by asbestos in their latest renovation project, a Queenslander at 115 Ashby Rd, Fairfield that has been listed for sale through Pauline Karatau of Ray White New Farm “There was a small amount asbestos and we were able to remove it,” Ms Karatau said “A small amount is not a problem and if a house needed to be totally gutted and re-sheeted that would come down to the cost “If you engage the right qualified people (to deal with it) Ms Karatau has gained her builder’s license and together the couple are often hunting for renovation projects Ms Karatau said property turn offs weren’t necessarily a bad thing as they could result in a more affordable sale price “A lot of problems can be solved,” she said “Being on quite a busy main road would be the number one turn off for us … but we can redesign a house to minimise issues “We’d design easy access onto the property put living areas to the back of the property and use insulation and double glazing to cut down on noise.” House with asbestos in the walls/ceilings (62%) third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content 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By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Russian Federation signed an intergovernmental agreement on the implementation of the project "Construction and Operation of a Plant for the Production of Mineral Fertilizers" in Moscow where the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Russia Ermek Kosherbayev and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov signed an Agreement on the implementation of the project OJSC Mineral and Chemical Company EuroChem for the construction and operation of a plant for the production of mineral fertilizers in the Zhambyl region The project involves the development of deposits of the Karatau phosphorite basin in the south of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the construction of a new plant for the production of mineral fertilizers and industrial products with a capacity of up to 1 million tons The investments to date has amounted to about $270 million approximately $800 million is to be invested “The work of the chemical enterprise will provide an opportunity to create at least 1,200 new jobs in the Zhambyl region and will also give a tangible impetus to the development of the manufacturing industry and agriculture will contribute to improving food security the socio-economic development of the Zhambyl region increasing the export potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan will significantly strengthen integration business ties between Kazakhstan and Russia” Ermek Kosherbayev commented EuroChem has successfully completed the first stage of the project — to explore and start developing a phosphorite deposit to commission a mining complex with an annual production capacity of 640,000 tons of phosphate rock it will be possible to move to the implementation of the second stage of the project — the expansion of the existing production and the beginning of the construction of a plant next year using the best available technologies in the chemical industry Stay updated about the events of the Prime minister and the Government of Kazakhstan - subscribe to the official Telegram channel MEP Middle East Home » PROJECTS » ACWA Power breaks ground on 100MW Nukus wind project ACWA Power – which is a leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, desalinated water, and green hydrogen plants worldwide – has broken ground on the 100MW Nukus wind project The ground-breaking comes less than two months after binding project agreements were signed with the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and JSC National Electric Grid (NEGU) With an estimated total investment of $108mn It is expected to reach financial close by Q3 2022 The formal ceremony was attended by HE Shavket Mirziyoyev the president of the Republic of Uzbekistan; HE Yousef Saleh Algahrah Al-Otaibi Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan; Mohammad Abunayyan and other senior officials from the Uzbek government.  The Uzbek government has plans to diversify the country’s energy mix and is targeting 8GW of solar and wind capacity by 2026 The Nukus wind project marks the republic’s first open competitive tender in the wind energy sector ACWA Power won the bid after proposing a tariff of US 2.5695 cents/kwh which was the lowest in a tender process that included 11 other bidders The project will comprise of Wind Turbine Generators (WTG) using advanced design and technical features Each WTG will have a capacity of generating more than 5 MW of electricity which demonstrates ACWA Power’s ability to keep optimising design together with manufacturers for continuous innovation ACWA Power will also endeavour to give local advisory and manpower firms an opportunity to participate in the project said: “Uzbekistan has been working closely with the IFIs to open up the country’s power sector to private investment and to help us reach our goal of 25% of energy consumption deriving from renewable sources by 2026 “We have a huge variety of projects underway It is my great pleasure to update audiences on our progress Uzbekistan is committed to policy goals to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy’s share of the country’s energy mix.” said: “Laying the cornerstone of the Nukus plant comes shortly after the signing of the official purchase agreements is as an affirmation to supporting the ambitious vision of the leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan to enhance the potential of the Uzbek energy sector we are honoured to add this pioneering project to our portfolio especially for its precedence and leadership in more than one aspect in the energy sector of the Republic of Uzbekistan I can only express my gratitude to the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan our partners in the private sector and the Uzbeks for their support in achieving this important achievement.” Abunayyan added: “As we look together towards the future we assert our commitment to implementing this project in accordance with the highest standards of quality and achieving the desired positive impact on the economy and society.” The Nukus wind project is ACWA Power’s fourth facility in the Republic of Uzbekistan The company’s in-country portfolio also includes a combined cycle gas turbine plant When this project achieves commercial operation in 2024 it will contribute 1.25% to Uzbekistan’s overall renewable energy goals the facility is expected to power 120,000 Uzbek households and offset 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year VAR referee: Artem Kuchin (Karaganda) Fourth official: Ruslan Sultangaliyev (Atyrau) Inspector: Yelesh Kusainov (Astana) AVAR referee: Rustam Beyzhanov (Petropavlovsk) Fourth official: Grigory Moskovchenko (Pavlodar) AVAR referee: Dmitry Filonenko (Taraz) Fourth official: Georgy Chekhovsky (Astana) Fourth official: Rustam Omarov (Almaty) Referees: Denis Tevyashov (Uralsk) VAR referee: Sergey Gorohovodatsky (Almaty) AVAR referee: Kirill Tkachev (Almaty) VAR referee: Alexander Gauzer(Petropavlovsk) Fourth official: Sayat Sulikanov (Aktobe) VAR referee: Grigory Moskovchenko (Pavlodar) AVAR referee: Sergey Nozhenko (Taldykorgan) Fourth official: Sanzhar Iskakov (Kostanay) Sergei Vasyutin,  Ardak Dauanov (all Almaty) AVAR referee: Ruslan Sultangaliyev (Atyrau) Fourth official: Sayat  Sulikanov (Aktobe) AVAR referee: Anton Moltusinov (Oskemen) Alexey Shabanov, Nargis Magau (all Almaty) VAR referee: Bagdat  Abdullaev (Karatau) AVAR referee: Alexander Aliyev (Almaty) Fourth official: Nikita Utrobin (Astana) Inspector: Kurmanbek Ordabaev (Turkestan region) Referees: Bulat  Sariev (Uralsk) Amangeldy Zhusupov (Taraz), Artem Konivets (Karaganda) AVAR referee: Denis Izmailov (Taldykorgan) Fourth official: Samat Zharilkasinov(Shymkent) VAR referee: Danil  Gorda (Kokshetau) AVAR referee: Bolat Karlibaev (Uralsk) Fourth official: Viktor Stasenko (Taldykorgan) Fourth official: Daniyar Sakhi (Kyzylorda) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a $19.3 million loan to ACWA Power Wind Karatau to finance the construction of a 100MW wind power plant (WPP) in Karakalpakstan The project will also be co-financed by the German Development Finance Institution Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG part of KfW Group) and by the French Development Finance institution Société de Promotion et de Participation pour la Cooperation Economique (Proparco part of the Agence Française de Développement Group) are expected to generate over 300 GWh of renewable electricity annually and deliver more than 178,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions savings annually The EBRD has so far financed 2,700 MW of renewables capacity in Uzbekistan It has partnered with the authorities on a programme to deliver 2,000 MW of wind power through competitive bidding processes The Karatau WPP project is the first project under this programme The closing price was a record low for Central Asia proving the commercial viability of private wind power and bringing Uzbekistan closer to realising its renewable energy potential The project will also support women’s participation in the country’s renewable energy sector will increase access to market-relevant skills and employment opportunities for young women in the country by working in partnership with local technical institutes to introduce a new gender-responsive certified internship programme that will expand the local talent pool ACWA Power Wind Karatau is a limited liability company registered in Uzbekistan and owned by ACWA Power Company We have received your message and will fix the mistake soon A car is impounded as part of Operation Tow A month-long operation aimed at getting high-risk drivers off the roads in Hawke’s Bay has seen more than 155 vehicles impounded Road Policing Constable Mark Catley said the key focus of Operation Tow was ensuring disqualified with those stopped having their vehicle impounded immediately Police also targeted people with outstanding fines working with partner agency the Ministry of Justice who can seize vehicles from drivers who have fines warrants Catley said they had a great response from police staff across Hawke’s Bay to the operation “Enforcing mandatory impounds for driving while suspended/disqualified or forbidden is removing vehicles from high-risk drivers and offenders and limiting their means of getting around and committing crime and victimising the general public,” said Catley He said Op Tow was also an opportunity to increase the focus on “RIDS” (Restraints “All drivers that were stopped were breath-tested and as always we kept an eye out for people not wearing seatbelts using their cell phones while driving and speeding.” Constable Mark Catley and Christian Karatau from Trade Towage inspect an impounded car There was an uplift in the number of breath screening tests done in October across the Eastern District This is more than double September figures The uplift is attributed to Operation Tow in Hawke’s Bay and Operation Putiki (road policing operation) in Tairāwhiti Catley said on average Hawke’s Bay Police impounds 60 - 80 vehicles a month A third of those vehicles don't get claimed by their owner at the end of the 28-day impoundment and are disposed of and no longer on our roads Constable Mark Catley and Sergeant Damien Gordon speak with a driver at a checkpoint “Many vehicles that don't get claimed are unroadworthy and a safety issue Reducing the amount of these vehicles on our roads contributes to safer roads for all road users.” How do you feel about Tauranga’s rapid population growth Back to top Whanganui Collegiate School men's intermediate coxed quad scull who won gold at the 2023 North Island Championships (from left) Mitch Karatau and coaches Daniel McSweeny and Tyler Scott Whanganui rowers scooped a fistful of medals and featured in 72 finals at the 2023 North Island Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro The four clubs within the Whanganui Rowing Association — Aramoho-Whanganui Rowing Club Whanganui Collegiate Rowing Club and Clifton Rowing Club (Taranaki) — competed against 54 clubs/schools and a total of 2062 competitors at the championships on January 28-30 The most successful rower from the region was Clifton’s Madison Neale with two gold medals (women’s club and senior double scull) and a bronze in the women’s club single scull Aramoho-Whanganui was the second club overall Gold medals went to the following crews and rowers: Whanganui Collegiate: Men’s intermediate coxed quadruple scull (Tyler Weyburne Aramoho-Whanganui Rowing Club: Women’s club coxless quad scull (Robyn Van Dijk Reeve Watson); men’s senior coxless quad scull (Luke Shannon Gabriel Reynold); men’s club coxless four (Dan Dutton-Smith Clifton Rowing Club: Women’s senior double scull (Madison Neale Sophia Hodson); women’s club double scull (Madison Neale Jill Zwart); women’s novice double scull (Rose Berghan Whanganui Rowing’s next events are the 2023 Downer NZ Masters Games indoor and outdoor rowing Clubs are now in final preparations for the 2023 NZ Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha after which the secondary schools season kicks in culminating in the Aon Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro Yevropa tiklanish va taraqiyot banki (YeTTB) Nukus shahridagi 100 MVt quvvatga ega shamol elektr stansiyasini moliyalashtirish uchun ACWA Power Wind Karatau kompaniyasiga 19,3 million dollar kredit ajratdi Bu haqda Samarqadda davom etayotgan bank boshqaruvchilar kengashining 32-yillik yig‘ilishidan QALAMPIR.UZ xabar berdi.  “YeTTB Qoraqalpog‘istonda 100 MVt quvvatga ega shamol elektr stansiyasi qurilishi va ekspluatatsiyasini moliyalashtirish uchun ACWA Powyer Wind Karatau XK MCHJga 19,3 million AQSH dollari miqdorida kredit ajratmoqda Loyiha YeTTBning 2000 MVt shamol quvvatini rivojlantirish bo‘yicha hokimiyatni qo‘llab-quvvatlash dasturining birinchi bosqichi natijasidir” Shuning bilan O‘zbekistonda YeTTB tomonidan moliyalashtiriladigan qayta tiklanuvchi energiya quvvati 2700 MVt ga oshadigan bo‘ldi “O‘zbekistonning energetika sektori mamlakat iqtisodiy o‘sishining asosiy omili hisoblanadi biroq u infratuzilmaning eskirishidan aziyat chekmoqda ta’minotdagi nomutanosiblik va vaqti-vaqti bilan o‘chirishga olib keladi Rasmiylar Parij kelishuvi doirasidagi uglerod neytralligi energiya xavfsizligini ta’minlash va barqaror iqtisodiy o‘sishga erishish uchun mamlakatning uglerod neytralligi maqsadlarining bir qismi sifatida qayta tiklanadigan energiya bo‘yicha ulkan maqsadlarga erishish majburiyatini oldilar” YeTTB Barqaror infratuzilma guruhi boshqaruvchi direktori Nandita Parshad esa Orol dengizi mintaqasi shamol va quyosh resurslaridan foydalangan holda o‘z iqtisodiyotini tiklayotganini aytdi “Bu YeTTB kimoshdi savdosi bo‘yicha maslahat dasturi doirasidagi birinchi loyiha bo‘lib 2GVt shamol energiyasini raqobatbardosh savdolar orqali yetkazib berishga yordam beradi Bu shamol energiyasi uchun rekord darajadagi past narxni o‘rnatadi va yiliga 178 000 tonnadan ortiq CO2 emissiyasini tejash imkonini beradi” YeTTB hozirgacha O‘zbekistonda 2700 MVt qayta tiklanadigan energiya quvvatini moliyalashtirgan 2000 MVt shamol energiyasini raqobatbardosh savdolar orqali etkazib berish dasturi bo‘yicha O‘zbekiston bilan hamkorlik qilib keladi Karatau GES loyihasi ushbu dastur doirasidagi birinchi loyihadir bu mamlakatning “Davlat-xususiy sheriklik to‘g‘risida”gi qonuni doirasida ishlab chiqilayotgan qayta tiklanadigan energiya manbalari bo‘yicha birinchi loyihadir ayollarning mamlakatning qayta tiklanadigan energiya sektoridagi ishtirokini qo‘llab-quvvatlaydi Homiy ACWA Power Wind Karatau mahalliy texnik institutlar bilan hamkorlikda yangi genderga mos sertifikatlangan stajirovka dasturini joriy etish orqali mahalliy iste’dodlar zaxirasini kengaytirib mamlakatdagi yosh ayollar uchun bozorga mos ko‘nikmalar va ishga joylashish imkoniyatlarini kengaytiradi ACWA Power Wind Karatau XK MCHJ O‘zbekistonda ro‘yxatga olingan va YeTTBning amaldagi mijozi bo‘lgan Saudiya Arabistoni ro‘yxatga olingan ACWA Power kompaniyasiga tegishli mas’uliyati cheklangan jamiyatdir YeTTB O‘zbekistondagi yetakchi institutsional investor bo‘lib 135 ta loyihaga 4 milliard yevrodan ortiq sarmoya kiritgan Navoiyda joylashgan yirik do‘konlardan biri yonib ketdi Kardinallar yangi Rim Papasini saylash uchun Vatikan shahrida to‘plandi Jasur Solihov O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Prezidenti huzuridagi Davlat siyosati va boshqaruvi akademiyasi rektori lavozimiga tayinlandi Davlat xizmatchilari olti oygacha maqsadli stajirovkaga yuboriladi “El‑yurt umidi” jamg‘armasi va Davlat siyosati va boshqaruvi akademiyasi kadrlar tayyorlash klasteriga aylantiriladi Mirziyoyev 2,4 gigavattlik “yashil” elektr stansiyalarini ishga tushirdi Saudiya Qoraqalpog‘istonda shamol elektr stansiyalarini quradi YeTTBning O‘zbekistondagi vakolatxonasiga yangi direktor tayinlandi © Copyright 2025 Qalampir - Haqiqat achchiq bo‘ladi The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has granted a $19.3 million loan to ACWA Power Wind Karatau in order to finance a 100 MW wind farm in Nukus  This was reported by QALAMPIR.UZ from the 32nd annual meeting of the board of bank managers in Samarkand “YETTB is providing a loan of 19.3 million US dollars to ACWA Powyer Wind Karatau LLC for financing the construction and operation of a 100 MW wind power plant in Karakalpakstan The project is the result of the first stage of EBRD’s government support program for the development of 2000 MW of wind power,” said the bank official the renewable energy capacity financed by EBRD in Uzbekistan will increase by 2700 MW “Uzbekistan’s energy sector is a key driver of the country’s economic growth but it is suffering from aging infrastructure supply imbalances and occasional blackouts  Officials are committed to achieving ambitious renewable energy targets as part of the country’s carbon neutrality goals under the Paris Agreement to ensure energy security and sustainable economic growth,” the EBRD said Managing Director of EBRD’s Sustainable Infrastructure Group said that the Aral Sea region is rebuilding its economy using wind and solar resources “This is the first project under the EBRD’s auction advisory program which will help deliver 2GW of wind power through competitive bidding  This will set a record low price for wind power and save more than 178,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year,” she says EBRD has so far financed 2700 MW of renewable energy capacity in Uzbekistan the bank has been cooperating with Uzbekistan on the program for the supply of 2000 MW of wind energy through competitive bidding Karatau Hydroelectric Project is the first project under this program this is the first renewable energy project under the country’s Public-Private Partnership Act  It also supports women’s participation in the country’s renewable energy sector  Sponsor ACWA Power Wind Karatau will expand the local talent pool by introducing a new gender-responsive certified internship program in partnership with local technical institutions expanding marketable skills and employment opportunities for young women in the country ACWA Power Wind Karatau JSC Limited Liability Company is a limited liability company registered in Uzbekistan and owned by the ACWA Power Company registered in Saudi Arabia It is worth noting that EBRD is the leading institutional investor in Uzbekistan and has invested more than 4 billion euros in 135 projects Navoiyda joylashgan yirik do'konlardan biri yonib ketdi Kardinallar yangi Rim Papasini saylash uchun Vatikan shahrida to'plandi Jasur Solihov O'zbekiston Respublikasi Prezidenti huzuridagi Davlat siyosati va boshqaruvi akademiyasi rektori lavozimiga tayinlandi “El‑yurt umidi” jamg'armasi va Davlat siyosati va boshqaruvi akademiyasi kadrlar tayyorlash klasteriga aylantiriladi Trillions of Investments in Uzbekistan: Where are They Making an Impact Uzbekistan Completes Technical Work for WTO Membership - Khojayev The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has arrived in Uzbekistan © Copyright 2025 Qalampir - Truth is bitter The Samoa netball team has its sights set on breaking into a top 10 world ranking and will get no better chance to do that when the Netball World Cup kicks off this Friday The team arrives in Sydney on Wednesday and will have one training session before playing a warm-up game against Uganda the following day has a tough opening game against Jamaica on Friday The coach Marcia Hardcastle says they were disappointed with their bronze medal effort at the recent Pacific Games but expects stronger performances at the World Cup "Our two co-captains which is Julianna [Naoupu] and Opheira [Harder-Karatau] they're both carrying small injuries but they will be the key players in taking the team forward And we have got a couple of defenders that we really didn't have full percentage of them at PNG because they were injured and sick it will be a different team at the world cup." Marcia Hardcastle says five of the current squad have previous World Cup experience Pacific RSS Follow RNZ News THE FORMER Queensland premier Peter Beattie has sold his riverfront apartment in Newstead for $1.7m The waterfront property at 105/45b Newstead Tce The sale of Mr Beattie’s rental property at 105/45b Newstead Tce was negotiated off market by Pauline Karatau of LJ Hooker The apartment is located on the podium level of the Oriana Building in Newstead two bathrooms and a two car lock up garage as well as a large 87sq m semi-covered terrace with views of the Brisbane River and a private courtyard It is understood the buyers had been looking for the perfect apartment for a long time before Ms Karatau approached Mr Beattie who accepted their offer said he was unable to comment on why Mr Beattie agreed to sell The young couple intended on living in the apartment Year 11 students at FCJ College have been learning about native flora and fauna as part of a VCE food studies program assisted by Butchulla woman Avalon Karatau students had an opportunity to cook a variety of delicious dishes all of which include native Ms Karatau said the youngsters had been engaged responsive and excited about taking the theory they had learned and using it to create some familiar dishes with an Aboriginal twist “I have to think Nikki James who is a cultural educator out at Winton Wetlands for getting me involved,” Ms Karatau said “I want to recognise that I’m not Yorta Yorta “The Yorta Yorta nation are the eight clans that are recognised in this area “They said to me ‘you’ve got something we don’t have here and we are happy to sign you off to do these things on country’.” FCJ College VCE food technology teacher Leanne Starr said the program had been successful “I’m teaching a unit 2 food studies and in VCE study design we are currently learning about native ingredients,” Ms Starr said “We’re using those ingredients in contemporary cooking “The kids learn about the fact that Aboriginal people were farmers amongst other things “And we invited Avalon to help out as she’s an expert in native ingredients “We’re using native ingredients such as onion grass “They are also making chocolate biscuits using native juniper berries.” Ms Starr said part of FCJs professional standards was it aimed to incorporate First Nations culture in all subjects “So it’s a part of our responsibility and a big section of the VCE unit 1 course,” she said They were asked to nominate an elder male and female from the group “We were then introduced to all the traditional tools and equipment “Avalon bought a lot of artefacts in from her country and once initiated students could then touch the equipment “They did a sensory activity with the different ingredients where they tasted it then talked about what it tasted like and what recipe they might use it in — before they knew what it was “Avalon also talked with them about the various health benefits of the ingredients as well as the sustainability and the environmental impacts.” hands-on part of the course was where the real learning took place “Not only do they learn about native foods