Author: Blake Morgan

Washington 6 Nov (50). Russian officials and proxy authorities in Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine are undertaking a monumental effort to “filter” the population as a means of suppressing Ukrainian resistance and enforcing loyalty among the remaining population. The United States condemns Russia’s “filtration” operations, forced deportations, and disappearances in Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine in which Russia’s forces and proxies have interrogated, detained, and forcibly deported Ukrainian, according to a broad range of sources, between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including thousands of children. Ukrainian citizens are being taken to filtration camps in a concerted effort to suppress their resistance.…

Kashmir is an issue of human rights and justice and the Muslim bloc should play its role to solve the long-standing dispute, speakers said at an event in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports. The event, hosted by the Pakistan Embassy to commemorate Kashmir “Black Day”, a day to express solidarity with Kashmiris, saw participation of Turkish lawyers, civil society members, professionals, representatives from think tanks as well as media, a statement by the diplomatic corps mission said. Pakistan Ambassador, Yousaf Junaid, said Kashmir “Black Day was the most tragic day in the history of South Asia.” He said…

The national football teams of Tajikistan and Pakistan have refused to play in friendly matches against Russia. A match against Tajikistan had been set to take place in December, but the federation declined, saying they already had matches booked for those dates. Pakistan has also cancelled an October game against Russia due to a lack of preparation time. However, the Pakistanis said they would play in December. When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Russian teams were barred from competing in any FIFA or UEFA championships. As a result, the team has had to settle for friendly matches. The Russians…

LAHORE – The government of Pakistan is taking stern measures about Umrah and Hajj Visa issuance after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shared concerns over the influx of Pakistani beggars arriving in the Arab nation, under the guise of pilgrimage. Saudi authorities urged the Pakistani government to look into the matter seriously and to curb the influx of these people who are being arrested in KSA for begging. After getting alert from Riyadh, the government directed that Umrah visa agents must get licenses and sign service agreements. This is intended to create a more transparent system that safeguards the rights of pilgrims. In this…

For many years, Tajikistan has been gravely affected by drug trafficking. At least 15-20 tons of opium and between 75 and 80 metric tons of heroin are smuggled into the country each year from Afghanistan either for local consumption or for transfer to Russia and Europe. Despite an official Tajik government policy to fight illicit drug trafficking in cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations, trafficking continues to increase. The volume of drug transit through Tajikistan is now equivalent to 30 percent of the country’s GDP. So far, the success of domestic Tajik policies and international assistance has been minimal. Trafficking is a product of numerous complex…

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…

Sri Lanka’s president said Wednesday he was seeking a moratorium on foreign debt repayments until 2028, following a government default during the island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis two years ago. A collapse in foreign exchange reserves saw months of food and fuel shortages along with street protests that forced the ouster of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s predecessor in 2022. Sri Lanka has since signed up to an International Monetary Fund rescue package and is working to repair public finances since the government default in April of that year. Wickremesinghe said talks were still ongoing with both bilateral and private creditors to…

Sanjiva Weerawarana is a Sri Lankan success story. He founded enterprise software firm WSO2 in 2005, got it close to $100 million in ARR as its CEO, then sold it to private equity firm EQT for $600 million in May. He sometimes drives for Uber, too. Sri Lanka isn’t renowned for its startup ecosystem, but one company has been something of an outlier in the South Asian island nation these past two decades. WSO2, an open source enterprise software provider with customers such as Samsung, Axa, and AT&T, recently agreed to be acquired by private equity giant EQT, at a valuation TechCrunch reported at the time…

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,…

Tajikistan and China have agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of transportation and logistics.   Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport (MoT) and Kashgar Jinlida International Logistics Center Co., Ltd have agreed to expand bilateral cooperation.  The parties reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of transportation and logistics, the MoT press center says.    The document was reportedly inked in Dushanbe on May 29 by Mr. Rahmiddin Salomzoda, Director of the State Unitarian Enterprise (SUE) Road Transport and Logistics Services at a Mot, and Mr. Yan Xijang, Director-General of the Jinlida International Logistics Center Co., Ltd in…