Author: Mahavir Sumila

Europe’s new “Iron Lady”, Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, is one of the strongest voices for an uncompromising stand against belligerent Russia. Brussels (30 June – 28). Having grown up under the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Kaja Kallas was urging EU leaders to take the Russian threat seriously long before the invasion of Ukraine On Saturday, the Reform Party chose climate minister Kristen Michal to replace outgoing Kaja Kallas, who is the EU’s new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The unanimous decision to nominate Michal was made following a closed-door meeting by the party’s governing board only two days after…

June 21 — 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…

The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency warned the country’s leading research universities on Thursday that foreign states are targeting their institutions and imperiling national security. “We know that our universities are being actively targeted by hostile actors and need to guard against the threat posed to frontier research in the most sensitive sectors,” said the deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, who also attended the briefing. The threat requires “further measures,” said the deputy PM, who announced that the government was launching a consultation with the sector so it could “do more to support our universities and put the right…

The primary purpose of Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Hungary might be to ensure that Hungary can help China gain market share in the EU, as Beijing and Budapest prepare to sign a total of 16 bilateral agreements. The Chinese president has arrived in Budapest late Wednesday, in the third and last stop of his European visit. During his three-day stay, Xi Jinping and his delegation are expected to conclude a series of economic agreements with Budapest, as China sees Hungary as an important bridgehead in conquering European markets: among other things, Chinese companies are building electric car and battery factories.…

Prince Rahim Aga Khan, representing the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), recently engaged in asignificant dialogue with Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, underlining their shared commitment toadvancing sustainable development in the country. The meeting, held at the Ala Archa State Residencein Bishkek on March 1, highlighted the importance of collaboration in addressing critical issues such asclimate change, education, economic opportunity, and cultural preservation.President Japarov welcomed Prince Rahim’s visit, acknowledging the AKDN’s longstanding contributionsto Kyrgyzstan’s socio-economic progress. He expressed gratitude for the AKDN’s efforts in improvingliving conditions, particularly in mountainous regions, and invited further partnership in combatingclimate change, conserving biodiversity, and enhancing…

Dushanbe 25/2 (35.71) The social networking activity of “influencer” Ismoil Mahmadzoir is causing a stir within the country’s political and security corridors. His grandfather President Emomali Rahmon is planning his succession, which has triggered quiet maneuvering within elite factions, including Mahmadzoir’s relatives. Nobody is clear about how becomes the next president of Tajikistan. The daughters jockeying for the top job besides the grandson.Video of a bland speech by Tajikistan’s long-time President Emomali Rahmon was posted late last month on Instagram by Buzkashi_1111, a handle created by Ismoil Mahmadzoir, the 25-year-old son of Firuza Emomali, one of the president’s daughters, who…

The parliaments of Iran and Tajikistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday to expand cooperation between the two legislative bodies. The signing ceremony, reported by the Iranian Students’ News Agency, took place in Tehran, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and National Assembly of Tajikistan Chairman Rustam Emomali leading the initiative. The agreement was further endorsed during a meeting between Emomali and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who emphasized the importance of this collaboration as a support for the political and economic partnerships between the two nations. President Raisi also highlighted the role of bilateral cooperation in combating…

Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said the government has reduced red tape and upped investments, making the country and the consumer market ripe for growth “India has already seized the moment,” Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s minister of petroleum and natural Gas and minister of housing and urban affairs, declared during a World Economic Forum (WEF) panel Thursday. Coca-Cola James Quincey concurred. “The Indian government has seized the moment,” Quincey said on a panel with three Indian union ministers at the global annual conference at the Swiss ski resort Davos, pointing to “how much red tape has been removed in India and how the…

Construction work on the bridge progresses despite hurdles; anticipated completion by mid-2024 With the demolition and flattening of key commercial structures hindering the construction of the new east-west Vikhroli road over bridge on Tuesday, work should now proceed smoothly without any interruptions. Officials stated that 60 per cent of the physical work has already been completed, and the bridge is expected to be ready by mid-2024. “The bridge costs Rs 26.68 crore, divided equally between the state government and the railways, with the Central Railway contributing Rs 13.34 crore and the state government providing a matching sum,” said a senior official. The bridge has…

Much like its ideological counterparts at HispanTV (Iranian-owned) and Actualidad RT (Russian-owned), Telesur wraps its incitement into a sophisticated and slick twenty-four-hour news platform through its website, broadcasts, and social media presence. Though it is difficult to gauge its influence, numbers suggest that Telesur’s message is impactful. Telesur has two million followers on its Spanish X account, 117,500 on its English X account, and more than half a million on Instagram. Its YouTube account has over 1.7 million subscribers, with 100,000 new subscribers and almost 7.4 million video views since October 7 (It also posts its videos on the Daily Motion). The network traditionally pushes out conspiracy theories, fake news, “whataboutism,”…