Author: Talha el-Ghanem

Aug 4 (Reuters) – A Russian warship was seriously damaged in an overnight Ukrainian naval drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea navy base at Novorossiysk, the first time the Ukrainian navy has projected its power so far from the country’s shores. The port, which handles 2% of the world’s oil supply and also exports grain, temporarily halted civilian ship movement before resuming normal operations, according to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium which operates an oil terminal there. Russia’s Defence Ministry said a Ukrainian attack by two sea drones had been repelled in the waters outside the base and that the drones…

Frankfurt, London (12/08 – 80) It seems that the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has become a hostage to its investments in Tajikistan. In mid-July, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) appealed to the Supreme Economic Court of Tajikistan with a demand to annul the land certificate for the campus of the University of Central Asia in Khorog, which is owned by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The university’s administration, local authorities, and the prosecutor’s office have not commented on this matter. However, it is evident that if the authorities manage to revoke the land certificate,…

After hosting the 2022 World Cup, Qatar is witnessing a massive surge in tourism, with growth attributed to new festivals, attractions, and improved diplomatic relations in the Gulf region Tourism to Qatar has increased dramatically since the oil-rich nation hosted the World Cup in late 2022. Many new arrivals hail from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional economic union of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Some are GCC citizens, while others are workers based in one of the union’s member states. The new influx shows that Doha, the capital city of this Middle…

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited gas-rich Qatar on Tuesday as he wraps up a Gulf tour centered on energy security and cooperation with Tokyo’s main suppliers. Tokyo is looking to work closely with Qatar to stabilize the global market for liquified natural gas (LNG), Kishida earlier told the official Qatar News Agency. He flew to Doha, on the first visit there by a Japanese premier in 10 years, from the United Arab Emirates after starting his tour in Saudi Arabia where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The last Japanese premier to embark on a Gulf tour was…

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said yesterday that some countries, which it did not name, have informed it they will be significantly reducing the financial aid they provide the organisation. There are some countries that informed UNRWA that they are reducing their financial aid by a large percentage, Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA spokesman, said in a radio interview according to Sawa news agency. He pointed to the existence of renewed contacts and relations with Arab donors in light of the growing needs of refugees and the increase in their number. He touched on the Advisory Committee conference that will…

The most exciting rumor swirling around The Flash has officially been confirmed to us by director Andy Muschietti. Yep, Nicolas Cage will finally debut in the DC Universe as Superman, 25 years after his film ‘Superman Lives’ was cancelled. “Nic was absolutely wonderful. Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it,” Muschietti tells William Mullally of Esquire Middle East. The Flash, releasing June 15 in cinemas the Middle East, sees the titular character travelling across the multiverse, meeting alternate versions of DC’s most popular characters along the way, one of which is Cage’s Superman. Muschietti recruited Cage for the role…

WHO/Europe’s Roadmap for Health and Well-being in Central Asia saw recent progress through a series of national and subregional high-level policy dialogues in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The series aimed to support countries in central Asia as they tackle the root causes of ill health and move forward with reforming their health systems. Spanning a period of 2 weeks, the policy dialogues zoomed in on areas for improvement, including access to medicines and mental health reform at the subregional level, and health financing and human resources for health at the national level in Tajikistan. “The central Asian subregion is a…

Thousands of Moroccans protested against normalisation with Israel in several cities on Saturday, coinciding with the second anniversary since Rabat resumed its diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. The Moroccan Front in Support of Palestine and Against Normalisation said in a statement that these protests were against the normalisation agreement with Israel. According to the statement, the protesters expressed their unconditional support for the Palestinian resistance. The protesters raised placards affirming support for Al Aqsa Mosque and their close association with it. The cities that witnessed protests included; Berkane, Oujda, Meknes, Casablanca, Khouribga, El Jadida, Beni-Mellal, Tangier, Errachidia, Agadir, Taza, Safi…