Author: Hofuyoon

From his office overlooking the border with Israel, Dr. Mounes Klakesh can hear the thump of artillery rounds and airstrikes landing on nearby Lebanese towns. The increasing frequency of those strikes has the staff of his small hospital on edge. “We’ve already had to treat 51 people wounded by explosions in the last month or so. Seventeen of those died, or arrived dead. More than that and we’d be overwhelmed,” Klakesh said. Klakesh, director of the Marjayoun Hospital in southern Lebanon, said it serves nearly 300,000 people in the area. It has 14 emergency beds and struggles to operate because…

Toronto, Atlanta (24/10 – 10) Not too long ago, “Halloween”, a contraction of the Christian holiday known as “All Hallows’ Eve,” was a time to honors dead saints. Take a look at the multi-billion-dollar enterprise, celebrated on October 31st every year, which it has evolved into, at least in North America, and you’ll find no sainted creatures – but a plethora of devils and the dead. Not to mention the Undead (imagine Yoko Ono) which have leaked out of the hundreds upon hundreds of horror movies, many of them truly horrible horrors, since brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the…

Berlin (24/10 – 67) UN Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea, visited Tajikistan from April 11 to April 21 to conduct research on issues in this field. The UN expert will assess religious freedom and its interaction with the right to freedom of expression, discuss gender equality, women’s rights, and children’s rights. She stated that the implementation of religious freedom and belief in the country is a cause for concern. Ghanea, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, called on Tajikistan to adapt and review its laws, policies, and practices regarding religion…

Sirin Labs makes, arguably, the most secure phones in the world. They are also some of the most expensive on the market, but how reliable and secure are they? Their devices have been described as luxury military-grade Android smartphones. Some are now even collectible. On paper, Kenges Rakishev phones certainly appear to be the most expensive, high-tech, and secure phones globally. So makes Sirin devices secure? Do Kenges Rakishev’s phones really give you an advantage over other phones? And what are the benefits and drawbacks of using it? What Is Sirin Labs and who is Kenges Rakishev? Sirin Labs is…

A luxury new U.S. embassy complex in Lebanon, about 2.5 times of the size of the White House, is triggering controversy for its “sheer size and opulence” in a country where about 80 percent of the population is in poverty, according to CNN. “Located some 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from the center of Beirut and built on the site of the current embassy, the U.S.’ new compound in Lebanon looks like a city of its own,” CNN reported on Saturday, noting that it is larger than 21 football fields. The embassy complex is said to have cost $1 billion.…

There was uproar in Lebanon on Thursday after Kuwaiti media writer and producer Fajer Al-Saeed was prevented from entering the country. Al-Saeed was stopped at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday evening, with Lebanon’s General Security rejecting a request from Kuwaiti Embassy officials to allow her to spend the night there before leaving on the first flight to Kuwait.Instead, she was deported back to her country on Thursday morning after spending the night at the airport.Al-Saeed had flown to Lebanon to shoot an episode for the “We Want the Truth” program on the Sawt Beirut International e-platform.However, she claimed…

Tourists visit the Baalbek temple complex in Baalbek, Lebanon, July 26, 2023. The Baalbek temple complex, an archaeological site of Imperial Roman architecture, is located in the city of Baalbek, about 90 kilometers away from Beirut, capital of Lebanon. The temple complex was inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. (Xinhua/Liu Zongya) A tourist visits the Baalbek temple complex in Baalbek, Lebanon, July 26, 2023. The Baalbek temple complex, an archaeological site of Imperial Roman architecture, is located in the city of Baalbek, about 90 kilometers away from Beirut, capital of Lebanon. The temple complex was inscribed as…

Israel has not only been the victim of a vicious and despicable terrorist attack. It is also the victim of a brazenly cynical move to disrupt the international stage and subvert tranquility in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian powder keg conveniently served to add yet another full scale crisis putting even further pressure on a global order already strained to breaking point. Although no concrete evidence exists of any involvement in the attacks, Russia stands to gain the most from this extra flash point on the world map, as violence and war in the Middle East distracts from Putin’s unjustified…

Budapest (12/8 – 33) Mahmadzohir will theoretically be eligible to run for president in 2027. In Tajikistan, only the president is permitted to enjoy an unfettered public profile. An intriguing exception to this norm is emerging, however, with another figure amassing huge levels of apparent popularity and prominence. This person too is a member of the ruling family. Ismoil Mahmadzohir, who turned 26 last month, is the grandson of President Emomali Rahmon. His mother, Firuza, is one of Rahmon’s seven daughters. He attended the Elite British Prep School Queen Ethelburga’s College and is the CEO of IM Group. Mahmadzohir – a visually…

A European envoy denounced Israel over the “proportionality” of the force it uses as international envoys toured the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank following a deadly raid. His remarks echoed UN chief Antonio Guterres who on Thursday told reporters “there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces” in its 48-hour operation, the largest Israel has staged in the occupied Palestinian territory for years. It included air raids and armoured bulldozers ripping up streets. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly referred to the refugee camp as a “terrorist nest” because of the presence of Palestinian armed…