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Russia and Iran have unveiled plans to sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty on Friday when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits Moscow. The two nations dubbed ‘pariahs’ by much of the West have seen their cooperation and relations grow in the context of the Ukraine war. “On January 17, Vladimir Putin will hold talks with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, who will come to Russia on an official visit,” the Kremlin announced Monday. The much anticipated treaty has long been in the works, since at least last summer, news of which caused President Zelensky to say there’s an axis of rogue states conspiring to defeat Ukraine. This has included North Korea as well, which has lost troops helping Moscow defend Kursk region. As for the treaty to be signed by the week’s close, it was previewed as heavily focused on defense and security cooperation. “It will confirm the parties’ desire for closer cooperation in the field of defense and interaction in the interests of peace and security at the regional and global levels,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had earlier stated. Putin and Pezeshkian in addition to signing the agreement are expected to discuss “prospects for the further […]
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Peter Ford served in the UK Foreign Ministry for many years including being UK Ambassador to Bahrain (1999-2003) and then Syria (2003-2006). Following that, he was representative to the Arab world for the Commissioner General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency. He was interviewed by Rick Stering on Jan 6, 2025. RS: Why do you think the Syrian military and government collapsed so rapidly? Peter Ford: Everybody was surprised but with hindsight, we shouldn’t have been. Over more than a decade, the Syrian army had been hollowed out by the extremely dire economic situation in Syria, mainly caused by western sanctions. Syria only had a few hours of electricity a day, no money to buy weapons and no ability to use the international banking system to buy anything whatsoever. It’s no surprise that the Army was run down. With hindsight, you might say the surprise is that the Syrian government and Army were successful in driving back the Islamists. The Syrian Army forced them into the redoubt of Idlib four or five years ago. But after that point, the Syrian army deteriorated, became less battle ready on the technical level and also morale. Syrian soldiers are mainly conscripts and they […]
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Spain is set to impose a significant new tax on foreigners, including Brits, buying homes in the country as it moves to prioritise housing availability for locals. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the new package of measures today. One of the 12 is the controversial proposal to introduce a tax for non-EU citizens who don’t already live in Spain on buying homes in the country. The tax raises the amount when purchasing a property to 100 percent of its value. House-buyers in the country are currently expected to fork out for costs and taxes worth between 10 and 12% of the house price, depending on its location. Mr Sanchez said that the new levy would help “prioritise the availability of housing for residents”. Mr Sánchez also accused the 27,000 foreigners from outside the EU who purchased homes in Spain in 2023 of buying the properties “not to live in them, but to speculate”. He added that house prices are one of Europe’s “main challenges, adding that “average house prices in Europe have risen by 48% in the last decade and it is unbearable.” It comes after the Spanish prime minister announced plans to end the so-called ‘golden visa’ scheme in a blow to thousands. […]
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Moroccan martial arts star and former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world champion Ilias Ennahachi will face Petchtanong Petchfergus at ONE Championship’s show ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20 at Lusail Sports Arena. The winner of the matchup could be the next challenger for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world title which will be on the line in the show’s main event as Jonathan Haggerty defends his gold against Chinese veteran Wei Rui. Ennahachi has won both his two bouts since moving to bantamweight, most recently defeating second-ranked Hiroki Akimoto via unanimous decision at ONE Friday Fights 81 on September 27, taking his ONE record to 5-0 and his overall professional record to 40-3. The 28-year-old Moroccan is one of the promotion’s most established stars and the only fighter to beat current two-sports champion Superlek Kiatmoo. Meanwhile, 39-year-old veteran Petchtanong most recently picked up a knockout win against former divisional champion Alaverdi Ramazanov in June after returning to action for the first time in two years. The experienced Thai owns an incredible 359-56 overall professional record.
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The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has its first major event of 2025 with the Road To Dubai Champions Series at the Coca-Cola Arena on Jan. 25. Headlining the PFL card is a highly-anticipated matchup between undefeated Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and Ireland’s surging contender Paul “Big News” Hughes. Nurmagomedov, the cousin of mixed martial arts great Khabib Nurmagomedov, comes into the fight with a pristine 19-0 record and two successful title defenses. Hughes, meanwhile, is riding a seven-fight win streak, including a victory over former Bellator champion AJ McKee. To add more fuel to the fire, Hughes said he is drawing inspiration for the fight from Khabib’s recent criticism of Ireland’s MMA fighters. Meanwhile former Bellator light-heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov takes on seasoned knockout artist Tim Johnson. Nemkov, who was dominant at light-heavyweight and set a league record for title defenses, moved up to heavyweight in 2024 with a victory over former PFL champion Bruno Cappelozza. A PFL and Bellator veteran, Johnson has 18 career victories, with 10 knockouts. The Road to Dubai Champions Series will also feature MMA fighters from nations including the US, UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and Brazil. MAIN CARD Bellator Lightweight World Championship: Usman […]
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The United Arab Emirates has reopened its embassy in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, after years of limited diplomatic engagement, the UAE’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. The decision follows the election of Lebanon’s new president Joseph Aoun last week, ending a prolonged 15-month leadership vacuum in the country. A high-level UAE delegation arrived in Beirut on Sunday to oversee the reopening of the embassy, acting on directives from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President. This move comes after a direct call between Sheikh Mohamed and President Joseph Aoun. In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) highlighted that the reopening reflects the strong and enduring ties between the two nations, built on mutual respect and shared regional interests. The Ministry reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty, and stability, while pledging comprehensive support for the Lebanese people across economic and developmental sectors. “The reopening of the UAE embassy is a testament to the longstanding fraternal relations between our peoples and underscores the UAE’s steadfast support for Lebanon’s stability and development,” the statement read. A new chapter in Lebanese politics The UAE’s move coincides with a pivotal moment for Lebanon. On Thursday, the country’s parliament […]
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Egyptian security authorities have arrested a maid accused of kidnapping a two-year-old Saudi girl and abandoning her on a street in Dokki, a neighbourhood in Giza. The toddler was found near a pedestrian footbridge. Major General Sameh Al Humaili, First Assistant Minister of Interior and Director of Giza Security, received a report from the Dokki Police Station. The report said that a Saudi mother had filed a complaint regarding the disappearance of her two-year-old daughter, alleging that her maid had abducted the child. Investigations revealed that the maid had recently begun working for the family. On the day of the incident, she took the toddler with her under the pretext of visiting a supermarket to purchase necessities but failed to return.
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Indian currency, rupee, crashed 27 paise to hit a new lifetime low of 86.31 against the US dollar in the morning trading hours on Monday, January 13, dragged down by a robust American currency amid volatile global cues. The rupee’s slide show was also accentuated by a record surge in crude oil prices, sustained outflow of foreign capital from India and a negative trend in domestic equity markets, market participants said. The fall in rupee exchange value will be good news for expat Indians, especially those who work in the Gulf region who regularly make remittances to their family members back home, as they can get more bucks for every dollar. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.12 and fell to the historic low level of 86.31 against the greenback in initial deals, registering a steep loss of 27 paise from its previous close. On Friday, the rupee declined 18 paise to settle at 86.04 against the US dollar. Forex traders said the dollar strengthened on better-than-expected job growth in the US market, which also fuelled the benchmark treasury yields amid expectations of a slower interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. US employers added 256,000 jobs last month, […]
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BRAVE Combat Federation, the world’s most global MMA organization, announces the nominees for Knockout of the Year as part of its annual awards, kicking off 2025 by celebrating the outstanding moments of 2024. Leading the list is Filipino superstar Marwin Quirante, who delivered an 18-second frontkick knockout against Pakistan’s Aqib Awan at BRAVE CF 85 in Pakistan, shocking the MMA world. Also earning a nomination is Alex Lohoré, who showcased his knockout skills at BRAVE CF’s debut event in the Netherlands, BRAVE CF 83. Lohoré, making his BRAVE CF debut, stopped former Super Welterweight champion Marcin Bandel in the first round, announcing his arrival in spectacular fashion. Pakistani superstar Rizwan Ali secured his spot on the list with a third-round knockout of Indian MMA veteran Srikant Sekhar at BRAVE CF 85 in Pakistan. In a fight that was a contender for Fight of the Year, Rizwan knocked out Srikant in the third round, earning bragging rights for his nation in the heated India vs. Pakistan rivalry. Bahrain’s Mohamed Alsameea rounds out the list of nominees. After a setback at BRAVE CF 84 in China, Alsameea bounced back with a huge knockout victory over Egypt’s Salah Walid at BRAVE CF 91 […]
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