Author: Musa Gulya

Cape Town, Wellington, London (9/11 – 27) South Africa has become the unequalled rugby world champion after winning the World Cup for a record fourth time on 28 October 2023. Before the 2023 edition, The Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, 2007, and 2019. Their closest rival is New Zealand, who has won the title on three occasions (1987, 2011, and 2015). Australia has two titles (1991 and 1999) and England has one (2003). There are some interesting statistics about The Springboks’ success as the only team to have won the Rugby World Cup four times. South Africa…

Berlin (3/11 – 40) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will visit China in the upcoming week as the crisis-hit country makes progress on debt restructuring talks with its biggest lender. Wickremesinghe took office in July last year, after a popular uprising, brought on by an economic meltdown, had forced his predecessor out of power. His Oct. 15-19 visit to Beijing will be his first to China since then. Wickremesinghe, who is also finance minister, has been leading Sri Lanka’s push to manage its heavy debt and keep funds flowing from a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. He will attend a Belt and Road Forum in Beijing that would mark the…

As the war in Israel rages, an ongoing struggle to control the narrative of the conflict is unfolding between Hamas and the Jewish state. This propaganda battle is not novel, as it has long been observed to coexist with the kinetic action between Israel and the Palestinian armed groups, dating back to at least 2014. Drawing from its prior clashes with Israel, Hamas has gained vital insights on how to effectively counter Israel. Despite being at a military disadvantage in nearly every area, Hamas has developed unconventional methods to attack Israel, including a powerful propaganda system to garner global backing…

Paris, Wellington, Cape Town (29/10 – 18) South Africa has produced another magnificent defensive performance, to win the 2023 World Rugby Cup final. The Springboks beat New Zealand 12-11 in a Saturday thriller at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, thus becoming the first nation to win four Rugby World Cup titles – after their previous triumphs in 1995, 2007, and 2019. Four Handre Pollard penalties gave the Springboks a 12-6 lead in the first half. By that time, New Zealand already lost captain Sam Cane, red-carded for a high tackle on Jesse Kriel in the 32nd minute. The All Blacks only…

The State Department official went one step further than his German colleague: “The United States is pleased with the meeting between the leaders of Greece and Turkey. We encourage these talks.” According to a Greek newspaper, the spokesperson then added that, for Washington, “Greek-Turkish normalization is a prerequisite for better Turkish-American relations.” In Berlin’s official reaction to the Erdogan-Mitsotakis meeting, a connection between German relations with Ankara and bilateral Greek-Turkish affairs – diplomats refer to this as a “linkage” – is not to be found. Still, Berlin said it encourages the high-level diplomacy and added the politically relevant reminder that…

Frankfurt, Paris (22/10 – 20)  Many tourists consider traveling to Europe during the summer months of June – September, but autumn’s cooler temperature, colorful leaves and diverse culinary choices can also charm visitors of the blue continent. Here are several events and attractions you can visit across Europe during autumn. 1. Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam offers a wide array of activities during autumn, such as Amsterdam Marathon, an annual marathon in Amsterdam in the Netherlands since 1975. There is also Amsterdam Dance Event, held between Oct. 18 and 22, is the largest electronic club festival in the world but also the…

On August 24, 2023, Kazakhstan-Singapore Business Council #KSBC Chairman Mr. Sultan Marenov hosted a prominent Kazakh entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist Mr.Kenges Rakishev in Singapore and arranged a meeting with the Senior Managing Director of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Mr. Pol de Win. The parties discussed the opportunities for Kazakh companies to list on the SGX and raise capital for investment in the growing economy of Kazakhstan. SGX is one of the leading and recognizable exchanges in the world, and deepening cooperation with Kazakhstan will raise the awareness of potential investors. We look forward to continuing our discussion and establishing fruitful…

Elevenpeople were killed on Tuesday as flash floods hit Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, officials said. Two died in Istanbul and 12 others were injured after heavy rain transformed the city’s streets into fast-flowing rivers in the Basaksehir and Kucukcekmece districts, the Istanbul Governor’s Office said. More were feared dead. The surging flood waters affected more than 1,750 homes and businesses in the city, according to the Governor’s Office. They included a line of shops in the Ikitelli district, where the deluge dragged parked vehicles and mud into furniture stores, destroying the merchandise, DHA reported. The floods also engulfed a parking area for…

Frankfurt (22/09 – 58.33) Since May 2022, the Tajikistani authorities have stepped up their ongoing crackdown on Pamiris, an ethnic, linguistic and religious minority originating from the Pamir mountains in Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast of Tajikistan. They have arbitrarily detained hundreds of Pamiris, including civil society activists and human rights defenders, and imprisoned over 200 of them after convictions in unfair trials, in a campaign aimed at stripping the local communities of their leadership and dismantling their civil society. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Pamiri civil society activists, journalists and human rights defenders who have been detained solely…

Warsaw (21/08 – 60) The amount of Russian oil to be piped through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan in 2023 has been reduced to 180,000 tons, reported by the Head of the Transportation Department of Kazakhstan’s Kaztransoil pipeline monopoly. In July, the company had announced an agreement to pump 300,000 tons of oil from Russia to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan this year. Department Director, Abay Beisembaev commented that Kazakhstan had transported 48,500 tons of Russian oil to Uzbekistan in the first half of 2023 and a further 131,500 tons were planned in the second half of the year. No reason was given for…