Author: Juldiz Temirzhaneva

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…

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…

Moscow (28/2).       Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that non-governmental organizations in Central Asia have stepped up their anti-Russian activities amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. Shoigu said this at the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense on February 27. According to him, there are more than 100 “large pro-Western non-governmental organisations” operating in Central Asia, which have more than 16,000 representative offices and branches. “Against the backdrop of the special military operation, these NGOs have significantly increased their anti-Russian activities in order to reduce military-technical, economic and cultural cooperation between the Central Asian states and Russia.…

Colombo, Dec 13: The IMF Executive Board has completed the first review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility with Sri Lanka, providing the cash-strapped country with access to about USD 337 million to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability. Announcing this, Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka also said that the debt restructuring with China was concluded on a strictly confidential basis for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude its first review of the USD 2.9 billion bailout. China holds 52 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total debt. “The Chinese agreement in principle was very good news…

David Arahamiya, leader of the President’s “Servant of the People” party and head of the Ukrainian delegation during last year’s talks with Russia, has revealed that Russia proposed ending the war in spring 2022 on the condition that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations and adopt a neutral stance. “They really hoped almost to the last that they would put the squeeze on us to sign such an agreement so that we would take neutrality. It was the biggest thing for them,” Arahamiya said in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Natalia Moseychuk. “They were ready to end the war if we took –…

ASTANA – The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence annual international campaign saw widespread participation and coverage in Kazakhstan, reported the press service of the UN in Kazakhstan.  The campaign began on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ran through Dec. 10.  A key focus for the UN in Kazakhstan is the elimination of violence against women and girls, supporting the country’s commitment to fulfilling international gender equality obligations.This year’s theme, Taking Active Steps to End Violence Against Women and Girls, underscored the need for unified efforts to combat this issue. A…

Ukraine said Monday that Russian forces had launched four missiles and nearly a dozen attack drones from occupied regions of the country in the south overnight. “Fifteen Shaheds and one Kh-59 air-guided missile were shot down,” the Ukrainian air force said, referring to the Iranian-designed kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle. Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak posted images on social media of the aftermath of a strike in the southern city of Odesa, vowing retribution for the attack. Fears are building in Ukraine that Moscow will launch systematic attacks on energy facilities like last winter, leaving millions without heating and…

ASTANA – The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Secretary-General Zhang Ming commended Kazakhstan’s efforts within its SCO chairmanship at the meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakayev during his working visit to Beijing, China, on Nov. 21, reported the Foreign Ministry press service. During the meeting, Bakayev discussed multilateral cooperation and addressed the priorities of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the SCO for 2023-2024. Along with pondering about how to enhance the SCO activities further, the sides looked in-depth at the Action Plan for the first half of 2024 within Kazakhstan’s chairmanship. Bakayev expressed gratitude to the Secretary-General for…