Author: Hilaal Akram

The Kremlin on Nov. 18 dismissed a peace plan for Ukraine reportedly to be put forward by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing it as “unacceptable.” Erdogan’s proposal would include Ukraine abstaining from joining NATO for at least 10 years, freezing the current front line, providing Ukraine with weapons, and deploying international troops to a demilitarized buffer zone in the country’s east, Bloomberg reported. The news outlet also said Erdogan would propose the plan during G20 talks commencing on Nov. 18. Reacting to the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the proposal. “The option of freezing the line of military conflict is unacceptable…

Russia’s strategic policies towards the Middle East can be characterised as largely relying on military intervention or presence, especially since 2015 when Moscow became involved in in the Syrian war. The Ukraine crisis has contributed to new approaches, including the need to seek alternative partners to overcome Western sanctions, and this has driven a strategy of economic statecraft towards regional players[i]. Recent events in the region, especially the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, have presented another turning point, signalling a shift towards diplomacy in Russia’s policy. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and several other Palestinian nationalist groups launched coordinated…

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad told Sky News Arabia that his country has not been invited by the United States to establish relations with Israel. “Americans know the Syrian leadership’s stance, which has not changed since the beginning of peace talks in 1990,” Al-Assad told the Abu Dhabi-based TV station. “If there is no Israeli willingness to return the land, there is no need to waste time.” he added. He added that he knew since the beginning of the war that it would be a long war, indicating that the possibility of him relinquishing power was not on the table. Commenting on the issue of Syrian refugees,…

India’s newest airline, Akasa Air, is planning to launch its international operations, with the Middle East and Southeast Asia regions currently on its radar. Akasa Air, which celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month, has now shifted its focus to launching its international routes since the August delivery of its 20th aircraft that allows the low-cost carrier to fly overseas based on requirements set by Indian authorities. Speaking to India’s CNBC-TV18 this week, the airline’s co-founder Aditya Ghosh shed more light on Akasa Air’s global expansion. “We’re the fastest airline in India ever to have reached the point at which…

In 2021, a book titled “The Human-Machine Team: How to Create Synergy Between Human and Artificial Intelligence That Will Revolutionize Our World” was released in English under the pen name “Brigadier General Y.S.” In it, the author — a man who we confirmed to be the current commander of the elite Israeli intelligence unit 8200 — makes the case for designing a special machine that could rapidly process massive amounts of data to generate thousands of potential “targets” for military strikes in the heat of a war. Such technology, he writes, would resolve what he described as a “human bottleneck for both…

The European Union announced on Friday that it will begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova to join the 27-member political and economic bloc starting next week. All 27 members agreed to the Ukraine and Moldova joining the European Union. Negotiations will begin for both countries on Tuesday in Luxembourg, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union said on X. The move comes at a critical time for both nations with Ukraine in the middle of an invasion by Russia and Moldova facing a Russian-led insurgence by a breakaway state. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the European Union for its “robust political…

Faruk Mutlu, a Turkish citizen, stepped into a bustling jewelry store in Türkiye’s vibrant city of Istanbul. Armed with his savings, he resolved to convert them into gold, an alternative he deems “always valuable.” With the escalating tensions in the Middle East at the beginning of last week, rumors swirled of an imminent rise in gold prices, prompting Mutlu to seize the opportunity. “In Türkiye, it’s a cherished tradition to bestow gold upon newlyweds, and with the summer wedding season fast approaching, our demand for this precious metal is soaring,” Mutlu told Xinhua. In Kuyumcukent, a neighborhood in Istanbul renowned…

In a family home in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, Yazen Alhasnat was sitting next to his mother rubbing sleep from his eyes. The 17-year-old had been released from prison the night before, nearly five months after being arrested in a 4am Israeli military raid on the home. Yazen had been held under “administrative detention” – a longstanding security policy, inherited from the British, that allows the Israeli state to imprison people indefinitely without charge, and without presenting any evidence against them. “They have a secret file,” Yazen said. “They don’t tell you what’s in it.” He was back…

The “Freedom Convoy for Palestine,” organised by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), departed from Istanbul en route to Incirlik Air Base in Adana on Friday, aiming to show solidarity with Palestine, Anadolu Agency reports. Numerous NGOs and citizens assembled under the leadership of the IHH at the parking lot of the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. Participants chanted slogans against Israel and expressed their outrage over the attacks on Gaza. Bulent Yildirim, the President of the IHH, stated in his remarks that their actions are not only directed against Incirlik Air Base but against all American bases worldwide. Former US diplomat and activist, Ann…

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has demanded citizenship and work visas of football players who refused to hold signs calling for prisoners of war being held by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza be released, Israeli media reported. According to the reports, Ben-Gvir yesterday sent an “explosive” letter to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel after a football match during which Maccabi Haifa’s Swedish player, Daniel Sundgren, and other players refused to hold an English-language sign demanding the captives’ return. Ben-Gvir, a vocal fan of the rival football club Beitar Jerusalem, said Sundgren has humiliated the Israeli prisoners, adding that “a person…