Author: Nawaal al-Jama

The Tajikistani authorities are perpetuating systemic discrimination and severe human rights violations against the Pamiri minority, according to new research by Amnesty International. The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) in East Tajikistan is home to several ethnic groups forming the Pamiri minority, mostly practicing the Shia Ismaili branch of Islam. Denied official recognition as a minority and regarded as ethnic Tajiks by the central authorities, Pamiris face systemic discrimination, suppression of cultural and religious institutions, political oppression, and brutal reprisals for defending their rights. “The ongoing persecution and human rights violations against the Pamiri minority in Tajikistan reached an alarming scale…

Berlin (29/2 – 30) Ukrainian officials are concerned that Russian advances could gain significant momentum by the summer unless their allies can increase the supply of ammunition, according to a person familiar with their analysis. Internal assessments of the situation on the battlefield from Kyiv are growing increasingly bleak as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold off Russian attacks while rationing the number of shells they can fire. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Thursday that mistakes by frontline commanders had compounded the problems facing Ukraine’s defense around Avdiivka, which was captured by Russian forces this month. Syrskyi said he’d sent in more…

On Wednesday, the Department of the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Hamas, including three names from Turkey, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. “Today’s action targets key officials who perpetuate Hamas’s violent agenda by representing the group’s interests abroad and managing its finances. OFAC closely coordinated with the United Kingdom to concurrently designate several key Hamas officials,” the official press release wrote. The sanctioned three names are two Hamas officials who live in Turkey and a Turkish citizen. Jihad Muhammad Shaker Yaghmour, or Jihad Yaghmour, is Hamas’s official representative…

Russia’s forces have halted their fighting at hotspots on the frontline as the war in Ukraine entered its 22nd month on Friday. Russian forces continued to pound the battered Ukrainian town of Avdiivka but were unable to breach the defence of Ukraine’s troops as heavy fighting engulfed Bakhmut, military officials said. “Basically, nothing has changed. Everything is very tough. As regards the city, there is an average number of eight to 16 to 18 attacks per day. Sometimes 30. We don’t have the time to count them,” said Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka’s military administration. Russia’s troops have unleashed “the fiercest” attacks on Avdiivka – Moscow’s newest target…

Holiday plans for the new year are starting to take shape and, according to travel experts, 2024 trips may look a little different to your usual two weeks in the sun. From Emily in Paris envy to the quest for eight hours of interrupted sleep, travellers are looking for something distinctive. Here are nine of the top travel trends for next year. Sustainable luxury Eco-warriors need a holiday, too. Next year, the climate-conscious will be scoping out environmentally friendly excursions steeped in luxury. The new year will mark a rise in eco-luxe resorts nestled in untouched natural reserves, with sustainability at the heart of every adventure, according to…

The Russian Ministry of Defense has officially acknowledged the damage sustained by an unnamed naval vessel at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch following a missile strike. The Russian military has reported the use of 15 Storm Shadow missiles in what appears to be a large-scale missile strike, with their claims suggesting the successful interception of 13 of these missiles. The Russian Ministry of Defense maintains its stance that the majority of the incoming missiles were successfully intercepted, demonstrating their defense capabilities. However, numerous videos circulated on social media say otherwise. The attack on the Zaliv shipyard and this cutting-edge warship…

Abu Dhabi Finance Week will kick off on Monday at The Abu Dhabi Global Market with “investing in the transition era” in focus as countries continue to boost investments in cutting emissions and achieving net zero targets in the coming decades. Senior officials including Abdulla Bin Touq, Minister of Economy, and Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Minister of State for Food Security, as well as executives from the business world will address the four-day event. Global financial industry leaders will assemble to “delve into the opportunities and challenges presented by the economic, technological and sustainability shifts impacting the…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been in the crosshairs of the United States and the European Union for its continued links to Russia, frustrating the West’s efforts to squeeze Moscow economically in response to its war on Ukraine. But now, some possible adjustments in Abu Dhabi’s foreign policy could slightly change the picture amid rising concerns that Israel’s war on Gaza could spread across the region. In early September, representatives from the United Kingdom, EU and US visited the UAE to voice their concerns about the Gulf country’s links to Russia. Specifically, these Western governments have tried to prevent the Russians…

The combat capabilities of Taiwan’s domestically built Hai Kun (海鯤號), or “Narwhal,” submarine are slightly superior to Japan’s submarines, a retired Japanese military officer said. Kazuki Yano, a former submarine fleet commander in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, made the comment in a TV program produced by BS Nippon Corp and aired earlier this month. Rira Momma, a professor of security studies at Takushoku University’s Institute of World Studies, was also invited to join the program. Seven countries are involved in the construction of the Hai Kun, including members of the AUKUS alliance, Yano said, describing it as the result of cooperation among…

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…