Author: El Thousta

After Tajiks were charged with a deadly attack in Moscow, the country has cracked down on signs of Islam. But experts say it’s not addressing the causes of terrorism. People in Tajikistan were expecting a government crackdown after Tajik men were arrested and charged with a terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. But it still seemed excessive to Nilufar, a 27-year-old education professional, when she saw local authorities with scissors outside a K.F.C. in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, trimming beards that were deemed too long. Excessive, but not so surprising. In the span of a month, Nilufar herself…

Iraq plans to offer 10 gas exploration blocks to international companies in a new licensing round to be revealed during Iraqi Oil Minister’s visit to the US. Iraq’s Oi Minister, Hayan Abdel-Ghani highlighted the country’s previous licensing rounds, noting that out of the 29 blocks and fields offered in the fifth and sixth rounds, 14 have been completed. “There are about 10 gas blocks out of the remaining that companies have not applied for, and we are in the process of offering them in a new licensing round,” he added. Abdel-Ghani also has announced that Iraq will launch a new gas investment…

Ex-defense minister and head of national security council Sergei Shoigu to meet Pezeshkian, counterparts; Moscow condemned Haniyeh killing, relies on Iranian-made arms in Ukraine Russia’s National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Tehran Monday for a series of meetings with Iranian counterparts, Russian and Iranian news agencies reported, amid fears of a wider war in the region following last week’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. Russia’s state Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies reported that Shoigu, Russia’s former defense secretary, was scheduled to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; the secretary of the Supreme National Security…

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 “robust political…

All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin’s website showed on Sunday (31 March). All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18. In July Russia’s lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30…

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…

Washington wants concessions from the Netanyahu administration, as critics say plans lack detail or commitment Israeli officials are scrambling to head off mounting frustration in Washington in the run-up to a potentially difficult meeting between the top US diplomat and Benjamin Netanyahu by offering a series of policy proposals on Gaza that critics say lack detail or commitment. The US has offered staunch support to Israel since the outbreak of its war with Hamas three months ago but is anxious to secure some concessions from Netanyahu to lower regional tensions and help avert a wider conflict in the Middle East. Antony Blinken, the US…

Iraq’s government has said that several people who are alleged to have attacked the US embassy in Baghdad last week have links to the country’s security services. A spokesperson for the Iraqi prime minister on Thursday did not, however, provide details on which security services the alleged perpetrators were linked to. The announcement came a week after rocket salvos hit the US’s heavily fortified compound in Baghdad’s Green Zone, causing minor damage. The statement said Iraq’s security forces had arrested several people allegedly responsible for the December 7 attacks and were pursuing others. “Unfortunately, preliminary information indicates that some of them are…

In an unusual precedent in the Iraqi political process, the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives was dismissed, based on an order issued by the Federal Supreme Court, as Mohammed Rikan Al-Halbousi, the most powerful Sunni political leader in Iraq, was convicted of the crime of forgery. This is considered a “crime against honour” according to the Iraqi Constitution and, therefore, he has been dismissed as a member of the Iraqi Parliament as well. The story of Al-Halbousi’s overthrow began several months ago and was sparked by a dispute between Parliament Speaker, Mohammed Al-Halbousi, and Laith Al-Dulaimi, one of…

The US Army yesterday announced that it launched “precision strikes” on two sites in Iraq, in response to attacks launched against its forces and coalition forces by Iran and Iranian-backed groups. The US Central Command, Centcom, said in a post on X: “On the morning of November 22 in Iraq, US Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces conducted discrete, precision strikes against two facilities in Iraq. The strikes were in direct response to the attacks against US and Coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups, including the one in Iraq on November 21, which involved use of close-range ballistic missiles.” On Tuesday,…