What Will Kazakhstan Make of the Novorossiysk Constraint?

By Dr. Robert M. Cutler Russia’s July decree requiring FSB approval for foreign vessels entering Novorossiysk introduces a new procedural constraint into the regional export environment. Modest in scope, the measure nevertheless grants Moscow a latent mechanism for influencing Kazakhstan’s primary oil export route via the CPC pipeline, and by extension, its westward orientation. The […]

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Australian activists reveal ‘brutal’ treatment after being detained by Israel

LONDON: A pair of Australian pro-Palestine activists have complained of being “brutalized psychologically” after the boat they were on was stopped by the Israeli military trying to reach Gaza, The Guardian reported on Friday. Tania Safi, Robert Martin and 19 others were detained aboard the boat, named Handala, as it tried to deliver aid as […]

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US sanctions force vessels with Russian oil to divert from India, sources say

NEW DELHI/MOSCOW: At least two vessels loaded with Russian oil bound for refiners in India have diverted to other destinations following new US sanctions, trade sources said, and LSEG trade flows showed. The US Treasury Department this week imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and ships, some of which are involved in […]

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After 11 years in Indonesian limbo, Afghan refugee finds a home in Australia

By Aisyah Llewellyn It was a day Bibi Rahima Farhangdost feared might never come. After 11 years living in limbo in Indonesia as an Afghan refugee, she was finally on her way to a new life in Australia, boarding a flight to Tasmania at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 23. “Finally, it happened. I […]

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Bangladesh wants Malaysia’s help to join Asean, but it faces an uphill battle

By Maria Siow Bangladesh’s renewed quest for Asean membership comes at a moment of acute internal flux and regional scepticism, as interim leader Muhammad Yunus looks to Malaysia for support but finds the path to entry blocked by questions over governance and stability. On Sunday, he revived his country’s call for Malaysia’s backing to secure […]

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Saudi Analysts Expose Pakistan Army’s Fake AI Song Deepfaking Rashed Al-Faris

By Zahack Tanvir In a glaring example of artificial intelligence misuse and diplomatic overreach, Pakistan’s propaganda machinery has been caught falsely attributing an AI-generated Arabic song to renowned Saudi singer Rashed Al-Faris. The viral video, titled “Ana Pakistan, Ma Fi Khauf” (I am Pakistan, I don’t fear), was released online claiming to celebrate Saudi-Pakistani brotherhood […]

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