Author: Hofumam

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…

CAIRO – 18 June 2024: The Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) published an inforgraphic about the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir being one of the historical and tourist attractions in Cairo. The IDSC said that the museum is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, and the first building in the world to be established as a museum. The idea of ​​establishing it began in 1895, when French architect Marcel Dorneau won the international competition that was held to design the museum building, and it was opened by Khedive Abbas Hilmi II in 1902, according to what IDSC reviewed in…

A year ago Germany deported to Tajikistan an activist from that country’s exiled opposition movement who had been living in Dortmund since 2009. What happened next is a shocking example of what can occur when Germany fails to uphold safeguards in its increased efforts to deport unsuccessful asylum seekers. The Bundestag this month gave police greater powers to carry out deportations. The activist, Abdullohi Shamsiddin, 33, was deported to Tajikistan on January 18 2023. He was detained on arrival by the security services. Two months later he was convicted of trying to overthrow the constitution and jailed for seven years. No credible…

The Ministry of Health has outlined five primary reasons for the current shortage of medicines in its warehouses. As of August last year, statistics revealed that the stock of 210 medicines is insufficient for one month’s consumption, spanning both essential and non-essential categories, comprising 7.5 percent of the total medicines listed. This percentage aligns closely with international rates. Responding to a query from Representative Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf, the Ministry disclosed that the approved budget for medicines in the fiscal year 2023/2024 is 751 million dinars. The Ministry attributed the scarcity of medicines to global factors, including fluctuating production rates in factories,…

Rafael Nadal’s return to the ATP Tour is drawing ever nearer, and the road toward his comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International presented by Evie, which takes place from 31 December to 7 January, included a stop in Kuwait. Nadal travelled to the Rafa Nadal Academy in Kuwait, which opened in 2020 at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex. There, he shared a training session with Arthur Fils, the 19-year-old Frenchman who recently reached the title match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM. “It’s great to be here in Kuwait to train for a few days. Everyone…

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the state’s condemnation and denunciation of: “The Israeli occupation authorities’ permission for extremists to organise a provocative march in occupied Jerusalem” through the neighbourhoods of the Old City, passing through the Islamic Quarter. The Foreign Ministry described this in a statement that Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported as a “Fresh shameful act that aims to change the historical and legal status of the city and its holy sites, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque.” The ministry also stressed the State of Kuwait’s rejection of these actions, which: “Reflect the amount of absurdity, provocation and disrespect of the Israeli…

Rafael Nadal began intense training ahead of his return to competitive action in Kuwait, picking the Middle-East country as one of the stops in the final leg of his preparations. Nadal confirmed he would return to action after nearly a year-long break at the season-opening Brisbane International ATP 250 tournament, starting December 31. The Spaniard has begun training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Kuwait which was inaugurated in 2020. Rafael Nadal shared photos from his training session in Kuwait. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had a training session with Arthur Fils, the 19-year-old Frenchman who was a finalist at ATP NextGen…

Eight founding entities announced the launch of the Air-CRAFT – a UAE-based research consortium focused on developing, producing, and scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies. T he consortium is supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, and includes ADNOC, Boeing, Emirates, ENOC Group, Etihad, Honeywell, Khalifa University and Masdar, says a release from Emirates. Air-CRAFT, or the UAE Centre for Renewable and Advanced Fuel Technologies for Aviation, is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will bring together entities across the value chain – industrial policy makers, aviation regulators, fuel producers, academia and researchers, aircraft…

Atlanta (18/12 – 12) The Rabbit is about to be devoured by a snorting, writhing, fire-breathing Dragon, come 10 February 2024 (Lunar Calendar, for lunatics). While the dreadful 2023, known by the philosophical Chinese as the “Year of the Rabbit”, is characterized as “thoughtful, tender, considerate, kind-hearted, and talented in language” for folks born in 1939 / 1951 / 1963 / 1975, Dragons born in 1940 / 1952 / 1964 / 1976 are reputedly “…confident, intelligent and enthusiastic – not afraid of challenges, willing to take risks”. That sounds more like this year of living dangerously, don’t you think? “…aggressive,…

The United Arab Emirates kicked off a project to suck carbon directly from the air and convert it into rock to permanently trap the climate-changing pollutant. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.’s pilot project will mix the carbon with seawater and inject it into the Hajar Mountains, Chief Technology Officer Sophie Hildebrand said on a recent visit to the site in the emirate of Fujairah. The solution will begin to turn into rock in the crevasses and nooks over a period of weeks, she said. The novel technology is the latest example of the UAE’s push to cut emissions with a target for…