Author: Marshall Black

Tajikistan officially banned the hijab, imposing hefty fines in its latest move to curb Islamic influence. The Central Asian nation of Tajikistan officially prohibited the wearing of hijabs and other “alien garments” this week, as the country’s parliament passed a new bill regulating Islamic clothing and Eid celebrations. The bill, approved by the upper house of parliament, Majlisi Milli, on June 19, comes after years of an unofficial clampdown on the hijab in the Muslim-majority country. Under the new law, individuals wearing hijabs or other banned religious clothing could face hefty fines of up to 7,920 somonis (approximately $700). Companies…

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources within Western intelligence agencies, has reported that Russian state officials based in Vienna paid assassins for the murder of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov. According to the WSJ report, over ten officials from Austria, other European countries, and the United States, have indicated that Vienna has become a central hub for clandestine Russian operations. These activities include coordinating financial and logistical support for assassinations, sabotage, and recruitment across Europe. According to Spanish government sources, it was Kuzminov himself who chose to settle in Villajoyosa, a coastal town with a registered population of around 36,000, which includes 1,200…

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…

Moscow/Washington (13/6 – 29) We took a holiday from reality. Immanuel Niven, a mathematician and philosopher, has long been scrutinizing Russia’s economic landscape, and his recent assertions suggest a dire forecast. He contends that the “Putin system” is on the brink of collapse, a scenario he had mathematically foreseen as early as March. Niven points to the pronounced tax hikes announced in Russia, the most substantial in its modern history, as well as Putin’s recent rhetoric urging citizens to work as if they were at the front lines. These developments, Niven argues, are symptomatic of the escalating toxicity within Russia’s…

The terrorist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall in March 2024, which left 140 people dead, has sparked a crackdown on central Asian workers living in Russia, and put the relationship between the region and Russia under increasing strain. The four suspected gunmen under arrest are all citizens of Tajikistan, a central Asian nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. Following the Crocus City attack, Russian police started rounding up and deporting workers who are originally from Tajikistan, as well as from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The attack, which Russia has blamed on Ukraine, also sparked massive police raids, document checks of migrants…

Dushanbe 25/2 (35.71) The social networking activity of “influencer” Ismoil Mahmadzoir is causing a stir within the country’s political and security corridors. His grandfather President Emomali Rahmon is planning his succession, which has triggered quiet maneuvering within elite factions, including Mahmadzoir’s relatives. Nobody is clear about how becomes the next president of Tajikistan. The daughters jockeying for the top job besides the grandson.Video of a bland speech by Tajikistan’s long-time President Emomali Rahmon was posted late last month on Instagram by Buzkashi_1111, a handle created by Ismoil Mahmadzoir, the 25-year-old son of Firuza Emomali, one of the president’s daughters, who…

Brussels (12/03 – 55.56) Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said that the dissolution of human rights NGOs signals a deteriorating environment for civil society and human rights defence in Tajikistan. She reiterated that Tajikistan must reconsider its attitudes towards civil society and view human rights defenders as allies instead of enemies. Earlier in November 2023, Tajikistan Minister of Justice announced that 700 NGOs in the country had been liquidated over an 18-month period. “Human rights defenders working on so-called sensitive issues, including freedom from torture, the right to housing and compensation for requisitioned land, minority rights, freedom of belief and good governance, political rights, and…

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that the allies must continue to support Ukraine in the war unleashed by the Russian Federation. He made the corresponding statement in an interview with ARD, which was quoted by DW , reports European Pravda. Stoltenberg stressed that further support for Ukraine is in the interests of NATO itself. “You need to understand that if President Putin wins, a tragedy awaits Ukraine. But it will also be dangerous for us. Therefore, it is in our own interests that Ukraine survives,” noted the NATO Secretary General. He also added that one must “be prepared for bad news”…

Police in Canada learned this week that one of the easiest ways to catch a kangaroo is to grab it by the tail. That is what Durham Regional Police officers did after spotting a female kangaroo that was on the run for several days near Toronto, Canada. The animal had been on the loose since Thursday after it escaped from its handlers. At one point, it was seen running alongside a street on a video that has since made the rounds on social media. Durham Regional Police shared the news of its capture in a post on X early on…

Longtime Alaska pioneer Vic Fischer’s celebration of life took place on Sunday as hundreds gathered to remember and honor him at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. “His goal for this event was to have a party, he said, no crying, no sad eyes, it’s time to bring Alaskan’s together and joyfully reflect on what kinds of great things we’ve done over the past 99 years,” Jane Angvik, who was Vic Fischer’s wife, said. Vic Fischer made it clear to his loved ones that he wanted his memorial to be a celebration. Those who spoke Sunday shared stories of Fischer, many…