Author: Steven Sahiounie

Syria welcomes the return of refugees to their homeland but what prevents this process is the consequences of the Turkish and US occupation of parts form the country, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad affirmed. That came during a telephone call the minister Mikdad received from his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib on Wednesday. Mikdad underlined that Syria spares no single effort to facilitate the return process but the mentioned occupation, looting the resources from the Syrian territories, along with the sanctions imposed on the country are all obstacles of this return. The Lebanese counterpart Bou Habib stated that he…

Dozens of Palestinian homes were flooded, while many roads were closed today in various areas of the Gaza Strip, due to heavy rains, amid warnings from the Meteorological Department that rains would continue to fall accompanied by thunderstorms. WAFA correspondent said that dozens of houses sank in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip, and in a number of neighborhoods in Gaza City, as well as in al-Shatee refugee camp, west of the city, especially in low areas, noting that shops were damaged due to heavy rains, causing serious damage to them and to property. He added that many roads were closed due to…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Armenia continues to be under attack by Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region which has simmered between Armenia and Azerbaijan for 30 years. Russian peacekeeping troops try to maintain calm, but recent comments concerning Armenia and NATO have put nerves on edge. Since its independence, Armenia has maintained a policy of friendly relations with Iran, Russia, and the West, including the United States and the European Union. Armenia-NATO partnership relations date back to 1992 when Armenia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, later renamed the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. In an effort to understand the…

The regulator also sold foreign currency in the amount of 2.3 bln rubles ($23.9 mln) on the domestic market with settlements on September 11 MOSCOW, September 13. /TASS/. Russia’s Central Bank sold foreign currency worth 2.3 bln rubles ($23.9 mln) on the domestic market with settlements on September 12, according to data published on the regulator’s website. The regulator also sold foreign currency in the amount of 2.3 bln rubles on the domestic market with settlements on September 11. The Bank of Russia said earlier that from August 10, through December 31, 2023, it would not buy foreign currency in…

“The primary factor is the increase of about 10% in overall consumption in the Russian market,” Viktor Evtukhov added VLADIVOSTOK, September 13. /TASS/. Steel production in Russia had an uptick by almost 3% to 38 mln metric tons, Deputy Minister of Industry Viktor Evtukhov told reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). “The industry’s condition is fairly good. Steel casting growth over the first six months of the year amounted to almost 3% – 38 mln metric tons. The primary factor is the increase of about 10% in overall consumption in the Russian market,” Evtukhov said. “Construction,…

New building rules may cause backlash, Berlin’s finance chief told Politico Enacting stricter building codes in the name of combating climate change may cause a dangerous backlash benefiting the “far right,” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in an interview published on Tuesday. The energy performance directive is a key provision in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed ‘Green Deal’ package of climate legislation. It would mandate the renovation of older buildings in order to “decarbonize” the housing stock by 2050. Speaking with Politico on Monday evening, Lindner described the plan as “enormously dangerous” and said it could endanger “social peace” because “people might get the impression that the…

Nearly two-thirds of the Czech Republic’s total crude supply this year has come from the sanctioned country, energy firm Mero has reported  The Czech Republic’s imports of Russian oil surged sharply in the first half of this year despite the EU country’s plans to wean itself off supply from Russia, state oil pipeline operator Mero revealed on Monday. Russian oil made up 65% of the Czech Republic’s total oil imports in the first six months of 2023, sharply up from 56% for the entire year in 2022 and 49% in 2021. Even with the EU’s sweeping sanctions on Russia,…

The bloc cannot completely wean itself from Russian gas at the moment and it’s realizing this, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says The EU continues to rely heavily on Russian gas even as it’s pledging to stop buying and using its eastern neighbor’s fuel by 2027, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has told RT, speaking on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday. Zakharova accused the 27-member EU of hypocrisy, saying all the bloc’s claims of cutting the inflow of Russian gas are mere “wordplay.” “They can play with words as much as they like… But there’s…

“Now, Russia is fighting a sacred fight to protect its state sovereignty and security while combating hegemonic forces that oppose Russia,” the North Korean leader said The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea believes that Russia is fighting a sacred fight for its sovereignty and security and Pyongyang supports every decision Russian President Vladimir Putin makes, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during talks with his Russian counterpart. “Now, Russia is fighting a sacred fight to protect its state sovereignty and security while combating hegemonic forces that oppose Russia,” Kim said, adding that his visit came at “a special time.”…

The North Korean leader also pointed out that Russia has taken up the struggle against the hegemonic forces in defense of its security North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hopes that his country and Russia will always stand together against imperialism and defend their sovereignty. “We hope that we will always stand together in the struggle against imperialism and for the building of a sovereign state,” he said. The North Korean leader also pointed out that Russia has taken up the struggle against the hegemonic forces in defense of its security. According to him, the North Korean authorities have always…