Author: Svetlana Rahmanova

Russia will swap chickpeas for Pakistani mandarin oranges under a new barter system launched in response to payment woes caused by international sanctions in place over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration’s secondary sanctions targeting finance and trade flows that could aid Russia’s war efforts have spooked foreign lenders. The threat of sanctions has been notably effective in China, with Russian media reporting that by August, up to 98 percent of the country’s banks were rejecting Russian cross-border settlements in yuan. One potential workaround emerged in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding from the inaugural Pakistan-Russia Trade and Investment Forum, held Tuesday…

Will Germany provide military support to Israel if Iran attacks? German politicians remain cautious about this possibility, though some say that refueling aircraft would be conceivable. At the end of July, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who belongs to the center-left Social Democrats, visited Hawaii where two German warships, including the Baden-Württemberg frigate, were participating in the US-led naval Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise. Despite the distance, Pistorius could not ignore the escalation between Israel, Hamas and Iran. With regard to a potential Iranian attack on Israel, Pistorius told DW correspondent Michaela Küfner that “we don’t need that. We don’t want that.” …

The world has grown cynical about the integrity of major international sports, and not without reason. From the Olympics bribery scandal of the 1990s – which implicated the hosts of Nagano 1998, Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake City 2002 – we have seen additional corruption scandals in major global sporting events in countries as diverse as Germany, France, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, China and Qatar. But Paris 2024 may mark the advent of a new era. The Paris Olympics have been characterized by a relative absence of the scandals that often plague the Games. While controversies surrounding the Algerian and Taiwanese female boxers and the opening ceremony generated headlines, the overall tone has…

Kiev (4/6 – 25)The report from The Washington Post underscores the critical issue faced by Ukrainian soldiers, where reinforcements arrive at the front lines lacking fundamental skills such as assembling rifles and firing weapons. This deficiency in training highlights a concerning gap in preparedness.  The Washington Post’s report, based on interviews with commanders and newly deployed troops, reveals a concerning trend where units on the front lines must re-train soldiers arriving from rear positions. The testimony from Officer Schmidt of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade provides a firsthand account of the challenges faced by Ukrainian troops on the front lines. The…