Latest news with #Nasi
Rudaw Net
03-07-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Austrian ambassador praises President Barzani's role in Iraq
Also in Iraq Sudani orders monitoring of water flow from Turkey Iraq reports 34 percent revenue decrease in four months Who is behind recent rocket, drone attacks in Kurdistan Region, disputed territories? Car accident kills four in Diyala province A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Austria's ambassador to Iraq hailed his country's relations with Baghdad as 'excellent,' saying Vienna is committed to strengthening ties between Baghdad and Erbil while praising Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani's profile and connections with Iraqi officials. 'We are committed to fostering robust relations with both Baghdad and Erbil. In this context, we highly value President Barzani's high political profile and his strong personal connections, both with Prime Minister [Mohammed Shia' al-] Sudani, within the Iraqi political landscape and throughout the region as a whole,' Andrea Nasi told Rudaw. Describing Vienna's relations with Baghdad as 'excellent,' Nasi said that 'Iraq considers Austria an important partner in the EU and Austria considers Iraq as an important partner in the region.' 'We have strengthened our partnership through agreements on security, political dialogue, air transport, and cooperation between our Chambers of Commerce,' he explained. Austria closed its embassy in Baghdad in 1991 over security concerns. The country had a representation in the Iraqi capital since 2022, and reopened its embassy in September. It does not have a consulate in Erbil but has had a commercial office in the Kurdish capital since 2006. Nasi said that 42 Austrian companies work in Iraq, reporting a 20 percent increase in exports to the country in 2024 for a total volume of €123.5 million, primarily in the dairy, optical equipment, mechanical equipment, and steel and iron sectors. 'Austria's current engagement in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region, is primarily characterized by targeted loans and contractual agreements, rather than large-scale equity investments,' he added. Regarding the Kurdistan Region, the ambassador said that Vienna aims to explore opportunities with Erbil in the security, migration, economic development, and energy initiatives sectors, with nine Austrian companies operating in the Region. 'Austria has a lot to offer when it comes to environmentally friendly technology, sustainable industrial products, telecommunications infrastructure, friendly technology, sustainable industrial products, telecommunications infrastructure, as well as crisis management and fire fighting vehicles and equipment,' Nasi said. In July of last year, President Barzani visited Austria and met with top officials, including Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and then-Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, to highlight opportunities and avenues to strengthen Vienna's ties with Erbil and Baghdad. During his visit, Barzani said that Erbil has a 'very long-lasting relationship' with Vienna, and requested the opening of Austria's consulate in Erbil. Niyaz Mustafa contributed to this report.
The Sun
06-05-2025
- The Sun
Court dismisses defamation suit against daily
GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here today dismissed a defamation suit filed by businessman Datuk Seri Sabaruddin Ahmad against English daily 'The Star' and its journalist Imran Hilmy Tawfik Hilmy over an article published five years ago. The suit concerned a report titled 'Nasi Kandar Shakedown: Penang restaurant claims they are being harassed for protection money', which appeared in the newspaper on Oct 16, 2020. Judge Datuk Rozana Ali Yusoff ruled that the defendants,— the journalist and the publication — had not defamed the plaintiff and were protected by qualified privilege. Rozana said the article involved matters of public interest, specifically public health and safety, and that the defence of qualified privilege had been successfully proven by the defendants. The court ordered Sabaruddin to pay RM30,000 in costs to the defendants. Counsels Nicholas Navaron and Soraya Sulaiman Ong represented Imran and The Star, while Sabaruddin was represented by S. Raveentharan and R. Asmeeta. In April 2021, Sabaruddin filed the suit seeking damages, the removal of the article and a public apology. The original article reported that the owner of a well-known nasi kandar restaurant in Penang had lodged a police report, alleging that he and his staff were being harassed for protection money. The reporter interviewed the restaurant owner and his son, who claimed that a man referred to as a 'Datuk' had threatened that the restaurant would be vandalised and its staff harmed if the payments were not made.
