Author: Philippos Kormopoulos

President Kassym-Joomart Tokayev approved the new government of Kazakhstan under the leadership of Olzhas Bektenov. The names of the ministers were published on primeminister.kz. Most of the ministers remained from the old government. Four ministers were replaced: Nurlan Baibazarov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy instead of Alibek Kuantyrov, Madi Takiyev became Minister of Finance instead of Erulan Zhamaubaev, Akmaral Alnazarova was appointed Minister of Healthcare instead of Azhar Giniyat, and Chingis Arinov became the new Minister for Emergency Situations instead of Syrym Shariphanov. Members of the government who remained in their positions included First Deputy…

London, (16/11 – 57) Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has laid out the bankrupt country’s budget for 2024, drawing mixed reviews as he strives to meet the demands of an International Monetary Fund bailout program without sowing further public resentment ahead of expected elections. Some observers applauded the proposals, not only for what they included but also what they did not, no new taxes on top of hikes already announced. But others expressed concern that the budget seemed designed to placate certain voters, and only temporarily, while not doing enough to help the struggling masses. Wickremesinghe unveiled the budget on…

Time to Make Hard Choices If devastation is the goal, Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip has been a resounding success. More than two months after Hamas killed over 1,100 people on October 7, Israeli air and ground operations have killed some 20,000 Palestinians, many of them children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. Much of Gaza lies in ruins, with the United Nations estimating that almost 20 percent of the territory’s prewar structures have been destroyed. More than half of Gazans are experiencing severe hunger, unemployment has risen to 85 percent, and disease is spreading. But the statements…

Brussel, Frankfurt (16/11 – 23) A levying of embargoes and export bans, the imposition of sanctions, erection of fearsome “license” (= restriction) protocol: there’s nothing new about this back-and-forth in world trade, in the eternal jousting for advantage among markets and nations. The clever Chinese imagined they had the world tea market all locked up until an earnest Scottish botanist carrying the telling name of “Robert Fortune” snuck into the Middle Kingdom to observe their agriculture, steal tea plants, and pick up tricks of tea processing. The Chinese global tea monopoly was busted wide open. The fortunate Mr. Fortune was…

The East African Community regional force began its withdrawal from the strife-torn east of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday after Kinshasa deemed it ineffective and refused to renew its mandate. The seven-nation EAC first deployed troops in the violence-plagued region in November 2022, at the invitation of the DRC authorities, to free areas taken by the resurgent M23 rebel group. But the future of the deployment was thrown into doubt after President Felix Tshisekedi and local residents accused the force of cohabiting with the rebels rather than forcing them to lay down arms. On Sunday morning, two contingents…

London (07/11 – 70) President Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the helm of the United National Party (UNP), has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for Sri Lanka’s tumultuous economy, tackling persistent challenges with a steadfast determination that has garnered widespread support across the national and international communities. Upon assuming office, Wickremesinghe confronted an array of pressing issues, including severe electricity shortage resulting in daily power cuts, soaring inflation, an all time low foreign reserve value and scarcities in essential commodities such as fuel and milk powder. Swift and strategic actions within his first six months in power yielded tangible results, with the electricity…

Ambassador of Pakistan to European Union, Belgium & Luxembourg Amna Baloch conducted an e-Kachehri to share views on various issues with the Pakistani community. During the event, members of the Pakistani community residing in Belgium and Luxembourg had an opportunity to ask questions and share their views on various issues. The ambassador also apprised fellow Pakistanis of various mechanisms of service delivery and other initiatives taken by the Embassy about strengthening bilateral ties and supporting Pakistani community. Source : APP

The Indonesian Manpower Ministry strives to strengthen cooperation with the Austrian government in the employment sector, especially for vocational training centers and Indonesian migrant workers (PMIs) placement. “I am sure with support from Ambassador Damos Dumoli Agusman, diplomacy between the two countries in the employment sector can increase, especially for cooperation in vocational training centers (BLK) that has been funded by the Austrian Government through a soft loan scheme,” Deputy Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor noted in a statement on Thursday. During a meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, Damos Dumoli Agusman, in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday…

Construction is expected to start in 2026, while the plant is scheduled to start supplying power in 2033. In August 2023, PGE PAK Energia Jądrowa, a joint venture of the Polish companies ZE PAK and Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE), submitted an application to the ministry for a new plant. As per the application, the proposed plant will have two units and generate 22 TWh of electricity per year, which is equivalent to approximately 12% of the current electricity demand in Poland. In November 2022, the Polish government announced the first plant, with a capacity of 3750 MWe, would be built…

Toronto, Frankfurt (2/11 – 42) World media are jumping all over the conflagration in Gaza following the 7 October attack, killing 1400 Israelis and kidnapping several hundred others – followed by an all-too-predictable retaliatory response from Israel, with indiscriminate bombardment and gunfire into Gaza. The number dead and injured in the Palestinian zone will likely never be known but it is currently estimated at over 5,000 – many of whom are women and children caught in the crossfire. Is Hamas sorry about those who voted for them and support their cause being machine-gunned or trapped by crumbling concrete in a…