Author: Niyoosha Sarbani

Officials whitewashing the Taliban as a responsible diplomatic party are getting the organization wrong. The people of Afghanistan are once again trapped under the Taliban’s tyrannical rule, but rather than facing condemnation and ostracism, much of the world seems ready to embrace the new regime. Indeed, the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan has been largely met with not just acquiescence justified in the name of counterterrorism but concerted efforts to whitewash the jihadists, often with counterfactual claims. This practice is a product of more than just the wishful thinking of its proponents. It too-often reflects an enthusiasm to continue a dangerous shift in…

North Korean soldiers have been filmed receiving uniforms and equipment at a training ground in Russia’s far east, appearing to confirm reports from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) that 1,500 soldiers have been shipped over for military training to be deployed in Ukraine. The North Korean troops are thought to be receiving training before being sent to the front line in Ukraine, in what is thought to be a clear sign of the ever-warming relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. In a video shared with CNN by Ukrainian government organization the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security, a long line of…

Women’s clothes are high on the government’s agenda once again in Tajikistan, where authorities and Islamic leaders are working on new guidelines on what women should wear to work and during their leisure time. The new dress code — the second of its kind in six years — is expected to be made public in the coming days, and a special event is reportedly being planned for the capital, Dushanbe, in August to showcase compliant clothes. Sulaimon Davlatzoda, the head of the state Committee for Religious Affairs and the Regulation of Traditions, told a press briefing in the capital this week that…

Paris/Jakarta (24/7 – 28.57). “Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.” – Sheik-Abd-al-Kadir A friend recently opened a coffee shop is called after its owner, Muteeya. Though modest, it embodies the burgeoning coffee culture found in Paris, London, the US, and now Jakarta. The coffee is steaming hot, and soft tunes fill the air. Outside, rain pounds against the window, streaking down and forming small puddles on the street. As I gaze through the glass blurred by water, I take a sip of my warm coffee,…

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…

Brussels/London (16/6 – 33.33) The defeat of the Russian Federation is a foregone conclusion. It is a reality. It is a must. Victory for Ukraine is non-negotiable. It is an absolute necessity. As ironclad as Brussels, London, Berlin or Washington. As ironclad as the Normandy battlefield, Waterloo, Verdun, or many other spots on the planet. We, the ones living in this generation that saw the war erupted right in front of our eyes, owe it to the young men and women in the Ukraine who gave their lives for this conviction. An excessive number of sceptics advocate for surrender. We…

US ambassador Peter Haas has sought meetings with three major political parties in Bangladesh as the election is approaching in Bangladesh. The embassy in a statement said, Ambassador Haas has requested meetings with senior officials in all three major political parties to underscore the US position regarding the upcoming elections: The United States wants free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner and calls on all sides to eschew violence and exercise restraint. The United States does not favour any particular political party over the other. The United States urges all sides to engage in dialogue without preconditions. “The…

A protest condemning the action of the Sri Lanka navy and demanding the immediate release of detained Tamil Nadu fishermen was staged in Rameshwaram last week. The demonstration was organised by the families of the affected fisherfolk and fishing unions, following yet another arrest of Indian fishermen and the seizure of their vessels. The protest took place in front of the Rameshwaram-Madurai highway and saw the participation of hundreds of individuals who have been directly affected by the ongoing arrests by the Sri Lankan navy. The primary demand of the protestors was the swift release of the fishermen and the seized…

New Delhi: More children in South Asia are struggling due to severe water scarcity made worse by the impacts of climate change than anywhere else worldwide, the United Nations said Monday. “A staggering 347 million children under 18 are exposed to high or extremely high water scarcity in South Asia, the highest number among all regions in the world,” the UN children’s agency said in a report. The eight-nation region, comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is home to more than one-quarter of the world’s children. “Climate change is disrupting weather patterns and rainfall, leading…

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was the top borrower of the International Development Association (IDA) in fiscal year 2023, securing $2.3 billion in funding, the World Bank said in its annual report. The bank helped Pakistan respond to devastating floods with nearly $1.7bn for five projects in the worst-affected Sindh province to build resilient housing, restore crop production, provide health services for mothers and children, and strengthen social protection and the local government’s disaster response capacity. The document, titled “World Bank Annual Report 2023 — A New Era in Development”, states that the international institution approved $10.1bn in lending for 37 operations in…