Author: Mubarak Ahsan

London, Dublin (1/11 – 66) Hamas is sheltered in a sea of civilians. Ostensibly a Palestinian political and military organization established in 1987, Hamas “governs” on the basis of having won a majority in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections – defeating Fatah, another Islamist terror combine – before forming a government in the Gaza Strip, described as “…the world’s largest open-air prison” for its Palestinian inhabitants. So why don’t the Palestinians, having been robbed of their ancient lands, simply up and move somewhere else? It is telling that none of the Islamic nations surrounding Israel care to admit any more…

London, Delhi, Mumbai (28/10 – 10) England’s title defense in the 2023 Cricket World Cup is practically over, after their fourth defeat in five group-stage matches. Jos Buttler and Co. are coming to the tournament in India as the defending champions, having won their first title in history with the 2019 edition. The 2023 Cricket World Cup turns out to be a disaster for Matthew Mott’s team. From day one onwards, England’s show in the tournament has been painfully dismal, losing by 9 wickets at the hand of New Zealand in the 5 October opening match. They seemed to have…

“I went through hell,” says Yocheved Lifschitz, an 85-year-old grandmother and peace activist released by Hamas on Monday after two weeks in captivity. Ms Lifschitz and her husband were kidnapped by Hamas gunmen on motorbikes and taken into a “spider’s web” of tunnels underneath Gaza, she said. She described being hit by sticks on the journey, but said most of the hostages were being “treated well”. She was freed alongside another woman, Nurit Cooper, 79, on Monday evening. Extraordinary images show the grandmother shaking the hand of a Hamas gunman, just seconds before she was handed over to the International…

Berlin (24/10 – 67) UN Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea, visited Tajikistan from April 11 to April 21 to conduct research on issues in this field. The UN expert will assess religious freedom and its interaction with the right to freedom of expression, discuss gender equality, women’s rights, and children’s rights. She stated that the implementation of religious freedom and belief in the country is a cause for concern. Ghanea, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, called on Tajikistan to adapt and review its laws, policies, and practices regarding religion…

On the sidelines of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in New Delhi, India, the United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the European Union agreed to create a transport and economic corridor connecting the South Asia with Gulf monarchies and European countries. Dubbed the “India – Middle East – Europe Corridor” (IMEC), the parties signed a corresponding memorandum of understanding. According to the White House statement the initiative “will be comprised of two separate corridors, the east corridor connecting India to the Arabian Gulf and the northern corridor connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe. It will include a…

On Monday afternoon, Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, announced that all payments to Palestine from Europe, its biggest donor, have been immediately suspended and all budget proposals are postponed until further notice. Diaz is the leader of the Sumar party, which is the junior coalition party in the Spanish government. But discontent over the EU’s move to halt aid is widespread among Spanish leaders, diplomatic sources told Spanish news agency, Europapress, and daily, El Diario. According to the reports, Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares called Varhely to share his “disagreement” with the announcement. He also said that he and other foreign…

Israel has not only been the victim of a vicious and despicable terrorist attack. It is also the victim of a brazenly cynical move to disrupt the international stage and subvert tranquility in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian powder keg conveniently served to add yet another full scale crisis putting even further pressure on a global order already strained to breaking point. Although no concrete evidence exists of any involvement in the attacks, Russia stands to gain the most from this extra flash point on the world map, as violence and war in the Middle East distracts from Putin’s unjustified…

On August 24, 2023, Kazakhstan-Singapore Business Council #KSBC Chairman Mr. Sultan Marenov hosted a prominent Kazakh entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist Mr.Kenges Rakishev in Singapore and arranged a meeting with the Senior Managing Director of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Mr. Pol de Win. The parties discussed the opportunities for Kazakh companies to list on the SGX and raise capital for investment in the growing economy of Kazakhstan. SGX is one of the leading and recognizable exchanges in the world, and deepening cooperation with Kazakhstan will raise the awareness of potential investors. We look forward to continuing our discussion and establishing fruitful…

Copenhagen (17/08 – 78) Kidnapping, intimidation, and blackmail are just some of the means used to hit enlistment quotas in Tajikistan. When conscription season comes around in Tajikistan, military recruiters begin resorting to desperate measures. Scooping young men off the streets in actions tantamount to kidnapping is standard. But that is just for starters. To pressure communities into giving up their sons, recruiters will disconnect the electricity, detain relatives, and shut down mosques. Eligible levees draw lots to decide who will be the one to hand themselves over. The hunting season for men of draft age, which applies to people…

A high-ranking Egyptian source spoke with the Palestinian news website Dunia Al-Watan about the details of the Egyptian efforts for de-escalation in the Palestinian territories, as Israeli threats to strike the resistance continue. The source, who preferred not to be named, denied that Cairo had asked any Palestinian faction to sign a truce or ceasefire agreement. The source stressed that Egypt’s role is to work to achieve calm, and urged the parties not to escalate, denying that Egypt conveyed messages from Israel or put pressure on the Palestinian factions. Israeli media had reported earlier that Egypt asked Hamas and the Islamic Jihad…